As part of his ubiquitous Book of Mormon series, Arnold Friberg’s painting of the brother of Jared (Fig. 1) has defined the way generations of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visualize the scene in Ether 3. You may even have heard the anecdote about how Hollywood filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille was so taken with the image that he hired Friberg as artistic designer for The Ten Commandments film (resulting in clear similarities between the painting and DeMille’s scene of Moses at the burning bush). But many other artists have also depicted the brother of Jared, and sometimes in quite different ways. So why is this the portrayal that’s most familiar? What was the earliest depiction of the brother of Jared? Are there many images of him that preceded Friberg’s? What images have been created recently? How much have these images been used in Church media or other published sources? In what ways has Friberg’s painting influenced how other artists have approached the scene?
The Book of Mormon Art Catalog provides comprehensive answers to these kinds of questions for the first time. Grant funding from the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies enables the catalog to be offered online, free for everyone. With more than 2,500 images, and new pieces added constantly, the database is the largest catalog of Book of Mormon visual art and is a resource for scholars, artists, teachers, and members of the Church. More than just a list of images, the catalog provides details about each piece, including information on the artist, the scripture reference, the style and technique, and its inclusion in exhibitions and published sources. This data allows users to create custom searches and discover lesser-known artworks as well as analyze broader trends in Latter-day Saint religious art.
Using the brother of Jared as a case study, this essay will briefly model some of the possible uses of the catalog. For instance, the catalog entry on Friberg’s painting lists its appearances in Church media, which includes Church magazines, the printed Gospel Art Book, the online Gospel Media Library, the Church History Museum Store Catalog, the 2020 Come, Follow Me manual, and the Church Facilities Artwork Catalog. The entry also notes that the painting is on view at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. It’s little wonder, then, that this painting is so familiar to most Church members. But how does it compare to other illustrations of the scripture?
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