My first work of art is titled One Eternal Round (The Plan
of Salvation Circumscribed). It has acrylic
paint with metal leaf on a 22 inch diameter circular panel. After many uncounted hours (and days) I finished
it on November 6, 2014 just before the deadline for the 29th Annual Spiritual
& Religious Art Show at the Springville Museum of Art. It is a juried exhibition and thankfully my
piece was accepted into the show.
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| One Eternal Round Copyright Brad Stephens 2014 |
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and a central doctrine in the Church is known as the plan of
salvation. This plan outlines our
eternal progression (where we came from, where we are now and where we go after
this life). It is God’s plan of
happiness of his children. Common visual
representations of this plan use a linear diagram with separate areas
representing each phase and events in our progression. I wanted to design a simplified version using
only overlapping and interconnected circles.
I also wanted to show how the atonement of Jesus Christ is central to
our salvation.
Here is the definition for Circumscribe:
1: To draw a line around (surround by a boundary).
2: To enclose within a certain limit (to define or mark
off carefully).
3: In geometry to draw a figure around another figure so
as to touch it at as many points as possible.
In essence I wanted to symbolically and visually circumscribe
the plan of salvation. Because this blog
is open to the world I hope that this makes sense to people who are not of my
religion. I live in Utah (USA) and a
large portion of the citizens of this state (and especially in Utah County) are
also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They should have no confusion about the concepts
being presented.
Heaven is separated into three areas known as (from the
lowest to the highest) the Telestial Kingdom, Terrestrial Kingdom, and
Celestial Kingdom. God lives in the Celestial Kingdom. Before we are born into this world we lived
with Him there in a “pre-mortal” state.
The goal of this life is to follow God’s plan by passing through
different phases of experience and learning and qualify to return back to live
with God in the Celestial kingdom.
I was never satisfied with the linear diagrams that show
the pre-mortal state and the final Celestial kingdom as two separate
areas. They are the same place/state and
so the start is the finish. I also feel
that the different phases of our lives are more interconnected than we
understand, although, it is hard for us to comprehend that in our mortal finite
minds.
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| Initial concept sketch |
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| Color sketch |
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| Idea for additional enhancements (i.e., seed of life) |
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| Final color studies |
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| Finished! |
Explanation of my design (see the diagram at the bottom):
The outer ring is the Celestial Kingdom.
The middle ring is the Terrestrial Kingdom.
The circle in the center is the Telestial Kingdom.
As spirit children of Heavenly Parents we lived with God
in the Celestial Kingdom (the bottom light orange section). When we are born we pass through a veil and receive
a physical body and are innocent as children (the medium orange section). When
we become accountable before God and make mistakes and sin we separate
ourselves from God and enter the fallen world (the darkest orange
section).
The center point marks our death where we (as spirits)
are assigned to a temporary state of paradise or prison represented by the two dark
blue sections on the right and left of the center. After a period of time we
are brought back to the center to be judged by the Savior and resurrected with
a physical, perfect and immortal body. We
will also be assigned to a kingdom of glory (the top three orange sections ascending
as Telestial, Terrestrial and Celestial). The Savior Jesus Christ and His atonement is the center of everything in God's plan.
People who go back to the Celestial kingdom pass through
the veil into the presence of God. Also,
there is the potential that a married couple (man and woman) who both obtain
Celestial life will be able to progress and eventually become Gods (known as
exaltation) and have their own spirit children.
Their spirit children will then be able to pass through the same plan of
salvation that they went through. This
is the eternal plan that governs the universe.
God creates worlds without number and he inhabits those worlds with his children. God has said “for behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). He has also said “listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as
yesterday, and forever” (Doctrine and
Covenants 35:1). Those who follow
the plan and become Gods will walk the same “one eternal round”.
The gold lines originating from the center represent the
light of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It
also reflects God’s omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. I like this scripture which describes some of
the attributes of the Son of God, Jesus Christ:
He that ascended up
on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all
things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; which
truth shineth. This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the
light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.
As also he is in
the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was
made; as also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were
made; and the earth also, and the power thereof, even the earth upon which you
stand. And the light which shineth,
which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the
same light that quickeneth your understandings; which light proceedeth forth
from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space — The light which is in
all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all
things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is
in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things. (Doctrine and
Covenants 88:6-13)
One manifestation of the light of Christ is conscience,
which helps a person choose between right and wrong. People who hearken to the light of Christ are
led to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those
who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and become members of His Church enter
the strait gate and follow the narrow way which leads to eternal life.
To learn more about the God’s plan of salvation please visit: https://www.lds.org/topics/plan-of-salvation?lang=eng
Brad
