Where can I turn for peace?

Here is a recording of my brother and I practicing the LDS Hymn Where Can I Turn for Peace?

If you like the hymn and want to learn more,

• Here is information about the history of the hymn: http://www.mormonchannel.org/history-of-hymns/18

• My favorite book about peace: A Quiet Heart by Patricia T. Holland
• Here is a talk titled Where Can I Turn for Peace? by Paul V. Johnson 

Carried by the Covenant

Have you ever been deeply spiritually moved by a piece of artwork? It's happened to me only a few times. Shown below is a painting that was exhibited in the Museum of Church History and Art a few years ago.

The light seems to be of divine origin. The way that it falls on the mother's back shows impelling power of the light of the covenant.

The simple background does not distract from the central subject matter.

The look of determination of determination in the mother's eyes is piercing.

The mother and child have red and blue scarves, symbolic of their divine heritage and their royal potential if they are true to their covenants.

Joseph F. Brickey, Carried by the Covenant. Prints can be purchased here.

Yesterday I read a General Conference talk by Elder Bednar, "Honorably Hold a Name and Standing."

"What was it that gave those early Saints such strength? It was the fire of the temple covenant that burned in their hearts. It was their commitment to worship and honorably hold a name and standing in the house of the Lord

"We do now and will yet face great challenges to the work of the Lord. But like the pioneers who found the place which God for them prepared, so we will fresh courage take, knowing our God will never us forsake (see "Come, Come, Ye Saints," Hymns, no. 30)."

That is why this painting is powerful.

Come, Come Ye Saints

My first concert back in BYU Women's Chorus was this weekend. Our combined choir concert was held in the Provo Tabernacle on Friday and Saturday night. I thought I'd chronicle the behind-the-scenes concert preparation. We're asked to wear a lot of make-up, as you can see in the first picture. Notice the dinner of champions in the picture below: fish sticks, corn, rice and ketchup. The last picture is me with my neighbor (Sarah Huggard) and two of my rommates (Kelly Cook and Lynne Gabrielsen) who are also in choirs.

Before our Friday concert, Sister Applonie, our director, asked us to think of what we wanted to give at our concert and what we wanted to get from the concert. I admit that I didn't give it much thought for Friday, but Saturday I decided I wanted to give and receive the same message - the message of exaltation.

The idea of exaltation has been on my mind since we talked about it in my Doctrine and Covenants class a few weeks ago. I am grateful for the doctrine that was revealed to Joseph Smith that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can not only be saved, but we can become like Christ, joint-heirs with Him. It gives me motivation to improve myself everyday until, as it says in section 93, verse 20, I can "receive of His fulness."

Our combined closing song was the LDS hymn "Come, Come Ye Saints." It was a unique
experience to sing a hymn that I've known and loved for many years in a tabernacle that was actually built by pioneers.

Singing the song reminded me of a thought I had while waiting for the concert to begin. I remember looking around at the other singers and thinking that I wondered if our ancestors had known each other. For all I knew, the girl sitting in the third row of Concert Choir could be the fourth great-granddaughter of a woman who loaned my fourth great-grandmother a pair of boots during the pioneer trek from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Today we aren't asked to walk across the country, we're asked to love each other and live together (which some days is hard enough for me). When I think of the shared heritage we all have -- that we are sons and daughters of God -- I can be a little kinder, a little more forgiving. Just like the song, we really all are saints on a journey, trying to find our way to our place of rest and peace.

The last note of "Come, Come Ye Saints" - All is well! - rang throughout the tabernacle. If we can make such beautiful music here on earth, I can only imagine what it will be like in heaven.

Here are the lyrics of the hymn:

1. Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;But with joy wend your
way.Though hard to you this journey may appear,Grace shall be as your day.’Tis
better far for us to striveOur useless cares from us to drive;Do this, and joy
your hearts will swell—All is well! All is well!

2. Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?’Tis not so; all is
right.Why should we think to earn a great rewardIf we now shun the fight?Gird up
your loins; fresh courage take.Our God will never us forsake;And soon we’ll have
this tale to tell—All is well! All is well!

3. We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,Far away in the
West,Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;There the Saints will be
blessed.We’ll make the air with music ring,Shout praises to our God and
King;Above the rest these words we’ll tell—All is well! All is well!

4. And should we die before our journey’s through,Happy day! All is well!We
then are free from toil and sorrow, too;With the just we shall dwell!But if our
lives are spared againTo see the Saints their rest obtain,Oh, how we’ll make
this chorus swell—All is well! All is well!

Welcome!

Hello! Thanks for reading my new blog. I started this as an assignment for a religion class at BYU, but I hope that it will be a place for friends and family to visit to get updates on my life.

Since I started a class on the Doctrine and Covenants this semester, I have given a lot of thought to what I gain from studying the Doctrine and Covenants in context. The list of blessings is long, but I think one particular example from my life shows the growth that I've experienced.

In April of 2007, I remember watching the PBS documentary The Mormons and learning of some historical aspects of the Church that I had never known. Though my testimony of the Church and of Jesus Christ stayed strong, the potential dangers of remaining ignorant of historical context of the truths I had learned became clear to me. Particularly, I realized that I needed to strengthen my testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet.

A few months later, I enrolled in a Latter-day Saint History class (taught by Susan Easton Black). Near the beginning of the semester, we discussed Joseph Smith's different accounts of the first vision. I learned that though this particular aspect of the story was not found in the cannonized account, in other accounts Joseph mentions that one of his purposes in praying in the grove was to receive a remission of his sins. When Christ appeared, one of the first things He said to Jospeh was, "thy Sins are forgiven thee."

Joseph describes the circumstances surrounding his 1823 visit by the angel Moroni, three years after his first vision, as:

"On the twenty-first evening of September, after I had retired to my bed for the night, I betook myself to prayer and supplication to Almighty God for forgiveness of all my sins and follies, and also for a manifestation to me, that I might kinow of my state and standing before him... (JS-H 1:29)"

Doctrine and Covenants section 110 contains the vision, manifested to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, of Jesus Christ accepting the Kirtland Temple. Though I had read it many times, I never noticed that in the section introduction Joseph mentions they were engaged in "solemn and silent prayer" prior to the vision. I know of no place where Joseph has said what he was praying for, but verse 5 reads:

"Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice. (D&C 110:5)"

Among other things, studying the Doctrine and Covenants in the context of Church History has strengthened by testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet. I appreciate his example of continually seeking to be in good standing with God. The revelations he received mean even more to me when I learn of the comfort they provided him as they were answers to prayers regarding real-life situations, just as I face. I know the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants are true and I look forward to sharing my experiences with them.

Thank you for reading and I hope you'll check back often. Don't forget to post your comments!