Sacred gifts

For Family home Evening tonight, we went down to BYU's Museum of Art to see the "Sacred Gifts" exhibit, featuring paintings by Carl Bloch, Henreich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz. 

I was moved to tears as I read the description and background of each piece to the girls, Eden and Elle tightly holding my hands, Ryn moving ahead and reading on her own.  And my heart was even more deeply touched by the gift of watching my children's hearts react to these great masterpieces.  As we stopped in front of Hofmann's "Agony in the Garden", a wiggly Eden stood completely still and a light-hearted giggly Elle started to cry. 

As we saw the crowd mocking Christ, and a mean-looking soldier deriding him up close, they asked again why and how anyone could do things like that to Jesus, who loved them enough to die for them.  Eden sincerely declared that she could never do something like that and we spoke of how our own actions and words can show our love for Him. 

And Ryn came running back to me, breathless and smiling to say, "Maman!  Il y a une très belle peinture par la!" after seeing the stunning alterpiece painting of the Resurrected Christ.

And my mother heart ached at the massive paneled alterpiece of Frans Schwartz-- to see the contrast between a hopeful Virgin Mary on one end and the mourning mother on the other.  In between are three panels:  Christ in the middle, crowned with thorns, and on either side of him, two crowds yelling and mocking him.  Mary, on the far ends, separated from her perfect son by those who didn't understand his love and mission to save them. 

What these artists must have felt as they completed these glimpses into the life of the Savior!  How much closer He must have felt in their lives as they testified of Him with the sacred gifts he had given them. I was struck with the opportunity that is available to us all--to use the sacred gifts and talents he has given us to teach and testify of him. (D&C 6:10-11). Each time we do that, we draw closer to him and feel his love so deeply. I was blessed to feel that just last week when my mom asked me to sing for the institute class she was teaching. Even though there are many other people who have better voices than mine, singing is a gift that has blessed my life and given me the chance to share my testimony with others. As I prepared a song called "O Galilee" that talks about walking with the Savior there, and then shared it with my moms class, I marveled again at this sacred gift and how much closer to Him I feel because of it. After we left the museum tonight, we talked as a family about looking at the talents/gifts we have, and new ones to seek, and how we need to develop them and use them to teach and testify of Him who gave the gift. It was a little piece of heaven on earth right then in our minivan.