Beneath the Wraps

           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 memo...

     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?          ...

          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 To...