Thank you to those who participated in the third year of the Book of Mormon Art Contest! The Book of Mormon Art Contest was created in 2022 to inspire students and strengthen their testimonies in the Book of Mormon, and to represent more people and stories from the ancient text in the Book of Mormon Art Catalog.
Beginning in February of this year, the Book of Mormon Art Catalog and Maxwell Institute encouraged students to visualize the Book of Mormon in creative, visual ways. The call for submissions encouraged art that 1) showcases underrepresented figures or scenes from the text, 2) demonstrates unique stylistic and technical approaches, and 3) centers on families in the Book of Mormon.
A judging committee of BYU faculty from the Maxwell Institute, Religious Education, College of Fine Arts and Communications, and the Museum of Art carefully considered each submission. Congratulations to our winners! The works will be displayed on campus on the second floor of the HBLL, starting July 17. All entries will be included in the Book of Mormon Art Catalog soon.
First place is awarded to Gianna Cummard for Sariah and Sons. This visually striking piece fits within all three of the contest categories—it highlights the underrepresented figure of Sariah, uses an unusual technique with yarn design, and centers a family from the Book of Mormon. Sariah is emphasized as a central, unifying figure who holds her warring sons together. As matriarch of the family, Sariah demonstrates Christ-like charity and forgiveness. She loves all her children equally and the artist has shown the sons each reciprocating that love while embracing their mother. Gianna Cummard’s smart choice of material helps express maternal warmth and suggests Sariah’s association with domestic crafts. Undulating, multi-colored yarn in the background creates a feeling of dynamic movement that contrasts with the static blocks of color comprising the figural grouping. Sariah creates a refuge from the storm for her family and models loving care. Cummard, an art student at BYU, wrote, “I see Sariah as a loving and caring mother who would hug all her sons when they return to the wilderness.”
“And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.” (1 Nephi 5:7-8)
Second place is awarded to Amalie Staples for Remnant Triptych. Few artists have explored the father and son relationship between Mormon and Moroni. In this piece, Amalie Staples imagines scenes from their lives, from Mormon’s care of a newborn son, to his careful teaching as Moroni grows, to a final moment shared together. The engraved plates appear in the foreground of the last image, alluding to Moroni’s role in carrying on the legacy and spiritual faith of his father. The artist’s choice of an engraving technique parallels the engraved scriptures created and preserved by these two men. While much art depicting Mormon or Moroni focuses on struggles as they face war and civilization collapse, this piece instead considers quiet moments of peace. The recurring symbol of a dove in each panel emphasizes the search for peace and connects the three scenes. The father’s gentle care for his son echoes Heavenly Father’s love for each of his children. Staples, a biology major at BYU, wrote, “The Book of Mormon displays how Heavenly Father nurtures, teaches, and comforts His children. This artwork is both a reflection of His love for us and a pondering on the intimate moments that shaped the lives of two prophets.”
“Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father.” (Mormon 8:1)
Third place is awarded to Grant Jackson for One Eternal Round. Rather than an illustrative representation of scripture, this wheel-thrown, glazed tea set is a functional reminder of the presence of God in our lives. The enclosed, rounded body of the teapot visualizes the idea of one eternal round. Details such as dual handles for ease of pouring and storage space for cups on top of the teapot create a harmony of form and function. The encircling ridges around each piece further emphasize the theme of one eternal round and are reminiscent of the stacked gold plates which became the Book of Mormon. Grant Jackson’s tea set draws inspiration from the Japanese chanoyu, or tea ceremony, with its emphasis on silent reflection, respect for others, and aesthetic simplicity. What might it mean to think of “the course of the Lord” as a round fillable vessel that is in turn poured out to nourish others? Jackson, a mechanical engineering major at BYU, wrote, “This teapot was inspired by the phrase ‘the course of the Lord is one eternal round’…Its consistent use allows it to serve as a reminder of God, of his nature, and of him being our continual source of life and nourishment. We owe everything to our creator and his plan.”
“For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.” (1 Nephi 10:19)
The honorable mention for Book of Mormon Art centered on families goes to Ellie Nielson, for Waiting on the King . Although the scriptural text indicates that Lamoni’s wife and children gathered around him, most images of this scene show Lamoni alone or, at most, with his wife. With this piece, Ellie Nielson offers a view of a Book of Mormon family brought together in mourning and lament, an intriguing addition to the visual canon. Light—a central symbol of the piece—is referenced in the bright window, the varied monochromatic tones of light and shadow, and the individual daubs of polymer clay that dynamically reflect natural light. The uniform darkness covering the top third of the image gives way to light shining on Lamoni and his family below, visualizing that “the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul” (Alma 19:6). Nielson, an art education major, wrote, “This scene resonated with me because of its timeless parallel: even today, families rally around one another in times of crisis.”
“And he lay as if he were dead for the space of two days and two nights; and his wife, and his sons, and his daughters mourned over him, after the manner of the Lamanites, greatly lamenting his loss.” (Alma 18:43)
The honorable mention for Book of Mormon Art showcasing underrepresented figures/scenes goes to Madeline Hoyt, for Sariah’s Sorrow. A grieving mother’s sorrow is powerfully portrayed in this painting, showing Sariah in the moment she believes four of her children have perished. With a loose, thin application of paint, Madeline Hoyt leaves the mark of her hand and creates a mood of raw despair. Although Sariah’s figure is frozen in mourning, the swirling movement of brush strokes reflects the tumult of her emotions. Vivid and clashing colors of purple, chartreuse, and red pop against a black background and contribute to the painting’s atmosphere of discontent. The compressed, flat space pushes Sariah to the front of the picture plane, her face framed by her hands and a halo. Stylistically, the piece is indebted to German Expressionist artists, including Käthe Kollwitz who similarly called attention to the silent anguish of mothers. In this work, though, the Savior appears—his long shadow falling in a beam of light—bringing the promise of redemption and healing. Hoyt, who studies fine arts and nutritional sciences, wrote, “Sariah’s brief lament resonates deeply with me. How often do we, amid our own trials, retreat into sorrow? In this painting, Christ steps toward her—not in judgment, but with tender compassion. He comes to heal.”
“And also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.” (1 Nephi 5:1)
The honorable mention for Book of Mormon Art highlighting unique stylistic/technical approaches goes to Ella Saxton Schofield for What More Could I Have Done For My Vineyard? This mixed media piece explores the gospel significance of grafting, a metaphor used by the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob. With a three-dimensional artwork that showcases the process of construction, Ella Saxton Schofield reflects on how grafting might help us better understand the atonement of Jesus Christ. The pieces of a shattered pitcher were each wrapped in fabric, carefully reassembled like a puzzle, and then stitched together to recreate a shape close to the original but with added variety and interest. In a similar way, Jacob describes the Lord of the vineyard caring for each individual tree—sometimes needing to prune one or graft onto another—creating something new and greater in the end. The floral patterning of the fabric nods to the organic nature of Jacob’s parable of the olive vineyard. Like the Japanese art of kintsugi, Schofield’s piece accentuates breakage and repair, finding beauty in the process. Schofield, a fine art major, wrote, “As I wrapped the broken pitcher shards in fabric and sewed them together, I thought about the individual love and attention Heavenly Father gives to each of His children, though they may be on different paths. And I thought about how the pitcher symbolizes Jesus Christ as the Living Water.”
“But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long.” (Jacob 5:47)