Final Preparation to SING and SHINE for the Sat Aft Session of General Conference - 4 Oct 2014

After much prayer and fasting, and receiving those tender feelings in the Temple to confirm my thoughts, I have prepared the following thoughts about the verses of the three amazingly beautiful Hymns that our Choir of 364 is going to sing this Saturday at the Afternoon Session of General Conference:

 


1. Arise, O God and Shine

Vs 1 - Herald Angels trumpet all to heed attention –but the world doesn’t understand


Vs 2 – Still Small Voice that penetrates their heart with the beginning of understanding


Vs 3 – Magnificent voice from Heaven which the world NOW hears is manifest in the most beautiful harmony


Vs 4 – The celestial harmony becomes polyphony as Angels attend those who are encircled by the Spirit – 3 Nephi Ch 17!





2. I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Vs 1 – Having just witnessed and felt such great things – we ponder and meditate and write it upon our hearts


Vs 2 – The Priesthood of the Son of God goes forth to bless God’s children


Vs 4 – We bare record of Him; of things so great and marvelous that no one can conceive of the joy which fills our souls! – 3 Nephi Ch 17!

3. Abide With Me ‘Tis Eventide

Vs 1 – We are in tears, looking steadfastly towards our Savior, with our hearts asking him to tarry a little longer with us


Vs 2 – The Priesthood of the Son of God goes forth to bless God’s children


Vs 3 - The heavens open and we are encircled about with fire as we sing and bear record of Him! – 3 Nephi Ch 17!






And of course, we cannot conclude our journey without finding our Choir of 364 likened within the sacred scriptures that led us in our journey to sing praises to our God and King!

In my daily Book of Mormon scripture reading, I have arrived at the 17th Chapter of 3rd Nephi, which contains some of the most tender descriptions of our Savior's love for His people!  In this Chapter, Jesus directs the people to ponder His words and pray for understanding. Then, He heals their sick AND He prays for them, all of them, using language that cannot be written. And, then when your heart can barely hold all of the beautiful and heart-felt things that you are reading, you then read of how the Lord's angels minister to the children and how the people are able to witness that fire encircles them!  Such holy writ!  And, it is within these scriptures (3 Nephi 17) that our Choir of 364 is likened in preparation for them to sing:



5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on our choir of 364, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.


6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.


9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.

10 And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears.



15 And [Jesus], he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.



16 And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;



17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.



18 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the choir of 364 that they were overcome.



19 And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them ARISE.



20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto our choir of 364: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.



24 And as our choir looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled our choir of 364 about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.

25 And the multitude did see and hear and bear record with their singing; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about three hundred and sixty four souls; and they did consist of men and women, who did sing the song of Redeeming Love.

This Choir journey has been a most blessed experience and one for which my heart will forever be full of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for this most tender of mercies given to me. Thank-you for allowing me to share my joy and love of my Savior with you, because I Know That My Redeemer Lives!