One of the world's best kept artistic secrets

How do you let the world in on one of the best artistic secrets still around? It all starts with one blog, the right music, a simple website and a burning desire to introduce a true American masterpiece creator, Arnold Friberg.

An absolute prolific artist creating over 300 remarkable paintings just for the Royal Canadian Mounties . He rubbed shoulders with the biggest of Hollywood. He was commissioned by an American billionaire and British Royalty. In his spare time he earned an Academy Award nominee for his work on the epic film The Ten Commandments. Today Arnold is now 93, painting is all he has ever known. Above his fireplace hangs the American masterpiece, "George Washington's prayer at Valley Forge." This is an artist that lives and breathes his craft. We felt it was time to tell his story the best way we know how.

A revered religious artist, we dedicate this site to one of his most sacred collections, the 12 paintings depicting key scenes in the Book of Mormon. We hope you enjoy your journey into the lives of these great people as much as we enjoy bringing it to you. We are prepared to bring the entire lithographed series signed and numbered by Arnold Friberg himself, to any location that will savor the collection. Set in stunning frames, and rich matting, this site is just a taste of the feast to come.

Please forward this blog and site to your friends who appreciate fine classic art, freedom of religion and artistic integrity. Let's get the conversation started; we hope you will join us.

LDS Art Show team.

LDS Art Show comes to Bountiful Utah!

We have some Arnold Friberg fans on the Wasatch! We have heard your clicks and we are bringing the show to Bountiful Utah. Our first stop will be a three week run at Apple Frame Gallery located at 70 North Main Street Suite 104 Bountiful, UT 84010.

The show will start Friday June 6^th and run for three weeks. Please call (801) 298-1227 or go to "Find a Show near you" button on our site to print a map. Send us your photos, feelings and thoughts of the show and we will share them with other LDS art and music lovers.

June 6th to Friday June 27th

6:00pm to 8:00pm

Monday-Saturday

70 North Main Street Suite 104 Bountiful, UT 84010
(801) 298-1227

Arnold Friberg LDS Art show opening weekend recap

Arnold Friberg art lovers got their fill this opening weekend at Apple Frames Gallery in Bountiful. They were able to see the entire 12 piece Book of Mormon set Friberg painted more than 50 years ago.

Mingling with the different guest I met numerous people who knew Arnold Friberg personally and were able to share interesting insights into the creation of the paintings. For example I learned how hard it was for Friberg to illustrate the Book of Mormon in twelve paintings. Many Mormon church leaders thought the art should depict some of the great oratory moments given by prophets. But the events lacked visual excitement and luckily for us Arnold Friberg was given enough freedom to choose the scenes and create the great dramatic paintings.

Also, according to my new friends, at the time Friberg was creating the LDS art no one suspected it would be so inspirational that the Mormon church would reproduce them in all the copies of the Book of Mormon.

How to use Arnold Friberg LDS art to explain the Book of Mormon

Teaching people about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a tough job. Especially at their doorstep. Mormon missionaries all around the world meet people everyday and often in 30 seconds or less explain what the restored gospel of Jesus Christ means. One of the best tools their are equipped with are the paintings by Arnold Friberg that are in the blue copies of The Book of Mormon. Members of the church are giving the responsibility to help missionaries find people to teach. So here is a step by step process of how missionaries use Arnold Friberg Art to teach about the Book of Mormon. It would make for a good lesson for Family Night.

The first painting if of Lehi, his family, and the Liahona. Start by explaining that the Book of Mormon begins with a prophet named Lehi who was just like Moses, Noah, or Isaiah. He was called by God to lead the church. But when Jerusalem became so wicked God commanded that he and his family leave Jerusalem and travel into the wilderness. 

They made their way to the ocean where God commanded them to build a boat. They later sailed across the ocean to the Americas.

Here in Americas they established a civilization and the principles and ordinances, such as baptism, continued to be taught over hundred of years. These were the same principles and ordinances that the prophets on the other side of the world taught.

And the prophets taught that Jesus Christ himself would come to the earth. But the people didn't always believe the prophets and would reject their teachings. But Christ did come to earth and after he was resurrected he visited the people in America.

 But years later the people rejected the gospel completely and killed all the believers. The last prophet of the Book of Mormon compiled these teachings and buried them in the earth. Joseph Smith would later be led to the plates, translate them by the power of God, and stand as a second witness to the Bible that Jesus is the Christ.

The Divine Object: The Liahona

Biblical artists who tried to recreate Moses and the ten commandments faced many challenges. Nowhere in the Scriptures is there an indication of the size of the tablets, their weight, their thickness, or any other physical details.

Arnold Friberg faced a similar challenge when he sought to depict the Liahona. All he had to work with was this scripture: "It was a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness."

Nowhere is there a description of its appearance or its size in any greater detail.

In the end Friberg decision was to make the Liahona an object that could be easily transported. He decided that it would be approximately five inches in diameter so that it could fit comfortably in a man's hand. Friberg also felt that since it was round, the Liahona would probably have some sort of stand to hold it while not in use. So a round stand with three legs were created into which the Liahona would rest.

Meridian Magazine features LDS Art Show

Meridian Magazine featured LDS Art show in Thursday's edition. (Read Entire Article) The lede used to introduce the piece was interesting.

Here's a question for you: What do Queen Elizabeth, Charlton Heston, Prince Charles, and Captain Moroni have in common? The answer may surprise you. All had their portraits painted by master artist Arnold Friberg.

The amount of red tape Arnold Friberg had to go through to paint Prince Charles is astonishing. First, the royal family must be satisfied that the painting with serve an important purpose and that the artist is of the highest ability. Friberg clearly qualified. Prints of The Prayer of Valley Forge was one of the paintings sent to the royal family to prove Friberg's ability.

After all that, it still took years of negotiations to complete. And then dates for the sittings had to be carefully planned to accommodate the prince's heavy schedule. Finally, there had to be coordinated arrangements for the Friberg's working room, residence, and security clearance.

By doing a royal portrait Friberg is in the company of numerous old masters including: Rembrandt, Valazquez, Raphael, Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian, Holbein.

Arnold Friberg Art Show Video in Bountiful

We had a great show at Apple Frame Gallery in Bountiful, Utah. Arnold Friberg's art is amazing and the gallery did a great job. Here is a video showing what a little of what is was like. Hopefully soon this fantastic collection will becoming to a gallery near you.

The woman who financed Arnold Friberg's Book of Mormon Art

ADELE CANNON HOWELL

There were many obstacles to confront in planning for Arnold Friberg's elaborate project to paint scenes from the Book of Mormon. None bigger than financing. The Mormon church would not supply the funding and there wasn't an adequate budget The Children's Friend, the magazine that would publish the paintings. So Adele Cannon Howells decided to underwrite the project herself. At the time she was the president of the Primary, the Mormon church's organization in charge of education children under twelve. Without Mrs. Howells dedication the Friberg's LDS art would most likely not have been created.

The purpose of an Illustration according to Arnold Friberg

"The purpose of an illustration is to suggest to the reader some of the rich experiences that might be his through reading the particular story or book that is being illustrated."

-Arnold Friberg

After Arnold Friberg painted the scenes from the Book of Mormon he wrote in the Children's friend: "My own understanding and appreciationg of the Book of Mormon has been immeasurably increased...The great personalities who walk through its pages have become alive and real, and immense stature." (Children's Friend, December 1952, pages 496, 522)

Friberg's LDS art was not oversimplified for children

The Book of Mormon art Friberg created was orginally intended as periodic inserts in The Children's Friend magazine and required that his paintings be understood by a young audience. But Friberg did not oversimplify his art. Friberg has always believed that children enjoy and respond to well-done and fully developed artwork.

Arnold Friberg Religious Art Lesson: PRIDE

Arnold Friberg art can be an effective tool when teaching a gospel principle. The following is a quick lesson adapted from LDS President Ezra Taft Benson talk using Arnold Friberg's painting Abinadi Delivers His Message to King Noah.

PRIDE

The proud stand more in fear of men's judgment than of God's judgment.

In Arnold Friberg's painting, King Noah was about to free the prophet Abinadi, but an appeal to his pride by his wicked priests sent the religious man to the flames.

Fear of men's judgment manifests itself in competition for men's approval. The proud love "the praise of men more than the praise of God" John 12:42-43.

Friberg's art captures this conflict as King Noah listens to Abinadi while his wicked priests stand to his side. King Noah has to make a decision. Change his wicked ways and become a religious person or continue to live his immoral lifestyle. In the end King Noah was about to set Abinadi free, but instead he listen wanted the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Some prideful people are not so concerned as to whether their wages meet their needs as they are that their wages are more than someone else's. Their reward is being a cut above the rest. This is the enmity of pride.

When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men's judgment. The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. The reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God, and the proud let go of the iron rod.

LDS Art sends Arnold Friberg to Hollywood

When movie director Cecil B. DeMille wanted to utilize the talents of a major religious artist to create paintings for The Ten Commandments movie he was not aware of Arnold Friberg.

By the time Friberg had completed eight illustrations for the Book of Mormon, DeMille was actively seeking a suitable artist to help him with the movie. At the same time, a man named Herman Stolpe was visiting the United States from his native Sweden. Stolpe was the publisher of Sweden's largest newspaper and the producer of fine art boks sold throughout Europe.

On a tour through the United States, Stolpe met Friberg in Salt Lake City when he visited the artists studio. The publisher liked Friberg's work and was interested in securing the European publishing rights to them and took with him eight of the LDS scripture paintings.

His last tour stop was Hollywood where Stolpe took a tour of The Ten Commandments set. He learned of the urgent need for a religious artist to create dramatic religious work. The movie people asked Stolpe if he knew any good European artists.

After studying Friberg's prints he realized Friberg might be the talented artists DeMille was seeking. He wrote a letter to DeMille, and along with the LDS prints Stolpe noted, "The man you're looking for is in Salt Lake City."

Arnold Friberg uses himself as model for Book of Mormon Art

In the '50s, when Arnold Friberg was painting the art of Book of Mormon for the LDS church, it was an era of the short hair and cleancut look. Men did not wear their hair long. These social rules of dress and appearance were in stark contrast to those of the religious figures in the Book of Mormon.

Unable to locate models with shoulder-length hair and full beards to pose as characters in the Book of Mormon, Arnold Friberg let his own hair and beard grow in order to achive authenticity in the art.

A challenge Friberg faced when painting Christ

Painting the scenes from the Book of Mormon had unique challenges for Arnold Friberg. The major obstacle, in the artists view, was resistance by church leaders to LDS artists' painting or sculpting representations of the Savior.

The scene Friberg had greatest difficulty with was the scene Christ Appearing to the Nephites. His original proposal for the religious art piece was not approved by LDS leaders. He substituted another concept entirely that showed the Savior at a distance descending from the sky.

"The reason I made him [the Savior] that small and so high up was so that no one could nail me-'How do you know how he looked?' So I put this little figure up in the sky and made it so small that no one could quibble over details like facial features."

-Arnold Friberg

Arnold Friberg paints battle scenes with taste

Arnold Friberg described his ideas of the art piece "Mormon Bids Farewell To A Once Great Nation,"

"Now we are talking about the last picture. This is after the last battle. This is downright Wagnerian, isn't it? Of course, I love Wagner. I love the great hero tales of Siegfried. The story of Moroni is the story of Siegfried. Every hero's story is the story of Siegfried. This represents the solemn scene . . . [with] heaps of bodies [lying about]. . . . So I had to picture the carnage and death, but I tried to do it tastefully. Not a lot of blood and wounded bodies. I tried to capture the gotterdammerung feeling such as Wagner could have captured in music! This is the end of a nation and an entire race. Mormon was . . . wounded in the fight, and so they have laid him down there on the hilltop. Things like this one last leaf on the tree had their own little symbolism. You see the buzzards circling, because there is death all around. Blood on the sun! This is really Wagnerian tragedy.

"Also you notice this flag [behind Moroni on the pole] is the same flag raised long ago by Captain Moroni when he rallied the Nephites to fight for freedom. I think they would have preserved . . . that flag of Captain Moroni's, the old Title of Liberty. And I think at the end they would have said, 'We weren't worthy to live under Moroni's flag. Let us at least die like men under the flag.' If I had been making a motion picture, I would have them get out the old flag of Captain Moroni's and say, 'At least let us fight and die under it if we are men at all.'"

The Brother of Jared

Arnold Fribergs artistic redetion of The Brother of Jared sees the Finger of the Lord presented unique challenges.

According to the LDS scriptures, the brother of Jared gathered sixteen small stones, described as "white and clear, even as transparent glass," which he carried to a mountain known as shelem. There he prayed to God, voiceing a fear that his people would suffer greatly if they had to cross the oceans in darkenss.

This Book of Mormon scene presented Friberg with a challenge. First he had to consider the literal image being conveyed. The artist recalled Michelangelo's monumental work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, in which he had created an image of the finger of God giving life to Adam. Yet, literally to show the finger of God touching the stones, in a manner similar to that used by Michelangelo, would have been both extremely difficult and controversial within the LDS church.

Mormons feel that nothing in their teachings can be construed as factual without Scriptural support. Thus, showing the finger of the Lord would have required Friberg to speculate on the actual appearance of God before man. Such a rendering would run counter to the stress for realism witin church doctrine.

Arnold Friberg creates art out of cryptic description

Arnold Friberg's task of painting The Brother of Jared seeing the Finger of the Lord was made difficult as a result of the cryptic description of Jared's brother. The passage in the LDS scriptures referred to him as simply "a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord." Such a brief description fails to enoke a definite image of Jared's brother that Friberg could use to create a work of art.

Friberg made the decision to show the incident from a vantage point behind the brother of Jared. The body of the brother is powerful, clothed in animal skins, and wearing a large knife. His hair is white and his arms are raised to shield himself from the extreme brightness of teh light of the Lord. There are deep shadows from which light is piercing the brilliantly glowing stones.

Creating the finger of the lord

When creating the piece of artwork "The Brother of Jared sees the Finger of the Lord," Arnold Friberg had to make some difficult and creative artistic decision.

Friberg decided rather than offering a visual interpretation of the finger of the Lord, he would present the action as the man himself might have experienced it. So much light has been produced by God's presence that the brother's eyes cannot tolerate the brightness. The viewer is shown the results of the divine touch rather than a more literal painting of a finger touching the stones. The painting thus succeeds in conveying the great visual power without creating theological controversy.

Arnold Friberg's family's conversion plays role in depiction of Abinadi

The figure of Abinadi had special meaning for Arnold Friberg. When his family was converted to the LDS church in 1921 Friberg was seven years old. He was baptized the next year and remembers the missionaries teaching his family. Brother

Brother Altop was the man that introduced Friberg's family to the LDS church. As Friberg was at work painting the picture of Abinadi, Brother Altop visited his art studio. Lean and muscular from years of working as a carpenter, the revered frirend was immediately put to work as an art model, posing as Abinadi.

Nephi's Boat would not be weird

In Arnold Friberg's fine art piece Lehi and His People Arrive in the Promis Land, he had to recreate a boat based off a vague description from the LDS scriptures. All it says is that it was not built after the manner of men. Friberg did not think God would instruct Nephi to build some very weird thing never seen in heaven or earth just to prove that it had divine help. Friberg believed it would besome perfectly sensible principle of shipbuilding that was perhaps in advance of what was known to shipbuilders at that time.

Brother of Jared inspires Moses

Cecil B. Demille liked the clothing Arnold Friberg's drew in his LDS painting The Brother of Jared Sees the Finger of the Lord, that it became the basis for Moses' costume in the movie The Ten Commandments when he kneeled before the burning bush. Friberg did not copy it exactly, but DeMille wanted the same feeling in the burning bush scene that he had witnessed in the fine art piece with the Brother of Jared.

Arnold Friberg struggles to research accuracy of Book of Mormon geography

Arnold Friberg did preliminary research toward the accuracy of the LDS scripture art portrayals he had in mind. Unlike biblical scenes-for which the exact location of major events more or less defined landscape, architecture, dress, armor, food, and utensils-Book of Mormon art scenes could not be based on definitive geographical and cultural settings.

To prepare a visual expression of scenes from the text, Friberg wanted expert guidance on such points. In 1951 he sought out Professor M. Wells Jakeman in the Department of Archaeology at LDS church owned Brigham Young University for technical advice. John L. Sorenson, who was a graduate student in the department at the time, recalls overhearing the conversation in which Jakeman told Friberg that he could not help. The professor was reluctant to commit himself prematurely, as he saw it, to match anecdotes from the Nephite record with specific data on cultural contexts that were still at that time unclear.

Portraying Nephi

In Arnold Friberg's LDS painting Nephi Subdues His Rebellious Brethren he said he tried to show a fine, strong man. Nephi is the first author of LDS scripture's The Book of Mormon. He writes about his families journey across the ocean and to the American continent. Friberg had a lot of character to put in the single art piece. 

For his family to do travel across the ocean Nephi had to build a boat. Friberg said this showed his forge. It was a big enough job to undertake to build a ship, but he had to start before that. Nephi didn't have any tools. He had tomelt the ore out of the mountain and then fashion a crude forge, even to make the tools.

Two Thousand Stripling Warriors

Alma Baptizes at the Waters of Mormon

Arnold Friberg relied on the eloquent words of Mosiah, an ancient prophet from the LDS scriptures, to create the majestic art piece "Alma Baptizes at the Waters of Mormon.

'How beautiful were the waters...Who knew what it looked life? How beautiful those waters looked to those who there came to the knowledge of their Redeem!

Friberg said this was the verse he was really illustration. He put the waterfall in just to make the fine art painting more beautiful.

Friberg uses Jaguars

Arnold Friberg spent days studying Jaguars (not leopards) at the the zoo in prepartion for his art piece about Abinadi, an ancient prophet in the LDS scriptures.

There were a few reasons Friberg said he include Jaguars. One, it gave a royal touch to have animals chained to the throne. Jaguars are found only in Central and South America, so by having them appear in the painting it helped define the geographical setting.

Friberg said that animals are sensitive to supernatural power...The Jaguars in the art piece are snarling because they sens the awesome power that is surrounding Abinadi.

Captain Moroni Raises The Title of Liberty

Arnold Friberg's Book of Mormon art series capture some of the most exciting scenes and improtant characters. Among the most popular characters in the LDS scriptures is Captain Moroni. He was a military man who put his faith in God to save his people. He inspired men to fight by creating a Title of Liberty. 

Arnold Friberg had to picture how Captain Moroni would write his words. He didn't write in English. He wrote in ancient Hebrew. To create realism Friberg met with a Rabbi in Salt Lake City and asked him to write the message in what would have been the common characters used by the jewish people 600 years before Christ. Many people insisited Friberg write the letters in English, but he refused. 

Samuel the Lamanite

Arnold Friberg depicted the prophet Samuel the Lamanite in one of the eight Book of Mormon art pieces he created for the LDS church.

Samuel was sent to a city to preach the word of God, but was rejected and thrown out. So he climbed the city walls to preach the word of God. They tried to knock Samuel off the wall with arrows and rocks, but could not hit him.

To depict this Friberg created a storm inside the painting. "Somehow they were not able to hit him, and he was able to escape," Friberg said.

See the actual paintings

The original paintings that Arnold Friberg created for the LDS church reside in the conference center. It is located in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The Friberg collection is also touring in the country in different galleries around country. Check back to this site to see updates.

http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1867-1-1-1,00.html

Ammon

Arnold Friberg depicted the violent story of Ammon defending the King's flocks. Friberg said he didn't dare show the arms being cut off in an art piece being created for the LDS church. "It would make a great present-day horror movie," he said. "I guess that's the way they did missionary work in those days!" Instead of showing the bloody parts of the story Friberg showed Ammon the moment just before the onslaught.

Arnold Friberg Religious Art Lesson: The LIahona

Arnold Friberg's Book of Mormon artwork is a fantastic tool to use when teaching a gospel releated class. In your discussions, when using these Friberg's LDS paintings, encourage your students to give as many answers as possible about the things they learn from the artwork. Some of their answers may be in the LDS scriptures and some may not.

Some Discussion Ideas for Arnold Friberg's paintings?

THE LIAHONA: 1 Nephi 16

1. Who is the man holding the Liahona? Why do you say that? (see 1 Nephi 16:10). How does Arnold Friberg make him stand out? Why do you think the artist showed him kneeling? Why do you think Arnold Friberg depticed Lehi's robe of that fabric?
2. Who is the man with his hands on Lehi's shoulder? What does his stance imply?
3. Who is the man with his hands on his hips? What does his stance imply? Is there another figure who gives a similar feeling?
4. Read 1 Nephi 16:9-10. What things did Arnold Friberg have to take into consideration when he chose to paint the Liahona the way he did?
5. Which character might be Zoram? Same? Ishmael? Why?
6. What is the setting of this painting? (see 1 Nephi 2:6; 16:10) What is the weather like?
7. Why do you think Sariah is back by the tent door?
8. Which girl do you think is the one who is married to Nephi? Why?
9. What is in the picture to show that it happened before the events that began in 1 Nephi 16:18?

Arnold Friberg Art Lesson: Nephi Subdues His Rebellious Brothers

Arnold Friberg's Book of Mormon artwork is a fantastic tool to use when teaching a gospel releated class. In your discussions, when using these Friberg's LDS paintings, encourage your students to give as many answers as possible about the things they learn from the artwork. Some of their answers may be in the LDS scriptures and some may not.

NEPHI SUBDUES HIS REBELLIOUS BROTHERS: 1 NEPHI 17

1. What had Nephi's brothers been doing before this? (see 1 Nephi 17:17-18,48)
2. What did Arnold Friberg depict was happening in the painting? What verse does this piece of artwork depict? (see 1 Nephi 17:54)
3. Who made the forge? bellows? tools? Who lit the fire? (see 1 Nephi 17:11,16) What were they made from? What is the pot for? Where di the wooden bow come from?
4. What do you think the broken knife had been used for?

Lehi and His People Arrive in the Promised Land

Arnold Friberg's Book of Mormon artwork is a fantastic tool to use when teaching a gospel releated class. In your discussions, when using these Friberg's LDS paintings, encourage your students to give as many answers as possible about the things they learn from the artwork. Some of their answers may be in the LDS scriptures and some may not.

LEHI AND HIS PEOPLE ARRIVE IN THE PROMISED LAND: 1 NEPHI 18

1. Why do you think the artist painted Lehi looking toward heaven when the others are looking toward the land? Why do you think Friberg had Lehi holding the Liahona when it was Nephi who had used it at sea?
2. If you were in Sariah's position, what would you think?
3. Who is the young boy?
4. Are those birds sea gulls? Why would Arnold Friberg put roseate tens in the pictgure and not sea gulls? (They come from Central and South American: placin gthem geographically)
5. How would you have painted the boat if you had been asked to? (Arnold Friberg painted the planks and rawhide of the boat after viewing the construction of the Salt Lake Tabernacle. The rope ladders are like the ones that have been used in the MIddle East for centuries.)

Friberg did not paint in chronological order

The paintings the artist Arnold Friberg produced for the LDS magazine, The Children's Friend, were not completed in the order which the actual events took place. While he knew the exact events that he wanted to portray, the chronological order was not critical. The use as periodic inserts in the magazine required that he select events that would be understood by a young audience, yet the paintings were not to be oversimplified. Friberg has always believed that children enjoy and respond to well-done and full developed pictures.

Friberg's Sunday School Painting Inspires

Arnold Friberg was asked to create a painting to commemorate the centennial event of the first Sunday school class in the LDS church. The artist research led him to find accurate photos of the LDS members who would be in the picture as well as the building. Friberg was therefore able to achieve historical accuracy without risk of critism from LDS church members.

Friberg's painting was seen by Adele Cannon Howells. the president of the LDS church primary. She delighted in the art and eventually led her to commission Friberg to create the Book of Mormon art series.

Another famous LDS artist

 Arnold Friberg is probably the most well know Mormon artist. But another LDS artist, Avard Fairbanks, was one of America's greatest sculptors. He created more than 100 public monuments, four of which are found in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Like Friberg, much of his early work was commercial. Fairbanks applied his artistic skills for car companies and is the one who designed the Dodge Ram hood ornament.

Fairbanks also was commissioned to create work for the Mormon church. In 1964 he did a sculpture of the restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood for the Mormon Pavilion at New York World's Fair. Many of his sculptures are located in and around Temple Square in Salt Lake City much like Friberg's Book of Mormon paintings.

DJ Bawden and LDSartworks.com

Just like LDSartshow.com and LDSartcollector.com are the premiere locations for Arnold Friberg's LDS art, the Web Site LDSartworks.com is the place to see scultport artist DJ Bawden's amazing work.

Bawden is known for his larger than Christus monument that appears in the LDS visitor center at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. The statue is a popular attraction and helps educate people that Mormon's do believe in Jesus Christ.

Some of the artist most recent works include a statue of the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith in his Nauvoo Legion uniform along with his wife Emma. The artist has the two dancing to show happier times. Like Arnold Friberg, The Mormon Church has also commissioned art from Bawden, Recently they asked the artist to create a ten foot version of "The First Vision" that will be placed in the LDS owned Joseph Smith memorial building in Salt Lake City.

The site also has a great gallery of LDS themed art scultpors that are also for sell. Check it out by clicking here.

The Risen Lord

When Arnold Friberg was working for the LDS church on creating scenes from The Book of Mormon there was a conflict between the artist and church leaders. Friberg's depiction of Jesus Christ caused a debate. Some strongly believed it was wrong to show the Savior because this painting would have a great influence on how LDS church members viewed Jesus Christ.

Frustrated Friberg decided to paint Christ at a distance and surrounded by bright light so a person would not beable to see him. This satisfied LDS church leaders even though the artist felt censored.   

Later in his life Friberg revisistd the painting and created it how he originally intended. The artwork is called The Risen Lord. It is not part of Friberg's Book of Mormon collection. It shows an Friberg's depiction of Jesus Christ visiting the people of America.

CHRIST APPEARS TO THE NEW WORLD

THE RISEN LORD

Why do Arnold Friberg's characters have such big muscles?

A common comment people make after viewing an Arnold Friberg painting from The Book of Mormon series are the size of the characters muscles. People think Nephi looks like Arnold Swarchenegger. Why did the artist do that?

It has to do with expression. Friberg was like other famous artists Michelangelo and El Greco who would overaggerate physical traits to represent inner traits.

Friberg liked to express epic and monumental qualities in his paintings believing that we all feel that within us is somethign larger, more noble than the limitations of our physical bodies. Friberg would express these by giving his characters exaggerated portrayal. A heroic body only expressed the larger spirit within.

So Nephi's large muscles really represent his the strength of his spirit and faith in God.

Five artists one family

Imagine if the Friberg family produced not one, but five artists like Arnold? Impossible right?

An LDS family from Orem, Utah produced not one but five professional classical piano players.

Like most LDS families the parents wanted the kids to learn the piano. After years of hard practice all five were accepted into Julliard. Then publicity caught up with them and they appeared on many national TV shows inlcuding Jay Leno and Oprah.

Their three CDs have spent several weeks atop Billboard's classical music charts, and their concert tours sell out in nearly all 50 states, Japan, Germany, France, Korea, Mexico and England.

They performed at former Mormon church president Gordon B. Hinckley's 95th birthday party.

MormonMedia.com

MormonMedia.com is the company behind the new LDS movie Emma Smith: My Story. This product received a lot of attention at the annual LDS Booksellers Expo in early August as the company claimed it is the first LDS movie in HD.

WHAT THE MOVIE IS ABOUT:

Before her death, Emma reflects on her life; beginning with her childhood, up through her final years in Nauvoo. Based on the life of Emma Hale Smith.

The music was written by famed mormon music artists Merrill Jenson. The LDS movie releases on September 30th and you can currently pre-order.

LDS Art Show Coming To Mesa Arizona

Arnold Friberg's complete 12 piece collection of Book of Mormon artwork is coming to the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitor's Center for a six week run beginning September 27.

Unless people travel to the LDS conference center in Salt Lake City, they will probably never get a chance to see the paintings like they will be displayed in Mesa.

The LDS Visitor's Center Director, Elder Lee Burke said he hopes people will take advantage of the unique opportunity to see the oustanding Arnold Friberg exhibit.

"For over half a century these beautifully rendered scenes have depicted for millions the sacred and inspirational events as written in the pages of this remarkable ancient record The Book of Mormon," Burke said.

Here is a sample video of what peole can expect at the Arnold Friberg Book of Mormon art exhibit.

Up and Coming LDS artist

Many LDS artists try to follow in Arnold Friberg's footsteps and make a significant impact on society.

One LDS artist that is breaking free from the crowd of average is J. Kirk Richards of Provo, Utah. Most of the 15 paintings he's created are large, and all of the subjects spiritual, even if they are not overtly religious.

Among them are a portrait of Christ; five paintings with Christ figures; a rendering of the four musical Shill sisters of Pleasant Grove; a gold-leafed "Song of the Heart" which reflects his feelings about music as prayer; and "Hosannah Shout," where closer inspection of the girl's dress reveals scenes of the First Vision and pioneers with handcarts and covered wagons.

Museum director Vern Swanson said his LDS art is powerful because he is so good and he has so much to say.

He expects Richards to hit his stride in a couple of years, although "he's ahead of the curve."

Swanson said it is a rare thing to succeed as an LDS artist with expressive rather than illustrative art.
He is currently working on a painting called the "Petition of the Blind," a tall, wide biblical scene which he plans to enter in the next LDS Church art competition.