A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in this case, watching that picture be painted or drawn is worth hundreds of thousands of views for a series of videos recently released by the Church on its YouTube channel.
The Church published five videos between October and December 2023 that included the five artists’ personal stories of building faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the artists’ murals were based on general conference messages from Church leaders like Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson.
‘Find Relief From the World’
In the first video of the series, Tessa Broyles painted a mural on a wall in New York City and shared how she found relief from personal challenges through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Broyle’s painting and video are based on President Johnson’s general conference message “Jesus Christ Is Relief.”
A virtual snapshot in time, Broyles said, the mural is meant to depict the moment when God begins to take the weighted-down backpack off her back.
“I wanted it to be that moment when relief is starting to be felt,” she said.
‘Parenting With Christ’
Illustrator and muralist Brooke Smart found inspiration for her painting in the experiences of her own life that included divorce, being a single mom and having a blended family. She said she has a core belief she wanted to come through in her mural.
“Jesus Christ is part of each of our families,” she said.
In part of the mural, Smart painted a single mom praying with her children.
“Taken day by day, parenthood is manageable with Christ,” Smart said. Looking back at the teachings of Elder Uchtdorf from his April 2023 general conference message, she said, “I truly believe that Jesus Christ is the strength of parents.”
‘Be Kind to Yourself, Beloved Child of God’
Tyran Schouten shared his struggle to resolve internal conflicts, wounds and shame as he painted a mural in the streets of New York City.
“I know each of us have our own trials and struggles,” Schouten said. “But for me, recognizing that Jesus Christ gave the perfect example, I don’t question His love for me.”
While he said he knew the Savior loved him, the harder part to accept was that he needed to also love himself.
“At times, I’ve had a hard time accepting that love in myself. Through my art, I hope to inspire others to seek wholeness and oneness, to reflect inward and ask, ‘Am I at peace within?’”
‘How I Found Out God Loves Me’
Sarah Allred is a chalk artist. On a university sidewalk, she depicted her journey of trying to fit in despite the loneliness she felt growing up. Allred started to lose her hearing around age 4 and said she was teased as a child and felt like she was “in a really dark place.”
“I was seeking acceptance and approval from those around me,” she said. “… It was not until I started praying to God and turning to Christ that I started to feel peace.”
Allred said she still gets teased at times but has seen an increased ability to focus on herself. Through that, she said she has been able to feel Heavenly Father’s love more intensely in her life.
“In the end, light always wins,” she said.
‘A Journey From Darkness to Hope’
In Rebecca Pletsch’s video, she shares her story of disappointment and anger and how she was able to turn to God through prayer to find comfort and feel His love.
“You may not understand why things are happening the way they are, and they may not ever be resolved the way you want them to,” Pletsch said. “But if you pray to feel God’s peace and His love, you will always be able to feel that.”
