Priesthood Restoration

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Priesthood Restoration
John the Baptist, Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood: John the Baptist
ArtistAvard Fairbanks
Year1957 (1957)
MediumBronze sculpture
Subject
Dimensions3.0 m × 2.4 m × 1.2 m (10 ft × 8 ft × 4 ft)
LocationSalt Lake City, Utah, United States

Priesthood Restoration (also known as Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood: John the Baptist, or simply John the Baptist) is a 1957 bronze sculpture by Avard Fairbanks, installed in Salt Lake City’s Temple Square, in the U.S. state of Utah.

Description[edit]

The statue measures approximately 10 x 8 x 4 feet and rests on a stone base which measures approximately 7 x 10 x 6 feet. It depicts John the Baptist wearing robes, with Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith kneeling at his side. A nearby plaque reads:

Restoration of the / Aaronic Priesthood / John the Baptist, the biblical prophet who / baptized Jesus Christ, conferred the Priest / hood of Aaron upon Joseph Smith (left) and Oliver Cowdery (right) on May 15, 1829, on the bank of the Susquahanna River in / Pennsylvania. The priesthood, which holds / the authority to baptize for remission of / sins and entrance into the kingdom of God / had been absent from the earth for centu / ries. The latter-day restoration by John / the Baptist made the blessings of baptism again / available to all mankind.[1]

History[edit]

The artwork is administered by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints’ Museum of Church History and Art. It was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution’s “Save Outdoor Sculpture” program in 1993.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Priesthood Restoration, (sculpture)". Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.