ATLANTA, Georgia — When Carla and Eric Lowe heard in their Latter-day Saint congregation that an oil portrait of the Prophet Joseph Smith would be unveiled at Morehouse College, they wanted to come and see.
They had never been to this historically Black college or the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, and they also hoped to see the painting of President Russell M. Nelson that was inducted into the chapel’s Hall of Honor in April 2023 when he received the inaugural Gandhi-King-Mandela Peace Prize.
On Sunday afternoon, Feb. 1, they packed up their young family and drove from Marietta to downtown Atlanta for the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel’s Vesper Hour. Participating in the worship service featuring a guest Baptist preacher — and seeing paintings of two Latter-day Saint prophets — made for a memorable experience for their family.
“I love the Spirit that I felt here,” said Carla Lowe, a member of the Paper Mill Ward, Roswell Georgia Stake. “Yes, we are different religions, but I love the spirit and the kindness that was shown here.”
Eric Lowe said he also appreciated the fellowship they felt with the Morehouse community. For him, the unveiling of the Joseph Smith portrait was a message of peacemaking.
“As Church members, a lot of times we focus so much on what Joseph did as Prophet, but this emphasized what he did as a presidential candidate,” Eric Lowe said. “I thought it was interesting how much Joseph focused on trying to solve the problem of slavery through peace, how he wanted the nation to free the slaves through payments as opposed to war. So, peacemaking back then — and today.”
Unveiling of the Joseph Smith portrait
At the end of Sunday’s Vesper Hour, the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., founding dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, unveiled the oil portrait of the Prophet Joseph Smith to hang in the chapel’s International Hall of Honor.
The Rev. Carter honored Joseph Smith as founding president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for his plan to abolish slavery as a United States presidential candidate in 1844.
“His opposition to slavery was rooted not merely in humanitarian sentiment but in a theological certainty: the equality of human souls before God,” said the Rev. Carter. He quoted the Book of Mormon teaching that God invites “all to come unto him ... black and white, bond and free” (see 2 Nephi 26:32-33).
Joseph Smith’s portrait will hang near the portraits of President Nelson and Abraham Lincoln in the Hall of Honor, which features more than 300 oil portraits of global leaders of the international civil and human rights movement.
‘Choice To Change the World’
More than 100 people attended the worship service, including many local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Guest preacher Dr. Charles E. Goodman Jr. of the Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia, gave the sermon.
Elder Jacob C. Fish, Area Seventy in the United States Southeast Area, said a highlight of the service for him was the Spelman College Glee Club’s performance of “A Choice To Change the World.”
“I was deeply impressed as they sang that beautiful hymn because over the years I’ve watched Dean Carter make a choice to change the world,” Elder Fish said. “He has a deep understanding of the Prophet Joseph, of his life and legacy, and he has chosen to make that choice. … It’s been wonderful to witness the Prophet Joseph being recognized and understood here in downtown Atlanta.”
Jackie Parsons of the Etowah Valley Ward, Cartersville Georgia Stake, attended the unveiling with her daughter, Jha’Dae Fountain. As converts who joined the Church three years ago, they said the worship service was particularly inspiring.
“What stood out for me was the coming together of the races,” said Parsons, who is originally from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. “Being honored in a Black historical college means so much. … It shows growth, lots of growth. It just shows that God is in everything.”
Fountain commented on the prestigious yet warm and welcoming environment she felt in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. “I felt honored to be sitting amongst everyone. I felt togetherness during this meeting. … I’m grateful to be a part of this community,” she said.
More about the painting of Joseph Smith
The oil portrait of Joseph Smith, titled “Sunset on Nauvoo,” depicts the 1846 Nauvoo Temple in the background. Connie Lynn Reilly, the artist, said it was important to her to include the temple because Joseph never saw it completed. He was martyred June 27, 1844.
“It’s significant, I think, because he was preparing the Saints to get their endowments and sealings, their blessings from the ordinances from the temple,” Reilly said.
Reilly, a member of the Hamilton Mill Ward, Sugar Hill Georgia Stake, is an accomplished artist who has been painting portraits since she was a child. A few of her works have been showcased in the Church History Museum International Art Competitions.
She said she spent a lot of time studying Joseph Smith’s death mask and existing portraits of him to depict his face accurately. “I repainted his face about eight times to get it to the point where I said, ‘OK, I feel good about this.’ … I want him to look gentle and kind and spiritual, but strong also because of what he did and what he went through.”
She chose to paint the clouds to reflect the sun setting in front of Joseph. “That’s significant because it was sunset for him — he had lost his life — and the Saints, too, because they had to move forward as soon as they built that temple,“ she said.
Reilly also included the native Illinois wildflower Jacob’s Ladder, named after Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 symbolizing eternal progression and the path to exaltation.
“There are little symbols in there that are significant to us as Latter-day Saints, and hopefully others will feel the Spirit from it too,” Reilly said. “That’s my prayer — that others will feel that spirit of Joseph and how he was so instrumental in restoring the gospel for us.”
