Healing Power of Jesus Christ Sculptures by Angela Johnson

We have been busy with sculptures for the past few weeks. I decided to include all of them for you to see. Thanks to Anna for these wonderful pictures taken during the display in our Visitor Center. The explanations where taken from the pedestal text that Angela wrote for each one. She told us that each text was inspired.

Angela Johnson came twice to meet with the missionaries. She wanted us to understand how she came to create the sculptures. She had been an opera singer for 20 years and decided to change careers about ten years ago. She has four children and grandchildren, now she is 52 years old. She felt inspired to try clay, though she had no training in sculpting. Her experiments convinced she could do it and she recognized she had a gift.

I believe that her success came because she decided to use her gift from God to testify of her love for Him and His love for us. She received inspiration and she says 'intelligence in my hands.' 'Free to Choose' was one of her earliest works. The first sculpture she did in this series dedicated to Jesus' Healing Power was "Be Not Afraid" which had a lot of personal meaning to her. She feels strongly that the world needs strength to not shut God out and wanted to help someone feel God's love for them through her sculpting gift.

The first display of this series was in clay at the Mesa Temple Visitor Center. Ours was the first display of the sculptures in bronze. They will be displayed in Oakland Temple Visitor Center from 1 August to 1 January 2009. We do not know where they will go after that.

'Be Thou Clean'

"And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy, who, seeing Jesus, fell on his face and besought Him saying, 'Lord, if Thou wilt Thou canst make me clean.' And He put forth His hand and touched him saying, 'I will, be thou clean.' And immediately the leprosy departed from him." Luke 5:12-13

Outward sickness has obvious need of healing. But what of the sicknesses of the heart; loneliness, sin, fear or anger? Each of us, like the man afflicted with leprosy, must fall in humility at the feet of Jesus and plead for healing.

'Master, Say On'

When Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to eat with him, a woman came to Jesus and anointed His feet and washed them with her tears. Simon, knowing this woman's sins, wondered how Jesus could allow the woman to touch Him. Jesus' response to Simon is a lesson to us all.

"Seest thou this woman?...Thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head...My head with oil thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment...Her sins, which are many, are forgiven...And He said to the woman, 'Thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace."

Luke 7:44, 46-47, 50

'Lazarus, Come Forth'

"Then said Martha unto Jesus, 'Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee.' Jesus saith unto her, 'Thy brother shall rise again.' Martha saith unto Him, 'I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.' Jesus said unto her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." John11:21-25

Lazarus was not resurrected at this time, his spirit was returned to his physical body in this miracle Jesus performed.

'One Thing Is Needful'

"A certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to Him and said, 'Lord, doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.' And Jesus answered and said unto her, 'Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

Through His loving words to Martha, Christ invites each of us to refocus on what is most needful. This 'good part' cannot be taken from us.

'Oh My Father'

"And it came to pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God." Luke 6:12

"Messiah though He was, He was profoundly conscious of His dependence upon the Father, whose work He had come to do." James E. Talmage

Jesus' meekness and all-consuming love for His Father in Heaven is the perfect example for us in our own upward reaching. Prayer is the loving communion between a perfect loving Father and His child.

'Because of Love'

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

"Father save me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto this hour. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John 12:27, 32







'Come Unto Me'

As the Apostle Paul taught, 'But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

The Savior of mankind personified the divine attributes of strength, love, compassion and mercy. All who come unto Him will feel His tender love for them.

'This Is My Beloved Son'

God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820. Joseph describes this experience in his own words.

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me...When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other, 'This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!" Joseph Smith History 1:16-17

'It Is I, Be Not Afraid'

"And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, 'Be of good cheer. It is I, be not afraid." Matthew 14:26-27

Fear is one of the most powerful and common human emotions. But it is the opposite of faith. Faith in Jesus Christ gives us strength to face and conquer the challenges life brings. Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him, knowing that even though you do not understand all things---He does.








'His Gathering'

"O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart."
3 Nephi 10:8

Will we have the humility and wisdom to live so that we can know the exquisite joy of being 'gathered' by Christ?

'Let He That Is Without Sin'

"Master, this woman was taken in adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?'...But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, 'He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her'...and they...being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one...When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, 'Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?' She said, 'No man, Lord.' And Jesus said unto her, 'Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more." John 8:4-7, 9-11

'Reach in Faith'

After His resurrection Jesus appeared to the apostles on several occasions. The first time, the apostle Thomas was not present, and he refused to believe that Jesus had been resurrected until he could see and touch Him himself. When Thomas finally did see Jesus, the Savior taught an important lesson.

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John20:29

One day we will see our Savior face to face, but until then He asks us to reach out to Him in faith and believe.

'Free to Choose'

"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves---to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life."
2 Nephi 10:23

Each of us starts life in a family. Regardless of our circumstances, the choices we make then lead us into paths of darkness or light. The figures on the downward path of darkness represent shame, repentance, despair and pride. Those on the upward path of light represent bearing one another's burdens, joy in Christ, feasting upon the work, enduring to the end and marriage is ordained of God.

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Our experiences with these sculptures has been significant to us. We had the sculptures from mid-March till the end of June--15 weeks. During this time the missionaries conducted tours for 33,179 guests. We were able to identify just over 1,000 as non-members, though we couldn't know this number for sure--there were probably many more. We know that most of these people were able to feel the sweet spirit of the Savior's love conveyed by the missionaries and the sculptures themselves. Angela Johnson has a beautiful gift and as she turned the gift over to the Lord in gratitude of her love for Him, He was able to use her talent as a very powerful testimony of His message to 'Come Unto Him.'

Almost every tour that Elder Hansen or I conducted had a spirit of love and peace and appreciation for the Savior and what He offers to us. Usually people had tears in their eyes and some shared sweet, special experiences they have had when in tune with the Spirit and love of Jesus Christ.

Now we must close this wonderful, fulfilling chapter of our mission and move on.