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Pictures Of Jesus In Our Home


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 I luv my wife very much and I am trying to understand... [ She is LDS]. She will not allow me to put out pictures of our Saviour Jesus Christ out in our Home where those not of our Church/Faith can see when they come to our home. When I asked her politley about it she stated that "catholics do that but we do not" [ My wife is from Peru ]. I have tried loving kindness in explanations but to no avail. Are there any LDS Church articles by General Authorities or Church leaders stating that we should have pictures of the Saviour in our home?. Thank you in advance.

 

In His Eternal Debt/Grace

             Anakin7

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I luv my wife very much and I am trying to understand... [ She is LDS]. She will not allow me to put out pictures of our Saviour Jesus Christ out in our Home where those not of our Church/Faith can see when they come to our home. When I asked her politley about it she stated that "catholics do that but we do not" [ My wife is from Peru ]. I have tried loving kindness in explanations but to no avail. Are there any LDS Church articles by General Authorities or Church leaders stating that we should have pictures of the Saviour in our home?. Thank you in advance.

In His Eternal Debt/Grace

Anakin7

It could very well be your wife's distaste for depictions of Christ in the home grows out of her being "turned off" by some of the garish depictions of Christ, Mary and the saints found in the homes of her homeland. I mean no disrespect whatsoever when I say know from personal experience some of these depictions can appear gaudy, offputting and even weird. And since most of us have no idea what Christ actually looks like, I don't think it's showing the Savior any disrespect to not want to hang someone's guesses of what they think Christ may look like in places of honor in the home. As a consequence, I don't believe this is the kind of marital disagreement worth worrying or battling over.

Edited by Bobbieaware
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Pictures of Jerusalem or other aspects of the Holy Land might be nice alternatives as well.

 

Is there a particular reason you feel the need to have a picture of Christ in your home?

Edited by calmoriah
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Sorry, can't search well now. There is a talk from the last few years by Elder Ballard about Christ centered homes. There is another talk by one of the women in the last year or two about a woman in India? Who had a very humble, one room home who treasured her picture of Christ.

But I think your best bet is try to talk with her and try to truly listen and understand why she doesn't want them. It will either help you be ok to not have them or help her to listen to why you do want one.

I am very picky about the pictures of Christ in my home. I don't care if they are accurate or not. I just care about how I feel when I see them.

I didn't realize this till I started searching for one of Christ knocking at the door. I loved the coloring of one picture. I loved everything about it except for one thing. I posted it at another message board and asked what the other members saw when they looked at it. They saw Christ knocking. I saw Christ shaking his fist at the person inside. I thought maybe if no one else saw that it would help me like the picture. Someone mentioned that they would not get a picture, particularly one of Christ, that I had such feelings about.

Art is meant to inspire, uplift, make you think, make you feel. I realized then why I don't want a number of pictures of Christ on my walls. There are many beautiful, well done pictures of Christ, but so far I have only chosen one for my home. It resonates with me. I long for the day when I find the one that does the same thing for me of Him knocking at the door.

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I suspect it has to do with a Catholic culture she grew up in Peru.  Converts that live in such a heavily dominated location may go through some difficult times.  It also causes members of the Church to ban more strongly together and to reinforce that they are different from their Catholic brothers and sisters in their respective communities.  

 

This situation makes me think that there is an obvious misunderstanding of LDS culture's adoration of the Savior and pictures of him are often in LDS homes.  We have always had several pictures of the Savior and I cannot think of one of our friends who does not have at lease one picture of him in their homes.  

 

This is an unfortunate misunderstanding; I feel bad that you both find yourselves in this situation.  Spend some time reading the articles cited above together.  A little Light opens a much deeper understanding. 

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Art is very personal.  And I find it is hard to be satisfied with compromises.  Even if a picture doesn't really grab me, I can't have anything that strikes me as off in it or it just becomes offensive rather than pleasant or uplifting to have around.

 

Art is definitely not something we should have around just because everyone else has it or we feel we are expected to have it.

 

I don't have any pictures of Christ in my home simply because I have never felt like any representation of him I could afford creates any feeling that comes close to what I believe he is.  If they don't remind me of him but only make me think 'well, this is how someone else sees him' why should I have them around?  I do love the Christus but a small version of it wouldn't seem right and there are artworks I love to go and see, but to have them as a daily experience would probably lessen the impact...plus I might be too concerned about them getting damaged even if I could afford them since the ones I love are invariably very expensive.

 

My husband hasn't asked for any and my kids chose to have some pictures of Christ when they were younger and I certainly never said no to them.

 

We did have a drawing of the Cardston Temple up but I need to get it framed decently so it has been hidden under a bureau for awhile.

 

OTOH, we have lots of scriptures around the house so I don't feel we are neglecting the Spirit, we just experience it more through the Word than visual art.

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    She has told me Temple pictures are okay just no pictures of Jesus, its seems to me she thinks it's idolatry.

 

In His Eternal Grace/Debt

            Anakin7

 

This is not a fight you want to have... there are numerous "religious" pictures that are availalbe through Deseret Book that depict  our faith principles... and, of course pictures of the temples... people coming into your home and seeing a temple picture could perhaps ask questions about what building it is, and you'd have an opportunity to explain about our temples vs chapels.  Missionary moments... 

I say arguing about pictures of Christ is not a fight you want to have because somehow it just doesn't seem right when there are so many other pictures available that demonstrate our faith...  

 

GG

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http://lds.net/forums/topic/23471-if-i-came-into-your-home/

 

The posts on this topic share what you would see in a typical LDS home, I'm thinking.  Several mention a picture of Christ.  My MIL has a Christus over her fireplace, she has pictures of Christ, the one at his second coming, the one you would see in the church buildings with the red robe.  She also has a picture of the prophets, the one starting with Joseph Smith on up to Pres. Hinckley.  And a picture of the current presidency.  I would worry if she had only pictures of temples and prophets on her wall.  I would think like the anti's and say to myself, she's worshiping the church of JS not JC.  

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We have the Lladro Christus in our den; always provides a great feeling when walking into the room.  We also have the statue of Joseph & Hyrum standing in the same room.  No pictures of a temple in the home.  Then we have several other pieces of artwork that are more classical in nature - a bust of Plato, an image of Raphael's Plato & Aristotle, a bust of Moliere, and several other classical artists.  We also have some mundane art that you see everywhere.  I prefer sculpture and my wife prefers paintings, colors, etc. 

 

We feel strongly that a home should carry a little bit of everything of the arts; we focus on books, artwork, music, and my wife's quilting.  It is pretty eclectic, but it works for us.

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Ask her if she'd accept the christus statute as fine art (currently on sale at Deseret Book for $60).   Our leaders have specifically told us that every family should have a picture of the temple (in which we hope to be sealed one day, or have been sealed since the purpose of it is to remind us of the value of temple blessings and how we get/honor them), a Proclamation to the World, and (I forget).  

 

The way LDS are taught to show they are Christian is the way they act, not display of photos.   If the pictures you seek to display are of Him on the cross, LDS celebrate the resurrection rather than the crucifixion.

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I would love to get a Jesus painting for the house but rarely have I seen any rendering of Him that really speaks to me.

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If the art, any art, does not speak to you then don't own it.  As Cal stated, art is personal.  Some things appeal to some and not to others.  I don't think there is a wrong or right answer here; it is a matter of preference and taste.  My sister-in-law has a collection of crucifixes on one wall in her home.  They appeal to her and I am sure others would not enjoy them nearly as much as she does. 

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I suspect it has to do with a Catholic culture she grew up in Peru.  Converts that live in such a heavily dominated location may go through some difficult times.  It also causes members of the Church to ban more strongly together and to reinforce that they are different from their Catholic brothers and sisters in their respective communities.  

 

 

It also causes Catholic family and friends to view Mormonism as removing people from a love for Jesus, the Apostles and all the Saints. Clearing out memories (photos, paintings, prints, etc) of them as fast as you can and then avoiding them as though having a depiction of Jesus in your home is an evil thing.

 

It is obvious the Catholic faith is not understood any more than their new Mormon faith.

Edited by saemo
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My dear very LDS mum is conservative and doesn't hang many things on the wall because she doesn't like to put nail holes in her walls. She still has religious art throughout her house, including a framed print of Jesus on a decorative table.

 

When I hung this huge cross on a wall in my home, she stared at it with a puzzled look for a minute, but didn't say anything. I imagine she thinks it is gaudy and weird, but I like it.

Edited by saemo
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It also causes Catholic family and friends to view Mormonism as removing people from a love for Jesus, the Apostles and all the Saints. Clearing out memories (photos, paintings, prints, etc) of them as fast as you can and then avoiding them as though having a depiction of Jesus in your home is an evil thing.

 

It is obvious the Catholic faith is not understood any more than their new Mormon faith.

 

What in the world are you talking about... "and then avoiding them as though having a depiction of Jesus in your home is an evil thing."  :huh:   

There is not one LDS home that I know of personally that does not have at least one picture of Jesus... I have a large one called "The Second Coming" and I love it and sometimes just gaze at it.... Some of my friends have numerous pictures of Christ, Christ and the apostles, the temple, etc. in addition to framed quotes by the Savior...

 

GG

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What in the world are you talking about... "and then avoiding them as though having a depiction of Jesus in your home is an evil thing."  :huh:   

There is not one LDS home that I know of personally that does not have at least one picture of Jesus... I have a large one called "The Second Coming" and I love it and sometimes just gaze at it.... Some of my friends have numerous pictures of Christ, Christ and the apostles, the temple, etc. in addition to framed quotes by the Savior...

 

GG

The flow of the conversation was, a person does not want depictions of Jesus in a home. People chiming in that being from a Catholic country, may cause issues with having depictions of Jesus in their home. I've heard of more than once instance where a convert to Mormonism clears out all things Catholic form their home and will not accept anything Catholic-like in replacement, including an (irrational) aversion to a depiction of Jesus in the home.

 

I think that is not the demographic that you are referring to, and I don't think my post broadened the aversion-to-depictions-of-Jesus demographic from something different as the demographic that Storm Rider was talking about. I've encountered these people, who were once Catholic, and now view Catholic-like things, such as depictions of Jesus in a home, as representing something very wrong, if not downright evil. Associating it to something that they misunderstand about the Catholic faith, but not discouraged in their conversion to Mormonism. How many have I heard who convert and remove everything Catholic from their homes and lives? Why is this encouraged, if it is not viewed as inherently wrong, if not evil?

 

Weird, gaudy, offputting?

Edited by saemo
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