13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.
14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?
15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
Emphasis is mine.
"The Virgin Adoring the Host" - Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (French, Montauban 1780–1867 Paris); Date: 1852; The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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We are told that there is a deeper meaning to the concept of "fair" and "white" in the Book of Mormon. We are told that it really means to be spiritually pure and etc. Since this is supposedly the case, I wonder if you can attain spiritual purity by experiencing paintings like the one above. If you internalize imagery of whiteness and fair skinned people, might it lead you toward spiritual enlightenment?
Before you laugh, let me remind everyone that it is common belief that words of scriptures can bring us toward spiritual enlightenment as well. So... why not imagery that also represents the very goal we try to achieve (spiritual purity)?
I half expect this post not to make sense. I'm in a hurry.
Cheers,
Zee.
