Well, this comes from my “doesn’t matter in the slightest for eternal salvation” file, yet apparently this debate gets people fairly worked up. I’ve seen Sunday School classes split over this – and in one case (several years ago) some roommates of mine nearly came to blows. I bring it up because it came up again in church.
Briefly, here are the two sides of the debate (this debate is usually about his mortal ministry, not his current status):
1. Jesus had God as his father, and the fairest virgin, like, ever as his mother. Therefore, he was a hottie – Drop dead gorgeous.
2. Isaiah (53:2) said, about Jesus, that “he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” This indicates, not that he was ugly, but that he was likely unremarkable looking – A very plain looking individual.
I personally could care less, but since I’ve seen this issue inspire passion, I figured I’d see what the collective wisdom of the Bloggernacle had to say.
*** Mormon Urban Legend Alert ***
In the LA Temple baptristy there is a painting of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. The depiction of Jesus in that painting is not a very handsome one. According to a sealer who talking to us one time during a sealing session, Pres. McKay upon seeing the painting remarked it was the most accurate depiction of the Savior he had seen.
he had plenty of conditioner and probably a hair stylist. And Mary was a redhead from Provo.
I’ve seen plenty of pictures of Jesus where he was African, Asian, Polynesian, etc. Every culture seems to paint/draw him in their own image. I don’t see anything inherently wrong with it as long as we realize none of them likely look exactly like Jesus.
jjohnson, #6 “imagine being alive without dentists, sunscreen, conditioner for your hair, fingernail clippers, etc. He may have been an ok looking guy, but I doubt he ended up that way after those years preaching in the sun.”
You bring up a good point. He was likely pretty haggard-looking by the time he died. This may be one of the reasons Mary M. didn’t recognize him at first glance after the resurrection. He no doubt “cleaned up well.”