Minerva Teichert: THE SACRAMENT

 

THE STORY: In the New World, after Christ's resurrection, He appeared to the people and taught them. “And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, [Jesus] took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat. And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude” (3 Nephi 18:3-4).

The risen Christ, now in the New World, instituted the sacrament for His recently called disciples and instructed them regarding its significance.  He explained the symbolism of partaking of the bread: “This shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you” (3 Nephi 18:7) – and that the wine was representative of His blood, which was shed.  He blessed those willing to do as He commanded, and covenanted that “If ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you” (3 Nephi 18:7).

ANALYSIS: Several features of this painting are highlighted in the following description: “Against the backdrop of an elaborate Mesoamerican temple, the resurrected Savior administers the sacrament with the help of his newly chosen leaders.  Some elements in this painting are figurative rather than historically accurate.  Teichert has six Nephite disciples cluster on the left and six Lamanite disciples on the right.  The two groups meet symbolically in front of the Christ and go forth united to serve the bread and water to the multitude below.”  (Welch, John W. and Doris R. Dant, The Book of Mormon Paintings of Minerva Techert. Provo: BYU Studies and SLC: Bookcraft, 1997. 148.)

The painting's balanced composition gives a feeling of stillness and peace, although the disciples are in the middle of administering the sacrament. The disciples form a pyramid with the resurrected Christ at its head. Christ is the brightest part of the painting, in his white robes and with a white halo, showing that Christ's atonement and resurrection are the pinnacle of the ordinance of the sacrament. The blue horizontal line running across the Mesoamerican temple meets at Christ's shoulders, reminding the viewer that He bore our sins and sorrows on His shoulders during the atonement.

The middle of the pyramid is empty. The disciples part, leaving an unobstructed path for the viewer to climb the stairs towards holiness and the Savior, who stands at the top. This gives a clear message about the importance of the sacrament in accessing the power of the atonement.

PERSONAL IMPACT: I love, love, love the messages of this painting. In our modern world full of factions and 'ites,' this painting is a reminder that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us all together and unites us as His disciples and that "all are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:13). It also helps me to have a visual reminder of the importance of the sacrament in my own spiritual development--I like thinking of the sacrament as clearing a path through my life's clutter that leads to the Savior.