June 4 - October 3, 2015
The BYU Museum of Art presents a historic saga of early Church history. C.C.A. Christensen's 22 sweeping panoramas depict the miracles and persecutions between Joseph Smith's First Vision to the pioneers' entrance into the Salt Lake valley in 1847.
C.C.A. Christensen is best known for his panorama tracing the events of early Church history, from Joseph Smith s first vision to the pioneers entrance into the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. He created 23 dramatic scenes - of which 22 survive - depicting the miracles and persecutions of the young Church. C.C.A. based his work on accounts from early Church members, some of whom had been eyewitnesses to the events.
Hoping to inspire the rising generation of Latter-day Saints with the power of their religious heritage, Christensen utilized the popular moving panorama format to create a religiously affective experience that brought historical events to life for his contemporary audiences. Christensen s images were thoughtfully selected, rendered and presented to forge a powerful link between past and present: reinforcing faith and values that resonated with social, moral and political concerns of his own time.