I’m LDS (Latter-day Saint, also known as Mormon) and I guess you could say that my house is pretty typical of that belonging to others in my church. I have pictures of Christ on my wall, and of the temple where I was married to my husband. We have pictures of our kids everywhere, and cute little sayings about how to be positive and loving. I’ve seen items like these in nearly every LDS home I’ve entered, so there’s really nothing unusual about that.
I was thinking today about the beautiful traditions we find in every culture and religion, and how each of us can use those traditions to create a nice atmosphere in our homes.
The first thing that came to my mind was the menorah, the beautiful candlestick used by those of the Jewish faith, and the Star of David. I have seen table scarves or runners in rich blue fabric embroidered with Hebrew characters in gold thread. I also thought of crosses, as used by those of the Catholic and also many Christian religions. For those who practice Buddhism, a statue of the friendly, smiling god would be a charming and peaceful addition to the home.
I sometimes fear that in a world where religion is becoming less popular, persons of faith feel intimidated at the thought of sharing their beliefs. It is daunting to think of sharing your religion when you never know what reaction you might get from those you speak with. But in our homes, we are free to be ourselves. We can surround ourselves with whatever decorations we like, paintings that feed our souls, colors that soothe us, the furniture that is the most comfortable to us. And if we’re religious in nature, we have the ability to show that in the way we decorate our homes. It can help keep us centered in our faith, it can create a loving atmosphere in our homes, and it’s a way to show others what we believe when they come over to visit us.
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