Class Notes 4/19

Joseph Smith

• Founder of the Mormon tradition
• Has a vision in the 1800s and describes Christ
• Associated with brightness and light
• Described Christ as white and with blue eyes over ten years of going back recounting the vision
• Not an anomaly that he had a vision
• Many people were having these visions at this time

• During this time period Christ switches from light to white because whiteness is associated with purity (Mormon theology)
• Curse of Ham
• Genesis
• Certain group of people are cursed and dark
• In Mormon theology it was believed that Jesus comes to the Americas and preaches
• Goes to two tribes and one tribe has lighter skin and one has darker skin
• The light skin tribe accepts/listens to Him and the other tribe does not
• Mormons believe African Americans cannot be saved
• Change this belief in the 20th century
• Mass production of Bibles and pictures of Christ
• Pushing out of Native Americans to the West
• Justify this through the white Christ
• Image of Christ in New Mexico
• Some push back of white Christ
• Darkness becomes understanding of healing power

Passion Narratives

• Mark 14-15
• Garden of Gethsemane
• Jesus praying
• Asks God take away the cup unless this is what You want
• Peter, John, and James sleeping
• Jesus is arrested

• Chief priests are accusing him
• Pilate asks the crowd if he should release Jesus or Barabbas (a murderer)
• Jesus is turned over to soldiers who dress him in a crown and purple robe (mock king) and flog him
• Taken to Golgotha
• When Jesus was on the cross darkness came over for three hours
• Jesus cries out to God
• “Why have You forsaken me?”
• Centurion ends up being only one who realizes it is the son of God
• Joseph wraps Jesus in linen and puts him in a tomb
• John 18-19
• More focus on Pilate
• Wants Jesus to defend himself
• Political threat
• Breaking of the bones of the other criminals being crucified next to Jesus→ fulfillment
• Blood and water
• Rebirth
• Jesus carries his own cross
• Jesus is cool and collected on the cross
• Last words→ “It is finished”
• Luke 23
• Highlights Jesus’ political threat
• Pilate→ Herod→ Pilate
• Pilate→ there’s no reason to kill him
• Herod finds no guilt either
• Major focus on innocence
• Females are beating their breasts
• Jesus comforts people on his way while he carries the cross