The Church History Museum in Salt Lake City has unveiled 150 artworks selected for the 13th International Art Competition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, themed "Lift Up the Hands Which Hang Down" after Doctrine and Covenants 81:5. The exhibition opened on April 24, 2025, featuring works by 584 artists from 26 countries, including pieces like "Deposition" by Sarah Hawkes and "The Parable of the Gardner: The Garden of the Lord" by Pamela Salinas Bernal. Curator Laura Paulsen Howe and BYU art history professor James Swensen, a juror, highlighted how artists visualized themes of succoring the weak and strengthening others through diverse media and personal testimony.
This exhibition matters because it demonstrates how a major religious institution uses visual art to engage its global community around shared spiritual themes, blending contemporary artistic practice with doctrinal reflection. The competition's international reach—with submissions from 26 countries—shows the expanding role of faith-based art in fostering cross-cultural dialogue within the Latter-day Saint tradition, while also providing a platform for emerging and established artists to explore sacred narratives in personal, often emotionally resonant ways.