![]() ![]() ![]() This stunning portrayal of the true and living Christ was finished in 1829, just as His words in the Book of Mormon were being readied for publication. The Danish words from Mark 9:7 say, “This is my beloved Son. But then, when we read and understood the terms above the Christus, who stands encircled by what seems to be a column of golden light, we knew this artistic inspiration was no chance coincidence of timing. As we take his name upon us, we can become clean and welcome in his and the Father’s presence.Īt the base of the original statue, we saw how the artist had conveyed power and movement, as the foot of the Savior is stepping purposefully toward the viewer, accompanied by the inviting words, “Come unto me,” which we could understand with the help of the scripture notation. How very interesting to know that even as Christ was preparing Joseph Smith for the Book of Mormon translation, he was also inspiring an artist to create a new, even revolutionary image of him, so that instead of the painful depiction of his death on the cross at Calvary which is seen above the altar in most Western churches, the worshippers in Copenhagen, Denmark could contemplate the radiant and glorious Risen Redeemer, exactly as seen by those faithful believers at the temple in Bountiful, with outstretched and inviting arms, and with visible marks of his atoning sacrifice to remind us that he has paid the penalty for us. ![]() Whenever we travel, the teachings of the Book of Mormon are never far from our mind, so we were intrigued to learn that the beautiful Christus statue in Denmark was originally commissioned in 1820. That led to lengthy studies, return trips to France, which was just fine with me, and eventually articles in the Ensign, BYU Studies, and finally in a book that we wrote together on seeing how the parables of Jesus reveal the Plan of Salvation. When I was the director of a Study Abroad semester to France, I was grateful for his invaluable help with many aspects of my program, and it was in France, helping me, that he became intrigued with the allegorical interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan, present in the stained-glass windows of the Chartres cathedral. ![]() Our family motto is “we’re better together, forever.” We have found that teamwork enhances both of us and permits greater achievement than going it alone. Where else would you find a guy like this?Įlder Welch and I have combined our interests in art, literature, history, and travel and have visited many wonderful places in the world. We met at BYU in Provo in the library, of course. His preparation included studies at Oxford and Duke University. He has served in a variety of interesting assignments, including Editor of BYU Studies and the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, in addition to being on the faculty of the BYU Law School for 40 years. Over the years, he has written many articles, books, some academic and others for more popular audiences. The discovery that chiasmus also appears in theīook of Mormon resulted for him in years of scholarship relating to the Bible and the Book of Mormon that has recently culminated in the creation of a website called which currently reaches over 1 million people per week. Chiasmus is the literary technique of saying things in one order and then repeating them in the opposite order, almost uniquely used by biblical writers. Welch because he discovered chiasmus in the Book of Mormon as a missionary in Germany more than 50 years ago. We have been delighted to be reminded how much we love to teach since it has been several years since I retired from the BYU French department, and for Elder Welch, reading or teaching about the Book of Mormon is a lifetime passion. It is a joy for us to deepen our understanding of the scriptures together as we teach them. Although we miss our four children and our 17 grandchildren, our students have already touched our hearts with their testimonies and faith practices. Elder Welch and I are thrilled to be serving here as missionaries team teaching in the Book of Mormon classes. ![]()
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