RELIGION NEWS
A photo of Joseph Smith, a visit from Padre Pio and a hyper-realistic Jesus
MORMON DISCOVERY
It has now been declared the only know photograph of the prophet
While there have long been suspicions that a photo of Joseph Smith Jr, the founder of Mormonism, might exist, none had ever been found. That changed in 2020 when Dan Larsen, 79, a great-greatgrandson of Smith, decided to make use of the pandemic lockdown to sort through old boxes of family artefacts. One of these items was a locket resembling a pocket watch that Larsen had inherited from his mother in 1992. He had never opened it because of a bent finial, but now, with some time on his hands, he decided to make the effort, expecting it to contain a watch. Instead, he found a photograph of a man. “In my mind, there was no question who it was,” Larsen said, as the photo bore a clear resemblance to images known to depict the prophet. Two years of intensive research compared the daguerreotype, remarkably clear due to its years enclosed in the locket, to Smith’s death mask and oil paintings, and traced the ownership of the locket through the family: now, it has been officially declared to be the only known photograph of the prophet. It is believed the image was taken by a photographer named Lucian Foster, a pioneer photographer and early Mormon who at one point rented a room in Smith’s home, and that it was most likely taken in May or June 1844. Larsen was struck by the charisma shown by the face in the photo. “If you look at the picture, and those eyes, it’s mesmerising”, he said. religionnews.com, 21 Jul 2022.
BREEZY PADRE
Two women have reported seeing a vision of the stigmatic saint Padre Pio in St Saviour’s Church, Limerick in Ireland. The vision took place during a Mass organised by the “Pray, Hope & Don’t Worry” prayer group, which is devoted to the saint. As part of the preparation for the
Mass, which was attended by 500 people, the prayer group had erected an enlarged photo which they believe shows a previous manifestation of St Pio during a Mass in the church in 2018. The two eyewitnesses, Mary Tynan and Nelly Cosgrave, said that a bright shape in the photograph changed colour and turned into a figure of Padre Pio dressed in a brown-coloured habit. “I think myself and Nelly saw it around the same time
– it was absolutely amazing. I saw the picture lighting up, illuminating, it was wavering. You could see the light flashing on it,” said Tynan, “I saw the picture changing colours; it went all silvery and shiny. I was three seats back and it got so clear. This was going on for a while”, she added. “The floor [in the photo] became very clear, and Padre Pio appeared like a breeze, right down to the front of the picture. I could see his brown Capuchin habit, I could see that as clear as could be, and he was standing on his side.” Cosgrove corroborated what Tynan saw, saying, “I don’t know what drew my attention to it, but it was as if you turned a light on the picture — it became illuminated and all of a sudden everything changed in the photo and I could see Padre Pio in his brown habit
coming down standing on the altar.” While the Church hasn’t commented on the alleged apparition, Tynan said: “I think, because the two of us saw it, it proves that it did happen. I’m not taken in easily. I know it happened and I’m still trying to work it out.” irishexaminer.com, 1 Oct 2022.
SUE INDRA!
NN Verma, a senior revenue department official in Uttar Pradesh, India, caused a stir by allegedly recommending official action against Lord Indra, the god responsible for causing rains in Hindu mythology. He received a complaint letter from farmer Sumit Kumar Yadav during a complaint redressal day in his village which said “All are suffering owing to lack of rains. I therefore request you [district magistrate] to take action against Indra Bhagwan.” Verma then reportedly passed it on to the magistrate with an approval for action against the god, without actually reading the letter first. He denies doing so, despite it bearing his signature, claiming, “I was shocked to see the letter. It is a forgery. I did not forward any such letter,” although another official said, “Hundreds of complaints are received from the people... At times, the letters are forwarded for further action without going through their content.” Meanwhile Uttar Pradesh farmers are reported to have taken matters into their own hands and given a lawmaker a “muddy bath” in an attempt to appease Indra and encourage rain. deccanherals.com, 17 Jul 2022.
JESUS ON TOUR
An ultra-lifelike full-size model of the body of Jesus, based on the image on the Turin Shroud, has gone on display in Salamanca Cathedral in Spain as part of an exhibition entitled ‘The Mystery Man’, which will be embarking on a worldwide tour. Made of silicon and latex, with real human hair, the body weighs 75kg (165.3lb) and is 5ft 10in (1.8m) tall. It is the product of 15 years’ intensive research into the image on the Shroud by curator Álvaro Blanco, who says “No one had dared to make a hyper-realistic body like this. We have dared and we hope that the exhibition will be a complete success”. It shows the body with rigor mortis and scrupulously details every wound inflicted on Jesus during the crucifixion, including cuts to the head where the Crown of Thorns was forced onto him, the wound in his side from the Holy Lance, as well as scratches all over the body from when he was scourged and mocked, nail wounds to the hands and feet and bruised shoulders from carrying the cross. catholicnewsagency.com, 14 Oct; dailystar.co.uk, 17 Oct 2022. www.themysteryman.com