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Book of Mormon Feast

An Artistic Tour of Alma 49-63

Alma 50:1-6

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Moroni Fortifies the Land of the Nephites

Clark Kelley Price

Alma 50:30

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Beaten

James H. Fullmer

Alma 50:30

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Morianton’s Passion

James H. Fullmer

Alma 50:31

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Morianton’s Maidservant

James H. Fullmer

Alma 50:31

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Morianton’s Maidservant and Captain Moroni

James H. Fullmer

Alma 51:29-37

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Teancum

Fredric Ridenour

A defender of liberty, Teancum was also a proponent of early guerrilla warfare, often employing a combination of brute force with stratagem in order to win battles against the Lamanites. Teancum slew Amalickiah, evil king of the Lamanites, by piercing the king with a javelin as he slept in his tent.

Alma 53

BOOK OF MORMON ART

2000 Sons Marching to War

Scott Snow

Alma 53:2

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Defending Liberty

Scott Snow

Alma 53

Alma 53:16

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Helaman Leads an Army of 2000 Ammonite Youth

Arnold Friberg

The Book of Mormon tells of a group of the sons of converted Lamanites. Because of the many murders their fathers had committed before their conversions, they had made a covenant never to take the sword again, even in self-defense. At a critical time when their enemies were attacking them on all sides, the sons of these converts made a commitment to fight for the liberty of their people and their country. “But behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not entered into a covenant that they would not take their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites.”

Artist's Note:

The next painting, HELAMAN LEADS AN ARMY OF 2060 AMMONITE YOUTH is one of the most dramatic in the Book of Mormon. It is misleading that they should be called “stripling soldiers.” They were not little boys, but young men who volunteered to go into battle. They were strong and valiant, marching forth in the strength of the Lord. The book speaks at some length of them as men of truth and soberness, “men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.” Here the artist sought to express their interior testimony of faith through picturing their physical strength.

There is in this picture something that skeptics will be quick to pounce upon—the commonly accepted “scientific proof” that there were no horses in ancient America. “Why, everybody knows the Spaniards brought the first horses,” they smartly point out. But no matter what “science” may say, in direct confrontation stands the Book of Mormon, which in several places makes clear mention of horses. Although the Book of Mormon doesn’t expressly say that Helaman rode on horseback, the artist has taken the liberty of showing him mounted. Since the book does speak elsewhere of these animals and since I am somewhat known for my equine paintings, I could not resist including in these 12 pictures at least one horse.

Alma 53:16-18, 20,2

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Helaman’s Striplings / Samuel the Lamanite

Minerva Teichert

“After receiving a farewell and the shield of faith from their mothers, these young Lamanite men turn in sequence to walk uprightly before God and march in harmony with their fellows. Arches overhead reinforce the sense of their unity. Not having weapons in their own convert families, each is ceremonially armed by the prophet Helaman.

“Another Lamanite shielded by great faith, Samuel is protected from arrows, spears, and stones as he prophesies to the Nephites. Teichert visualizes the protective power around Samuel as heavenly rays of light. An opposing, but lesser power as well as a sense of motion is conveyed by the trail of light behind the spear. The flight angles of the spear and arrow direct our eyes to the prophet’s right hand, which is centerd in the embrasure. He has stretched forth his hand in an allusion to the signs of the crucifixion in Christ’s hands. Delivering the signs of Christ’s coming birth and death is part of Samuel’s mission, and he warns the Nephites that those who do not repent will be destroyed when Christ dies. Teichert equates Samuel with a noble savage coming out of the wild jungle adorned with earrings and a blanket, his hair dressed in a braid.”

Alma 53:16-23

BOOK OF MORMON ART

The Army of Helaman

Steve Nethercott - Real Heroes Posters

The Book of Mormon says they were exceeding valiant for courage and strength and activity, who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

Alma 53:19

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Helamán y los 2000 guerreros jóvenes

Jorge Cocco Santangelo

Alma 53:20

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Stripling Warriors

Jody Livingston

Alma 53:23

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Two Thousand Lamanite Warriors Go to Battle

Artist unknown

Acrylic on canvas

Alma 56

BOOK OF MORMON ART

People of Ammon – Home Embrace

Scott Snow

Alma 56

Alma 56 – 58

BOOK OF MORMON MUSIC

“My Little Band”

Marilyn Arnold and Maurine Ozment

Sacred Hymns of the Book of Mormon, 16

My little band, my sons, my sons, will ye to battle go?

Will you fight fiercely for the right against our ruthless foe?

What say ye, sons, so young and pure, will you coarse weapons wield?

Will you fight bravely at my side, with virtue as your shield?

Alma 56:5

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Stripling Warriors

Mike Bohman

A group of young men determined to fight to defend their country, choosing the prophet Helaman to be their leader.

Alma 56:9

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Warriors

Lester Yocum

Artist’s notes:

Helaman, a Nephite prophet and warrior, stands in front of some of the 2060 young Lamanite warriors who have rallied to defend their adopted nation. Faithful and exactly obedient in all things, their miraculous preservation through some terrible battles was an inspiration to their fellow warriors as well as to the man who so ably led them, Helaman.

Alma 56:27

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Covenant of Fathers Faith of Sons

Scott Snow

Alma 56:47

BOOK OF MORMON ART

People of Ammon – Teaching in their Youth

Scott Snow

Alma 56:47-48

BOOK OF MORMON ART

“Our Mothers Knew It”

Elspeth Young

In the Book of Mormon, a group of faithful youth went to war to defend their people’s liberties from aggressors. “They had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying, ‘We do not doubt our mothers knew it.’”

Alma 56:47

BOOK OF MORMON ART

They Did Not Doubt

Joseph Franklin Brickey

Alma 56:46-48

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Mothers of the Stripling Warriors

Steve Nethercott – Real Heroes Posters

The Book of Mormon records the faith of Helaman’s “Stripling Warriors:”

“As I had ever called them my sons, (for they were all of them very young), even so they said unto me, ‘Father, behold, our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall. Then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone. Therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.”

Alma 56:47

BOOK OF MORMON ART

Farewell My Stripling Warrior

Del Parson

This image was inspired by my wife and son when he was leaving on his mission. We were at the airport saying our good-byes, and I watched him as he hugged my wife. She was hanging on, having a very hard time letting him go, and he was hugging her, but he was looking beyond her — toward the airplane. He was obviously ready to go. The expression on her face was one of trepidation. It was as if she were asking herself, "Have I prepared him for this? Have I done all I could?" While his expression was one of eager determination. He had been preparing so long for this and he was ready to get started.

That moment made me think of the story of the Stripling Warriors. Those two thousand young men had never fought before. They had no idea what they were up against, or what to expect going into battle against the Lamanites, but that didn't matter to them. They were prepared in spirit and in faith. They knew that the things their mothers had taught them were true, and they were willing to march into the unknown, with their strength and courage coming from their faith. I think about those young men and their resolve to defend their families and their homes. They went forth with bravery and they succeeded. Then I think about their mothers. I know how worried and afraid they must have been. That's what moms do. They worry and they wonder if they have prepared their sons. That is really the feeling I wanted to portray in this painting.

Alma 56:48

BOOK OF MORMON ART