"Never Can I Repay Thee, Lord"

Day 212

I got to see "17 Miracles" last Monday. I fit it in as part of my Pioneer Day celebrations. It was perfect for that, and it already one of my favorite movies.



It was wonderful! Especially when I realized it included a song I very much love from my recent acquisition (via Christmas present) of "Joseph Smith, the Prophet" musical. Indeed, I cannot hear it without coming close to tears.



Just having this song in the movie would have been enough. But even more especially because it used a version by a singer I greatly love to hear (though I do love this soprano's voice!). I can't find anything with him singing the song, but here is a clip of him singing one of my favorite Broadway songs.



After the movie, I longed to have the lyrics available. In the temple yesterday, I thought "Try to find the sheet music!" Because then I could accompany myself whenever I desired to sing the song. Unfortunately, Deseret Book didn't have it and the young man at the desk said it was no longer being sold. He suggested I check on Amazon.

Well, I didn't get to the Internet for an Amazon search, not for any Googling of the lyrics alone. Thus, today when the closing song was announced (before all of the speakers) in Sacrament meeting, I think I visibly was taken aback to hear "Hymn #112--Savior, Redeemer of My Soul." My eyes must have been huge. It couldn't be coincidence.

But it was!!! There within the Hymn book that I have been singing out of all of my life was this hymn that I only recently came to love in the last 7 months. Of course, the arrangement was completely different. And the one in the Hymn book, well, the hymn in general is not much sung among us at all. (A shame about those hymns.) But the lyrics. The very same. And my Elder Orson F. Whitney. Oh, the message is just as wonderful.

And I'm so grateful to have this amazing new-to-me song to praise my Savior--Redeemer of my soul.

Today's Smile: Telling my new Visiting Teachee (who is already a good acquaintance) that I am her new Visiting Teacher. She seemed so happy to have someone who may actually come to visit her. And I get along with her well and enjoy her company. I'm excited for this myself!

Today's Something New: Elder Whitney wrote a hymn. Of course, I never looked to see if he had. I usually look at composers, but typically of songs that we sing. Since I unfortunately have never sung that hymn in my life, I didn't have the chance to see that he had written one. Of course, then I had to check the composers and saw that he had written one more hymn ("The Wintry Day Descending to Its Close") which I have sung. (But not as often either.) I love that we sing hymns written by the early Saints.

Lyrics:

Savior, Redeemer of my soul, 

Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow'r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.

Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.

O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.

Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with thee.
Make me more worthy of thy love,
And fit me for the life above.

Back from "Break"

I have been bad, and I know it. I haven't written on this blog in almost two months. It is simply because I get home fairly "late" (after 8pm) and after having spent an entire day at a computer, I don't often want to turn on my laptop to type in here. Thus, two or three weeks got away. Then the idea of "Playing Ketchup" just seemed too much and too daunting and I avoided it. Thus avoiding the blog altogether. Silly, I know. But I did.

Instead of Playing Ketchup, then, I am just going to pick up from today and keep going. However, I have to note that the last month has been a particularly trying one. It's Summer Reading, so that isn't a surprise that all kinds of things are effecting me mentally, physically, and emotionally. But spiritually, things are fabulous! I have made it through the trials in the other areas because I have made sure to hold to my scripture study, my prayers, my faith, my Church attendance, my Institute classes, and so much more. Indeed, these trials really were much easier to bear because of the spiritual support I had in my life from my Savior and the comfort of the Spirit. It is a shame that I did not have the daily recordings of this pressing on and growth and such. But I know they happened.

And I am indeed exceedingly grateful.