bringing Mormon/Mesoamerican
syncretism to life on screen

Axel Rangel García’s illustration centers on a figure that combines the body of a Mormon missionary — in this case, a White man wearing a white, short-sleeved button-down shirt and tie and holding a copy of the Book of Mormon — and a giant gray stone head of the kind sculpted by Mexico’s pre-Hispanic Olmec civilization. Ferns, palm trees, and other plants surround the figure, from which peek a stepped stone pyramid and the Church of Latter-day Saint’s Salt Lake City temple, a large white stone building topped with spires. The figure wears a name tag that reads “Elder Huehueteoh, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

1. Inverted Star: The stone head has an inverted star on its forehead. Stars are a common motif on Church of Latter-day Saints temples, sometimes facing up and sometimes down. Their meaning may be different depending on their number, orientation, and position on the temple; some represent the Celestial Kingdom, some represent the priesthood, and some just represent actual stars. Inverted stars are a particular feature of the Nauvoo Temple — the second-ever Mormon temple, located in Nauvoo, Illinois — and are thought to represent the “morning star,” i.e., Jesus Christ.

2. “CTR” Shield: The stone head also has the letters “CTR” carved on its forehead. “Choose the right” is a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints motto that is taught to kids and used as a reminder to Church members to make choices that will help them live righteously. The phrase comes from a popular Mormon hymn. A ring with a shield design containing the letters “CTR” is frequently worn by Church members as a sign of their religious affiliation.

3. Giant Stone Olmec Heads: The colossal Olmec heads are distinctive monuments of Olmec culture, the first to develop in Mesoamerica. Made of basalt, they range from 3.5 to over 11 feet tall. So far, 17 sculptures have been found spread across four different sites in the states of Veracruz and Tabasco, Mexico — including at La Venta in Tabasco, one of the locations visited by the tour in our feature story — with most dating to between 1500 BCE and 1000 BCE. It’s believed that the heads represent powerful Olmec rulers.

4. Huehueteoh: Huehueteoh (pronounced WAY-way-TAY-oh-tl) or Huehueteotl is the god of fire, one of the oldest in Mesoamerica; he is a figure in Aztec and Central Mexican pre-Hispanic cultures. His powers were purifying, and in rituals he was invoked to restore the cycle of life. Here, his name is on the nametag commonly worn by Church of Latter-day Saints members while engaging in missionary work.

5. Salt Lake City Temple: The Salt Lake City Temple is the largest Church temple in the world. Like all Church of Latter-day Saints temples, it is considered a sacred space, and a “temple recommend,” which authorizes admission, is needed to enter. Unlike other temples, the Salt Lake City temple includes a space called the “Holy of Holies,” in which the church’s president can act as High Priest of Israel in direct relationship with God, in accordance with the Church’s interpretation of the Book of Exodus.

6. Book of Mormon: The Book of Mormon is one of the sacred texts recognized by the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The book was published by Joseph Smith in March 1830, who claimed to have translated it from the writings of prophets and hagiographers who inhabited pre-Columbian America. In Mexico, you’ll find both Spanish- and Mayan-language Books of Mormon.

7. Pyramid at La Venta: La Venta is an archaeological zone located in the extreme northwest of the Mexican state of Tabasco. It was a key ceremonial and population center for Olmec culture and is home to several of the colossal Olmec heads along with a complex collection of tombs, pyramids, mounds, altars, and monuments.

8. Native Flora: All the flora depicted are native to regions the Book of Mormon tour visits — Tabasco and Veracruz, Mexico.