"Come Unto Jesus" is one of my favorite religious paintings. This mural, painted by Michael Malm, hangs in the LDS Conference Center. There is a replica of it in the chapel at the Layton Temple. I love to go early, before an endowment session, and look at this painting and find myself, my children, and friends in it. I've picked out Wayne,-- Guy blue shirt kneeling to the left of the Savior. Me -- Woman far right, barely in the painting, looking up. Monson and Lexi family-- down center right... Monson, with a beard, is pointing out the Savior to Lexi, who has her hair in a bun, with children around them. Addison and Bre--kneeling in front of the Savior-- man blue shirt, Lady red shirt. Truman farther way left side coming up from the sea in a white robe with both arms up like he's saying, "hurray!" Laila and Markus on the left side of the crowd walking from further away to the Savior. Landon and Alex, far left - two men at the corner of the painting... looking up and looking down with an arm on a woman's shoulder. Anyway, it's a fun exercise for me....
My favorite part is looking at the heavens and seeing that the clouds are really ANGELS. I believe in Angels and know I see my parents, grandparents, sister, and loved ones in those clouds.
I love being a believer!
I am a better person when I choose to believe in God. I make better choices. I’m happier. I serve more, I love more. I seek better connections with people. I think in bigger-picture, higher-purpose more. I believe by engaging in faith and hope more, I am more useful in helping, carrying on, engaging in, pushing forward, and changing the world.
Faith is what gives me this light and this drive.
There is so much data and science that the human brain does better when it believes in a higher power. Children do better when served a value structure that includes this. So much science backs this up.
I know religious trauma is real and questioning is constant and also there is so much data to support how much better it is for identity, belonging, safety and confidence to give kids and ourselves something to hold on to.
You can decide not to…. I tried it for awhile….but it’s more fun to believe. It doesn’t always feel easier to believe. It’s not popular to believe. But it’s more enjoyable to hope in something, to trust in something, to believe in something.
