“I Saw a Pillar of Light”

Unidentified female artist from Guna Yala (Panama)
Untitled image of the First Vision
Textile, approximately 13 x 16 inches
Intellectual Reserve, Inc. “Artistic Interpretations of the First Vision”

Many of the Church’s artists and artisans have embraced the First Vision as subject matter in their work. Striking examples of paintings, sculpture, stained glass, drawings, and textiles attest to the variability of their responses to this miraculous, epochal event. They depict the same scene in the grove, but they are not all the same. For an overview and comparison of art of the First Vision including works from cultures around the world, see Richard Bushman’s keynote address that commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Restoration of the Gospel, “Art & Vision.”

Discussion Questions

Joseph Smith described his time as one when “good feelings one for another ... were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions” (JS-History 1:6). We live in a time that could be similarly described. What can you do to bring peace into your own heart and into your family/community? How could your prayers play a role in finding peace and answers?
In his earliest written account of the First Vision, Joseph indicated that from about the age of 12 he had “concerns for the welfare of my immortal soul, which led me to searching the scriptures, . . . [and] pondered many things in my heart concerning the situation of the world” (History 1832, p. 2, Letter Book 1, 1829–35, Joseph Smith, Collection, Church Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah; spelling and punctuation modernized; reprinted in Dean C. Jessee, comp., Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, [2002], 10). Joseph said that he was a person of “serious reflection and great uneasiness” (JS-History 1:8). Have you ever felt great uneasiness to accompany your own serious reflection on a subject of concern to you? How do these two emotions work together?
Make a list of things that you learned from the First Vision. To you at this point in your life, which are the most significant?

For Children & Youth

Hi. Years ago, I lived on the island of Mulatupu with the people whose culture produced the image shown above. Let me tell you about them.

They live off the coast of Panama on about 50 small islands, called Guna Yala (previously known as the San Blas Islands). They speak a unique dialect language called Tule Gaiya. Would you like to learn a phrase of their language? “An babmi mi Eh an” means “I am a child of God.”

Because of the ocean and the dense jungle on either side of them, it is very hard to get to their islands, and as a result, the people are isolated from outsiders. For centuries they have traded coconuts for fabric and other supplies of passing ships. And with those fabrics, the women and girls of the islands make cloth panels, one for the front of their blouse, and another for the back. The islands are matriarchal, that is, all property is owned by women; women select their husbands; and much of the island economy today comes from the handiwork of women. Molas are made almost exclusively by women, as well.

Their molas are prized around the world by museums and collectors. Here’s how they’re made: 2 to 7 layers of colored cotton fabric are stacked on top of each other. Then by cutting the top layers to reveal the colors below, the women create pictures, sewing mostly by hand. This is called reverse applique, and they sometimes sew pieces of fabric on the top layer.

Molas are so well known because the Guna people (previously known as Cuna or Kuna) love to take images from cartoons, magazines, advertising, posters, sports, politics—almost anything that comes to them from the outside world—and turn it into their own wearable art. The molas are often playful and always colorful.

Several of the islands have had Latter-day Saint wards and branches on them, and so these members have taken Church images from Ensign or the Friend and translated them by sewing, as well, including the image of the First Vision, shown above.

Here is a picture of a small mola that a church member made for me to cover my missionary white shirt pocket.

- Glen Nelson

Discussion Questions:

The First Vision is shown at the top of this page in a beautiful, colorful way by someone who lives far away. How does this artwork make you feel about Joseph Smith’s experience? What colors or shapes stand out to you, and why do you think the artist chose to use them?
Finding Answers in Prayer: Joseph prayed to know which church to join. Have you ever had a question you really wanted to ask Heavenly Father? How can you follow Joseph’s example to find answers to your own prayers?
Making Your Own Mola: The Guna Yala people use fabric to tell stories about things that are important to them. If you could create a picture about something important in your life, what would you include? How would you want to show what you believe through art?