Gospel Art

[_dblagent007]

I started a thread on MAD a couple of months ago about the misleading nature of the art that shows the translation. I learned a couple of things. First, the art goes through an excruciatingly long and detailed correlation process. This stuff isn't approved haphazardly.

Second, the only defense of the art was offered by Scott Lloyd. His argument was that the art was not misleading because it is possible that Joseph Smith stopped using the seer stone and Urim & Thummim near the end of the translation process, even though there is absolutely no evidence of this.

I think a lot of members on MAD woud like to see the translation art changed to be more accurate.

[_ludwigm]

There are small steps forward to reality.
On the http://www.LDS.org/churchhistory/presidents/controllers/potcController.jsp?leader=1&topic= official page we can find four picture marked as "age 36".

A few years before, presenting the last two picture would have been blasphemy. I know members in Hungary, who don't believe today, that those pictures could be real.
(My wife says those are from your evil full-of-lies internet ...)

One can compare them:
. . .

These pictures can not be true together.

You know, there are pictures which are true but not useful.

(For full size, see
http://www.LDS.org/churchhistory/presid ... ing_st.jpg
http://www.LDS.org/churchhistory/presid ... ing_st.jpg
http://www.LDS.org/churchhistory/presid ... int_st.jpg
http://www.LDS.org/churchhistory/presid ... orm_st.jpg)

As far as I remember, there was an article in Sunstone or Dialog about Joseph Smith portraits, which handled >10 version. I'll try to find it at weekend.

[_krose]

I think a lot of members on MAD woud like to see the translation art changed to be more accurate.

I imagine it's frustrating for those who are trying to present and maintain a straight story.

The sad thing is that this kind of image manipulation is completely unnecessary. Smith would be just as adored and revered without the "ethnic cleansing." What's more, although it might look silly, the head-in-hat translation process actually has some advantages, in that it presents more difficulty for critics who believe that Smith used other sources.

[_John Larsen]

This is what he looks like now:



The second one has at least 50% more dreaminess.

And 60% more Jesus:

[_Eyepatch]

Take a look at this rendering of the U&T:

[_John Larsen]

Take a look at this rendering of the U&T:

I like the defined pecs and abs. Always important when engaging in the work of an oracle.

[_cinepro]

His argument was that the art was not misleading because it is possible that Joseph Smith stopped using the seer stone and Urim & Thummim near the end of the translation process, even though there is absolutely no evidence of this.

Wasn't the "end of the translation process" at the Whitmers? And many of the eyewitness accounts of the process are also from the Whitmer family, so it seems this part of the process was rather well covered.

And going from memory here, wasn't there the problem of Joseph not bringing the plates from Harmony to Manchester (other than Oliver's story about meeting a traveler on the road, and Joseph explaining the traveler was Moroni with the plates...?)

[_silentkid]

I like the defined pecs and abs. Always important when engaging in the work of an oracle.

This must be the Spartan version.

[_DarkHelmet]

This is what he looks like now:



The second one has at least 50% more dreaminess.

And 60% more Jesus:

We joke about Joseph Smith getting a stud makeover recently, but Jesus has received some extreme makeover work the past 20 years or so. Maybe in their next set of portraits they can use the same handsome model for both Joseph Smith and Jesus. Just give him a fake beard and wig for the Jesus portraits.

[_ludwigm]

Do You want the real art?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw