“Finger of God” Panel Sculpted
- May 25
- 2 min read
The “Finger of God” is the last of the eleven panels created by Steven L. Neal.
Neal depicts a pivotal moment from the Book of Mormon in Ether, chapter 3 where the brother of Jared witnesses the finger of the Lord touching stones to provide light for their vessels. The high relief panel captures the exact moment of this divine interaction and the brother of Jared's reaction to the Lord’s power and presence.
“I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea. Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power…”
And “the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.”
The Lord said to him, “Arise, why hast thou fallen?
“I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.”
The Lord said to him, “Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast.”
As an artistic touch, the 800-pound cast panel will incorporate lit glass to represent the first stone touched by the Lord. It will be securely affixed to a granite base and a glass wall which is designed to house the light source.
