We live in a world where we find our energies drained and our spirits often diminished. We need nourishment for our souls.
Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “Heavenly Father’s purpose for the artist is to inspire—to give us visions of ourselves that we might not otherwise see, to make us better than we would have been. The world is better because of the righteous arts and righteous artists in it” (M. Russell Ballard, “In the Language of Eternity,” New Era, Aug. 1996, 4).
The Saviour’s Spiritual Gravity
There is a passage in Tad R. Callister’s book “The Infinite Atonement” that feels particularly fitting for what happened in Raymond, Alberta, on the evening of March 29, 2026: “The Atonement is, in fact, the most powerful motivational force in the world to be good from day to day…” “In this sense, the Savior exerts a form of spiritual gravity that draws and entices all men unto him.” (Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, [2020], 212)
That gravitational pull was visible in the cultural hall of the Raymond Alberta Stake Centre — not in an abstract way, but in the most tangible sense imaginable: 175 pieces of art centered on the Saviour, gathered from the homes of members throughout Raymond. Displayed together, they transformed the gymnasium into something holy.
Art depicting Jesus Christ is manna to the home. And for one night, the homes of Raymond sent their manna to one place.
From Living Rooms to the Cultural Hall
Each piece that arrived carried a story: A framed print from above a fireplace. A needlework piece that took months to complete. A walking stick carved with care. Works rendered in drywall mud. Each one, in its own home, had been a quiet witness, a daily reminder of the Beloved One in whom a family had placed their faith.
Gathered together, they became something more. Testimonies of Jesus Christ, scattered across Raymond in bedrooms and hallways and sitting rooms, were suddenly visible all at once. The cumulative effect was powerful. What had been a gymnasium was now a gallery. And that gallery had become a sanctuary.
The Taylor Street Ward Masterpiece
Among the most remarkable pieces was a collaborative artwork created by members of the Taylor Street Ward. Using a paint-by-numbers design, individual ward members each painted a single block, one piece of a much larger whole. When the blocks were assembled, they revealed a larger-than-life image of Jesus Christ, dressed in red.
It is a fitting metaphor for what the exhibit itself represented: individual acts of faith, individual homes, individual testimonies — each one complete in itself, yet part of something far greater when joined together.
Twenty Paintings of the Good Shepherd
One young girl moved through the exhibit and counted twenty paintings of Jesus with sheep. It became an invitation. Her grandmother paused beside her and spoke of the Good Shepherd who knows each of us by name and leaves the ninety and nine to find the one who is lost. What the art began, testimony completed.
It was exactly the kind of moment the exhibit was made for- faith moving quietly between generations, kindled by beauty.
Gathered Light
The holiness in that room on March 29 was not new to Raymond. It had been here all along, hanging in living rooms, gracing hallways, watching over sleeping children. The exhibit created something sacred by letting us see, all at once, what has always been scattered like light throughout the town. And in uniting them, it brought peace and strength. Standing in the middle of the room, you felt encircled by the arms of Jesus.
The prophet Nephi wrote that the Saviour “doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him” (2 Nephi 26:24).
To be drawn unto Him: that was the invitation of every painting displayed that night. At 9 p.m., the exhibit came down. The art returned to its place, continuing its quiet, faithful work. That is the legacy of one night in Raymond.
“Memories with Jesus” Scrapbook
Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “Inspired art speaks in the language of eternity, teaching things to the heart that the eyes and ears can never understand.” (Ballard, “In the Language of Eternity,” New Era, Aug. 1996, 6)
This statement by Elder Ballard is true. Each moment I spend contemplating artwork of the Saviour blesses my life with peace.
In addition to my recent experience at the Raymond stake center, I have, a few times in my life, stood in rooms surrounded by artwork depicting Jesus Christ. I was filled with the desire to fill the walls of my home with art of the Saviour so I might live enveloped in His goodness. The limitations of space and funds have made this desire unreachable. My solution was to purchase a digital frame, load it with hundreds of pictures of the Savior, and set it to shuffle.
I made a glorious discovery. As the pictures rotated, it was as if I were changing the pages of a “Memories with Jesus” scrapbook. One picture reminds me of a verse of scripture, another of a lesson taught, another of comfort received during a time of struggle, and another testifies of the presence of Jesus Christ in my day. It blesses me with hundreds of moments with the Saviour, captured in a single frame. It is nourishment for my soul.