I am so excited and humbled to offer you an inside peek at the artists that so generously offered their artwork, and ultimately their testimony of The Book of Mormon for the wide margin edition. I have asked them to share WHY they chose the inspired verse of scripture as their contribution. Each artist put a lot of thought into their artwork, and I wanted them to have the space to share with us those thoughts and feelings on such a special project. First up is Melissa. Enjoy! :)
"I first came across Jacob 6:12 in our family scripture study when I was a kid, and this has stuck with me since. Reading, for me, wasn't this transcendent thing for me. It was a chore. It was a huge sacrifice for my parents to drag each of us out of bed each morning for family prayer and scripture reading. But the first time I remember coming across this scripture, we all chuckled. It was short and no-nonsense. I love that. When I think of this scripture, I'm reminded of all the times when I try to justify my dumb behavior when I should simply just try better. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can feel so complicated and nuanced at times. There's the culture, the organization and the doctrine. But at the end of the day, for me, I've decided I have to focus on the simple. The simple of the gospel is: God loves us. We are his children. Jesus Christ atoned for our sins. We have the power of agency to choose to follow His path or not. After I'm reminded of the simple, no-nonsense aspects of the gospel in this scripture, it helps me straighten my shoulders and continue to hold to the rod."
I forever will feel connected to each women who contributed. It's one of the really beautiful things that has come out of such an inspired project. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Melissa. For taking a jump with me. :)
You can see more of Melissa on her website HERE, or on Instagram HERE. She's wonderful, go check her out!
