Members of the Norman YSA Ward in the Norman Oklahoma Stake recently drew chalk art pictures from the life of Jesus Christ on the campus of the University of Oklahoma to tell the good news of Easter.
The activity included an invitation for other college students and young single adults to attend Easter worship services.
Megan Doxey said the ward wanted to follow direction from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make the Easter holiday a bigger and more focused event. So they have planned several activities where the community could get involved, including the sidewalk mural.
“I gathered a few artistically confident people in the ward to draw outlines, which the rest of the ward members could fill in with color. We created a stunning and colorful mural of events from Christ’s life,” she said.
The YSA ward includes university students and other young single adults from the community. Bishop J. Joshua Nelson said he was inspired to do more on the university campus as he listened to an area-wide broadcast in January with Elder Jose L. Alonso, General Authority Seventy and president of the North America Southwest Area.
After that broadcast, as he met with the members of his ward, the young single adults shared many ideas of how they could focus more on the Savior. “It was an amazing experience as a bishop to witness,” he said.
From that meeting he created a ward “Remember Him” committee.
“This chalk mural came through the Remember Him committee,” Bishop Nelson said. “They figured it out and put it together.”
The university gave permission to draw on the campus grounds, and the ward reached out to other faith denominations. The last square of sidewalk after the murals includes the dates and times of an upcoming Easter concert and Sunday worship services for the Norman YSA Ward, St. Thomas More University Parish, and the Wesley, which is a United Methodist church in Norman.
Members of the ward gathered on Monday, March 31, for a home evening activity to create the artwork. Said Alex Aylworth, “It was a great turn out and left all of us feeling bonded and closer to Christ.”
Alyworth also was grateful to involve the community and other congregations.
“I really love how we were able to incorporate not only scriptures, but also other dates and times where people could come and see,” she said. “It was a great way to focus ourselves and others on Christ as Easter approaches.”
Doxey agreed. “This activity was a great way to remember the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as a part of our Easter celebration, as well as to extend our influence into the community.”
Bishop Nelson said he is impressed and inspired by the young single adults in his ward. He has had YSA counselors since he was called as bishop in January 2023, and he sees how young single adults lead, plan, invite and share the gospel.
Doxey said she is grateful for inspired counsel from the general authorities and for a bishop who took that counsel to heart to begin planning activities to celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
She concluded, “I’m most grateful for the Savior of the world; the King of Kings who bled, wept and died, so with Him we could sing, love and live.”
