Our homes are meant to be a place of safety, beauty and expression. At Havenlight, our goal is to ‘‘Let Art Be Your Voice,” and we want to help you create an environment where children can come to know Jesus Christ. How do you want Him to be depicted in your home? What we hang on our walls has the power to influence our children’s lives little by little, day by day. The art that your children see each day can help them to cultivate a relationship with Christ and create spiritual connections with the world around them. In General Conference, Neil L. Anderson recently asked "are there images of the Savior in our homes?" Here are seven pieces of art that will bring your children a better understanding of Christ:
1. Jesus helped created the world, and wants us to enjoy nature
Symphony of Praise, by Yongsung Kim
Alma taught, “All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44). ‘Symphony of Praise’ features Christ as the composer and conductor of a glorious universe surrounded by the bounty of all God’s creations. When we are in nature, feelings of hope, peace and reverence can overcome us and give our soul rest. The beauty of the mountains and skies often causes me to wonder if this is just a small taste of what is in store for us.
Artist, Yongsung Kim, stated “According to the command of the Creator, Jesus, all creation - the sky, the sun, the moon, the Milky Way, the stars and all of the other creations praise God. I think this is a beautiful and majestic scene to imagine. Although I could not portray everything, I did my best with this painting to show we praise God.”
2. Christ smiles
Abide With Me, by Liz Lemon Swindle
Artist, Liz Lemon Swindle shares her personal experience with the imagery of Christ that was displayed in her childhood home.
“I was brought up in a very religious family. We had a beautiful family bible that highlighted several images of Christ, it always scared me because Jesus seemed to look mad or disappointed in the images. It created a misconception in my mind that took me into my early adult years to overcome. At church I would learn about how loving and kind Christ was and then I would go home and see those pictures of Him. Being an artist, the visuals are everything for me!
As I got older and could put things into the proper perspective. I realized all that He did for each of us, I know He does nothing but love us. I create images of Christ for my children and now grandchildren that depict Christ as the loving friend I longed for as a child. I want them to see that Jesus is not waiting to punish us; rather He is waiting to hold us, laugh with us, and love us. I wanted them to know that He is and will always be our hope, our happiness, our joy, and most importantly our friend.
3. He is joyful and wants us to be happy
Be Glad and Rejoice, by Yongsung Kim
‘Be Glad and Rejoice’ shows Christ full of joy among his sheep, surrounded by a beautiful field of sunflowers. Kim said, “I drew this picture with the thought that if we look to the Lord and come to him, we will be able to overcome [any] situation just as a sunflower spreads out and shines beautifully when it looks at the sun. When we look to the Lord, all the shadows we do not wish for will disappear behind us. In this painting, I expressed my wish that we should look to Christ to see the light.”
4. He wants us to feel peace
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, by Yongsung Kim
Though we often miss and wonder what it will be like to be in His presence again. Christ wants us to feel at peace on Earth and to know that he is always near.
“We yearn for, and miss, Heaven. We yearn for that beautiful, peaceful, and perfect world. But, in fact, the Bible and Jesus say, ‘The place where I am is heaven’. So, we should not think that Kingdom of Heaven is far away. If we have faith and confidence that Jeus is with us right here and now, the Kingdom of Heaven will be with us. If we live with such conviction in our heart, we will be able to maintain peace and remain unwavering in any situation.” —Yongsung Kim
5. Christ is our friend, he invites each of us to come to know Him
Come and See, by Scott Sumner
‘Come and See Blue’ by Scott Sumner is a bright depiction of Christ inviting His children to come to Him. He has calmed the water and wants each of us to make the choice to go to him. He has his hand stretched out to let us know that he is there and is encouraging each of us to take the first step towards Him.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “To all of you who think you are lost or without hope, or who think you have done too much that was too wrong for too long, to every one of you who worry that you are stranded … , this conference calls out Jehovah’s unrelenting refrain, ‘[My] hand is stretched out still’ [Isaiah 5:25; 9:17, 21]. ‘I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them,’ He said, ‘[and even if they] deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, … if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts’ [2 Nephi 28:32]. His mercy endureth forever, and His hand is stretched out still. His is the pure love of Christ, the charity that never faileth, that compassion which endures even when all other strength disappears [see Moroni 7:46–47].”
6. Christ loves children
Perfect Love, by Del Parson
PERFECT LOVE by Del Parson is a perfect visual representation of the Primary Song, “Jesus Loved the Little Children”.
‘Jesus loved the little children, / Little ones like me. / He would bless and help them / And take them on his knee.
Many lovely things he taught them, / Things we all should do: / Love and help each other, / Be honest, kind, and true.’ ("Jesus Loved The Little Children," Primary Children’s Songbook)
7. He is there to help us through hard times
Rescue Me, by Yongsung Kim
Christ will rescue each of us in our darkest times. When your children are confident that they can rely on the Savior, it will bring great peace and comfort to each of you. ‘Rescue Me’ was inspired by the darkness that was felt during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yongsung Kim describes the pandemic as “a really sad situation where we can’t help but become weak and fall into depression. Nevertheless, in the midst of this, we can be sure that Jesus lifts us up and saves us by leading us into light and life. I expressed these feelings in my heart by showing that it is Jesus who hugs us tightly and pulls us out of everything.”