Using LDS Art to Reinforce Sound Moral Principles

You have probably heard the saying, "Sew a thought,On the walls of our home, my parents displayed
reap an action. Sew an action, reap a habit. Sew apictures of their wedding that were taken outside
habit, reap a character. Sew a character and you'llthe temple. One of my sister's friends said that my
reap your destiny," by Anthony Robbins. You maymom had a "glow" about her. She came to our home
have experienced this played out in your own life,often and even attended seminary for a time. Seeing
and seen it for good and bad in others' lives. Ourpictures of my parents at the temple inspired me to
thoughts are affected by what we see.want to live my life so I could attain an eternal
I remember in high school, we were driving in our busmarriage.
home from a speech meet and we all needed aThe art we display in our home reflects our values. In
bathroom stop. Unfortunately, the only availablea certain apocryphal story, an LDS family hung a large
location was a small town bar. Feeling uncomfortablepicture of a ship in a prominent place in their living
but desperate, I went in to use the restroom. On theroom. Their sons grew up and decided to join the
door and walls of each restroom were pictures ofmarines rather than serve missions. That is not to
scantily clad men and women. The men's door had asay you cannot hang such artwork in your home, but
woman, and the women's door had a man.that what you choose to display reflects the values
Pictures and art are designed to elicit certain thoughtsyou hold.
and emotions. When I saw the posters, good feelingsIf you teach your children about Christ, temples,
and moral behaviors were not the first things thatprayer, and scripture study, and then display artwork
came to mind. While I had no desire to look at them,with those very themes, they will be more likely to
and left as soon as possible, the images left anthink about those things. Since they will be thinking
imprint in my mind for long time.about it, they will be more likely to do it.