In the April 2008 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we had the incredible opportunity to sustain Thomas S. Monson as the new president of the church after the passing of Gordon B. Hinckley. Oh how I loved and adored President Hinckley; and over the following 10 years I grew to love President Monson just as much!
As I had been working on a pencil sketch of the First Presidency with President Monson as the prophet I remember hearing an incredible talk that reinforced to me the idea of having a picture of these incredible men hanging in our own home (which occasionally I wondering if it seemed odd to friends that would walk into my home and see President Hinckley and his counselors). The talk entitled “Three Presiding High Priests” by Elder William R. Walker of the First Quorum of the Seventy said in part:
“I first learned the importance of the First Presidency as a boy growing up in Western Canada. When I would go to Grandma and Grandpa Walker’s home, I was greeted in the entry by a framed photo of the First Presidency of the Church. I remember it well. It seemed that they stood as sentinels, greeting all who entered.
The beautiful color photo was of President George Albert Smith with his counselors J. Reuben Clark Jr. and David O. McKay. The photo showed them standing together by a large world globe. I loved the picture. They were such handsome and dignified men; I knew them as the prophet of God and his counselors.
That picture hanging in the front foyer of my grandparents’ home had a powerful influence on me. I lived in the small prairie town of Raymond, where my grandparents lived. I could walk to their home, so I visited often. I remember frequently standing quietly alone in the foyer, reverently looking at that picture of the First Presidency. I remember thinking about why my grandparents thought it was so important to honor the First Presidency and have that picture prominently displayed in their home. All who entered would see it. Perhaps most importantly, for their children and grandchildren it was a constant reminder of what was deeply important in the hearts and lives of Grandma and Grandpa.
Years later I concluded that displaying the picture of the First Presidency was equivalent to Joshua’s beautiful expression: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; … as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).”
I really loved this talk and the thought of having God’s prophets standing as sentinels in my home. I have now done my third pencil sketch of the First Presidency as Russell M. Nelson has succeeded President Monson. I’ve created a page where you can purchase prints for your own home if you’d like to have them, just follow the link here:
http://www.CameronTM.com/order-prints
Just this morning I received this note from a friend ShaeLee that I’d given some prints to before receiving permission from the church to sell them. “…I framed and hung up the pictures you gave me and I LOVE them so much…” and a while back I received a wonderful card in the mail and a TXT message from a dear friend, Bruce Riter that was able to help his mom Marlyn get her print framed. It brings me great happiness to see the pictures being enjoyed and “standing as sentinels” in so many homes.
CameronTM.com 