Comments on: Why do artists portray Christ as white skinned?

By: Teka Maka

Teka Maka — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 21:36:00 +0000

“We dont know what he looks like” means. White is the default. If you think Jesus was a white anglo saxon you are out of your minds lol.

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 20:23:00 +0000

How about the fact that prophets and apostles have seen him and have stated that artists pretty much have it right. This is crucial. If these were inaccurate, there would be an immediate prophetic correction. But let’s take a look at what we know to be irrefutable inside and outside the book fo mormon.. That is, the ancient south American legend of Quetzelcoatl, the “great white god” that came down form the sky, healed their sick, blessed their children and walked back into the sky with the promise of his return. He was described as a white-skinned god by what became the natives. Murals of this event and god are found throughout mexico, including in government buildings. Also, the murals in the ancient ruins of south America show white and dark skinned people at war with each other, matching the Book of Mormon description of white/fair-skinned nephites (Hebrews, of which Christ was a member) and the “post-white” lamanites who wiped them out.

By: erikpeterhansen

erikpeterhansen — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 06:13:00 +0000

In Jewish history those with reddish/red-brown hair and blue/light eyes were considered “special”. Just a tradition I suppose but their traditions did lead to and from the knowledge of a Savior being born. And there are no “white” people like the sun or a glorified person’s skin, (I’m from Denmark and am pink/beige!) so race may not be any issue at all in the end.

By: Cindy Jones

Cindy Jones — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 01:05:00 +0000

Simpler answer comes from Art History. Early saints were worried about Idolotry and worried people would worship the image I’ve Jesus over Jesus when they finally decided they could depict Jesus they want it it to be more of a symbol rather than a replica hence iconography and those icons and symbols were made to reflect the culture around them then as more people got more comfortable with art they continued to depict Jesus as on of their own culture and that is what we do today.

By: dunkonyerhed

dunkonyerhed — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 21:15:00 +0000

Of course we have several descriptions of Him, most reliably in D&C 110 vs 3.

“His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah…”

Whenever I’ve read this and other accounts, I imagine a being so glorious, so radiant that perhaps nobody would think to consider Him as white, black, brown or otherwise. I think of Him as a perfect being of light, including white light, which is said to contain all colors of the spectrum. I suspect He is beautifully radiant in His perfection. And I think that’s why Joseph and Oliver had such a hard time describing Him. But that’s just my own speculation.

By: Clay Pendleton

Clay Pendleton — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 09:15:00 +0000

I think what it really comes down to – that most artists desire to paint a picture that gives off true feeling of emotion but one also has to consider, unlike writers or someone giving a speech, that they have to know the audience who will be viewing it. So artists will also paint for the audience that will most likely, will be looking or will fit their religious viewpoints. In the book He walked the Americas by L. Taylor Hansen – over a 30 year research history project stories given of a great white skin Prophet or the one they called the great white spirit, traveled among the Native American Tribes over 2000 years ago. Many of the stories claim that the white skin Prophet had brown hair and piercing, aqua marine blue eyes. I would think that to be a very unique future for a Jew.

By: Bill C.

Bill C. — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 03:52:00 +0000

Keep in mind that his Father was not Jewish.