Statue of Christ in North Visitors Center, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT

This 11 foot replica of Thorvaldsen's "Christus" is the most beautiful and inspiring statue of Christ I have ever seen. This statue can be seen in several other Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visitors centers around the country.

At Johns Hopkins Hospital, a copy of sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus Consolator is believed to bring luck to patients, doctors, and staff members alike. The sculpture was just what Gilman had in mind in 1896, after being criticized for not even having a benediction at ceremonies marking the opening of the hospital. So local businessman Williams Spence came to the rescue, spending $5,360 to acquire a replica of a Danish sculpture of Christ. Today, the 10-foot-high marble statue stands under the hospital's dome and has become a talisman. Patients and their families pause to pray or talk to it or rub its toe as they wander by. Surgeons have been known to touch the hem on the statue's garment before an operation. Civil rights advocate and surgeon Levi Watkins, associate dean for postdoctoral affairs at the medical school, brought Rosa Parks to see it. One 6-year-old patient Ñ who had successful surgery after various trips to the statue by himself, his family, and medical staff Ñ left a simple note at its foot: "This is Grayson. If you could, just heal the other kids."

Photo ID = 060511_310r_7526

Keywords = Statue, Christ, North Visitors Center, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT