These are some coloring pages I drew during the last few weeks of church.
So today I am posting all 3 of them.
They cover a scene from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and
a belief unique to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints...
a belief in Heavenly Parents.
First, though, it is a drawing of Noah and his boys.
Noah starts building the Ark with His Boys
From what I read in the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, Noah started building the Ark when his sons were young. So I imagine that the three boys, Ham, Shem, and Japeth would have been helping build the Ark the whole time it was under construction. Other interpretations say that Noah's boys were already grown-up married men when Noah was told to build the Ark. I like my interpretation better.
There are some interesting thoughts among believers or people of faith who also understand science. They think that maybe the great flood only killed all of the people in the area where Noah lived. In other parts of the world perhaps the flood was far less severe... like maybe only a very heavy rain and flooding that did NOT kill everyone.
Jesus with Mary Magdalene right after His Resurrection
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first, right after His resurrection. He had to stop her from touching Him until he had first ascended to Heaven. Jesus obviously had a special relationship with Mary Magdalene. Some Biblical historians think that maybe Jesus and Mary M. were a married couple. Yes, this is very controversial but there is some evidence that Jesus would have had to be married. In His culture of the time being married was part of the requirement to be a rabbi. There is some thought that the wedding in Caanan was Jesus' and Mary's wedding. The family of the groom is who was supposed to provide the wine for the celebration.
Personally, I think that Jesus and Mary Magdalene WERE married. This is not the doctrine of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But I think that Jesus being married makes complete sense. The Church does not teach that Jesus was NOT married. I know how controversial this is. And I'm about to make it worse: Some Christians somehow think that marriage and marital intimacy are somehow unworthy. That is complete nonsense. The idea of Jesus being married does not make Him less of a perfect being. To be blunt, physical intimacy within marriage is ordained and blessed by God. Marriage is a great God-given institution that brings great love along with great challenges. Working through life's challenges together is what brings you closer to your spouse and closer to God.
In fact, keeping close to God can keep you closer to your spouse. All aspects of a marriage are boosted by both the man and wife striving to keep close to God. And Jesus was clearly close to God. He was the Son of God. I am sure he was a wonderful husband. On the other hand, I don't think that I'll be upset if after I die I find out that Jesus was not married. But I will be surprised.
Now to another possibly controversial drawing:
Jesus welcomed to Paradise by Heavenly Parents
We all have Heavenly Parents. Even Jesus. Before mortality, we all lived in a pre-mortal life together as spirit brothers and sisters. Jesus was our elder Spirit Brother. He was chosen to be the Savior and to one day suffer and die for our sins so that we could repent... and one day return to live with our spouse, our family, and our eternal family with of our spirit brothers and sisters plus our Heavenly Parents.
Jesus is called the Only Begotten in the Flesh because Heavenly Father was the Father of his mortal body. Heavenly Father is the Father of ALL of our immortal spirits. And yes, He has an eternal companion who is our Heavenly Mother.
So, this drawing depicts Jesus in His Spirit body returning to His Heavenly Parents right after he died and completed the Atonement for our sins. I imagine that His Heavenly Parents were so proud of Him for going through that most intense ordeal of all time. I also imagine that they would welcome Him into Paradise. Or maybe He did not see them until after His resurrection. IF that is the case then His hands and feet need the scars of the nails. He has those scars as a testimony of His Atonement for us. Since I imagined this drawing as one of Jesus in His Spirit body, I did not include those scars.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is, as far as I know, the only Christian church that believes in a Heavenly Mother. But the idea of a Heavenly Mother resonates with me and I think a lot of people. If God created us in His image... Male and Female created He them... then obviously there is a male and female version of God. They are so much one in purpose that they constitute one leg of the Trinity. You could say Father, Son, and Holy Ghost... OR you could say Heavenly Parents, Only Begotten Son Jesus, and Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.
NOTE: Finding these pages in printable form will be tricky. First of all, click on the "Religious" button and scroll down to the bottom of the Old Testament section for the Noah drawing. Scroll further down to the bottom of the New Testament section for the drawing of Jesus and Mary M. And scroll to the bottom of the Resoration section for the drawing of our Heavenly Parents greeting Jesus. The drawing titles will be at or near the bottom of the list IF you are accessing this page in late 2024.
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