Wedding Portrait Painting
I have decided to include my portrait business on this blog. I have painted many portraits and every one of my patrons are very pleased. Please click here or on the picture to more information.
-
06 Aug 2010 / art
-
06 Aug 2010 / art, everything
A few Years ago I panted the Salt Lake Temple. Here is the painting.
I have it sitting in my mother’s front room. I need to sell it to raise a little cash to help me finish my really cool free live media rich history Wiki-type on-line project.Here is more info on how to get this painting: greatmemories.info/wordpress/art-paintings-for-sale
-
11 Apr 2010 / everything
The Prophet Mormon Abridging the History of His People
The word Mormon came from the name of an ancient prophet who was entrusted with the writings of the ancient Native Americans. These writings taught that some of these Native Americans were descended from a group of Israelites from the tribe of Manasseh. They also taught that Jesus visited these people shortly after his resurrection as He promised he would in the Bible.
An interesting prophesy that the Savior made to these ancient Native Americans, and to all the scattered tribes of the House of Jacob:
15 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not arepent after the bblessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—
16 Then shall ye, who are a aremnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young blion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both ctreadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.18 And I will agather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor.19 For I will make my apeople with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy bhorn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt cbeat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it.20 And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the asword of my justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles. (Book of Mormon, 3rd Book of Nephi, 20:15-20).Native Americans at the Nauvoo Temple Site
Several years ago my Father and Step Mother were volunteers at a historical city called Nauvoo, Ill. As visitors came they showed them the site where the Nauvoo Temple once stood. The temple was built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormons. It was in the temple that sacred ordinances were performed. Baptisms for the dead were one of these ordinances, where people were baptised in proxy for their deceased ancestors. The leader of the Mormon church, Joseph Smith, taught that God had restored the original church organization.
Too Much
Nauvoo Temple Burning
Well, this was too much, too different for the local residents, who forced the Mormons out of the state and burned down their Nauvoo Temple. This happened about November 1848.
My Dad’s Story
A few years ago, my dad told this story. He said that some Native American visitors were touched by the story of the temple, and they went to the site and performed some kind of dance (or something, I can not recall). Dad said it was very special, and there was a very good feeling.
Since then, the temple has been rebuilt. My ancestors were there to build it the first time. Some day my wife and I hope to go back there and do baptisms for more of our ancestors.
The Nauvoo Temple Today
Tags: Christ in America, Indian, Mormon, Native American
-
28 Mar 2010 / everything
Kit Carson
I thought I would write my thoughts about some of the recent books I have read.
Brigham Young, Second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born 1801, Died 1877
A month ago I read Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West. The author is Hampton Sides. It is 624 pages and was published in 2007.
This book went into a lot of detail about Kit Carson and his life. He seemed to be in many places that changed history in the West.
My view from this book was that Carson was great, but he also had his faults. He was great at taking orders, such as from Gen. James Henry Carleton, where his scorched earth policy against the Navajo Indians culminated in their surrender and the infamous Long Walk to an uninhabitable reservation in eastern New Mexico. During the years that they were there, thousands of Navajo’s died of starvation and disease.
I didn’t like the way the author treated the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. No, these newly converted Mormons, who themselves were survivors of an extermination order in the US., did not represent the teachings of the Mormon church. (Mormon is a nickname for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, AKA LDS). No, the Leadership of the Mormon church did not call for this and did not condone it. Brigham Young, the leader of the Church at that time, actually insisted that the governor of Utah organize an investigation. I found that the knee-jerk reaction of Carleton, his peers, and the author, was that if one Indian screwed up, or one Mormon screwed up, it was acceptable to lay the blame on the whole tribe.
Next, I read a book called Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown, published in 1970. I’ll talk about that in the next blog.
culminated in the Navajo surrender and the infamous Long Walk to a barren redoubt in eastern New Mexico -
18 Nov 2009 / art
Tags: Draper Temple
