Many thanks to Pauline Colton for sharing this beautiful watercolor painting with us. Below, she shares some of her thoughts about the painting, and a few of the many scriptures that came to mind as she was working on this piece. We first shared this in 2009 but the image was not accessible. We figured it was a great opportunity to re-share. Please note the image is copyrighted, and shared with permission. More information below.

Alma 37:6 “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.”

The greatest of all the gifts of God is His Son. Christ willingly and lovingly makes the blessings, the healing and the power of the atonement available to each of us. Only by small and simple means can I be in a position to partake of the atonement.

As I worked on the drawing and design of this piece, I had many scriptures come to mind. By taking note of each scripture as I recalled it, I ended up with six pages of scriptures. I categorized the scriptures by elements in the painting. Here, I include only one reference for each category:

1. Being partakers – Alma 5:62

2. Fruit – 1 Nephi 8:10-12

3. Tree – Revelation 2:7

4. Oil – D&C 33:16-17

5. Support for the lamp – Isaiah 41:10

6. Drop by drop – Deut 32:2

7. Light of the World – John 8:12

8. Light of Christ given to man – D&C 84:45-46

9. Clay lamp – Isaiah 64:8

10. Being invited – Revelation 3:20

<font=size=”1″>Copyright Pauline Colton. Picture may be reproduced and used for for personal, non-profit use.</font=size=”1″>

The post “Be Partakers” – a watercolor painting about oil in our lamps, the light of Christ, the tree of life, and more appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

On one of our Easter Sunday posts, we featured a painting by Rose Datoc Dall, a Mormon artist. We wanted to share a little more about Rose today. Rose’s faith in and love of the gospel of Jesus Christ are an inspiration.

Rose is married and is a devoted, full-time mother to four children. She does her artwork from a studio in her home. Rose talks about her decision to be a stay-at-home mom in the Mormon.org video below, on her Mormon.org profile, or in this interview at Today’s Mama. (The Today’s Mama interview explores more about what a typical day is like for Rose, how motherhood has influenced her artwork, advice for young moms who are wondering how to balance their dreams/passions with motherhood, and more. It’s worth a read!)

Rose is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  God’s plan for families is one of the things that appealed to her about Mormonism. She writes:

I joined the Church when I was age 19 after having known about the Church most of my life since my neighbor & best friend’s family growing up is Mormon. Ever since the age of 5, I spent much time in their home and always felt a very special spirit there. I also felt the interactions in their family and attended a few church activities and met many other members of the Church and I always felt that same spirit. They radiated something and it was something that I wanted. I wanted that secret to happiness. But as a child, all these things were in the back of my mind.

It wasn’t until Rose was in college that she began an active pursuit for truth. She felt “disgruntled at the shallowness and lack of meaning in such a swirling world of ideas and pursuits having been away at college for a year and “felt that there had to be more to life than day to day existence.” Her friend sent the Mormon missionaries to her door and the message of God’s plan of happiness resonated with her.

[T]o know who God and His Son are and to know who I am was like a light switch going on. Learning about a loving Heavenly Father’s plan for happiness was like the sweetest fruit I had ever tasted. I have a purpose, life has direction and relationships and families all have meaning. I wanted to have that love in my family relationships.

You can read more about what touched her spirit and clicked in her mind at her Mormon.org profile. She also shares more about her life, family, faith, and love of art in her Mormon.org video:

Rose has painted many pieces that reflect on the Savior, on her faith, on motherhood, on womanhood. This video shows a progression of drawing studies that became paintings in her series about the early years of the Savior’s life.

The post Portraits of Mormon Women: Rose Datoc Dall appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Every year a scripture is chosen by the General Young Men and Women Presidencies as a theme for youth ages 12-18 to focus on. This year’s theme is taken from our Articles of Faith.

“We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”

I like to listen to the radio in my car. I enjoy not knowing what song will play next and I like the variety of genres I have access to at the press of a button. Despite the hundred or so options I have on AM, FM and even XM radio I still seem to have trouble finding popular music that is virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy. All too often I find the lyrics to songs vulgar, degrading or down right terrifying. I tried to pay attention to some of the lyrics of the songs I heard on a popular radio station yesterday as an experiment to see what their messages were to listeners. Here is a sampling of what I heard:

Song One: “Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard. When we drink we do it right gettin slizzard.”

Song Two: “I’m gonna chain you to the bed and light this house on fire.”

Song Three: “Let you put your hands on me in my skin tight jeans. I’ll be your teenage dream tonight.”

So in this short mix of songs I was subjected to songs about inebriation, domestic violence and a teenage sexual fantasy. Similar songs were being played on many different radio stations. I find myself hitting the seek button on my radio often, continually looking for things that are virtuous, lovely or of good report (but still have a beat!) I was excited to read a Mormon Times article about Finnish pop star Jonna Christensen who is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (You can read more about Jonna’s life, faith, and music this Mormon Artist interview).

In the Mormon Times article, Jonna explains why she chose to write a song entitled “Puppets” about modesty.

“It’s saddened me to see how most of the media in the world wants to take away the most valuable treasure — the purity and virtue of women. I believe that our virtue is so important to our Heavenly Father that the adversary wants to attack it….I found that out for myself when I woke up and realized that immodesty made me a very sad girl. I wrote this song so that I could talk about this issue openly and hopefully help others avoid making the same mistakes I made.”

“I used to think I enjoyed the attention that you get when you’re dressed in revealing clothes, but, like I say in my song, it did not fill up the hole I had inside of me…. I wasn’t really looking for that kind of attention, I was looking for love. And I have experienced in my life that it is very rare to find love where lust is.”

Now here is something I can support! Virtuous? Check. Lovely? Check. Good Report? Check. Here is the “Puppets” video on YouTube:

Oh and if I can share one more lovely thing with you I’d like to share this collaboration between BYU professors Ryan Woodward and Kori Wakamatsu.

Finding uplifting art can be more work, but when I find it, my soul is filled with light. Enjoy.

The post We Seek After These Things — Finding Uplifting Art appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Shawna writes this about her song:

It was only a few days before Christmas, and I was in the throes of the Christmas Crush — you know — that somewhat sickening feeling you have when you’ve spent way too much time at the mall, and you’re still not “ready”? And then I read an article written by President Thomas S. Monson, who said,

“[P]ersonally invited to undertake a search for the babe…did the shepherds concern themselves with….their possessions? Did they procrastinate their search for Jesus? The record affirms that…they came with haste.”

I felt a pang of conscience as I realized that I, too, had received a personal invitation to come unto Him, but had lately ignored it in favor of buying up worthless trinkets. I was the innkeeper, with no room for Him. I didn’t notice the star and I didn’t hear the angels sing.

I continued to read:

In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ. Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, playrooms, sewing rooms, television rooms, but no room for Christ.

I sang it to my family on Christmas Eve, then filed it away in my music drawer and forgot about it. It might still be there, if it weren’t for my Dad, who regularly asked me, “Have you done anything with that song?”

After her father’s death, she did do something with that song. She made a video and posted it on YouTube and shared it with a half dozen other people.

I was reluctant to send it to anyone else, but my kids weren’t. Within a few weeks, I was getting  emails from people all over the world, and from many different faiths and walks of life. They shared with me their stories of struggle and tragedy; of courage, hope, and triumph. I answered every email–it was the season of a thousand new friends.

The post Sharing Our Voices: “Do You Have Room?” appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Story in Boston Globe about Mormon authors

Mormon moms express and share their faith through dance

BYU (Brigham Young University) Professor helped with Where the Wild Things Are movie storyboard

Read more about various other Mormon artists in Mormon Artist magazine

Some of the most well-known Mormon Artists are not known individually, but as a group — the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Read about the 2009 Mormon Tabernacle Choir tour here. You can also enjoy many of the choir’s songs, beautifully put to pictures, here. For example, read this post about gratitude for this beautiful world in which we live, and then enjoy the following video Mormon Soprano created:

The post Links We Like: Mormon Artists appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

It had been a bad day. I was dealing with disappointment over a hoped-for opportunity that had been withdrawn, and pain over a teacher’s unfair and damaging treatment of my young son. As I sat at my computer where so much of my life seems to happen these days, I was feeling lonely and discouraged. Just before I reached out to click the update button on my email, I bent over my keyboard and said a little prayer. “Oh, please, Heavenly Father, let some good news pop up for me!”

I clicked my mouse and emails flooded my inbox, many of them from friends I hadn’t heard from in a while. These emails brought a lot of love and comfort to my heart. One contained a link to a video and I was delighted to find that it was a clip entitled “Reflections of Christ,” featuring the work of an artist who uses live models to re-imagine scenes from well-known paintings. This particular clip featured scenes from the Book of Mormon, when Christ comes to the Americas after he was resurrected.

The first images started out a bit dark and gloomy, just like my mood, but as I watched, Christ appeared and the faces of the people curved with smiles, just my own was doing. As the people gathered, knelt, prayed, and worshiped, I could feel the pain and sorrow slip from my heart as the tears did from my face. When the images of Christ displaying his crucifixion wounds appeared, I was reminded that Christ died on the cross to bear the burden of sin for those who had wronged me as well as for my own sins. I was also reminded of this: there is no pain that is bigger than His love, bigger than His gospel, bigger than His truth. I watched eagerly as the beautiful images permeated my mind, the soaring music permeated my heart and the message permeated my soul. It was just what I needed to watch/see/hear/feel at that very moment.

As the clip came to a close, I was filled with gratitude for my Father in Heaven. What someone else might think is a mere want, He knows to be a true need. He answers prayers, even when murmured over the recumbent letters of the alphabet, the very same keys that brought this gift to me.

——-
For more Sharing Our Voices content, including First Person essays, see here.

The post First Person: Just What I Needed appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Read thoughts from some of this year’s artists here. Find past years’ exhibits here. Enjoy an interview with one of the artists, Rose Datoc Dall, here.

And, speaking of art, enjoy some examples of faith-promoting pieces now on display in the art exhibit, “Types and Shadows: Intimations of Christ.”

We know most of you will not be able to visit these exhibits in person, so we like to bring what we can to your home.

——–

And, speaking of art in your home, if you are interested in some of the more well-known art pieces we use to teach our children at home and at church about the scriptures and basic gospel principles, you can view the Church’s Gospel Art book online. Pictures are available for personal use. The book includes art for several Old and New Testament stories, and also for Book of Mormon, LDS Church History, Gospel in Action, and Latter-day Prophets. Online, you can find scripture references for each picture.

Find information about the Gospel Art book in multiple languages.

The post Links We Like: Inspirational Art appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Sister Pinnock’s favorite calling, prior to being a full-time missionary, was her calling to be the Laurel President as a young woman in her ward. [Laurels are young women ages 16-18 who have not yet graduated from high school.] Because of the added responsibility for the care of each of the girls in her class, she felt the love of the Lord as she reached out to each young woman so they would all feel included.

When asked why she wanted to serve a mission Sister Pinnock responded, “While in London for study abroad, I was able to share the gospel for the very first time. I received so much joy from doing that. I also had had so many friends who came home from their missions a better person. They knew the gospel better, became stronger as individuals, and learned to serve others better.

“I have felt the same joy I felt in London while sharing my testimony on my mission. Even if the people I meet don’t accept the message, I feel strengthened by sharing my convictions with others. I also feel Heavenly Father’s love stronger than ever before. I know and have felt His love for all people.”

Sister Pinnock shared an experience on her mission where she learned that God was aware of her and her struggles:

“My first week on my mission I felt like I didn’t know anything. I felt that there was a lot expected of me. It broke my heart that something so dear to my heart, the gospel of Jesus Christ, was being rejected. Doors were being slammed in my face. It was hard, and heart breaking. I felt discouraged. I learned for the first time that I had to solely rely on the Lord. Previously, I had always relied on others like family members or friends in times of need. But through prayer, I found out how much I needed Heavenly Father and the Savior, and that missionary work cannot be done without Them. That night after feeling so discouraged, I turned out the lights in our apartment, my companion was already asleep and I cried and expressed everything that was in my heart to Heavenly Father. I prayed to know that I was called on my mission and how I was going to get through it.

“The next day, I was doing my personal scripture study and felt directed to read in Alma 8:15: ‘Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.’

“It made me realize that despite others rejecting the message, it doesn’t matter because I still have a testimony and that testimony came directly from my Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost. He will guide me and lead me through this mission.

“I learned that it is not just my name on my name tag. I am a representative of Jesus Christ.”

—–

For more Missionary Monday posts, please click here.

The post Mormon Women on a Mission: Sister Pinnock appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

MORE GOOD FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF MORMONMUSIC.ORG

OREM, UT, April 6, 2009 – The More Good Foundation—non-profit creator of quality websites, social networks, and virtual communities facilitating peer-to-peer dialog between Mormons and friends of all faiths online–launched MormonMusic.org today.

MormonMusic.org will provide a rich and flexible platform for online music lovers to stream, download, and enjoy both prominent and new or up-and-coming LDS musical selections—from jazz piano and classical guitar to inspirational vocals and seasonal choral numbers. First featured artists include Abe Mills, Jon Schmidt, Hilary Weeks, Kenneth Cope, Michael Dowdle, Jessie Clark Funk, Jenny Oaks Baker, Sam Payne, and scores more. In addition to these well-known Wasatch Front musicians, over 800 musical selections from newly discovered LDS singers and musicians worldwide, performing in their native language, are featured on the site.

While a couple other LDS Music sites stream music to listeners, MormonMusic.org is unique in its design, functionality, and intent. Features of MormonMusic.org, developed by Heather Newell, include user-generated playlists—topically, or by genre or artist; top-rated LDS songs; customized user profiles (with favorite albums, videos, most recently played songs); favorites-ranking; selected free downloads of prominent and newly discovered LDS music talent; LDS music news; and variable, embeddable playlists.
The site will also highlight each artist, sharing not only their music and upcoming venues, but their lives and beliefs through personal biographies, photo and video galleries, and link-backs to the artists’ own websites and blogs.

This site signifies a significant milestone for the More Good Foundation in reaching out across media channels via MormonMusic.org. According to MGF President, Jonathan Johnson, “The vision is multi-dimensional. First, it is a way to extend the powerful, spirit-filled, expressive medium of music to those across the globe from Kiev to Quatar, some of whom may not have immediate or any access to affordable LDS CDs—providing them with some free downloadable selections of quality orchestral, instrumental, or vocal music streaming in their homes that might not otherwise be possible. Secondly, the site is intended to be a gathering place for friends of other faiths to have a glimpse into our lives and music. By getting to know our artists, listening to uplifting music and reading about their faith-infused lives, misperceptions about us as a people will likely be dispelled and doors opened to conversations about our beliefs.”

The More Good Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit, and is funded by individual donors interested in providing accurate information and quality multi-media content about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints online.

For more information, please visit www.moregoodfoundation.org, or contact Karen Merkley, Director of PR and Marketing for the More Good Foundation, 801-705-5104.

The post <i>Noteworthy News</i>: New Site Launched Today: MormonMusic.org appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Born December 21, 1913, in Winnetka, Illinois, Arnold Friberg is recognized as one of the greatest master painters of modern times. Perhaps his best-known work is the 1975 American masterpiece “The Prayer at Valley Forge” — depicting George Washington praying while the Continental Army winters at Valley Forge.

He also did the pre-visualization paintings for the Cecil B. DeMille film The Ten Commandments , for which he received an Academy Award nomination.

Currently, the exhibit is in Bountiful, Utah. If you are interested in getting the exhibit in your area, you can go here to vote (see the ‘vote’ tab at the top of the page).

For more information about this traveling art exhibit, see here or here.

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