Original Minerva Teichert Painting Found at Deseret Industries

On a very normal day David Anderson was managing the Deseret Industries store in Mesa, Arizona, when someone casually drove up to the outdoor donation dock. They dropped off a few old pictures and paintings that had been sitting in their garage and then drove away without a word.

One staff member noticed something unusual about one of the paintings and brought it into the office. Anderson took one look and immediately recognized it.

“That’s a Teichert,” he said, stunned.

What they had was an original painting by Minerva Teichert — albeit dusty, scratched, and speckled with grass clippings. The image depicted Jesus Christ blessing the Nephites. Teichert (1888–1976), a prominent Latter-day Saint artist, was known for her vivid depictions of gospel scenes, Old Testament stories, the Restoration, and the American West. Her work has adorned countless Church buildings and meetinghouses, but many of her pieces were also gifted to schools, families, and organizations over the decades.

A small sign later placed with the artwork confirmed its title: Christ Visits the Nephites (1956). It mentioned that the painting had been discovered at a Deseret Industries store, though it didn’t specify which one. It had since undergone professional conservation.

“There was a docent nearby,” Anderson recalled. “I couldn’t speak. I motioned for her to come over, and when she did, I finally said, ‘That’s my DI.’ She was shocked — ‘Really? We’ve always wanted to know the rest of the story.’”

When the painting first arrived, museum records noted it had vertical water drips across the left side, two deep dents, and curling, lifting paint along the edges. Conservators carefully cleaned the surface, treated the water stains, and used a heated conservation table to re-stabilize the paint. A conservation adhesive was then used to mount the original canvas onto a new one.

“The result was excellent,” the record stated.

Anderson, a longtime admirer of Teichert’s work, was amazed that such a piece had landed at his store without fanfare. He was never able to trace how it had ended up in Arizona or whose garage it had sat in. But his team contacted the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, which expressed immediate interest. One of the assistant managers personally drove the painting to Utah and delivered it to the museum.

“They were thrilled to receive it,” Anderson said.

In the years since, Anderson — now managing the Gilbert, Arizona, DI — kept an eye out for any mention of the painting. He searched online, in Church publications, and in stores, wondering if it might resurface in a book, a chapel, or as a print. But he never saw it again.

Then, on Monday, June 24, during a trip to Salt Lake City for meetings, Anderson found himself with a bit of free time. He walked over to Temple Square and made his way to the Church History Museum — a place he hadn’t visited in years.

He was deeply moved by the exhibits on the First Vision and Liberty Jail. Then he learned there was an upstairs gallery featuring Minerva Teichert’s work. As he admired the paintings, he figured his DI find was long gone or tucked away in storage.

But then he turned a corner and entered a room dedicated to the conservation of Teichert’s artwork.

“And there it was,” Anderson said. “I was very emotional.”