Mormon Hymns

A gentleman (church affiliation unknown) recently told me that he would join the Methodist church, except that their hymns are dull.  "The Baptists have the best hymns," he declared.

I don't know if he's sung any Mormon hymns, and perhaps he shares Gladys Knight's dismay about Mormon hymn-singing, but I for one love Mormon hymns.  From young childhood, I'm drawn to singing the hymns of the Mormon Church not just because of the music, but also because of the thought-provoking lyrics.

Mormon lyrics are not just beautiful, they are true doctrine, and hence, powerful.  My appreciation for the light those words provide continues to grow as I continue to sing and ponder them.  

It has occurred to me that some of the best of those verses, unfortunately, don't fit in the alloted space between the treble and bass clefs, and thus relegated to the "basement," are unfortunately forgotten.

Consider the following "forgotten" lines and tell me if you can't feel doctrine melting your heart and opening your mind.

"May we who know the sacred Name

From every sin depart.

Then will the Spirit's constant flame

Preserve us pure in heart."

(vs. 4, "Sweet Is the Peace the Gospel Brings," LDS Hymnbook, hymn #14)

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow.

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

(vv. 4 and 7, "How Firm a Foundation," hymn #85)

"He looks! and ten thousands of angels rejoice,

And myriads wait for his word;

He speaks! and eternity, filled with his voice,

Re-echoes the praise of the Lord."

(v. 6, "Redeemer of Israel," hymn #6)

And finally, three of my favorite, all of them sacrament hymns:

"In word and deed he doth require

My will to his, like son to sire,

Be made to bend, and I, as son,

Learn conduct from the Holy One."

(v.4, "God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son," hymn #187)

"He died, and at the awful sight

The sun in shame withdrew its light!

Earth trembled, and all nature sighed

In dread response, 'A God has died.'"

(v.5, "Behold the Great Redeemer Die," hymn #191)

"How great, how glorious, how complete,

Redemption's grand design,

Where justice, love, and mercy meet

In harmony divine!"

(v.6, "How Great the Wisdom and the Love," hymn #195)

Next time you open a hymnbook, sing big, but sing reflectively.  Ponder the powerful truths the hymns teach.  Let them sink into your heart and move you toward Christ, the real author of all inspired music.

Quantum Theory and Families

Quantum theory tells us that every point in the universe is intimately connected to every other point, regardless of apparent distance.  To substantiate this theory, scientists point to experiments with a human observer, in which subatomic particles behave differently from the way they behave when the experiment is unobserved while in progress and the results are examined after the fact.  

What does all this mean?  Only that the interconnectedness of every point in the universe is so complete that if an enormous flock of birds bursts into flight from a marsh in Spain, the disturbance of the air caused by their wings will contribute to weather changes in Los Angeles.

Transfer that theory to human relationships, especially family relationships.  If a mother kneels in prayer for her child, does her behavior--her faith--substantially impact that child's choices?

If a father exercises faith by honoring his priesthood--being faithful as a home teacher,  steady in scripture study, and conscientious in his callings--will his son's own priesthood development be influenced?

If children choose obedience to inspired parental counsel, will their paths in lives end up at a different and more blessed destination?

Does parental faith protect and beatify generations to come?

Applying the principles of quantum physics, the answer is yes.  Perhaps that's why the Lord, in the Book of Mormon, tells parents they "must repent, and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved."

Something New Under Every Sun

I love Mormon motherhood in all its stages.  Being the mother of a baby was especially wondrous.  Every time I opened the door to get a baby or toddler out of bed after a night's sleep or afternoon nap, seeing that little face lighting up at the sight of me never got old.   Every time, it was a fresh, new pleasure and made motherhood worth it.

Even my older children recognized the joy of that experience, hence the squabbles over who could race to the room fast enough to snatch the baby out of the crib. 

Recently one of my Mormon sons asked why I hadn't been posting for these many months.  To be honest, holiday preparations overcame me, and when I finally got around to thinking about another post--I couldn't think of what to say.  

Centuries ago the writer of Ecclesiastes said "There is nothing new under the sun."  I confess that as I considered this Mormon-centered blog, I began to think there was nothing new for me to say about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  After all, ten thousands of people have opined on that subject.

But there is something new, and I have recently realized what it is:  my daily experience with Gospel living.  

Every time I open up scriptures to ponder and study, I have new experiences with insights, understandings and motivation.

Every time I open up the Ensign magazine to read the words of latter-day prophets, I am newly taught and inspired--even when I've read those words many times.

Each humble prayer produces new love for a wise, merciful and always-responsive Father, and I am once again awed by the magnificent gift of love in his Son.

In the Mormon Church, we refer to Christ's gospel as "The New and Everlasting Covenant."  Even though that covenant has been around since before the earth was formed, it is always new to one who races eagerly to pick it up and interact.

My apologies to Mr. Ecclesiastes, but I think there is something new under the sun:  the always-fresh newness of the New and Everlasting Covenant, which makes every day worth living.  

Blessed by Traditional Marriage

I don't live in California, but I watch with great concern the battle there over the definition of marriage. As I have studied the issue of traditional marriage vs. same-sex marriage and the ramifications of both, I feel to share--as a Mormon wife and a Mormon mom--my deep feelings regarding marriage.

This November my husband and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. What I always believed about the responsibilities of men and women in marriage and parenting has simply been reaffirmed and strengthened in my marital experience of 30 years.

Men and women are different. They each possess qualities unique to their sex which build and strengthen the marriage relationship. They complement and enhance each other. Children need ALL those qualities for optimum growth and nurturing. While there are single parents who have raised great kids, the IDEAL is a man and a woman, a mother and a father, each contributing their God-given qualities in the best interests of their kids. And face it, while we all know that ideal is not always available, it certainly is always preferred. In what other area of life do we not seek for the ideal?

I'm grateful for a husband who demonstrates manliness in the highest sense of the word, who has faithfully provided for and protected me and our children. I'm thankful my children have a father who accepts and performs the tasks of fatherhood lovingly and valiantly.

So far, fifteen lives have been strengthened and blessed by traditional marriage, and my greatest hope is that that number goes on eternally.

My Body is a Temple

We Mormons have a unique perspective regarding our mortal bodies, and that comes from the Mormon doctrine that our Heavenly Father has a body of flesh and bones.

Tangible, but not mortal, God is not a personage of spirit, but a glorified, exalted, celestial Man with a resurrected and glorified body in which His eternal spirit dwells.

Because He loves us and has a plan for our eternal happiness, our Father in Heaven sent us, His spirit children, to earth to obtain mortal bodies through which we would be tried and tested to see if we will keep His commandments. Eventually we will all die--our spirit separating from our body for a while--but because of Christ's atonement and resurrection, all mankind will eventually be resurrected as well, the spirit and body to never again separate. Those who choose to follow God's plan and keep His commandments will not just rise from the dead with resurrected bodies, but with glorified, exalted and celestial bodies.

Even though these mortal dwellings of our spirits are imperfect and corruptible, the bodies we've been blessed with house our spirits and are God's sacred creation. Wise and grateful Mormons respect their bodies as gifts from God. Our body is the instrument of our spirit, and our challenge here is to make our body the best we can, and to use it as wisely and obediently as possible.

The wise and righteous use of our body includes how we display it for the rest of the world to see. Clothing that is too short, too tight, and too revealing in any way mocks the sacredness of the body and affronts our God. Tattoos, body piercings, and even too many piercings in the ears both disfigure and call inappropriate attention to a sacred gift. Photos of ourselves or our children that are placed where all the world can see them should accurately reflect the respect and esteem we have for our bodies, by being modest and promoting the sacred joy we have in these bodies.

It is not that Mormons are not grateful for our bodies, nor is it that we do not think them beautiful gifts from a divine Father. Modesty itself is a public statement as to just how grateful we are for the precious gift of our physical bodies. How we treat our bodies is a reflection of just how grateful we truly are.

Called of God

Faithful Mormon parents raise their sons with the expectation that, when they turn nineteen, those worthy sons will be called as part of the missionary force the Savior instituted when he said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

Shortly after our third son received his call to serve in South America, a friend not of our faith, grandfather to our boy's good friend, asked if we knew yet where said son would be going.

When I told him the nation that would be our son's home for the next two years, the grandpa asked, "Does the missionary get to pick where he wants to go? How does that get decided?"

I ventured to answer honestly: "We believe the missionary is called by God through inspiration."

With a look of slight impatience on his face, this man responded, "Right. How do they really decide?"

As Mormons we share many of the same Christian doctrines as our friends of other faiths. However, if there is one thing that truly sets us apart, it could well be that we really DO believe that in Christ's church, men and women are called by God, through the Spirit of prophecy, to serve the Lord in His Kingdom.

When the Savior asked his disciples who people said that he was, Peter declared with certitude, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (see Matthew 16:15-19). The Savior then stated two great truths:

First, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona . . ."--it is a blessing to feel the inspiration of heaven revealing truth to our souls; and second, "for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven"--there is a power beyond mortal might which will teach truth to the honest seeker.

Heavenly Father wants his children to know, to experience, truth. Whether the truth has to do with the field of labor for a new missionary, or how to organize and run a local congregation, men and women who are called of God can have the gift of prophecy. That is a great blessing all of us can tap into.

Good People

Recently we had the privilege of taking a cruise to Alaska. The ship was a veritable small town of people--over 2000 passengers, more than 1000 crew members.

On our first day at sea we struck up a conversation at the lunch table with a couple from Manhattan, NY. They were warm, friendly, intelligent, and patriotic. They loved America; they loved people; they were committed to serving this country in return for the many privileges America had given them.

The husband had served in World War II, then went to college, eventually receiving a PhD from Columbia University. He taught at the university level at a handful of prestigious schools, then was tapped by President Ronald Reagan to head up the Federal Executives Institute, a program designed to teach the heads of federal agencies effective management practices. Eventually he helped take the program to the international level. After retirement he turned his energies to volunteer work focusing on refurbishing and maintaining monuments honoring soldiers and sailors who gave their lives in the Civil War.

The wife was a professional singer, a professional watercolorist, and held three Masters degrees: one in the arts, one in counseling, and one in theology. Her love for and pride in her husband was obvious, as was her warm interest in people.

We saw these new friends later during the cruise and traded email addresses, promising to keep in touch. And not only do we plan to, we look forward to it.

In addition to seeing whales up close and personal, viewing breathtaking glaciers, and experiencing the overwhelming beauty of Alaska, a highlight of our trip was connecting with these people. We learned again that, despite wide differences in life experiences, locale, and cultural backgrounds, we have much in common with all of God's children. Among that vast number are many virtuous, lovely, and uplifting individuals who are living lives of decency and service. It was a privilege and a blessing to be reminded of that truth.