Dust to Dust

This piece is for my friend Jeff, who asked me to create a work of art representative of his faith journey as a queer Latter-day Saint. He told me that he’s always felt drawn to the story of Adam and Eve. Paradise sounds great, but the world outside the Garden of Eden is one of growth as well as hardship. According to our faith tradition, Adam and Eve were presented with a choice between two conflicting commandments. In many ways, queer Latter-day Saints find themselves in a similar conflict. While it may be unfamiliar and somewhat scary to venture outside of our preconceived notions of paradise (or what our lives should look like as Latter-day Saints), there is beauty, fulfillment, and joy to be found among the thistles, thorns, and dust of the earth (Genesis 3:18-19).

The three tallest thistles represent the God (Father and Mother), Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. The smaller thistle is all of us with our potential to be like God. The chalky swirls in the background represent conflict, choice, and paths leading to God. While there initially appears to be only two options, a third path swirls up, finding its own way to the divine.

No matter the path you choose, I hope you find your own specks of gold in the briars and dirt. And if you’re a queer Latter-day Saint and decide that church is part of your path, please know that there’s always room for you in my pew.