A mother sadly reported to her bishop that her three sons had left home and joined the navy. Why they had done this, in view of other opportunities for employment, further schooling, missions, or even another branch of the service, was very perplexing to this loving mother. The bishop tried to comfort her by explaining the need young people have to “break away” from home—but he, too, found their action unusual and difficult to explain.
Then the bishop decided to visit the family home. As he entered the living room, his eye was immediately drawn to the large painting of a ship under full sail. It was the only piece of art in the room.
“There is your reason,” he told the mother. “As your sons have grown up, you have told them every day through this painting of the romance and adventure of the sea. You have taught them well. No wonder they all joined the navy.”
The message of this true story is obvious. Our home environment—specifically, visual images in the home—has an impact on our lives.
This idea poses a number of questions for us as Latter-day Saints. Do we fully realize the influence of visual images in the home? What kind of images should be in a Mormon home? Can visual images help explain what we believe? Can our surroundings help us become more spiritual? Is it possible to develop more meaningful feelings about our heritage if we have visual materials of our ancestry available?
Ed Maryon "Look at Your Walls. What Do You See?" Ensign Dec 1973
