Now, to the real subject that I am blogging about today. so, my parents were speaking in their ward today, and I was asked last minute to pinch hit and sing. I was asked yesterday evening and their ward starts at 9 am. so I didn't have long to learn a song. its a good thing that I have the best accompanist in the world that always plays the piano for my family and i. she has been playing for us for close to 20 years. and we are so happy to have her.
My parents talks were amazing! as always! and I was told that by the entire ward, and so were they. I had several people come up to me and say it was the best program ever, and that they should speak every week ;)
My dad kind of chose my song, he said that when he found out that I was singing, that it was the song that came to his mind. I had heard it a handful of times, but not enough to really know it, and I had always heard men sing it. so, I was kind of nervous about learning it. because I had such little time. but I practiced and practiced and practiced, and prayed that the angels would be with me as I sang, that it would sound good, and that I would convey the message across to the congregation.
The lyrics to the song are a scripture in Alma chapter 29 verse 1 it reads... O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart,
that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God,
with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!
I started to think about the lyrics of the song as I was practicing it, THAT I MIGHT GO FORTH AND SPEAK WITH THE TRUMP THE TRUMP OF GOD, WITH A VOICE TO SHAKE THE EARTH, AND CRY REPENTANCE UNTO EVERY PEOPLE! how powerful is that, to to only speak with a trump, which is already loud, but the Trump of GOD, with a voice that with shake the earth. and cry repentance. it made me reflect on my mission, and how I cried repentance every day for 18 months. and it was amazing, but just imagine if I could speak with the Trump of God. how many people would listen. you can't not hear a trump, it was very loud, and very powerful!
You also do not need to have that little black name tag, to do missionary work, to cry repentance unto the people around us. to our friends and family.
he goes on to say
2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.
3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.
I love how he goes on and says, that he would declare to every people with the voice of thunder. " but behold, I am a man and do sin in my wish: for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me."
As much as we can with we were angels and cry repentance with the voice of thunder, we are not that yet. we are only men and women, humans, and as Alma, I sin in my wish to be an angels. we shouldn't have to wish to be angels to be able to preach to gospel, NOW is the time to do it. we need to get out of our comfort zones, and use the gifts that we have been given to help the work along.
In my moms talk today she talked about how we draw circles, and we hope that we don't get a calling that will take us out of that circle, and that we should get out of those circles and out of our comforts zones. I like to say that we have our own little bubbles, and we need to pop those bubbles. we need to pop them in order to grow. sometimes we are asked to o things that we may not "want" to do, or don't think we "can" do. sometimes we are asked to do things that we aren't necessarily comfortable doing, like talking to our friends and family about the gospel. and sometime we are asked to do things and were not sure why we were asked to do them. just like when I was asked last minute to sing, and sing a song I didn't have much time to prepare. but we can do hard things, and we are blessed when we do them. we are blessed more than we know.
One of my favorite scripture and the scripture that I put on my missionary plague is in Doctrine and Covenants 18:15-16
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!
If we work and work and work and preach and preach and preach, and we only bring but ONE should unto Him, how GREAT shall be our joy in the kingdom of God. ONE SOUL! just ONE! sometimes we may tell ourselves they won't listen to me, they don't wanna hear about church, what if they don't want to be my friend anymore? all of the what ifs that we have, will never compare to the joy that we will have if we use what the Lord has allotted us and bring but ONE should unto Christ, how GREAT shall be our joy in the Kingdom of God!
I know that we can do hard things, and that we can and most like are already (without even knowing it) helping to bring should unto Christ, we may not know it yet, or see the outcome yet, but we will see it and it will all be worth it!
So, lets get out of those circles that we have drawn, and pop those bubbles, and do those hard things that He asks of us, even if we don't know why. we will be blessed, and our joy with be GREAT!
in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
