What Does Jesus Look Like?

[Guest mamacat]

this is so cryptic Traveler....i hope that you will clarify this a little further soon. i actually do not claim to have a relationship with Jesus. i just happen to adore him as our greatest teacher, and hope to learn how to walk in his spirit. if we are missing something in our endeavors to know and love Christ, but not admitting it to ourselves....will you please be kind enough to reveal your thoughts about this?

[Traveler]

this is so cryptic Traveler....i hope that you will clarify this a little further soon. i actually do not claim to have a relationship with Jesus. i just happen to adore him as our greatest teacher, and hope to learn how to walk in his spirit. if we are missing something in our endeavors to know and love Christ, but not admitting it to ourselves....will you please be kind enough to reveal your thoughts about this?

Sorry to sound cryptic. Like so many things I believe that it is the journey and not the destination that makes the difference. Let me give an example - few people know that Gandhi was converted to Jesus. I believe Gandhi had made an important connection and demonstrated by an event that happened to him as he traveled in India. He came to a town an was asked to speak to the people, he declined. He was pressed more to offer a sermon - still he refused. But the people would not stop their asking and ask that he offer them something in the way of a sermon to them. He stood and said, "I am what I teach", and then he left.

If you know something; it is better to do it, as a teaching method than to preach it. If you want to learn something it is also better to do it than it is to hear it. My father once told me that if I want to change something or learn something new then I must do something I have never done before. In order to do something you have never done before you must stop doing what you have always done before. Until you change you have not learned anything or changed any thing.

If you want to know Jesus in a way you have never before experienced - you are going to have to do something you have never done before.

The Traveler

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[Guest mamacat]

wow -- i did that just a few months ago...i dove head first into a religion so foreign to me and unlike anything i had ever known before. i made some amazing commitments through this religion, and endured a lot of hardship for doing thus.

my ex-husband was so shocked, he said wouldn't have been as surprised if i had converted to islam.

i've never experienced anything like LDS. does this qualify?

[LukeAir2006]

wow -- i did that just a few months ago...i dove head first into a religion so foreign to me and unlike anything i had ever known before. i made some amazing commitments through this religion, and endured a lot of hardship for doing thus.

my ex-husband was so shocked, he said wouldn't have been as surprised if i had converted to islam.

i've never experienced anything like LDS. does this qualify?

Absolutely!

[tiancum]

... There are many that indicate that they have a true understanding and relationship with Jesus but as near as I can determine no one that has posted has had a recognizable experience with the Messiah G-d the Son, Jesus the Christ.

I would suggest that you discern with the spirit then. If the Lord wants you to know, then he will "show" you.

Just because someone doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean they lack it.

Remember the Lord's promise, "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"

it is much more common than one would imagine. I am sure there are some that have "known Him" here.

[Gabelma]

I will admit that in part this was a trick question. In essence I was testing the waters. There are many that indicate that they have a true understanding and relationship with Jesus but as near as I can determine no one that has posted has had a recognizable experience with the Messiah G-d the Son, Jesus the Christ.

I don't know if I have or not tbh - I have always felt close to God now I don't know if my experience would be with Jesus or Heavenly Father or maybe even both. I don't remember a moment of conversion, when I speak to a lot of Christians they often ask me when did I know Christ was there, I don't know he always has been - God was just there when I prayed, I could feel his presence, smell him he was so close. And I do know when I see a picture I will say thats not bad, but he's a bit darker, lighter, heavier set, I do have a reaction that feels like its close but will have in my head what needs to be done to make that right and my image of God

Now again I don't know enough to know if I mean Heavenly Father or Jesus or for that matter Krishna, I don't know if as a child I did see him or not I don't remember the incident, so maybe the tweaking of pictures is just the image of Christ that I am comfortable with. I do think I would recognise his smell and a hug as easily as I would that of my husband - I know when I was struggling with the temple (I have some disabilities that make it quite physically tiring and painful), that the smell and feeling of closeness came and helped me through. I guess I don't see it as real life really I have this weird seperation between my religious experiences and what is everyday life maybe if one day I marry the two I will feel confident about recognising him. I have had blessings that say I will. The reason I know God is real is quite simply because he is a constant presence in my life and I need to add a few smileys so I keep my daughter happy

Charley

[kron]

Just a thought, we were created in our Heavenly Fathers image, Wonder if that means he looks like you? He will be familiar to us like no one else, who is more familiar to you than… you. Ok, not taking any drugs, just this thought filled my head as I was reading the initial thread.

[john doe]

Bashar Assad was the last thing I was thinking about, in reference to Jesus's appearance. Though, it does remind me of my time in Iraq, I seen a lot of very light skinned, and blue eyed Arabs.

My understanding is that many of them are not Arab, but more Aryan like the Iranians. Is this not true?

[CrimsonKairos]

I don't think anyone would recognize Christ in person unless he wanted them to.

I don't have to be able to paint his portrait to claim a relationship with him.

I have fellowship with God the Father and God the Son through the Holy Ghost. Until I am resurrected and hopefully brought to dwell in God's presence, I am nurturing a long distance relationship with Christ. B)

Even if someone has had an experience with seeing Christ in whole or part, an online forum is hardly the place to discuss it.

I know I wouldn't...

[Traveler]

Thank you all for your responses. I do not want to leave the impression that my experience is more valuable that that of others. That is not at all my impression. At one time I spent over a month fasting and praying in the wilderness as did Jesus and Moses. When I finished I thought my experience was a failure because what I expected did not happen. But something did happen and I learned over the years that I was closer to my L-rd than I realized. I even wrote a short story about my experience and submitted my story - the response from the publisher is that they do not publish that kind of religious fantasy. So I have learned that most do not understand such things.

Like many in the New Testament we are touched and drawn and taught but it is later that we realize the hand that G-d had in directing us or that Jesus or a servant was sent to comfort us. Often we do not recognize that at the time. But I have come to believe that is not a problem.

Jesus said that his sheep hear his voice. He also said that his voice is the same if it comes from him or his chosen and sent servants. How do you recognize your new home teacher, or your bishop or stake president. If you are in a new place or just visiting how do recognize those servants that speak for Christ?

In reality recognizing a servant of Christ is no different than recognizing the Christ. Jesus tried to explain this in telling his disciples that it was the same to see him as it is to see the Father. Many do not understand this oath and covenant of the Priesthood concerning following a leader by covenant. If someone cannot recognize a servant of Christ they cannot recognize the Christ.

I believe there are servants of Christ on this forum - and some of them are not LDS. But some of them are - I thank you who are. Thank you so much for the strength that you offer on loan to me - though many of you may not realize who you are. As you read the spirit will witness to you who your are - thanks again.

The Traveler

[Fiannan]

I agree Dr. T.

Somewhere between 5'0" and 5'8" with olive skin and dark brown or black hair. That is, if he retained his Semitic appearance after his resurrection.

Let's see, he was Jewish and did live prior to the invasions from Mongolia, the Muslims (from what is now Yemen and Saudi Arabia), and intermixing with African slaves. So maybe he looked like these Jewish actors:

Michael Douglas

Kirk Douglas

William Shatner

Harrison Ford

Henry Winkler

Michael Landon

Woody Allen

Paul Newman

Tony Randall

Tony Curtis

?

Red hair is also common in Hebrews (David and Esau) as well as in other Middle Eastern peoples (in tradition Mohammed is believed to have had red hair). The tribe of Joseph was also known for being pale with red hair being common.

[tiancum]

I believe there are servants of Christ on this forum - and some of them are not LDS. But some of them are

Amen brutha. there certainly are. and ya don't have to be LDS. But ya can be.

THere is good and evil both in and outside the church

[Saab900man]

When was the painting of the first vision painted?

Joseph Smith saw him:

"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, estanding above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"

Did Joseph not ever say what he looked like other than this?

[CrimsonKairos]

Well this thread is titled, "What does Jesus look like?" and that's a far different matter than, "What did Jesus look like."

Jesus was glorified and exalted following his resurrection. In the D&C, Joseph Smith gives a clear description of several features that were certainly not part of Christ's mortal everyday appearance. Recently I created this piece of digital art to emphasize this. The three black discs represent Christ's three "days" in the tomb, with the light breaking through the middle symbolizing his resurrection from and victory over death.

In other words, I don't think we could mistake Jesus now unless he came incognito. Kind of hard to mistake the majestic man with fiery eyes and snow-white hair.

[Saab900man]

Well this thread is titled, "What does Jesus look like?" and that's a far different matter than, "What did Jesus look like."

Jesus was glorified and exalted following his resurrection. In the D&C, Joseph Smith gives a clear description of several features that were certainly not part of Christ's mortal everyday appearance. Recently I created this piece of digital art to emphasize this. The three black discs represent Christ's three "days" in the tomb, with the light breaking through the middle symbolizing his resurrection from and victory over death.

In other words, I don't think we could mistake Jesus now unless he came incognito. Kind of hard to mistake the majestic man with fiery eyes and snow-white hair.

Oh, I must have misunderstood the question

I thought everyone was talking about what did Jesus look like and not what he does look like.

If we wanted to know what he did look like....he did look like a some middle easter,Jewish people

He does look like what Joseph Smith witnessed

[CrimsonKairos]

No Ryan, I wasn't telling you not to share your opinion. In fact, earlier I gave my opinion of what I think Jesus might have looked like mortally.

It just occurred to me that with all the "Would you recognize Jesus if he walked into a room?" questions being asked in this thread, everyone was assuming he'd appear as he did mortally, i.e. unglorified.

Just struck me as funny that we'd wonder if we'd recognize Jesus now, since he's glorified and since his appearance reflects that fact.

[Saab900man]

No Ryan, I wasn't telling you not to share your opinion. In fact, earlier I gave my opinion of what I think Jesus might have looked like mortally.

It just occurred to me that with all the "Would you recognize Jesus if he walked into a room?" questions being asked in this thread, everyone was assuming he'd appear as he did mortally, i.e. unglorified.

Just struck me as funny that we'd wonder if we'd recognize Jesus now, since he's glorified and since his appearance reflects that fact.