Thoughts

As an Art Historian, I spent my days in school pouring over picture after picture. In classes dedicated to the Byzantine, Renaissance, and Baroque period of art a religious theme is prevalent due to the patronage and power of the church. In school I became familiar with many images depicting some of the following common religious themes:

• Annunciation- my favorite being this one by Leonardo Da Vinci.
• Adoration- one by Botticelli, as you can see the settings vary far and wide.
• Transfiguration- a vibrant one by Raphael.
• Crucifixion- plus one by Zurbaran.
  
• Deposition- a remarkable one by Van der Weyden.
  
• Entombment- one of my favorites by Caravaggio.
• Pieta- an incredibly well known one by Michelangelo.

A picture is worth a thousand words as the saying goes, though regarding this topic I have to disagree. I've spent hours with many of these images and plenty more, studying, pondering, analyzing, and searching. As I sat in a particularly inspiring sacrament meeting on Easter morning I came to the realization that a verse of He Is Risen or Christ the Lord Is Risen Today has more soul stirring effects than any of these images or even one by an artist closer to home.

This Easter season I am thankful for the profound words of Apostles of the Lord, for the powerful message of inspired music, and for the great blessing of the atonement and glorious knowledge that the tomb was found empty on the third day.