https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/5/11/21254732/art-jesus-christ-church-mormon-lds-meetinghouses

(excerpt)
Stake presidents, who oversee meetinghouses for multiple congregations, and facilities managers will assess the foyers of every meetinghouse to ensure that unobstructed, Christ-centered art is the dominant feature.

The assessments will follow five guidelines:

1. Place existing artwork that depicts the Savior himself or the Savior ministering to others in meetinghouse entries and foyers. Examine existing artwork to ensure that it is appropriately framed, displayed and in good condition.

2. Move other artwork to another location within the facility or remove it altogether.

3. Choose replacement art, if needed, from the Approved Selection of Foyer Artwork (attached to the First Presidency letter) and follow approved sizes and quality standards.

4. Assess entries and foyers as part of an annual inspection to evaluate existing furnishings, artwork and finishes. Replace and update these items as needed to maintain a feeling of reverence for the Savior.

5. Remove from the foyer areas distractions, such as display cases, bulletin boards, tables, easels, and damaged furniture.


Meetinghouses are home to weekly Latter-day Saint Sabbath worship, which includes the sacrament. The sacrament consists of bread and water symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is “the most universally received ordinance in the church” and “the most sacred hour of the week,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said last year.
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So, looks like pictures of GAs, past and present, JS, temples, BoM stories, landscape art, etc, are all now verboten. It will be all Scandinavian Jesus, all the time.

They're tired of not being considered Christian, so they are going to use Jesus as a blunt instrument to beat the rest of the world over the head.

Mark my word, if any angels remain on temples, they will no longer be Moroni. They will be, at most, Michael the archangel. Not that Mormons know what an archangel is. But they don't know what a deacon is either, so what does it matter.

That will help get rid of those embarrassing pictures of Joseph Smith hovering over the golden plates, instead of sitting with his head stuck in a hat, reading a rock.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2020 05:23PM by kathleen.

Surgeon General Authority's orders. He is the most special witness of Jesus' heart.

The Surgeon General of Beverly Hills suddenly popped into my head. “Oh my God, they’re real!”.

Ironic considering that if the Savior, even Jesus Christ himself, walked in the door he would likely be shamed for his beard, hair length and clothing

I imagine Buddy Christ sitting in heaven with his buds just laughing his ass off about the fact that he has a bunch of stuffed shirts and shorthair, shaved talking heads pretending to represent him.

Shinehah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ironic considering that if the Savior, even Jesus
> Christ himself, walked in the door he would likely
> be shamed for his beard, hair length and clothing

Sadly, he would have gained more acceptance like that in 19th century Mormonism than 21st century Mormonism.

Pictures that are not christ centered just became the second ear piercing.

TBM 1: They just announced that only christ-centered art can be hung in the foyer, all the the other pictures have to be taken down or hung somewhere else in the building.

TBM 2: I always felt a bad spirit around those pictures.

will mormon angels finally get wings ?

Mormons are so remarkably behind the times.

"Do you know which is the true church?" may have worked in the 1950s.

But today it's likely to elicit something like "what's a church?"

"Meetinghouses are home to weekly Latter-day Saint Sabbath worship, which includes the sacrament. The sacrament consists of bread and water symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ."

No s***, Deseret News! Thanks so much for explaining! <slow clap>

Next up, the DN shows its readership how to locate the sun in the sky on a cloudless day.

-------

"It is 'the most universally received ordinance in the church' and 'the most sacred hour of the week,' Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said last year."

They actually felt the need to quote Holland on something so obvious and banal, a basic teaching that mormons hear every single Sunday, as if it's a profound new insight?

The butt-kissing is strong today…

I have no dog in the fight, but this is one more insult to the notion that local stake centers, meetinghouses or chapels are permitted to choose and reflect the interests of residents. The first building that was built and "owned" by members (they paid about 70% of the cost~ building funds donation required) reflected art work done by several different artists in my area. While there only a pastoral meadow painting and an oak slab clock, there were 5-6 paintings with proper framing. I remember 3 paintings that depicted Christ (one was bold and depicted the crucifixion). The other one was a scene of the Oakland Temple and another painting depicted the first hallucination of JS. I don't remember any of them being distasteful or contrary to church doctrine, but they were locally painted and not church commissioned.

The first big change occurred when the church came into a 5 year old chapel and applied that awful burlap wall covering. All the paintings were removed for the wall renovations. Then a letter from SLC was read from the pulpit that only church commissioned artwork could be displayed through the discretion of local leaders.

My family unintentionally found out that the stake president had simply ordered the old artwork to be "trashed". [The former bishop was now serving as my family's home-teacher and he also was employed as a church custodian] He literally cried when he showed up to do his janitorial work and discovered that the first order of business was to haul out the artwork to the dumpster. He later rescued them and has them in his home to this day.

I am confident that some members will be very unhappy with this latest edict from Nelson.

“only church commissioned artwork could be displayed”

So no Black Jesus?

Out go JS and his golden plates. (My favorite is his "studying" the gold plates with the Urimm & Thumin wire spectacles.) What will be fascinating is if they bring Calvary and crosses into their iconography. My guess: Yes, eventually, they will.

5. Remove from the foyer areas distractions, such as display cases, bulletin boards, tables, easels, and damaged furniture.

There it is. Many chapels have a world map with pins and strings attached to Elder/Sister photographs.

If there are no visual reminders of young people serving "all over the world" then doesn't it make it easier for Nelson to transform/shutdown the resource draining of church assets? Yes, I understand the church's true goal has shifted from making converts to retaining their youth. But the church is failing to maintain their youth post-mission and Nelson was never a missionary.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2020 07:21PM by messygoop.

I'm probably pissing in the wind~ and nobody gives a shit, but the easel placed outside of the chapel doors became more essential for "mundane" church announcements after Holland made his GC declaration that wards had way too many announcements. Holland actually blamed bishops for driving away potential converts because sacrament meeting wasn't spiritual enough.

So wards used easels to display announcements that could be read because such announcements were forbidden to be spoken over the pulpit.

MORmON CULT brainwashing center lobbies to display only art that features a white supremacist themed super white skinned, blue eyed Jesus Christ-Homo Erotic art.

schrodingerscat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> super white skinned, blue eyed Jesus Christ-Homo
> Erotic art.

Homo erotic art? Really? I'm pretty sure that you are missing the mark on this. No, I'm positive you are.

I'm rolling!

I'm missing it. But that's OK. No need to explain. I don't need to know.

But I'll guess. I could be way off. If I were smart I would just walk on by.

But could it be that the Mormon rendition of Jesus is not erotic to --- anyone?

Or something like that?

(Not to mention how blasphemous such a thought is to a Christian. But that's a different topic).

Ignore me.

Please.

For my own good.

I think it isn't a long way from making all Mormonism about pedophilia to the jump to male homosexuality. Kimball did the inverse. He said masturbation led to homosexuality which led to worse sins.

The Mormon Jesus is hero worship plain and simple provided for an audience of European descent.

This can only be construed as homoerotic if one doesn't believe in the divinity of Jesus.

https://hdwallpapers.cat/divine-embrace-christ-jesus-god-love-8F7q

I think many Christian are rabidly homophobic because of the context of this stuff outside of belief.

Oaks be huntin' down anyone who dares to think such a thing.

"appropriately framed, displayed and in good condition."

What..., Conservation framing? No wood or composite frames so outgassing from bare rabbit next to the artwork caused problems?

Use Bainbridge Artcare board and acid free mount boards?

Or - get a frame to match the couch color in the foyer?

But they don't know what a deacon is either, so what does it matter.
--------------------

A Deacon is to be the husband of One Wife - or so says the Bible. Have never heard any GA say this was "not translated correctly"..., not even Joseph Smith.

Mormon art. Now there's an oxymoron. Even their new logo does not feature Mormon art.

Kentish Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Even their
> new logo does not feature Mormon art.

That is a good point!

There are Mormon artists, but why use them when you can just pick something that’s old enough to be public domain?

I guess after half a century, the plaque with my name as being the first eagle scout in the ward, will be trashed.

We also had the ground breaking shovel on display. It was held by Spencer Kimball when the chapel was started.

I remember seeing a display in a small ward house in Box Elder county showing decades of missionaries.

On the other hand. I wonder how many pictures of Obi Wan will be displayed as christ?

Isn't this the same direction the Reorganized CofJCofLDS went? They threw the BookofMormon and Joseph Smith under the bus in the end. How did that go?

My local LDS meeting house (not far from London, UK) already conforms to the new requirements. It's a 'Jesus only' art zone. It seems as if the High Command is staging a marginal/symbolic downgrading of Brother Joseph and the BoM. Could Brother Rusty be the Gorbachev of the Church? Somehow I think not...

So, will members' homes reflect sanctioned church art? Will they remove the pictures of temples and GAs from the central areas of their homes and replace with JC?

Maybe this is another way for the CoJCoLDS to make money.

She has quite a bit of "art" in her home showing Joseph and Emma and yes, evan a photo of herself in her guise as Emma from whom she claims to receive communication beyond the grave.

I kid you not.

Living in Utah means you didn't have to end your post with "I kid you not"; it's understood.

Joseph's ghost is more exciting to some than real husbands. He is still at his old game.

I kid(goat) you knot.

Elder Berry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Joseph's ghost is more exciting to some than real husbands.

I think this is the major draw of Jesus as well. He is literally painted as the ideal male, and helps explain why more women join the church despite being treated like dirt. It's relationship porn. Here is a man who is your best friend, and the real men in your life can never compete. It destroys marriages at least as much as male porn.

faraday Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's relationship
> porn. Here is a man who is your best friend, and
> the real men in your life can never compete. It
> destroys marriages at least as much as male porn.

Substitute spiritual husband. Ironically, I disagree with your assertion that it destroys marriages as much as males and their porn.

Porn generally doesn't destroy marriage. Jesus most definitely doesn't. It probably prevents marriage a lot. Like a prophylactic.

Human nature allows much extramarital stuff. The relationship women have with Jesus could just as easily happen with men. It is when "spiritual" is mixed with sexual that what you are talking about happens.

Mormonism sexualizes Jesus/Joseph and makes "even to look upon a woman" second only to murder.

With the big renovation and tear-down going on at Temple Square, I have a sneaking suspicion that the statues of Joseph Smith, including the one of him receiving the restored Priesthood from Peter, James, and John will not be returning to the site when it finally reopens in '24.

anonyXmo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With the big renovation and tear-down going on at
> Temple Square, I have a sneaking suspicion that
> the statues of Joseph Smith, including the one of
> him receiving the restored Priesthood from Peter,
> James, and John will not be returning to the site
> when it finally reopens in '24.


exmormon.org needs a page to record prophecies like this. We can then keep score of the best prophets in the church.

It's good to see that the Church is focused on major issues of theology and not on trivia.

So no picture of Helen Mars Kimball or no Fanny Mae picture?

When it comes to art work at the Mor-cult, the new mantra is:

No Fanny in the foyer. Only Jesus will please us

More Jesus more fannies in the foyer is their mantra.

Nelson is good at staying on-message. The trouble is, he's selling something that every other Christian church is selling, usually for a whole lot less of a money and time investment.

summer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nelson is good at staying on-message. The trouble
> is, he's selling something that every other
> Christian church is selling, usually for a whole
> lot less of a money and time investment.


True, but some have argued that the goal is not converts. Or even retention of waivering people. It's too late for that. The goal now is to get the maximum money before it folds. This means they need allies in other churches, mainly Bible Belt, to keep away the pressure for legislation. So that they can keep that 300 billion (mainly EPA plus land) increasing by seven percent per year for another twenty years and hit that sweet trillion dollar mark. Once there then they are in the REAL big time and can buy senators, and attract/retain people scared by the general collapse of civil society.

Every statue of Jesus is aimed at a different Bible Belt legislator.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2020 12:14PM by faraday.

faraday Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Every statue of Jesus is aimed at a different
> Bible Belt legislator.

The prophet gave the pope one!

They have to be instructed not to keep damaged furniture in the foyer? Seriously? SMH...

Think about it.

All church properties control every square inch of its existence.

Every stake center and meetinghouse must purchase LDS Corp artwork and display it EXACTLY as church policy dictates it. Oh and the funds come out of wards and stakes to pay for "the honor" of having a Christ centered church building. The bottom line is that there is LESS money at the local money to help those in need. It isn't in the budget.

I guess that's why I'm still triggered by their crap. A 100 billion dollar corp played the "we can't afford that or we don't have it in the budget" card. I earned the church's quasi scouting award [Duty to God medal] as a 14 year old. I never received it because the bishop at the time wouldn't order it through the church's catalog. "No money in the budget" was his excuse.

A new bishop and ym prez took the time to oversee what the heck had occurred in a 3-4 year period where there were no eagle scouts and very little achievement. So at the age of 18, I and a couple of others were finally acknowledged for our accomplishments. The moment had long passed and I had forgotten even making the effort to earn it.

I still see it the same for today's youth who successfully complete the new PISS goal program. The bishop will have to order and PAY LDS Corp to hand out statues of Christ.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2020 11:55AM by messygoop.

Seems to fit right in with a corporation that says once you are deemed worthy, you can wear the church sanctioned underwear that you can only buy from one place - the church!

Some years ago there was a prescribed package of "art" that each building could order from the church outlet in SLC. It was all pretty basic stuff with identical framing and subject matter. I suspect this new directive has as much to do with updating and money flow as anything else.

The Mormons are definitely not a church that embraces continuity. They should change their name again to the Ever Changing Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints formally known as the Ever Changing Mormon Church.

I didn't have a choice when as a child my family joined but I did have the choice to leave. One of the best things I ever did. The gift of leaving is a gift that keeps on giving.

Crosses are Christ-centered art.

Nailed it.

i remember when Mormon chapels had NO pictures.

During the 80s they hung up paintings all of a sudden.

Now they only allow pics of Christ.

Stoopid and it won't help them retain members.

Is it just me or does it appear that THE church is setting the stage to throw Joseph Smith and the BOM under the bus?

The church hasn't the slightest idea what "art" even is. The same prints are not art any more than the poster of a ferrari hung on a teen age boys wall is.

Or a Campbell's Soup label

ONLY TWO WORDS COME TO ME
MIND CONTROL

They should first build CHRIST-CENTERED 'churches', in a Divine centered manor, in a human-centered way.

This follows the REMODELING of the LDS (Joseph Smith, er, Jesus Christ) "museum" - closed for OVER A YEAR - in 2014-2015-16?, in SLC, Utah.

They figure IF they put [in] Jesus (Christ's) [name] in the prayers, in the title TCoJ(JosephSmith)CoLDS (signs, bank accounts, letterhead...) AND in their (fake) [dummy] museum and (ad-hoc) 'churche's' [balls to the] walls, it would help their appearance... (and hopefully disappearance).

It's all about looking good.

I'd rather FEEL GOOD (as well as look good)!

Jesus is after my image.

That's nature!

That's love-

Mormons don't put up art. They put up what they're told. It's not new, it's not old. It's modeling! "Remodeling".

(Mormonism) [is] changing, to be "new", born again, following in the image of US (formons, former mormons).

If they could JUST FORGET Joseph's Myth. Create "the 'church'" in an OPEN WAY, while KEEPING IT CLOSED (and I don't mean anything about TCC [the current (C-19) crisis]) (to "NON"-members, the UN-familiar, the COMMON PEOPLE...)!

Closed because SHUT!
(Stop Hurt Upon TALKING)

TALK about "art"-
LDS wouldn't know Jesus from Moroni, or Joseph Smith (if he appeared today like he disappeared yesteryear [with those tacky brass (breast) plates and cheap chosen China borrowed from the banner of England]) from John The Baptist.

Nothing about art!
Modeling TDC (the dead 'church')-

Show PICTURES of Christ!
Don't be like him-her.

Be like US!

WE FOLLOW CHRIST
Won't You Follow Us?

Get AT THE BACK OF THE LINE and We'll Take Your Money - and TIME (skills, effort, thought, passion (without pain!), etc.) - like You Were At The Front.

Be 'like us'.
We're like HIM!

See?

We Are GREEDY