The "Reflections of Christ" photography exhibit and related media portray the Savior based on beliefs held by Christians around the world.
Portraying biblical events from the life of Christ that would appeal to all Christians — no matter their faith — was the intent of the project, photographer Mark Mabry said. He has received several requests from other Christian faiths — including a Catholic School in London — who have utilized his work in their studies.
"Our intent was to inspire anyone, of any faith, who looked at these images," Mabry said. "It's an easy way to make an impression without pushing the envelope."
"Reflections of Christ" is currently on display at the mezzanine level of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building through Friday. It will move to the Brigham Young University Bookstore from Nov. 11-17.
The exhibit never gets religion-specific. Mabry could have quoted from the Book of Mormon, but didn't. The exhibit only quotes biblical verses.
"It would be great if other churches would adopt it," Mabry said.
He said Mormons and those who are not of the LDS faith seem to have the same impression of the photographs.
Robert Allen, who portrays Christ in many of Mabry's pictures, caused a few eyebrows to be raised earlier this year when he blessed the sacrament for the first time in the Green Leaf Ward in Layton, Utah, where he temporarily lived. That's because he had a beard and long hair while helping with the photo project. Allen has since moved back to Mesa, Ariz.
"He (Allen) deals with funny looks all the time," Mabry said. "He has the hardest job in the whole gig."
But since the photography was shot by a member of the LDS faith, the photos do include some nuances representative of the church's beliefs. For example, John the Baptist (represented by Bryan Crosland) and Christ are both shown smiling in Mabry's depiction of Christ's baptism.
"In the New Testament, it never once said Christ smiled," Mabry said. But in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 19:26), it states "and his countenance did smile upon them ... "
"I love how happy Christ and John the Baptist look," Mabry said. "To many the smiling embrace is the message of the image."
Mabry also shows baptism by immersion — another LDS belief. Also, angels are shown announcing Christ's birth without wings, an LDS-specific doctrine ("Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith," page 162).
Figuring out how to make the angels fly was the tricky part. It wasn't until Mabry knelt in prayer with a pencil and pad of paper with the determination to not get up until he had an answer that the solution finally came — use a trampoline.
Each angel jumped on a trampoline in front of a green screen, and Mabry had only a tenth of a second to get the shot — that perfect moment when the model reached the top of the jump but had yet to start falling.
The jumps were painful. In order to get in the perfect, angelic position mid-air, the models landed in painful contortions. But they all got back up.
"It was a risky decision, not just for the health of my actors, but for the photograph as well," Mabry said, noting the tenth-of-a-second window he had to get the perfect shot.
Noticeably absent from the picture are the shepherds.
"I wanted the focus to be on the joy of the message, and I don't care really who's receiving the message because the message is the same for all of us: that Christ is born," Mabry said. "For me this picture captures that moment of power — the delivery of that amazing message."
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com