Meditations on Belief

For the 11th International Art Competition, artists were asked to consider the theme—Meditations on Belief—and Psalm 77:11–12: “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.”

Artists from around the world responded to this theme in distinct, thoughtful, and personal ways, often bearing profound testimony through their work and accompanying artist statements. In the 151 works selected for this exhibit, a number of repeating ideas emerged: nature as a site of devotion for God and His creation; a sense of awe and humility communicated and captured in the universe and in the stars; devoted women seeking revelation, expressing gratitude, or manifesting faith; Jesus Christ—His miracles, His grace, His divinity; stories from the scriptures; explorations of family and ancestors; adversity, suffering, healing, and hope; and the temple as a place of holiness and refuge. While in no way comprehensive, this list of repeating ideas seems to summarize what it means to truly believe.

The artwork will be on display at the Church History Museum March 14, 2019 through October 7, 2019, and in this online gallery.

A—C

Welded found metal objects, handmade glass, and stone

Resonate

Doug Adams
painting of salt lake city buildings at night, lit up.

Salt Lake Temple Overlook

Rob Adamson
green field, clouds in sky

The Promise of a New Season (Mt. Pleasant, Utah Chapel)

Brad Aldridge
Oil and charcoal on canvas

Reaches My Reaching

Beth Ann Allen
seed in dirt

What Is A Seed But Sunlight Sent Into The Future?

Alisha Marie Anderson
Merit Award
dots connecting around in many squares inside one another

Fitting Fragments

Paige Crosland Anderson (Purchase Award Winner)
mother holding child

Welcome (Akwaaba)

Gifty Annan-Mensai
donkey sitting down

Born to Carry the King of Kings

Kathryn Ashcroft
lamb dripping

The One

Alyce Rochelle Bailey
Christ in the sky descending to the people

And Behold, They Saw a Man Descending out of Heaven

Joseph Lajabu Banda
woman with grey hair pulled up, standing, wearing black dress with flowers, flowers in front and flowers behind on wall

Thistles And Lilies

Cassandra Barney
Man walking on water reaching to pull up another man in water waist deep, ship in background at sunset.

Finisher of Faith

J. Alan Barrett
three women at the opened tomb

Three Women at the Tomb

Robert Barrett
view from top of man with receding hair line

But the Very Hairs of Your Head

Curtis Edward Bay
woman holding apple, man behind her arms wrapped around her.

Meditations On Agency: Pro-Choice

Lee Udall Bennion
tree, birds on branches

Welcome Children to the Garden

Katrina Madsen Berg
angels surrounding baby singing

The Heavenly Host Praising God

Stephanie Billings
house with trees, mountains surrounding

Meditations on Belief

Mattise Binauli
girl sitting and reading Book of Mormon

Sally with Bread

Carol Shelley Boyle
five panels with landscape of hills

Horizon and Hope (Landscape with One Kilogram of Soil)

Georgina Bringas
newspaper in a puzzle

Recollection #2

Linnie Brown
earth behind three separate images, wood framed window and curtains, fireplace burning, stairs.

Temple

Loren Brown
star shining brightly above mountains

One Descending

Braden Burgon
two men, one leaning over with his arm over his mouth, the other hold him up.

The Spirit Constraineth Me

Joseph Ray Butcher
young woman in a red dress and red scarf. flowers behind her.

Ruth

Esther Hi’ilani Candari
tree sculpture

Harvest at Hand

Jacob Richard Chestnut
family visiting outdoors eating a meal together

The Visit

Chu Chu
a woman sleeping, an angel hovering down over her.

Naomi’s Tree Of Life

Crystal Suzanne Close
a grove of trees, light shining down on a young boy kneeling

First Vision

Elizabeth Coughanour
Purchase Award
moon, planets, plants emerging, colorful dot grid in background

Touching The Hearts Of Many Generations

Kazuko Covington
village on ocean, temple up on the hill, half day, half night.

My Work and My Glory

Sherron Valeña Crisanto
Jesus walking among the people all bowing down to him.

The Savior Visits His People in Ancient America

Teodorico Cumagun
bronze statue of Nephi holding bow

Never a Murmur

Craig Cunningham

D—K

A man walking through an archway downstairs to another man on the ground trying to reach a pool of water.

Living Waters

Rose Datoc Dall
Purchase Award
print of the ark sailing on water, a rainbow and sun behind the clouds

Noah and Norah’s Ark

Adam Klint Day
Diamond with geometric shapes inside.

Umbilicus

Lisa DeLong
Purchase Award
girl in green dress looking at a white flower

The Chosen

Crystal Virginia Despain
wood panel 13 sections each describing an article of faith

Article of Faith Doorway

Jacob Dobson
mountains in the background, branch in forground

Veil

Downy Doxey-Marshall
Native American woman walking past petroglyph drawings on wall

Wall of the Ancients

Glen Lyman Edwards
painting split down the middle gold and blue, person in middle arms lifted up.

Rejoice

Henk Ensing
father reading book to his two girls

I Will Remember

Linda V. Etherington
sculpture of three women working in the field, one standing and looking up to the sky

Gratitude

Annette Everett
Red bird up in air with halo and wings outstretched, black birds below looking up.

The Second Resurrection

Carin June Fausett
forest trees and stream running along a path

Glades End

Melissa Jane Gallo
landscape, river, steamboat, cabins and homes near the river

Remembering Old Nauvoo

Susan McBride Gilgen and Cheryl Ann Styler
Merit Award
colage, six women, one holding baby, birds, women planting, looking off in directions

And It Was Good

Lana Gloschat
5x7 row of eye glasses in different colors

All the Things We Cannot See

Leslie Graff
portrait of man with sideburns, in suit with tie and chain draping, his left hand on his lapel.

Heber C. Kimball In Living Color

Matthew David Grant
sculpture of woman with arms reaching out.

Offering by Anne Mecham Gregerson

Anne Mecham Gregerson
Merit Award
Jesus holding a glass pouring from a pitcher

In Remembrance of His Blood

Trent Gudmundsen
Jesus with rays coming out from him, reaching out with a key to people

Let’s Go Up to the Eternal Mountain That Teaches Us Its Ways

Marie-France Bernadette Guigny
the world from above showing temples in all countries

All Things

Judith Anne Gustafson
black and white depiction of woman looking down, A man looking down drawing with finger, fists with stones in them.

'What Sayest Thou?'

David Marshall Habben II
bronze engraving of man and woman facing each other.

Adam and Eve

Benjamin Ray Hammond
woman dressed in robe and head covered looking up, grey clouds behind her.

Offering by Liz Harris

Liz Harris
a dress made out of scripture pages.

And I Am Here

Danielle Hatch
Purchase Award
a white icosahedron hanging from nails, a bee on top of it, a seagull wings outstretched below and a cricket below the seagull.

Channel Divinity

Brandon Hearty
a family sits in front of a temple reading a book, the father is pointing up.

Listening to Father

Nicole Hermosa-Bumadilla
Jesus praying, his 12 apostles gathered around him.

The Lord’s Supper

Hi Fai Wong
Purchase Award
a stairway leading to heaven, moon in red sky

Sub Luna

Hal Douglas Himes
path through two large rocks

Earth’s Joys Grow Dim

Trevor Howard
sculpture of angel woman descending down with draped scarf

Angel Mother

Jacki L. Hunlow
woman dressed in white, draped in gold shawl, smiling

Awake, Awake . . . Put On Thy Beautiful Garments

Natalie Hunsaker
Merit Award
a tree forest after leaves have fallen, light shining through the bare trees.

'Let Us Walk In The Light'

Mary Z. Hutchings
the world from outer space

Meditation

Erik Claudius Jensen
a dove flying, light rays shining through the clouds. above the clouds many faces.

Simple Message

K. Ray Johnson
hope

The Reason for the Hope That Is in You

Whitney Johnson
a crowd of people

An Issue Of Blood

Brian Kershisnik
wood Noah's Ark with carved animals surrounding

Noah's Ark

Smbat Nikolaivich Khachatryan
pot of flowers

Assembling a Small Army

Emily Fox King
two chars one larger than the other

The Creators

Rebecca Ann Klundt

L—R

children sing

The Children Sing: Syracuse, New York

Jacqui Larsen
Purchase Award
large rock surrounded by water. clouds behind

Meditations Of Old

Kaisa Lee
round tree rings

The Winters She Has Passed Through

Sara Lynne Lindsay
woman kneeling in prayer

Religious Beliefs

Jin Lingjiang
crystal apple on tree

Crystal Apple and Fig Leaves

Paula Lloyd
gardens

Lift Up Your Hearts and Be Glad

Marina Anatoliliyivna Lukach
old woman washing hands

Consecration

Howard Lyon
woman in grassy field holding flowers, small child holding on to her legs, clouds in background.

Opaque Destiny

David Malan
Jesus reaching out to help disabled man on ground

He Healed Them All

Michael Malm
last supper, Jesus breaking bread

In Remembrance of Me

Brooke Malia Mann
wilderness

Out of the Wilderness

Elizabeth Matthews
woman looking up at night sky

Pondering God’s Promise

Courtney Vander Veur Matz
woman in black dress reaching out

Sorrow and Hope

Emily McPhie
boy laying on boat dock at night looking at sky

He Did It

Wesley Mercês
square maze blue and white

Meditations on Glory

David Erick Merrell
Merit Award
quilted star

Star of the Kingdom of God on Earth

Jason Metcalf
sculpture of a figure with a box on it's head

Pondering Forever

Ryan Waite Moffett
girls sitting down at a celebration smiling, each has a smiling balloon

Good Samaritan

Lynde Ann Mott
a man in the rain covering his head with newspaper

Hold to the Rod

Ryan McGowan Muldowney
three panels, central panel Jesus is holding lamb other panels, people are looking at Jesus

Mercy’s Embrace

Ann Henrie Nader
male and female figure next to each other

Male and Female Created He Them

Richard Lasisi Olagunju
Purchase Award
grove of olive trees

O-Live

Cheryl Lynn Olson
Abraham reaching up to the sky, sun, moon, planets, God's hand

Abraham and the Stars

Benjamin Pack
stained glass window, Jesus reaching down to hold hands with Adam and Eve

At-One-Ment

Jennifer Paget
woman kneeling in prayer, gold circle behind her.

Coming Full Circle

Jenedy Paige
Nephi with his sword out reluctant to slay Laban laying on the ground

I Was Constrained by the Spirit

Michael Spencer Parker
woman reaching up to Jesus grasping his robe

My Redeemer

Del Parson
forest trees, leaves, mountains

Sylvan Stead

Sarah Ashley Peterson
A cloud in the sky

Le Jour Court Après La Nuit [The Day Runs After The Night]

La Famille Plouffe
a model of a red brick building, trees and grass

Temple on Water Street: The Red Brick Store

Robert Lyn Porter
rock formation

Paths like Water: Line upon Line Series

Nicole Woodbury Preece
Jesus arms outstretched

For Us

Walter Rane
four images lined up, sky scrapers, big city, a home with writing above the house, young person walking holding on to rope, person reaching up to a tree

'And I Looked'

Nathanael Miles Read
man standing in front of door with cage between

I & Thou

James Rees
young girl in white dress, head adorned with flowers, butterflies flying around

My First Covenant

Connie Lynn Reilly
many figures, carts, animals, pyramid all mixed together

The Power Of The Lamb Of God Will Set Us Free

Silvana Alvarez Rhodes
a cloth drapes over the back of a chair

Fulcrum

Ron Richmond
a wooden clock looking like a temple window with hand on five minutes to five o'clock.

Making Eternal Time

Michelle Isom Romano
two pieces of fruit, one purple with red flower the other glowing white with a white flower

The One Being Sweet, the Other Bitter

Andy Romero
Merit Award
Jesus enters under a shelter and reaches to grasp the hand of crippled person on the ground pulling him up.

Rise and Walk

Richard Lance Russell
moon shining through trees at night

Still Of The Night

Sally Bigelow Rydalch

S—Z

woman holding basket of fish

She Believed

Sarah Richards Samuelson
man next to a window holding glass of water up in the air looking at it.

In Search of the Maker

Colby Adams Sanford
dark forest of trees at night

Sacred Grove

Thomas Francis Schulte
stained glass window tree in middle one side dark with a snake, other side light

Roots

Jillian Damstedt Shaw
white temple standing while wind and storm rages around

Refuge From The Storm

James Shelley
Sculpture of Christ, crown of thorns on his head

Christ With A Crown Of Thorns

Adam Lee Sherwood
Purchase Award
six shelves of hands signing words

Ask of God

Janna Siebert
strip of land surrounded by ocean and waves

Your Way Was In The Sea, And Your Paths In The Many Waters

Susana Isabel Silva
Purchase Award
circles of color surrounded by drop of water

We Did Put All Our Seeds into the Earth

Rachel Crockett Smith
two people sitting at a table meditating, green landscape and rolling hills around

Only Us . . .

Fabiana Sosa
two men walking along a road meet another man, desert trees and rocks surrounding

Abide with Us

Ken Spencer
Merit Award
woman wearing a dress and shall, sitting on a bed reading a book

Diligence in Wisdom

Elizabeth Jean Stanley
four panels- Looking at a microscopic view of pollen on a wildflower petal, table salt crystals, spores on a fern, and the barbs and hooks of a feather

Small and Simple Things

David Stay
crowd of people many colors

Love One Another

Emma Taylor
a wooden ladder with pole on other end.

From Eve’s Point Of View

Adam Thomas
hands reaching up towards a man in a robe descending in the air. only the feet showing.

Ascent: Descent

Douglas Ivan Thompson
a vase with a circle and lines going through it.

Contemplative Architecture

Dustin John Thompson
a circle of stars around a black hole

Lights of Night

Roland Thompson
woman adorned with flowers in her hair behind tree leaves

Mother of All Living

Michelle Franzoni Thorley
a woman in white standing, reaching up and coming out of the ground

And Should We Die

Jen Tolman
buildings falling around a tower with red cord coming out of window

The Cord of Scarlet

Tongombol Malca
Jesus leaning over a blind man healing his eyes

Christ Healing

Leroy Transfield
Purchase Award
young woman hands clapsed in prayer

Looking for Revelation

Ingrid Uhe
man and woman holding on to each other they are standing by a tree, two hands holding in front of the tree.

Tree Of Life

Valentyna Musiienko Vasylyeva
wooden carving of woman in dress standing

She Was/Is Here

Chelsy Lynn Walker
a person walking along a narrow path leading to a tree, a building with many windows behind

The Man, The Tree, The Rod, And The Words Of Strangers And Friends

Justin Wheatley
16x5 panels in grid each panel showing the stars, moon and sky

Vaulted Skies

Claire White
man and woman holding hands standing towards each other foreheads touching.

Of One Mind

Clint Whiting
looking in on a family with a terminally ill family member. young children playing around the house. man coming through the front door.

It Will All Work Out

Abby G. Whitmore
woman on her knees praying

My Faith

Kwani Povi Winder
several people standing near Jesus some looking towards him.

Come Unto Me

Sarah Anne Winegar
Purchase Award
arial view of homes and landscape

Jerusalem

Emilia Wing
wood carving of tree and people coming unto partake of the fruit.

Izapa Stele 5

Paul D. Yates
people sitting in on the ground dry grass, in a line awaiting a group of people advancing on them, mountains behind..

Awaiting Their Brethren

Lester Yocum
round design depicting stories from the creation to now.

The Plan Of Salvation

Julie Yuen Yim
Purchase Award