Why an Apostle Says Images of Jesus Christ Should Not Be Created by AI

The Authority of the Statement on Ai

The Authority of the Statement

In an era defined by rapid technological leaps, the boundaries between the sacred and the synthetic are blurring. Few developments have challenged artistic, ethical, and spiritual norms quite like Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Recently, this challenge was met with a clear boundary from a prominent religious leader: Elder Gerrit W. Gong, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, has cautioned against using AI to create images of the Savior.

This statement is far more than an artistic critique; it is a profound spiritual guidance on how we approach and represent the most sacred figure in Christianity. When an Apostle speaks on matters of faith and practice, especially concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, members of the Church and others of faith pay careful attention. This counsel invites us to deeply consider the nature of reverence, authenticity, and the true cost of convenience.

The Problem with Perfect Imitation: Why Authenticity Matters

AI image generation works by analyzing millions of existing images, recognizing patterns, and then synthesizing new content based on a text prompt. While the results can be stunningly realistic, they are fundamentally an imitation—a statistical composite of existing human efforts.

The Spiritual Gap

For many, art depicting Jesus Christ is not merely decorative; it is a devotional aid. Artists throughout history—like Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and countless others—dedicated their talents, emotions, and personal testimonies to their work.

Human Effort & Testimony: The human creative process involves struggle, inspiration, and an intimate connection between the artist and their subject. The resulting artwork carries the echo of the artist's devotion and personal witness of the Savior.

AI as Statistical Average: An AI image carries no testimony. It is a calculated average—a beautiful shell lacking the soul or intentionality of true worship. When we use an AI-generated image, we substitute the deep expression of a human witness for a flawless but hollow algorithm.

The danger here is not in the quality of the image, but in the cheapening of the spiritual act of creation and representation. The Savior deserves representation born of true reverence and faith, not computational efficiency.

The Ethical & Doctrinal Red Flags of AI Imagery

Elder Gong's caution touches on several critical ethical and doctrinal concerns unique to AI.

1. The Erosion of Reverence and Sacredness

The ease with which AI can create any image—including images of the Savior in inappropriate or casual settings—is startling.

Profligate Production: Traditional art is costly in terms of time, skill, and resources, inherently limiting its volume and encouraging respect. AI removes these barriers entirely. With a few clicks, thousands of variations can be generated, potentially flooding digital spaces with images that are irreverent, commercialized, or trivial.

Loss of the Holy: The sheer ease of generating a picture of Christ risks dissolving the sense of sacredness and uniqueness we should attach to His representation. It treats the image of the Holy One of Israel as a digital commodity, readily customizable for any fleeting purpose.

2. The Question of Control and Misrepresentation

Who truly controls the narrative when the image is created by an AI trained on subjective and often culturally biased data?

Bias and Whitewashing: AI models, trained primarily on historical Western art, often perpetuate a Eurocentric image of Christ that may not reflect His true Middle Eastern heritage. Relying on AI can reinforce cultural biases, making it harder to appreciate the Savior's universality and His identity as a Son of the Mediterranean world.

The Problem of 'Deepfakes' in the Sacred: The technology that allows AI to create a beautiful image of Christ is the same technology used to create persuasive deepfakes. As AI becomes more sophisticated, how will we be able to distinguish an authentic historical or artistic image from a malicious, AI-generated image designed to confuse, mislead, or even mock the faithful? Elder Gong's counsel is a preventative measure, establishing a clear line before this technology fully merges with the sacred.

A Higher Call: The Sanctity of the Godhead

The underlying principle here is the sanctity of the Godhead. We are taught to treat the names, the words, and the representations of our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost with utmost reverence.

Elder Gong's statement implicitly teaches:

Avoid the Casual: We should never treat the representation of the Savior as a toy or a prompt for technical experimentation.

Prioritize the Spirit: Our focus should be on knowing the Savior through prayer, scripture, and personal revelation, not on consuming a limitless supply of visually pleasing, algorithmically created images.

Respect the Source: The power of sacred art lies in its ability to invite the Spirit. When the art lacks a human heart and testimony as its source, it risks becoming a spiritual dead-end—a distraction that looks like worship.

The Apostle’s caution is a plea for spiritual discernment in a digital age. It reminds us that while technology is a powerful tool, it should not be allowed to define or pollute our most sacred expressions of faith. When it comes to representing the Redeemer of the world, we must always choose reverence over convenience, and testimony over technology.

What is your view?

Do you believe there is a place for AI in religious expression, Share your thoughts in the comments below!