Essay: Utah Artist Explores Beauty of God Seen Through Eyes of Mormons and Muslims
99 NAMES PROJECT
By Andrew Kosorok
From its earliest days, there has been a strong bond between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Islam. When Nauvoo was founded, Joseph Smith declared his beautiful city a haven for religious freedom, and invited by name those following the path of Islam. In 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball proclaimed that Mohamed was one of those select few called of God to deliver Divine truths "given to them by God to enlighten whole nations." Latter-day Saints are taught from childhood that all truth given by God is sacred. As gems from heaven, each of these sacred truths are to be treasured whenever we find them.
As Christians, we believe the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us in the Divine Person of Jesus Christ. For Muslims, the Word was made legible and given by God to the world as the Qur'an. Although doctrines among the LDS Church and Islam are different, many core points are strikingly similar: both faiths teach that scripture is strongest when understood through the medium of the Holy Spirit; both recognize the path to salvation lies through full submission of our hearts to our Creator; both teach that only through following the promptings of the Holy Spirit may the "natural man" be transformed into a being worthy of salvation.
However, there are differences--and that which is different can be frightening. When startling and violent events perpetrated by a very few serve to define an entire group as we have seen in recent memory, the perceived differences can be terrifying. By thoughtfully exploring our differences and looking for commonalities we come to a deeper understanding, and can welcome the erstwhile stranger. As the children of Abraham (Christians and Jews from the line of Isaac, Muslims through the line of Ishmael) we are spiritual siblings. Although there may be differences, our family ties are strong if we take the time to recognize them.
One of the ties we share as a human family is the capacity for art. Each of us, as St. Augustine observed, have the thumbprint or potter's mark of our Creator in our souls; each of us, when we create, emulate our Maker and validate His mark in us. The hadith qudsi (or holy utterance of Mohamed) - "God is Beautiful and loves beauty" - resonates strongly within LDS Christians and echoes through every faith. When a Muslim artist undertakes the process of creation, this sentiment is vital to the undertaking. Each object made is a testimony not only of this hadith, but it also vibrates with the artist's own faith.
As artists--which includes everyone to a certain degree--we find in the language of creation a particular poetry which is undeniable in its shared message. The Gift of Tongues follows those who witness Truth and testify of its Source. This blessed gift allows us to read and hear the Celestial Voice, and to both see and distinguish Truth in the work of another. In the creations of truth we see our common heritage. Our brothers and sisters are sharing this with us across centuries with the things their hands have made.
The language of art, the act and evidence of creation, is one of the most important mediums through which we can unite with our Muslim brothers and sisters. In hearing and listening to the voices of their works, we have found messages which testify of faith and our common heritage, and which bless us with spiritual growth and understanding. For me and many others, as Christians and Latter-day Saints, the lives and work of our spiritual siblings resonate deep within us. We hope our Muslim family members can in turn see the work of our hands--hands guided, we pray, by shared honest and earnest intent. Whether our language renders our Creator's Name as God, Eloi, or Allah, we are all children of His making and wish to be siblings in truth, and in spirit.
God is Beautiful. God loves beauty.
By Andrew Kosorok
For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations,
of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word...
according to that which is just and true
~ Book of Mormon, Alma 29:8
From its earliest days, there has been a strong bond between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Islam. When Nauvoo was founded, Joseph Smith declared his beautiful city a haven for religious freedom, and invited by name those following the path of Islam. In 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball proclaimed that Mohamed was one of those select few called of God to deliver Divine truths "given to them by God to enlighten whole nations." Latter-day Saints are taught from childhood that all truth given by God is sacred. As gems from heaven, each of these sacred truths are to be treasured whenever we find them.
As Christians, we believe the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us in the Divine Person of Jesus Christ. For Muslims, the Word was made legible and given by God to the world as the Qur'an. Although doctrines among the LDS Church and Islam are different, many core points are strikingly similar: both faiths teach that scripture is strongest when understood through the medium of the Holy Spirit; both recognize the path to salvation lies through full submission of our hearts to our Creator; both teach that only through following the promptings of the Holy Spirit may the "natural man" be transformed into a being worthy of salvation.
However, there are differences--and that which is different can be frightening. When startling and violent events perpetrated by a very few serve to define an entire group as we have seen in recent memory, the perceived differences can be terrifying. By thoughtfully exploring our differences and looking for commonalities we come to a deeper understanding, and can welcome the erstwhile stranger. As the children of Abraham (Christians and Jews from the line of Isaac, Muslims through the line of Ishmael) we are spiritual siblings. Although there may be differences, our family ties are strong if we take the time to recognize them.
One of the ties we share as a human family is the capacity for art. Each of us, as St. Augustine observed, have the thumbprint or potter's mark of our Creator in our souls; each of us, when we create, emulate our Maker and validate His mark in us. The hadith qudsi (or holy utterance of Mohamed) - "God is Beautiful and loves beauty" - resonates strongly within LDS Christians and echoes through every faith. When a Muslim artist undertakes the process of creation, this sentiment is vital to the undertaking. Each object made is a testimony not only of this hadith, but it also vibrates with the artist's own faith.
As artists--which includes everyone to a certain degree--we find in the language of creation a particular poetry which is undeniable in its shared message. The Gift of Tongues follows those who witness Truth and testify of its Source. This blessed gift allows us to read and hear the Celestial Voice, and to both see and distinguish Truth in the work of another. In the creations of truth we see our common heritage. Our brothers and sisters are sharing this with us across centuries with the things their hands have made.
The language of art, the act and evidence of creation, is one of the most important mediums through which we can unite with our Muslim brothers and sisters. In hearing and listening to the voices of their works, we have found messages which testify of faith and our common heritage, and which bless us with spiritual growth and understanding. For me and many others, as Christians and Latter-day Saints, the lives and work of our spiritual siblings resonate deep within us. We hope our Muslim family members can in turn see the work of our hands--hands guided, we pray, by shared honest and earnest intent. Whether our language renders our Creator's Name as God, Eloi, or Allah, we are all children of His making and wish to be siblings in truth, and in spirit.
God is Beautiful. God loves beauty.
