Where are you standing?

I’ve been to a couple of temples where on a wall is the beautiful painting by David Lindsley entitled “Behold, Your Little Ones”.

The picture depicts Christ’s visit to the Americas after His resurrection, specifically this painting shows him with the little children. I had the chance to meet the artist and confirm the major details of a story I thought I knew about the painting.

One summer many years ago, Mr. Lindsley had arranged to use a group of primary children for a photo shoot. The children were instructed to come wearing bathrobes over their clothes. A man, representing the Savior, stood in a white robe with his arms outstretched. The children were placed around him and then the photo shoot began. Mr. Lindsley took pictures from all angles with the intention of taking those pictures back to his studio to create the final painting.

There was a young girl, perhaps 10 years of age, participating in the photo shoot. Because of her height, she had been placed in the back, right next to the man portraying Jesus. As she stood there, she couldn’t help but notice that Jesus’ hand (well, the man standing in the place of Jesus for the painting) was outstretched right in front of her face. She knew, like the other children, that the painting was going to be used in conjunction with a church magazine and she wanted to make sure she was a part of it. If she stayed where she was, maybe no one would see her in the final piece of art.

Somehow she convinced the girl standing next to her (who was NOT in front of the hand of the man portraying Jesus) to trade places. Now the 10 year old was no longer next to Jesus but she wasn’t behind his hand either. She could easily be seen by anyone who looked at the picture.

Did you catch that?

She had the chance to be the girl standing right beside the Savior.
But, she changed places because she was worried no one would see her in the picture.

Well, the great irony to this story is that when the final painting came out, she was barely distinguishable in the picture at all. She went from being next to Jesus to essentially being cut from the painting altogether.

I have stood in the temple many times and looked at that picture.
And, knowing the story, I can’t help but wonder how that girl must feel whenever she sees the painting.
She had given up a chance to be right next to the Savior because she wanted to be seen by the world instead.

But, I don’t have to wonder how she feels every time she sees the picture.

I know how she feels.

Because that 10 year old little girl was me.

Whenever I walk into one of the temples that has that painting, I stop and reflect.
And ask myself, "Where are you standing?"

Because what my 10 year old self didn’t understand then, my 30-something self has realized over a lifetime of experiences now, and that is this: When you have the chance to “stand next to” the Savior, whether that is being in the Temple or partaking of His Holy sacrament or being enveloped by His love as you kneel to pray, you take it.

When you have the chance to stand up for what is right, to testify of truth, to courageously walk away from worldly pursuits and choose Him, you take it.

And in those moments,
nothing is more important than being right there,
as close as you can be,
to Him.