FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Question: Does the Church violate the Biblical command against "graven images" by displays sculptures of Christ?
| Answers portal |
| God |
|
 RESOURCES
|
|---|
|
 PERSPECTIVES
|
 MEDIA
|
| OTHER PORTALS
|
This article is a draft. FairMormon editors are currently editing it. We welcome your suggestions on improving the content.
Criticism
Critics claim that the Church violates the Biblical command against "graven images" because it displays sculptures of Christ, or paintings showing scriptural scenes, within temples, chapels, visitors' centers, and publications. (See Exodus 20꞉3-4.)
Source(s) of the criticism
Need info
Response
One of the facts that must be reconciled with any interpretation of Exodus 20:3-4 is that the Bible states that God explicitly commanded that the Israelites make images and include them in their holiest places of worship. The text explicitly says that these images were revealed to Moses while he was on the mount (Exodus 25꞉40 and Exodus 26꞉30), meaning that they were given at the same time as the Ten Commandments and are part of the environment in which Exodus 20 must be interpreted.
For example:
- Exodus 25꞉18-20: God commands that gold Cherubim be made to cover the mercy seat in the tabernacle. (Exodus 37꞉7-9 says that Moses made the image.)
- Exodus 25꞉33: God commands that the tabernacle bowls be almond-shaped with flowers. (Exodus 37꞉19 says that Moses made the image.)
- Exodus 26꞉1: God commands that Cherubim be fashioned on the Tabernacle curtains. (Exodus 36꞉8 says that Moses made the image.)
- Exodus 26꞉31: God commands that Cherubim be on the vail of the temple. (Exodus 36꞉35 says that Moses made the image.)
- Exodus 28꞉33: God commands that pomegranates be sewn onto the hem of the high priest's robe. (Exodus 39꞉24-26 says that Moses made the
image.)
And finally:
- And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them. (Exodus 39꞉43).
Furthermore, we have not even mentioned all the images that were used during the construction of Solomon's Temple, such as the oxen holding up the brass sea (see 1 Kings 7꞉25) or the lions, oxen, and cherubim on the base (see 1 Kings 7꞉29).
Those people who reject all images of things on earth or in heaven have an interpretation of Exodus 20:3-4 that doesn't agree with God's interpretation of those verses or with Moses' interpretation of those verses.
Conclusion
Since
- God is the revelator of the verses in question, and
- God is God, and
- Moses was there and heard first hand,
one should side with God and Moses and say that Exodus 20꞉3 does not mean that one cannot have pictures, statues, or images of earthly or heavenly things in one's home or in church.
Instead one should stick with the unambiguous interpretation of this principle that is given in Exodus 34꞉17, "Thou shalt make thee no molten gods." We are commanded not to worship images, or anything else besides God, and members of the Church do not.
It is ironic that those who accuse the LDS of not being Christians then complain that the Saints use images of Christ to remind them of their worship of him.
Endnotes
None
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
FAIR web site
External links
- Dennis Largey, "Refusing to Worship Today’s Graven Images," Ensign (February 1994): 9.off-site
- David H. Madsen, "No Other Gods before Me," Ensign (January 1990): 48.off-site
Printed material
- Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, 1969), 40. ISBN 0884944441. ISBN 0884941922.