Lehi Portrait

I like drawing portraits. In fact, that's how I started my art career. My first buck in the art world was doing portraits.

Lehi had problems with holding still. I don't think he models very often.

A Serendipitous Convention

This video tells the story better than I can. It was recorded last Wednesday.

The “Al” mentioned in the video is both my neighbor and my surrogate grandfather. He’s a businessman at heart and helps me stay on top of the business side of things.

I had no idea the conference even existed last Wednesday morning, and by Thursday morning I had a booth with a sweet setup and a new video. Needless to say I didn’t sleep much. At all, really.

The booths typically cost $400. Dot’s husband, George, while musing to me while Dot did some paperwork for me, said, “This doesn’t usually happen. You must have a product that somebody really wants out there.”

From the Dust's booth on Wednesday afternoon.

From the Dust's booth on Thursday morning at the start of the convention.

I had many wonderfully fortuitous experiences at the LDSBA (Latter-day Saint Booksellers Association) Convention, the highlight of which is an appointment to present From the Dust to the leaders of Deseret Book in a few weeks.

I made a ton of other friends, many of whom you will meet in the coming weeks as we partner to help get From the Dust into the hands of Latter-day Saints worldwide.

And here's the intro video I made Wednesday night.





Just go to www.bookofmormoncomic.com to see it in action!

The Melchizedek Priesthood

Lehi prays fervently for the welfare of his people.

At the beginning of Season 1, we spend ample time getting to know Lehi and his family in their land of inheritance. One of the important events that happens here is Lehi's call to the ministry by Jeremiah -- in other words, his ordination to the priesthood. Lehi's experiences and visions--which are comparable to Moses'--would have merited such a call.

Lehi travels to Jerusalem to be ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood by the hand of Jeremiah. In those days very few people held the authority of the higher priesthood, and fewer still were worthy to wield its power.

This being a pivotal moment in Lehi's life, he chooses to bring his four sons to witness the ordination. The older boys have been to Jerusalem numerous times and have even dwelt there for extended periods to be taught and trained by their father.

Nephi, however, has been sheltered in his family's land of inheritance during his youth. He is experiencing the fallen nation of Judea for the first time. It is a dangerous place. The land is ripe with iniquity, a dark world defiled by the many curses Moses pronounced would follow the breaking of the Covenants.

One morning of the journey Nephi wakes up to find his father missing. Concerned, he searches for his father only to find him in solitude praying for the welfare of his people--and begging Yahweh for strength to live up to his call. It is a tender moment where young Nephi sees the true character and faith of his father. Nephi's true character, however, will remain hidden from his father's view for quite some time.

---

Come back next Tuesday for my next "best effort" at creating this amazing world! 

The Sons of Lehi

The Sons of Lehi hunt in the Judean Highlands.

---

In From the Dust Issue #2, we meet the Sons of Lehi: Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The Sons of Lehi are well known for their myriad talents and abilities, not the least of which is hunting. Lehi has taught them well, and he expects excellence from them in every field. They do not disappoint. Although still teenagers, Laman (19-years-old) and Lemuel (18-years-old) can outperform, outlast, and outwit (well, maybe not Lemuel…) most anyone at anything. They are physically impressive…and intimidating. Laman and Lemuel are rarely separated, but you won't see Sam (15-years-old) tagging along with them…He's just not quite cool enough to hang out with his older brothers.

One exception to this is hunting, where Lehi has mandated his sons learn to work together as a team. Hunting season is Sam's time to truly prove himself….useless. It's true, unfortunately. Sam isn't very good at hunting, or much of anything. He struggles to find his place in a family full of very talented people. Showing kindness to his younger siblings, and people in general, is one of Sam's many under-valued virtues. In fact, Sam convinces his father to let his younger brother Nephi (12-years-old) come on the hunt this year. His reasons are two-fold; first, he feels Nephi would love the experience and be good at it, and second, he doesn't want to be the only one to screw things up this time around. But Sam doesn't realize that little Nephi has an incredible destiny all his own...

In Issue #2, we witness the Sons of Lehi working together as a hunting pack for the first time. Come back next Tuesday to meet the leaders of this pack: Laman and Lemuel!