And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me. —Moses 6:63

Just as parables and images help us understand religious doctrine, so symbols known as "types and shadows" (Mosiah 3:15) prefigure or "point to" the Savior and his mission. Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated, "It is wholesome and proper to look for similitudes of Christ everywhere and to use them repeatedly in keeping Him and his laws uppermost in our minds."

In the scriptures, types and shadows promise the coming of the Messiah, proclaim his divinity, and anticipate his life and supreme sacrifice. For instance, the manna from heaven provided for the Israelites served as a type of Christ, "the living bread which came down from heaven" (John 6:51).

"We often look at works of art and see only the subject or the narrative," says Dawn Pheysey, curator of religious art. "However, just as determined searching of the scriptures may expand our understanding, so too may careful study of sensitive religious depictions lead to new insight and comprehension about the profound doctrines of the gospel."

Using the structures of metaphor and analogy from the language of the scriptures, this exhibition of forty-four traditional and contemporary works of art will enlighten the hearts and the minds of museum visitors as they participate in the process of seeking out and pondering the types and shadows contained in these works that "point to" the Savior's divine mission.

Types and Shadows: Intimations of Divinity will be on view in the Warren & Alice Jones and Paul & Betty Boshard galleries on the lower level of the museum from Friday, September 18, 2009 through Saturday, March 13, 2010. Admission to this exhibition is free of charge. Free docent-led tours of this exhibition can be scheduled with at least one week's notice by calling the Museum Education Department at 801-422-1140 or by clicking here.

More information about the exhibition and associated educational programming, as well as in-depth resource materials about the artists and the works featured in this collection, are available on this Web site.