The Sword of Laban
Suzanne Gerhart (1968– )
- Medium
United States
ca. 2006
Oil
“We are unsure of the exact look of the sword of Laban, except for the description Nephi gave in the Book of Mormon. I’ve taken liberty in using symbols on the sword and cloth to portray the kind of men that carried the sword—men of our Lord and Savior. The painting also depicts two events: Nephi slaying Laban for the brass plates and Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery viewing the sword as it lay on a table with the gold plates in a cave, as related by Brigham Young. Through thousands of years, the children of God have had a heritage of faith; the sword of Laban is a symbol of that faith we hold fast to.”