Thou Shalt be comforted

Henry David Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” God’s plan brings hope to those in quiet desperation by providing friends who walk by our side and give us comfort and joy.

But for Joseph, many friends of comfort would prove to be his bitterest enemies. One example is W.W. Phelps who, when religious and financial differences arose, rejected the prophet and signed an affidavit leading to a sentence of public execution. Although Joseph was saved by the courage of General Doniphan, he would spend the next five months in prison.

It must have been difficult for Joseph to know who he could trust. I think for Joseph, Emma was the one friend he trusted completely. As the Lord said, she truly was an ®elect lady® and would serve as, ®a comfort unto…Joseph, in his afflictions.” (D&C 25:3, 5)

When trials arise in my life, I try to think back on a moment when all seemed right. Sometimes the peace I felt then reassures me that tomorrow will be better. I wanted to capture just such a moment between Joseph and Emma. A quiet moment they might have looked back on when the storms came. A moment when all was right.

Liz Lemon Swindle began her painting career in first grade. Her first exhibitions were on the refrigerator, encouraged by her father. In the early 1980s she tutored under renowned wildlife artist, Nancy Glazier. In 1992, Liz began painting a subject matter she had long desired to approach: her faith. Her paintings are now held in corporate and private collections around the world and have been published in countless magazines and books. Liz and her husband Jon have five children and thirteen grandchildren.

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