Art

LDS Living has seen some impressive pumpkin carvings over the years. From an image of President Russell M. Nelson to temples and gospel art scenes, Latter-day Saints have no shortage of creativity when it comes to pumpkin carving.

Stereotypical Latter-day Saint foods like Jell-O and funeral potatoes have become somewhat of a cliché, but photographic artist Daniel George has turned these traditional dishes into amazing works of art.

The entryways of all meetinghouses are to display approved artwork depicting Jesus Christ. Some are old favorites, and some of them are less well known.

Editor's note: This adaptation from Matthew O. Richardson's The Christus Legacy originally ran on LDS Living in 2015. During April 2020 general conference, President Nelson introduced the Church's new symbol, which includes a representation of Thorvaldsen’s marble statue, the Christus. This iconic representation of the Savior is well-known to Latter-day Saints, but it wasn’t always that way. Check out how this statue came about and how it eventually earned its fame in the Latter-day Saint world.

Walter Rane selects a paintbrush from a tin can. The thin wooden tool fits in his hand so naturally it seems to be an extension of his fingers.

Sculptor Nnamdi Okonkwo was 23 years old when he joined the Church while attending BYU–Hawaii. Many of his sculptures honor womanhood and use fluid lines and simple shapes to create a symbolic representation of humanity. Okonkwo is married and the father of three children. We recently asked him about his faith, family, and what motivates his artwork.

Anthony Sweat isn’t just a BYU religion professor and an author; he is also a talented artist. We recently sat down to ask him about his latest book, his faith, his family, and his love of painting unique Church history events.

“Throwing away a copy of the Book of Mormon seems like throwing away someone’s opportunity to grow closer to Jesus Christ, and I could not let that happen,” Sister Tuck said in an email interview with LDS Living. This is what led Sisters Kellie Tuck and Autumn Dickey, who are currently serving in the England Leeds Mission, to spend three days transforming a waterlogged copy of the Book of Mormon into a mosaic of Christ.

As we head into the end of the year, we focus our thoughts on the Savior and celebrate the birth of the Savior. It is a great time to remember Christ in our lives. Here are 8 of our very favorite depictions of Christ. These art pieces will become a special reminder of His love and spirit within the walls of your home.

You may have noticed the Church’s Instagram account sharing a number of beautiful art pieces along with quotes from general conference talks over the weekend. But who were the artists featured and are any of their pieces available through Deseret Book? We wanted to know the same thing. Here’s what we found out:

Last month, listeners of the All In podcast heard from S. Michael Wilcox about his latest book, What Seek Ye? How the Questions of Jesus Lead Us to Him and what Wilcox has learned since the loss of his beloved wife, Laurie.

Brigham Young University’s Museum of Art (MOA) has closed during COVID-19. But since you can’t visit the museum during this time, the museum is bringing the artwork to you.

Artist Christopher Creek laughs when asked if his Joseph Smith Oreo art is the first time he’s ever sculpted anything out of Oreo cream.

Self-taught Argentinian artist and Latter-day Saint convert Jorge Cocco Santángelo has caught the attention of art lovers around the world with his new artistic style called “sacrocubism”—portraying sacred and religious events with post-cubist features. We asked him a little more about his creative process and what he loves about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

*This story originally appeared in the March/April 2020 issue of LDS Living.

Because the home is the center of gospel learning, it's important that we make it a place focused on Christ. When we get distracted by our daily chores and checklists, these beautiful pieces of art can serve as a reminder to keep Christ at the center of our home and our lives.

Mother and artist Kate Lee is one of the newest faces at Deseret Book. Her unique watercolor artwork is a beautiful display of her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and her love of family. We recently asked Lee about the inspiration behind her work and why she loves it.

As the open house begins for the Rome Italy Temple today, we wanted to share some behind-the-scenes images of the awe-inspiring, Christ-centered stained glass window created by Holdman Studios now displayed in the adjoining temple visitors' center. View the window from its early stages of development and creation to the placement of the last panel before the window was shipped to Italy as well as other inspiring details within the window.

For anyone who has seen Tom Holdman sitting next to his wife, Gayle, in an office with walls covered floor to ceiling with big plans, detailed designs, and pictures of past projects, it’s hard to imagine that anything has ever held him back. Yet dozens of little leaves made of green glass hang from that office ceiling—one for each time Tom has been overwhelmed by one of his next big ideas. The leaves are a striking metaphor for something that the Holdmans have come to realize throughout their life together: challenges can lead to something beautiful.

Keys. A bag of money. An eagle. And numerous instruments representing a martyr’s death.

"What do you want to be?" a middle-aged woman asked from behind a desk.

As members of the Church, we strive to maintain the spirit of Christ in our homes. We adorn the walls of our homes with art and decor that reflects who we are and what we believe.

Of all the subjects to paint or draw, there are perhaps none weightier than Jesus Christ, the Lord Almighty. Never before has there existed a being as complex as He—who encompasses the complete spectrum of divinity and mortality. He is an advocate and judge, king and servant, brother and friend. He is an advocate and judge, king and servant, brother and friend. He has created countless worlds and has counted each of His creations—even the sparrows. But there are those who have taken on the challenge of depicting the Messiah, including these seven Latter-day Saint artists. Drawing from their personal relationships with Him, they create artwork that touches hearts and brings others closer to their Savior. Here are their insights.

Latter-day Saint artist Jorge Cocco Santángelo (Jorge Cocco) has always felt the calling to create. “There isn’t one point in time when I became an artist. I just developed as one,” he says.

The impressive professional resume of President Henry B. Eyring, his degree in the rigorous field of physics and time spent as president of Ricks College, sometimes pigeonholes our perception of him as a logical and deliberate sort of person. But as hisbiography reveals, President Eyring is also an artist. For a time, his artwork was on display at the Church History Museum.

His wife has lost much of her memory, and President Henry B. Eyring's effort to capture his memories with her makes a surprising new exhibit of his water colors especially poignant.

On a dreary or chaotic day, a splash of color can lift spirits and instill optimism in a way that goes beyond words. Though evanescent, chalk art transforms dull sidewalks into works of art, creates lasting impressions, and reaches thousands in a way more conventional styles of art cannot. No wonder many Mormon artists have found chalk to be a powerful way to share their beliefs.

No matter how far you live from a temple, or how often you're able to attend, having pictures of the temple in your home can bring peace and remind us of the importance of eternal families. These stunning images of temples will help you accept President Nelson's June 8th invitation: “I invite the members of the Church to place on the walls of their homes . . . pictures of the temple."

While working at Disney for a decade, Jared Beckstrand helped create many of the Disney characters we have come to love—from Esmerelda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) to Meg (Hercules) and Jane (Tarzan) to Pacha (The Emperor's New Groove). Find out more about how he shares his faith through art.

Many people assume that the LDS Church never uses stained glass windows in their meetinghouses, reserving them instead for temples. In reality, hundreds of stained glass windows continue to filter colored light into Mormon chapels and provide a beautiful experience for Saints who worship there. Here are some examples of the most beautiful stained glass windows found in LDS meetinghouses.

Light of the World Scott Sumner | 15x13 Framed Print

With Mother's Day just around the corner, we have compiled eight pieces of art work that are sure to speak volumes about the women in your life. Whether it be on the wall or displayed proudly on a bookshelf, remind mothers, sisters, wives, and grandmothers of the divine role they play as mothers.

“I feel very grateful for my experience with infertility and with fertility," LDS artist Caitlin Connolly says. "My chapter of infertility was both difficult and very refining, and it prepared me for motherhood in a way that was very important and necessary for me.”

As a little girl of four or five, Heather Theurer knew without a doubt her answer to the age-old, grown-up question, "What would you like to be when you grow up?"

This is the second article in a two-part series about Ron Leishman: his conversion, his faith, and his career. For more about how Ron's family converted to the gospel,click here.

Talented artist and mother Caitlin Connolly has a unique style of art that beautifully illustrates her testimony of the gospel. We recently sat down with her to find out how she balances being a mother and an artist, what inspires her paintings, and how her art and spirituality are connected.

One mission in St. Louis is learning to share the gospel in a colorful way. Elder Burgoyne and his companion, Elder Mcintyre, received permission from their mission president to participate in the annual Paint Louis Festival, a yearly art festival held in St. Louis, Missouri.

Scott and Ryceejo Shattuck, an LDS couple, love a Capella so much their entire YouTube channel is dedicated to it.

"I feel I am being directed to do this," Johansen said of his mission to paint deceased missionaries as a way to help grieving families.

In this powerful video created by Seth Adam Smith, LDS artist Liz Lemon Swindle shares how becoming terribly ill while painting Jesus Christ's suffering in Gethsemane deepened her understanding of our Heavenly Father and Savior's love. In addition, she recounts a discussion she had with Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who was then diagnosed with cancer, that changed her understanding of the Atonement.

One area that has been challenging for our family is how to incorporate Church leaders' suggestions on having prominent pictures of the temple and the Savior in our home with our more modern sense of style. One of the ways we have handled this is to look for unique artwork.

Book of Mormon Central (BMC) holds a yearly art contest to encourage, highlight, and popularize new and original pieces of art inspired by the Book of Mormon. The 2017 BMC art contest featured artists from all over the world, from a variety of age groups, and included both amateur and professional artists.

At one point in his life, Greg Olsen's house was in foreclosure and his family in the middle of a "financial disaster," he says. (Learn more about the painting that helped bring him peace during this time.) But Olsen, with the help of his family, managed to turn his talent into a successful business.

Did you know some of the Church's most-used pictures of Christ were painted by this talented Seventh-day Adventist?

Recently, Greg Olsen revealed some of the touching and surprising stories behind his most iconic works of art in a live Facebook event with Deseret Book. Here are some highlights and unforgettable moments that went into the creation of

When Provo native Alaina Bastian began reimagining Disney animals as human, she never thought these fun images would go viral.

Families are a very important part of the gospel. In the inspired, "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" we are taught, "The family is ordained of God," and, "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Check out these six stunning paintings from the Church History Museum's International Art Competition that will change the way you see the New Testament.

Recently, KSL highlighted an LDS artist, Jolynn Forman, who uses cold wax and oil paints to create fanciful and stunning works of art.

The Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently launched a new online exhibit titled “‘Exceedingly Valiant for Courage’: Bravery in the Book of Mormon” this week. The exhibit’s artwork portrays how figures in the Book of Mormon displayed courage to declare their faith and defend their families. It is part of the museum’s ongoing series of online art exhibits highlighting the stories of the Book of Mormon.

Recently,Moroni Channel posted an absolutely stunning picture on Facebook of a man sharing his talents and his beliefs in an unconventional way. This sent us on a search to find other ways Latter-day members and missionaries have expressed their testimonies through art. Check it out:

LDS sculptor Tyson Snow has been creating all of his life. From sacrament meetings to school classes, he always had a pencil in hand to capture the beauty of the world around him and his imagination.

As a little girl of four or five, Heather Theurer had a vision for what she wanted in life. She knew the answer to the age-old, grown-up question, "what would you like to be when you grow up?"

Meet Ben Behunin, an LDS artist who creates beautiful nativities on bowls he handcrafts. Each bowl takes roughly two weeks to create, and each is unique and hand pressed, meaning every bowl he creates carries his fingerprints. Get your own nativity now at deseretbook.com.