Each summer, my presidency hosts a luncheon for the ward Primary presidents. I told a new president that no one in the world understands what she is experiencing like the women in this room. They talked, and talked, and lingered. After hosting this luncheon for several years, I wasn’t surprised by the wisdom of the women. What surprised me was that they wanted to stay longer than usual this year.
What stands out to you in this painting?
For me, it is the woman’s sweet face and attitude.
Here is the artist’s statement,
This painting is a personification of justice being satisfied by the gift of Christ, symbolized by light, and of mercy claiming the penitent man. This stands for the grace extended to all such souls who put their faith in Christ. “For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved. What, do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God” (Alma 42:24; 25). These figures are complex, multifaceted symbolical elements in the composition. Further elements include a large spacious field representing the world, the sunset representing the end of the earthly life that each person eventually faces, and the balustrade separating mortal life from the next stage of existence.
from the Church of Jesus Christ website
The original painting is on display in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, and I ordered a canvas print of it from the Church History Museum gift shop.
I love what it teaches without words about Jesus Christ, justice, and mercy.
Mark came home really happy from the For the Strength of Youth conference. Registering for this event was a challenge, until suddenly it wasn’t. I really think the Lord directed us to a great session that Mark would love.
Mark met an institute teacher that inspired him. He had good times with new friends, and roomed with his friend Jack. I am glad that Mark was able to do this!
I’m celebrating that I finished a goal to do a deep study of the Doctrine of Covenants. I dedicated one morning a week for about a year to watch videos, read, and write about these modern day revelations.
I chose the same morning each week for my study sessions because it is when I do our laundry and I am scheduled to be home. Study sessions looked like me sitting between baskets and piles of clothing with videos playing, scriptures open, and books stacked. I read and wrote in the gaps between folding and loading loads of laundry. In other words, accomplishing this goal looked like nothing special. In fact, it was messy.
But now I have a notebook full of new insights, several new reference books, and I no longer feel out of touch about the subject. That is a nice feeling.
I have enjoyed many pieces introduced to me by this book. Here are a few that I am playing on repeat. I don’t expect you to listen to all of them. I just felt like gathering some within a post for easy reference.
Here is a description I discovered this week of an early Christian sacrament meeting:
And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgiving, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.
Justin Martyr, First Apology, written A.D. 147-161
I feel a kinship with the early church when I read this. It is a precious gift to be able to participate in sacrament meetings in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ.
I have written before about our sunflower miracle that began when we sent off our first missionary. The week that Daniel left, the first flower showed up. The flowers continue to arrive, year after year. A couple of times we have inadvertently pulled them out with the weeds, but the miracle continues.
I have gone through an anxious season, and several times over the past few weeks, I have retreated to our backyard to study these sunflowers. I realized a new level of meaning behind my miracle flowers. They remind me that if God can orchestrate flowers to bloom on particular days, He is has a plan to help my family, too. I can trust Him.
Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Matthew 6:25-34
I had never been to New York City, so Richard took me there this week. We stayed in an Airbnb not far from Times Square, but definitely on a quiet street. We could walk to our shows in about five minutes.
Vacations and major family events are tough to condense into blog posts. Trips planned by Richard are usually so full that it’s impossible to cover everything, and this trip was just the two of us, so it also feels more personal.
Still, I know that Paige will probably like to see her old stomping grounds, and the future me will like this place marker in time showing some of our adventures together, so here goes.
Trip Stats, according to Google maps:
