This painting represents my journey. Before I learned what I learned about myself and finding peace within me, and God, and being authentic for who I am when it comes down to my own same-sex attraction, I felt like I was living with thorns in my soul. And as I began to be aware and I experienced the Atonement, really--that feeling of knowing that I'm worthy of the Savior. I feel like I'm reaching out to the love of God. And really, I decided to have a tree because it represents the tree of life. And in the scriptures we learn that the tree of life, when we experience the fruit, is the love of God. So in this picture, I basically see myself reaching out, upward, within the tree, to the light, to God. And it's just like with Lehi--once you experience the love of God, you want to share it with the people you love. You also see some lines coming out from the bottom of the heart on the painting. Those six lines are my children.

And what's in the heart, the part that is the trunk, that foundation--you might not see it--but to me represents my marriage and my wife.

That's what this painting represents to me. It's my healing process, it's my awakening, it's my way of constantly reaching to God.

It's just light.