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“I was once that which you are, and what I am you will also be.” This is the translation of the Latin inscription on the sarcophagus below Christ on the cross. This lone phrase sounds not unlike our controversial couplet "As man is God once was, as God is man may become." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity_%28Masaccio%29
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Written by Hhhhh
1308 days ago
Interesting. I've studied a few things about ancient Christianity, and the similarities with our doctrine (more so then other Christian faiths) are very notorious.
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Written by SilusGrok
1284 days ago
Sustained for it's gee-whiz factor.
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Written by alea
1283 days ago
sorry to be a spoilsport, but given its location, doesn't it look like what's going on here is Christ/God is telling the dead body that he was also dead and that the dead would rise like he had? I think reading eternal progression into barely pre-Renaissance art is way, way off the mark.
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Written by Hhhhh
1283 days ago
It definitely could be interpreted that way as well.
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Written by clbruno
1283 days ago
Sheesh, you guys, if you spend any time doing genealogy or lounging around in cemeteries, you will see this type of epitaph all the time. It means "I was once alive, and now I'm dead. And pretty soon you'll be dead too." Sorry to disillusion you.
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Written by Hhhhh
1283 days ago
Yet another possible interpretation.
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Written by frozenchosenAK
1283 days ago
The article notes that the caption is "a warning" to the reader. Is our little couplet a warning? Besides, you do know that President Hinckley disavowed that little couplet on national TV and claimed that the church doesn't teach it or know much about it.

Anyway, as for the caption on the painting: Does not sound to me like it is any kind of doctrinal statement...merely a statement that man is mortal.
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Written by deeby
1282 days ago
It does not seem likely the statement is from the skeleton. Why would propaganda piece for the church say we are going nowhere? The resurrection seems to be the message not an eternal grave. Similar phrases may well be common on tombstones and elsewhere in cemeteries but to inscribe something into a fresco of such significance gives added weight to the statement. In other words this is very valuable space and you don’t just write R.I.P. just because it’s what people do. These artists stuffed every bit of information they could into their work. They agonized over the content of their art and every detail was considered. Furthermore a depiction of the Godhead is no place for casual comments. If you look closely at the picture the blood of Christ is dripping onto the skeleton, which some say is that of Adam. As I see it this piece is full of meaning which may be lost on modern Catholics.
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