Come Follow Me Facebook Group

         Once a month, the church holds a sacrament meeting known as “fast and testimony meeting”.  This meeting is normally held at the first Sunday of the month.  The exceptions are just prior to or after General Conference.  Conferences take place the first weekend in April and October.  The ward I reside in has always done the testimony meeting the last Sunday in March and September.  This gives members of the congregation the opportunity of standing at the pulpit to express their understanding of the gospel and to share their testimonies.

        Yesterday’s meeting was quite powerful and the Spirit was delivered in such reverent manner.  I had worn a clean mask which was no longer clean as it was filled with moist emotion. It had started before the bishop had invited the congregation to come and speak.  The sacrament hymn was "I Stand All Amazed" (here) which I have memorized because my eyes are always to blurry to see the words.  It was awesome to partake of the Spirit.

        After I returned home I had checked my facebook account.  One of the memories that popped up was concerning a fast that was held last year – also before conference.  We had been asked to fast and pray about five specific things.  I reshared the post to two different groups that I’m a part of.  One of them was the “Come Follow Me” group that I have been a part of for less than a year now.

        When I checked my notifications this morning I noticed several comments had been left on my post.  One was a sincere question about the fast and several others left their comments in response to the question.  I have always appreciated being a part of the group. This morning I was especially grateful for the support it offers so many. I don’t feel the need to add to what has already been said. I am grateful for those who took the time to address the concern my first commenter had.

        Technology can often be frustrating.  It can invite evil but it can also invite good.  So impressed to have this technology that I can use for good.  I am so thankful to all of those involved.

Spirit Touched Me Again and made it Hard to Sing

     I remember one Mother's Day when the primary children were on the stage singing various songs.  One was LoveIs Spoken Here, a song that is done in two parts.  After the primary children finished up with the first verse, the members of the priesthood stood up and sang the second part.  It touched my heart and my eyes started leaking.  It was so awesome hearing them sing together.  I wondered if I would ever be awed like that again. 

 

          Today, toward the end of the program, the audience was asked to sing the second part of A Child's Prayer.  I thought the request was a bit odd as it doesn't even seem that the majority of the congregation would even know it.  And as our chorister was having such a hard time with teaching the song, how did the leaders think it was possibly going to connect?

 

          Last week the RS, Priesthood, YM/YW all met together to receive instructions on the Come Follow Me program that we'll be using in just a couple of weeks.  In addition they took time out to learn the second verse of the song.  It was truly inspiring to listen to them sing to us and have us sing together.  Anne stood directly in front of me.  It's a wonder I was able to see her mouth drop as she was also amazed with the awesome performance.  I wish I could have gaped in astoundment rather than fight to get the words out as if I don't have enough challenges at providing a pleasant singing voice.

 

          The next song was Called to Serve which does not invite the tears.  It is vibrant and calls for happy authority.  I remember singing it when I was on my mission.  The chorister used all kinds of words associated with music - which I'm certain the musically gifted would understand, but there were several of the missionaries that had no clue as to the meaning of the words.  I remember mocking back her use of "crescendo" and seeing some Elders laugh about it because they probably didn't understand the word either. So it really is a memory without tears, but my eyes were still wet from A Child's Prayer. 

 

           The last song that we sang was The Church of Jesus Christ, which stirred up personal meaning as well - I think of it as Jenna's song and had shared my reasons with the primary during our practice.  When I was pregnant with her, Corey had asked to feel my belly and movement inside.  I told her he would have to sing to her.  He picked some Broadway hit, I don't even recall what it was.  Jenna did not move.

 

          "Try a primary song," I said.

 

          He started singing, "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

         

          She stirred at the sound of his voice.

 

          Several months later I was in the hospital because my water had broke.  I don't know how many hours had gone by before the nurse suggested we sing something to coax her out.  We picked that same children's song.  I think four of us were singing to her - including the nurse, and I thought that was really special.  I don't think it worked.  A different nurse was with me several hours later when Jenna finally decided to make her debut - though it still wasn't her idea to come out.  She was ticked and let everybody in the hospital know about it.

          Jenna has had some moments during her life - especially when she was young and colicky - that she has not been a happy camper, but overall I have been blessed with a daughter who smiles and loves life and is overall happy.  What a great quality!

          The Spirit has definitely touched me today.

It's "Accountable" not "a Cannibal" - sometimes it's okay to Laugh

          I suppose it depends on one's frame of mind if one gets upset with another who does something that may seem disruptive during conference - or perhaps laugh where it's not appropriate or - and here is the grandest of them all - be so focused and in tune with the Spirit, that the talks are the only focus and what may be viewed as disruptions by everybody else go unnoticed by the individual who is in tune.  I have been the grouch upset with disruptions, the one who laughs where it's not appropriate . . . unfortunately I have never been the individual who is so focused and so Spiritually in tune that I don't feel the least bit distracted.  That is my fault.  I haven't spiritually prepared to allow myself to remain focused.

          I was impressed at Jenna's willingness to take notes during conference.  I smiled as I watched her expressions - particularly with Todd Christofferson's talk - who made metaphorical reference to the sacrament.  I don't know why Jenna appeared to take it so literally as she wrote: "Bread makes you immortal and a cannibal" - when she finally understood the subject of his talk, she started laughing, and I laughed with her.

          It triggered another memory which didn't have to do with conference, but rather sacredness.  Sunny, my mom and I were gathered around the dining room table.  We honestly weren't even paying attention to whatever Ellen ( who was maybe five) had been watching from the couch.  (As I recall, two of us actually had our backs turned toward the television anyway, so it would have been awkward to watch) We started laughing at whatever the conversation had led us to.

          Ellen stood up and chewed us out, "This is not funny!" she scorned us.  "You shouldn't laugh at this."  We all moved our eyes toward her.  Behind her on the screen was the animated Savior being crucified.  I can guarantee that is NOT what we were laughing at - but in her mind we were being very disrespectful.

          I remember Corey sharing an incident with us about being in his Las Vegas ward.  He said the congregation was singing "God of Our Fathers" in which the third verse goes: "From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence"  only the word "pestilence" is broken up and "pes-ti" reads on the first line while "lence" continues on the second line.  So Corey is singing his heart out and belts out "pesti" and finishes with the first suffix that his mind can think of "cides"  When he realized his error, he was embarrassed and found it silly that his brain would allow him to believe the word "pesticide" would be used in any hymn.

          I personally don't believe that God is an eye-roller.  I think there are many times he is just as amused as we are.  I know there are times that He laughs just as we do.

          While searching for a children's song for primary, I ran across this site that I would like to share.