Category: Latter-day Saint Arts

Related to Latter-day Saint artwork, performing arts, music, architecture, literature, and poetry.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint Arts Latter-day Saint History

Who Was C. C. A. Christensen?

A photograph of CCA Christensen, one of the most influential pioneer artists in Latter-day Saint history.

Carl Christian Anton Christensen (1831-1912) was one of the most influential artists in Latter-day Saint history. Famous for paintings such as his 23-scene Mormon Panorama, Christensen’s work was influenced by his faith, including immigrating to the United States, travelling to Utah by handcart, serving three missions, and participating in plural marriage. European painters such as Carl Bloch also influenced Christensen’s style. In this interview, biographer Jennifer Champoux discusses Christensen’s background, shares some of his paintings, and explores how his religious art helped shape Latter-day Saint beliefs and culture.

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Devotional Latter-day Saint Arts

The Bells at Temple Square: The Tabernacle Choir’s World-Class Handbell Ensemble

Members of the Bells at Temple Square performing in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, showcasing the handbell choir’s synchronized technique and musical precision.

The Bells at Temple Square is a premier handbell ensemble in Salt Lake City that performs intricate music with hundreds of handbells and handchimes as part of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Since its founding in 2005, the ensemble has inspired audiences through its musical skill and spiritual purpose, performing in semiannual concerts, at national events, and in broadcasts such as Music and the Spoken Word. In this interview, Conductor Geoff Anderson explains what the group is, recounts how he got involved, and discusses the evolving legacy of the Bells at Temple Square.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint Arts

What Music Did Utah Pioneers Perform?

The Salt Lake Theatre Orchestra in 1880, which performed 19th-century Utah pioneer music.

Utah pioneer music was a sophisticated and cosmopolitan blend of European tradition and local ingenuity that went far beyond simple folk tunes or choral hymns. While early settlers are often associated with rustic campfire songs, archival discoveries demonstrate a thriving culture of brass bands, theatrical orchestras, and virtuosic instrumental performances. From the recovery of a lost march once thought to be buried in the Salt Lake Temple capstone to the complex arrangements used in the Salt Lake Theatre, these scores demonstrate the high technical standards maintained in Latter-day Saint settlements. In this interview, BYU trumpet professor Randy Lee explains how he is reviving these forgotten 19th-century manuscripts through his Legends of Deseret project.

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20th Century Latter-day Saint Arts Latter-day Saint History

What Happened to the Nauvoo Bell?

A historical photo of a woman viewing the bell long believed to be the Nauvoo Bell on Temple Square, later identified as the Hummer Bell.

The Nauvoo Bell’s story is more complicated than many realize. Long thought to be the bell that once rang from the Nauvoo Temple tower, the artifact displayed for decades on Salt Lake City’s Temple Square was actually the Hummer Bell, a Meneely bell with roots in an Iowa Presbyterian church and a colorful history of theft, recovery, and mistaken identity. The true Nauvoo Temple bell cracked in the 1840s and disappeared. In this interview, historian Ronald G. Watt and archivist Brian Warburton trace the bells’ intertwined histories and explain the Hummer Bell’s recent return to Iowa City.

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Hymns International Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Eduardo Balderas?

Black and white portrait of Eduardo Balderas, featured on the cover of “Eduardo Balderas: Father of Church Translation.”

Eduardo Balderas, the Church’s first official full-time Spanish translator, was so influential among Spanish-speaking Latter-day Saints that many called him the “thirteenth apostle.” He played a pivotal role in making the gospel accessible in Spanish by translating scripture, temple ordinances, and other Church literature. Trusted by Church leaders and admired across cultures, Balderas helped bridge linguistic and cultural divides for Mormonism Around the World. In this interview, biographer Ignacio Garcia explores how this quiet pioneer helped make the gospel truly global.

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Hymns International

Who Was Andrés Carlos González?

A painting of Andrés Carlos González

Andrés Carlos González was among the first native Mexicans to be called as a missionary, as a mission presidency councilor, and as a patriarch. The grandfather of M. Russell Ballard also inquired about his ability to serve as a mission president. González wrote the lyrics to the popular hymn Placentero nos es trabajar (“Oh, How Great Is Our Joy”) and was a notable resident of the Latter-day Saint colonies in Mexico. This interview with John A. Gonzalez discusses Andrés Carlos González’s life and legacy as a notable figure in the history of Mormonism around the world.

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Doctrine and Covenants Hymns Latter-day Saint History

Emma Smith’s Role in Shaping the ‘Elect Lady’ Revelation (D&C 25)

A portrait of Emma Hale Smith, the recipient of D&C 25 (also known as the 'Elect Lady' revelation).

Section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants is significant as one of the few revelations Joseph Smith received that directly addresses a woman, his wife, Emma Hale Smith. Given in 1830, the revelation designates Emma as an “elect lady” and outlines her roles in the early Church, including the compilation of a hymnbook and providing comfort to her husband. In this interview, Latter-day Saint scholar Robin Jensen explains the historical context of D&C 25 and how Emma’s personal experiences influenced the revelation’s text.

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Devotional Latter-day Saint Arts

What Inspires Jorge Cocco Art?

Latter-day Saint artist Jorge Cocco standing in front of one of his religious painting in sacrocubism style.

Jorge Cocco Santangelo is a Latter-day Saint artist known internationally for sacrocubism—an art style blending sacred themes with cubist techniques. A self-taught painter, he has spent decades capturing the spiritual essence of religious events rather than creating literal depictions. Some of his most notable paintings include “The Call,” “Tree of Life,” and “First Vision,” and his work is featured on the cover of books like Latter-day Saint Art: A Critical Reader. In this interview, Jorge Cocco offers a glimpse into his artistic journey.

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Latter-day Saint Arts Latter-day Saint History

What Was the Paris Art Mission?

A painting of the Garden of Eden by John Hafen as part of the Latter-day Saint Paris Art Mission.
John Hafen, Garden of Eden study, c. 1892, oil on canvas, in Museum of Church History. © By Intellectual Reserve, Inc. Used with permission.

The Paris Art Mission was a program that enabled Latter-day Saint artists to study their craft in Europe. Under the direction of Wilford Woodruff, the First Presidency paid for the artistic training. In exchange, the art missionaries enriched the temple endowment experience by creating temple murals that were both immersive and instructive. This interview with Linda Jones Gibbs discusses the history of the Paris Art Mission.

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Devotional Latter-day Saint Arts

AI Temples: What Do They Look Like?

Depictions of Latter-day Saint temples using AI shows how even imagination can help us grow closer to God.
An AI-generated depiction of an imaginary Latter-day Saint temple.

Artificial intelligence has introduced the world to all kinds of novelties—including artistic designs of AI temples. The fad will pass, but the covenants made within temples won’t. That’s partly why a new book filled with images of AI temples also includes devotional essays. In this interview, author Jeffrey Thayne explains how the temple endowment revealed through Joseph Smith has application even in the imagination.

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