The Spirit Constraineth Me
Joseph Ray Butcher
- Medium
United States
ca. 2019
Cast bronze
“I have long had a difficult time with the 14th chapter of Alma because of the brutality and injustice of it,” said Butcher. “Alma and Amulek . . . are taken captive and made to watch as the women and children . . . are thrown into the fire before their eyes. I cry out with Amulek, Why can’t God’s power be used to save them?”
He continued, “I wanted to capture a moment of Amulek’s suffering, where all is lost, grief sapping all strength from his body.” But as Butcher worked Alma into the scene, he had to also consider Alma’s perspective and pain. A faithful life is not a pain-free one, he realized. “Those moments when God seems so far away . . . are the opportunities provided for us to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those in need of comfort.”