Music: More Than Praise

Six weeks ago, my friend who is also my stake president asked Dale and me if we could stay after church for a few minutes. He told us the stake wanted to take seriously the counsel we had received from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve to make a bigger deal about Easter.

Amen.

When I was a bumbling ward choir director 15 years ago, I'd had to make the case for that very thing - successfully begging another stake president to move Fast Sunday - the last weekend in March - from Easter so we could have a proper choral Easter program.

I loved the idea, but the timing instantly filled me with dread. When this stake president suggested a lovely choral devotional of Easter music, I'm afraid I took my eyes off the mission for just a second, and like Peter, saw only the waves of very little time to prepare such an event swirling all around me. Six weeks???

"Do you mean for next year?" I asked semi-optimistically.

"No, this year," he said, smiling.

And forgive me, friend and President, for my only seeing the waves when I replied, "You're not a musician, are you?"

I wouldn't tell you this, except bless his heart, he told the whole stake at the event which was held Sunday night - Palm Sunday - in preparation for Holy Week - which, to my way of thinking, turned out in such a way as to suggest the Savior reached out His hand and pulled me up out of the waves, like Peter.

A full choral program was out of the question at this point. We have two functioning choirs in our entire stake; and thank heavens one of them was ours, directed by Dale. I knew we could have at least one full choral number, as our ward was preparing an Easter program for next week. The rest would have to be soloists.

The evening began with a gorgeous soprano who currently serves in the Tabernacle Choir, singing the tender Primary song, "He Sent His Son."

A fifteen-year-old played a piano solo of "Be Still My Soul" - I could feel and hear this sweet boy's testimony in his masterful performance.

A flute solo of "Beautiful Savior" - simple, pure, reverent - from another dear sister in the stake.

A brief talk about the last week of the Savior's life. We were asked to imagine what we might be doing on Monday, when Jesus had cleansed the temple for the last time... or Thursday evening, when He had washed His apostles' feet or suffered in Gethsemane... or early Friday morning, as his rushed, illegal trial was concluding...

The sweetest part of the evening for me was the surest inspiration of this whole event - an instant choir; all the Primary children and youth were invited to come fill in the choir seats and sing their favorite song which never needs rehearsal - "Gethsemane."

The children and youth started coming to the front, and they just kept coming. And coming. Three-year-olds, eighteen-year-olds, and everyone in between - just kept. Coming. The organist told me afterwards: "I felt like the Army of Helaman was walking past me. So many strong, young people wanting to sing their testimony of the Savior and His atonement!"

It took my breath away to hear all those young people singing with their full hearts besides their voices:

The hardest thing that ever was done,

The greatest pain that ever was known,

The biggest battle that ever was won -

This was done by Jesus!

The fight was won by Jesus!

Gethsemane! Jesus loves me,

So He gave this gift to me in Gethsemane... So He gives this gift to me from Gethsemane.

Then, a tenor solo with cello - another of my favorite songs - the words are the most sublime prayer - "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul." I can never make it through this one without tears.

And finally, our ward choir sang of the Crucifixion and its eternal effect on every human - "Behold the Wounds in Jesus' Hands."

I felt the Spirit instruct me again - as I've been instructed so many times in this calling to organize music as praise for our stake:

Music is more than praise.

Music is more than a vehicle to bring the Spirit to a meeting.

Music is a haven and refuge for heavy hearts who leave the meeting with challenges and struggles - with battles to face.

Music is spiritual protection for hearts who fight temptation every single day.

The Spirit and testimony brought by music is important during the meeting... so God's children can go home with armor after the meeting.

My dear friend and stake president then testified to a congregation the size of stake conference the thing that Father has taught me over the last six weeks:

We worship a God of miracles.