LDS Artwork - Popular Mormon Paintings and Joseph Smith Art

LDS Artwork - Popular Mormon Paintings and Joseph Smith Art

If this is a picture of the late prophet what a find it is! Although at this time we really don't know what Joseph Smith looked like exactly, we have some good estimations as there have been many paintings done of the prophet.

The most famous painting of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Mormon church is the painting entitled "The Prophet Joseph Smith" that was painted by by Alvin Gittins. This painting is in the front of most of the copies of the Book of Mormon published in the last 30 years. When I visited a chapel of the Community of Christ they even had this particular painting of Joseph Smith displayed.

Other paintings include Joseph as a boy studying the scriptures, the first vision, receiving the priesthood, organizing the church and others. His stature, prominent nose, piercing eyes, and side hairs combed forward help make the paintings easily recognizable as being Joseph Smith. One painting done, that hangs in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, was based on the a physical description recorded by a taylor who made a suit for the prophet.

When I saw the photo that might be that of the prophet I was taken aback; the picture was nice but it lacked something. It was almost like it was too plain. After my own examination, I began to realize that it quite possibly could be him because people tend to try to make people such as Joseph Smith or people of great esteem appear in the highest light that can be portrayed in paintings. I know this well as every home in Venezuela that I visited while serving a mission for the LDS church had very dignified paintings of Simon Bolivar.

Though simple, this photo could be the picture of a great man who was really just an ordinary guy in many respects. This is not to say that the calling he held was not unique nor that he was not special. I believe that he was a prophet of God; however, humans tend put people they revere on a pedestal and they become larger than life.

As I examined the picture more I felt a special feeling come over me that even if the photo was not that of Joseph Smith that it is still a treasure as it is possibly another family member such as Samuel Smith. Though I will probably never know what he looks like in this life. I believe with all my heart that he was chosen by God, I spent two years of my life teaching people of him as a missionary in Venezuela and Orlando Florida.

Trent Bowen is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a collector of LDS media. He is the owner of http://www.prophetpaintings.com. He believes that LDS art can bless the lives of others. His website has paintings of the prophets from Joseph Smith to Thomas S. Monson in the Salt Lake Temple celestial room.

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