"His Sacrifice Shall Be More Sacred Unto Me Than His Increase"

Gifty Annah-Mensah (American, born Ghana, 1949)
Tootoogbovi (2018)
Drawing, 14 x 11 inches
Collection of the artist
Used with artist’s permission
Artist’s website

In the center of the drawing above by Gifty Annah-Mensah are a mother and child. The title comes from a traditional Ghanaian lullaby (also spelled tutu gbovi). Gifty constructs her colorful drawings from doodles and zentangles (a meditative method of creating drawn patterns). She notes, “I try to design every part of the work.” In this image, the artist references family and sunflowers, and the brightness of the flowers represents light and the love of God.

1. Our gathering together in congregations, in wards and stakes, is described as “for a refuge from the storm” (D&C 115:6). How have you felt this gathering to be a refuge? What can you do to make your ward and stake a refuge for fellow members?

2. How have you seen evidence in your life of Jesus' ability to make "solitary places .. bud and blossom and...bring forth in abundance,” in spite of turmoil outside those tiny spots? (D&C 117:7)

3. Why is tithing a “standing law ... forever" (D&C 119:4) as opposed to, for example, a preparatory law? Why is tithing a requisite for inclusion in Zion (D&C 119:5)?

For Children & Youth

Hi. Do you doodle? I’m sure you do. It’s simply a drawing made when you’re not thinking about drawing. Maybe you’re listening to something, and as you do you pick up a pencil and scribble a few things, make some marks, draw some patterns, and without really planning it, you make a drawing. Gifty Annah-Mensah takes the practice of doodling and adds more conscious design to fill every inch of her drawing. That’s a fun idea. Can you do it?