Brad Wilcox - Come unto Me: Illuminating the Saviors Life, Mission, Parables, and Miracles

In memory of President Thomas S. Monson,
who, like the Savior, cared for the poor and needy
and reached out to lift and rescue so many.

Dedicated also to Ann M. Dibb and other
members of President Monsons family who supported
him and shared him with the world.

Contributing Artists

Head Artist

Tom Holdman

Lead Artists

Dallin Orr, Cameron Oscarson, and Aaron Yorgason

Photographers

Erin Kondratieff Pritchett, Michael Bradford

Creative Team

Shae Anderson, Brent Best, Irina Harding, Gayle Holdman, Jason Zander,
and the rest of the Holdman Studios group and Roots of Humanity Foundation

The success of any stained-glass window is largely dependent on how carefully many pieces are brought together. This book and the window in the Rome Temple visitors center are similar in that way. The pieces and connections that would eventually make this collaborative effort possible began yearseven decadesago.

Brad Wilcox and Gayle Holdman met soon after Brad returned from his mission in Chile (in the very same area where Gayle would eventually serve). Brad married a wonderful woman named Debi, who lived in Gayles ward, and Brad taught Gayle in Sunday School. Brads delight in and enthusiasm for teaching the gospel made an indelible impression on Gayles young heart and ignited in her a passion to place the Savior and His gospel at the center of her life.

Only a few years before Brad and Gayles first encounter, a young Tom Holdman was struggling to express himself due to a severe stutter. This speech impediment was a trial and an embarrassment for Tom and the source of much teasing at his elementary school. It was frustrating and hurtful, but Tom had a kind and attentive second-grade teacher, Mrs. Val C. Wilcox, who stepped in to help. She noticed how Tom was often doodling. Mrs. Wilcox told Tom that there were other ways to communicate and encouraged him to express what he couldnt say verbally through art. She suggested he draw pictures of what he wanted to say. This creative and compassionate teacher set in motion the trajectory of Toms entire life and career.

When Tom and Gayle later met and married, they made the connection between the individuals who had permanently and positively affected their lives. Toms beloved teacher and friend, Mrs. Wilcox, was the mother of Gayles beloved teacher and friend, Brad Wilcox. These connections came full circle in 2018, when Tom invited Gayle and Brad to work together to help create and tell the story of the window in the Rome visitors center.

Gayle and Brad were excited, but they knew the task would be impossible without the help of others. They turned to Tyler Griffin, a gifted teacher of the New Testament in Brigham Young Universitys Department of Ancient Scripture, and to Anthony Sweat, from BYUs Department of Church History and Doctrine. Tyler provided expertise about what Jerusalem and the surrounding areas would have been like during Christs time. Anthony, a fine artist himself, was uniquely qualified to suggest appropriate symbolic representations in the window and describe them in the book. They both brought a rich knowledge and deep understanding of the scriptures.

Just as the individual pieces of the window came together to create something greater than the sum of the parts, these four authors and the artists at Holdman Studios have worked together like pieces of stained glass. Their hope is that the window and the book are better because they worked together.

The purpose of this book is to invite readers to draw closer to Jesus Christ by gaining a deeper appreciation for and understanding of His life, mission, parables, and miracles. It combines text with images from the twenty-by-seven-foot art-glass window created especially for the Rome Temple visitors center. In order to truly appreciate the window, it is important to learn a little about stained glass in general and then how this particular work of art came to be.

W hat is it about a stained-glass window that so intensely captivates and creates such fascination in our hearts? Could it be the labor-intensive process of creating one? Is it simply the dazzling, bright colors brought to life by light? Perhaps it is the way that innumerable individual pieces of glass come together to produce a synergy of beauty and connection instead of a visual cacophony. Maybe it is because we long for the balance we see in the window in our own lives. Most likely, it is because a masterful work of stained glass combines all of these qualities.

Glass itself dates back to many centuries before the birth of Christ. Remnants of the material have been found in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. However, the use of stained-glass pieces in windows didnt begin until centuries after Christs earthly life and ministry.