BYU Professor Brings CES Letter To Life | Ep. 1985

In this episode of LDS Discussions, we explore how BYU Professor Anthony Sweat’s artwork reflects the troubling aspects of church history found in the CES Letter by Jeremy Runnells. Despite being excommunicated for questioning the church, Runnells’ CES Letter, published in 2013, exposes discrepancies in the official narrative. Meanwhile, Sweat’s art, starting in 2014, delves into controversial topics like Joseph Smith's treasure digging, the use of a seer stone, and polygamy. We compare Sweat's paintings to the CES Letter's criticisms, highlighting how the church’s history is often presented inaccurately. Join us as we discuss these bold portrayals and the ongoing tension between church teachings and historical truth.Show NotesYouTube00:00:00 Intro00:06:55 This is episode 60 of LDS Discussions00:10:50 Introduction to Anthony Sweat00:15:20 Historical overview with these controversial topics being covered00:22:30 Earlier artwork depicting images of the restoration00:34:30 The CES Letter by Jeremy Runnells was published in 201300:35:50 How members were taught the translation happened versus how it actually happened00:41:33 First painting - “The First Visions” by Anthony Sweat00:54:46 Quote from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy00:57:22 “Gazelem, A Stone” by Anthony Sweat, Joseph obtaining his brown seer stone01:06:13 The Harmony Treasure Searcher by Anthony Sweat01:15:25 Joseph Smith’s white stone and brown stone01:18:46 Clip of Anthony Sweat sharing concerns from a BYU student01:22:07 CES Letter and Anthony Sweat saying correct artwork wouldn’t communicate what the Church wants to communicate01:26:45 “Oliver Cowdery and the Gift of the Rod” by Anthony Sweat01:33:44 “The Ordination of Q. Walker Lewis” by Anthony Sweat01:39:09 “An Angel with a Drawn Sword” by Anthony Sweat01:48:06 “Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor” by Anthony Sweat01:52:25 “Purgatory: Joseph, Emma, and the Revelation on Plural Marriage” by Anthony Sweat01:59:44 Clip of Anthony Sweat talking about painting controversial aspects of church history02:02:35 The church is still trying NOT to show the rock in a hat during translation02:07:25 Clip of Anthony Sweat and the translation process (the church telling an artist to change his painting)02:13:13 Other depictions from Anthony Sweat___________________At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor todayOne-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/joinOur Platforms:🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us:📧 [email protected]📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117