Skip to main content

From The Heart Choir

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.”-- Psalm 69:30
I love music. It has been an integral part of my life for the entire time I have lived on the earth, and I imagine before I received my body and came from the preexistence. I can recall from my youth, my mother at the piano practicing hymns and other music - Yanni, Mozart, etc; And my father with his guitar as we sat around his feet or around a campfire. I find happiness with my fingers on the strings of my guitar, violin, or the keys of a piano. 

 But no music gives me as much joy as singing of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The ability to feel the Spirit testify of His life and mission comes quickly as I listen to music about Him. How grateful I am then, to participate in a choir that has at its core the mission of spreading the word of God and of testifying of Christ! 
Our first fireside is Sunday the 24th in the Hinckley chapel in Rexburg, ID. and we are excited and humbled by the opportunity to sing praises to our God and our King!
“Music is given of God to further his purposes. Sweet melodies mellow the souls of men and help prepare them for the gospel. After men receive the truth, songs of praise to Deity help to sanctify and cleanse their souls.”
-- Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine (1966), 521
“Music can set an atmosphere of worship which invites [the] spirit of revelation, of testimony.”
-- President Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov. 1991, 22
The largest blessing to me from participation in this choir, is the greater understanding of the Plan of Salvation - sometimes called the Plan of Happiness. And I have gained greater happiness through this deeper understanding. Singing about the life of Christ and about resurrection, about what happens to those who pass on from this life, has brought me comfort. With David's passing in February, I often am struck rather randomly it seems with heavy grief. Although I know that he is safe and taken care of, and even that I will see him again, and that he will always be my big protective brother, I still miss him often. There is a pain at losing a sibling that I can't fully describe and I would never wish upon anyone.

 In one of our songs we sing the lines: "Lux aeterna, luceat eis, Domine (May everlasting light shine upon them, Lord). Turn to me and be gracious for my heart is in distress. Oh God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? My tears linger at night but joy comes in the morning light. Lord, in Your infinite mercy, grant [us] rest." ("In Remembrance". Jeffrey L. Ames)
The song was written for three of his students who were siblings and all died in an automobile accident. As we sang this song at retreat over the weekend, I was struck so suddenly with pain that I was left breathless and had to excuse myself. I am grateful for the kind friend who came and found me and mourned with me. The scriptures say we are to "mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" and she surely was a disciple of Christ in that moment. 

 I want you to know that God is an individual God. I love that in the middle of the pain in this song, we declare "My God," because Heavenly Father is an individual God. He is My God and He is Your God. He knows what pains us and He knows how to help us through that pain. I know that David will eventually be at rest and that I will see him again. 

 Music speaks to our spirits and I believe it must have been an integral part of our experience before we came to this life. I love music and find it difficult to be without it! I am all the more grateful when that music teaches me essential lessons that carry me through trials. 
LDS Music Quote http://sprinklesonmyicecream.blogspot.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fear as a now third year medical student

It would not be a trial of our faith if our faith was not actually tried. Trials are essential, obviously, but how much of a trial can it really be if all the time we feel His guiding hand and Comforting presence? Can those really be considered trials? Today I am officially a third year medical student. Reflecting over the last two years, I want to take a moment to write down my thoughts. As a missionary, when the Spirit said I would be going to medical school it was a huge relief. I had struggled up to that point to really know what to do with my life. I knew I wanted a good career, a steady paycheck, a job that I loved. I knew I wanted to work outside the home, make a difference, help people. But I didn’t know exactly what that looked like for me until that moment in Virginia. And when I got home and got to work researching and then putting into action all that would be required to be accepted into a medical school in the US I had multiple moments of doubt. Heavy doubt. But I p...
Post a Comment
Read more

getting to and through YEAR ONE

Hello? Oh, Hello there! I am excited to talk more about my summer as I enjoy the last few days before I dive into studying hard. It is almost the beginning of the second year of medical school. Last year was one of the hardest years of my life. I experienced more pain, suffering, doubt, tears, and heartache than I have ever before in such large doses. I staggered under the weight of my fears and found myself often on my knees with no where else to turn. It was a beautiful place to find myself. Of course it is easy to say that now, looking back as I stand proud. There was a lot that went into my decision to go to medical school. Ultimately it took a lot of prayer and a lot of planning. It took a lot of service hours, a lot of hard work in my undergrad, a lot of conversations with my mother. It was a grueling process which no one can understand until you've been through it. I often doubted I was making the right choice. As I was preparing for the MCAT, which is the entr...
2 comments
Read more

From Omaha, NE

The idea for this blog post comes from a blog I occasionally read called The Freckled Fox . She calls these posts "Taking Stock": Seeing:  all the dogs sleeping, a nephew playing, ceiling fans turning, grey clouds. Making:  an effort to not disappear into the bedroom I'm staying at while in Nebraska with family (kids'll do that to me) Cooking:  nothing. Since I'm visiting family in Omaha, I haven't done much cooking. But while here I have made my absolute favorite PB cookies which are easy and delicious Drinking:  sooooo much water - still not enough Reading:  a guide for everything you need to know about medical school and Pushkin's Eugene Onegin Hearing:  the pot on the stove cooking the bottles which contain my SIL Nicole's homemade spaghetti sauce Wanting:  the next year to speed by - I am tired of fretting about med school applications and would like the whole thing finished - please? Looking:  forward to visiting the zoo to...
3 comments
Read more