God Wants to Cry

Technique & Style

Digital illustration, Figurative

Figures

Indistinguishable

Notes

Artist statement: ""The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day." This is arguably the darkest scene in the Book of Mormon, and for likely for that reason one I've never seen depicted before, but it's an important one when we consider the immense suffering of the innocent in the world at the hands of the wicked and how we comprehend how a loving God can allow that to occur. I went for an abstract style since there is no way this scene could be rendered tastefully in a realistic manner, but I think there is something oddly comforting about staring into the flame and realizing God also weeps."

Commissioned Status

Submitted to the 2024 BYU Book of Mormon Art Contest.

Church Affiliation of the Artist

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints