Painting a Mormon Picture

Many boys and girls throughout the Church are already saving money for the time when they will go on missions for their Heavenly Father. This is not always easy to do and often requires that children and their families must sacrifice. One unusual story is that of Darryl Quesada, a Navajo Indian who lives in Whiteriver, Arizona.

Some time ago, Darryl was the only member of his family to join the Church. He had often observed the missionaries who came to Whiteriver and enjoyed listening to their wonderful teachings. He noticed how living the gospel changed the lives of many people, turning them into happy, wholesome families. After Darryl’s baptism, he persuaded his parents to listen to the missionary lessons.

About this time, according to Darryl’s father, “Darryl told me that he, too, would like to be a missionary and help spread the teachings of our Heavenly Father. I told Darryl that since we have four children of our own and five adopted children, we could never afford to send him on a mission. He simply said, ‘Paint me a Mormon picture and have it reproduced and I will sell the prints for my mission fund.’”

Darryl’s father, a talented artist, worked for two years to complete a painting entitled “A Family Is Forever.” The Quesada family decided to give the original to President Kimball and are selling prints of it to build the mission fund that will send not only Darryl but other members of his family on missions.

Darryl has a strong testimony of the gospel, and he is inspired by the stories of valiant missionaries in the Book of Mormon. He writes, “I know the Church is true and that it is the only true church on this planet; also that the Book of Mormon is the record of the Lamanites. I know the Church is true because we have a prophet who talks with God. That is why I want to go on a mission—to teach the gospel to the many, many people I meet. The reason I wanted President Kimball to have the original painting is because he is the closest man to God on the earth today.”

President Kimball thinks Darryl is pretty special too! He said that in his mind Darryl and other boys like him “exemplify a new generation of Lamanites emerging in the Church who are prepared for missionary service.”

Painting by Baxter Quesada