"Aren’t we something less than a friend if we have the gospel of Jesus Christ and are unwilling to share it by word and example with a family, a member, neighbor, or the stranger? Aren’t we something less than a friend if we have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are unwilling to share it?" - Marvin J. Ashton
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know who I am. I know God's plan. I'll follow him in faith. I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ. I'll honor his name. I'll do what is right; I'll follow his light. His truth I will proclaim.
A hymn not often sung in our congregations. A fairly simple melody and only two verses. Seems like an obvious choice to me, but, well..... Yeah. Part of the praising songs. The first verse works especially well for the close of a meeting because, at least for me, that is how I feel after being fed by the Spirit--longing to raise my heart in prayer and praise.
From the history book
It points out that the hymn unites two thoughts--prayer of gratitude and then our realization that the wonders of nature also praise God. This connects with Psalm 145:10--"All they works shall praise thee, O Lord." She also quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson when he said "Therefore is Nature ever the ally of Religion: lends all her pomp and riches to the religious sentiment." So true!
Lyrics
1. Great King of heav'n, our hearts we raise
To thee in prayer, to thee in praise.
The vales exult, the hills acclaim,
And all thy works revere thy name.
2. O Israel's God! Thine arm is strong.
To thee all earth and skies belong,
And with one voice in one glad chord,
With myriad echoes, praise the Lord.
Text: Carrie Stockdale Thomas, 1848-1931. (c) 1948 IRI
Music: Leroy J. Robertson, 1896-1971. (c) 1948 IRI
One of my most favoritest of favorite hymns. When I am asked to pick JUST one (do people understand just how hard favorites are for passionate people like me?!), this is the hymn that I go with. Always having a thing for the "Alleluia hymns," this hymn stood out as a child. But then seeing its role in the LDS Church movie "Mountain of the Lord" when I was a tween (and thus watching that movie countless times for the many years following), it took on another meaning. I no longer wanted to just sing the hymns in Church. I wanted to sing them with feeling and testimony and the praise due to them--especially when they are praising hymns like this one! Joy of joys that this hymn in 3 flats (one of my hardest keys to play) with a random 3/2 time signature and accidentals scattered as well as ranges that my small hands cannot reach and is one of those fast upbeat hymns that I always struggle with is still one that I have managed to learn and be able to play. A true blessing from the Lord to help me be able to play one of my most favoritest of favorite hymns.
As my voice developed over time into a 3 octave range, I reveled in getting to sing high notes in Church, when often lower register hymns were chosen because not many--especially of our elder members--can hit those high notes. But oh the joy to praise in full, top voice those high notes of "Alleluia!" Just like my choir director Kelly DeHaan would talk about in our Sterling Singers choirsides. Sometimes one just has to bear their testimony fortissimo--and singing is the only way we're allowed to do so in our meetings. So why not embrace that opportunity when it comes?
Every time this song comes up, I possibly sing a little louder than any other hymn. Because it is perfect. Not only does it have those "Alleluias" scattered throughout the song, the words for a nature lover like me thrill me to the very core. (Yes, I know--I am waxing eloquent like Anne Shirley, but it cannot be helped--that is how beautiful songs and the glorious world Heavenly Father has created for us affect me.) But the words don't have to be just about the wondrous things in nature singing back to praise their Creator. Those parts of nature are symbolic of us, and how we can praise, too.
"Lift up your voice and with us sing"
"Make music for thy Lord to hear" (I adore that line)
"In praise rejoice"
"Find a voice"
"That gives to man both warmth and light"
We are also His creations. And we should join together as His children to praise and thank him for all that we are and have: in us as children of God, as human beings, and for the beauty of all that is around us--created for us. Truly it is a "How can I keep from singing" moment! And this song evokes and enables those emotions for me.
Because of copyright, I cannot share they lyrics or sheet music, which are also not on the LDS hymns page. But this is not a hymn singular to the LDS church. So many other religions know this, because it was the amazing St. Francis of Assisi who wrote it. (I don't really know much else about him, but he has always had a fond place in my heart for writing this hymn I love so much.) But I feel the video above helps in at least you getting to hear it, as well as some of the beauties of the world that they included with the video.
From the history book (excited to read this!)
"It is a joyous inventory of the blessings heaped upon us by a loving Creator as each of His creations is urged to join in a chorus of praise." So well said. St. Francis became weak and suffered periods of temporary blindness. He knew he would not live much longer, so he composed a hymn "declaring one final time his love for the simple things of nature and praising God for them. His feeling of unity with nature was all-inclusive and highly personal; the original version addresses the sun, wind, and fire as 'brothers,' the moon and water as 'sisters,' and the earth, as retained in our version, as 'mother.'" He added another stanza addressed to our sister death. "Such were his feelings of peace as his life closed."
The original hymn was in vulgar Latin, the language of the common people in St Francis' time. William Draper translated the version the LDS use in their hymnal, writing it for a schoolchildren's festival in England. He condensed the words and added in the "Alleluias" (woohoo!). The tune was first printed in 1623 in Germany, and its title translates to "Let us rejoice." Quite fitting.
This is not one we sang much growing up, even if I did live in the Mountain State. I think we automatically assumed this was "a Utah hymn," so we didn't sing it. But really anyone could enjoy and/or connect with the song because it just talks about the beauty of nature and how we can see God's hand in it all. So perhaps if you live in the desert with no mountains, you don't understand that. But you can understand wildflowers. Sunshine. Flowing rivers (yes, even in a desert). We just have to look around where ever we may be, see the beauty there, and know that God's hand is in that beauty. That was one of my first lessons I learned from moving as a child. I was not happy with our second move. The third was difficult. My fourth to college was one of the hardest. I had to learn to find beauty where ever I was. I started with nature, because I knew it would never fail me. And that was able to transition to finding beauty in the people and cultures around me. It made the subsequent moves much easier to make. So I enjoy this hymn now as I have learned to find that beauty and thank my Heavenly Father for it.
From the history book
"All Saints can join together in singing our gratitude for the beauties of our world." George Pyper describes the hymn as a literary gem as it brought together "two kindred spirits...both loving music, art, and God's beautiful outdoors."
Wow--I can't believe we're on the home stretch with these Gospel topic posts. I have no idea if anyone has actually been reading the posts. Blog traffic has increased, but that doesn't mean they stayed and read. And if they did, I don't know if my ramblings and attempts to be a better member missionary have had any positive outcome for them. But I think it has been positive for me. This experience has made me think, and search scriptures, and reflect on songs. It has reminded me that every part of my life is inseparably connected with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Also, today we had such a beautiful special musical number. I actually had picked the song from one of my books a few weeks ago and asked a couple to sing it. I'd never heard it, but I thought it looked like a nice arrangement for the duet. Didn't even look at the piano since our pianist is Amazing x 10. Wow--that piano part was whoa! And fit so perfectly with the text. I've heard "How Great Thou Art" hundreds of times. Sung it quite a bit, including a few times last year with the Sterling Singers. But with memories of this weekend's hike very fresh in my mind, that song took on a sweeter, deeper, more lasting meaning for me as they sang
I see the stars...
Thy power throughout
The universe displayed...
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee How Great Thou Art!
(emphasis added). Because I wandered under the stars in the woods. I looked up at that mountain grandeur and in a few hours was on top of that mountain, looking out at more of the wonders His hands hath made. I heard birds singing in the morning. And the breezes throughout the night and the morning were so beautiful. I know for myself why so many prophets went up into the mountain to pray and/or to converse with the Lord. I felt a closeness that can only be compared yet isn't quite the same as to what I feel inside the Lord's temple. Yes, there was a lot of pain and tears. Yes there has been residual pain today. But all I could think today was how every bit of that experience was worth it--to feel that close to my Savior and to my Heavenly Father, and to fully enjoy what they created for each of us.
Another scripture to share. Someone shared it in Sunday School yesterday, and I felt I needed to include it in this topic. Especially as I only shared scriptures from the Doctrine & Covenants.
3 Nephi 9:15 - Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name. All things. It astounds the mind to think of all the things there could possibly be that were created. Our Lord is most capable, but I don't think He did it alone. Not that He couldn't. But I think He wanted all of us to be a part of creating the world we would live on, and be tested on. I think (and this is not doctrine) that He wanted us to feel a stronger connection to the world. To have deeper meanings and joys with certain creations--able to find the beauty in them more easily than we do in other things. My friend had a teacher who once suggested they had a part in a creation, and she is sure she helped to create dolphins because she loves them so much. I've often wondered what I helped with, which things I love so much here. Seahorses? Turtles? Roses? I'll never know in this life, but it doesn't fully matter to me--as I find the greatest joy and fulfillment in the beauty of landscapes, clouds, rainbows, various weather, and more.
While I may speculate on our role in the creation, I do not speculate in the fact that we had one. For it is backed up by the scripture in the Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3:24 - And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
Our Savior has many titles, each reflecting one of the roles He had/has. So when we call Him Creator, it's because He created the Earth. Heavenly Father was the orchestrator of the Plan, which included the Earth's creation, but Jesus was the one who executed the Creation. He brought us down to help Him form the seas, and the mountains, and the valleys, and the plants, and the flowers, and the animals. After each day, He reported to our Father what work was done. And our Father, each day, praised the work that it was well.
That is the extremely simplified version of the Creation story. One has to only truly and fully look around them at the wonders the world possesses to know that the Creation was an intricate, detailed work of love for each of us and for our Father.
Fabulous party, so we have a weekend late night. I don't feel to be over with the topic just yet, though. I talked of a couple of things related to the Creation. But I don't feel I've said enough, yet, about how much I love the world around me. I love the landscapes. I love the various weather patterns. I am always impressed and awed by the kinds and varieties and amounts of creatures that populate the earth. I have been watching some nature documentaries lately (in this case, a series on Africa) and I'm floored by some of the tiniest creatures they highlighted, as well as creatures I've familiar with doing things that we have no idea why they do it. The world was created for the use of man, and for a place of testing for us. Yet there are creatures that I will never see in my lifetime, which I may never hear of (except in things like these documentaries) that have been given their own habitats with their own reasons and ways to live. And in those lives, they can find purpose and fulfillment and maybe even joy among the hardship.
I love how mindful, thoughtful, and careful the Lord was in the Creation--that there were grandiose, majestic portions as well as minute, intricate pieces, and that every bit glorifies God while reminding us of His love.
I think I've begun to repeat myself on the last topic. So, time for a new one! The Creation is part of the Plan of Salvation. This Conference talk by Elder Nelson really breaks down and explains the Creation. In coming days, I'll probably use quotes from this talk to give me direction in what to talk about.
To start off the first day, I had a Primary song come to mind, which actually goes with this quote:
The entire Creation was planned by God. A council in heaven was once convened in which we participated.There our Heavenly Father announced His divine plan.It is also called the plan of happiness,the plan of salvation,the plan of redemption,the plan of restoration,the plan of mercy,the plan of deliverance,and the everlasting gospel.The purpose of the plan is to provide opportunity for the spirit children of God to progress toward an eternal exaltation.
The song was one I first started learning in California on vacation. When I returned home to Delaware and found them learning it there, too, I had my first glimpse of what being part of a worldwide Church meant. I've loved the song ever since.
This is a bit more about the Plan, but the Creation was part of that plan. The world needed to be created so that we could have a testing ground--and it is a most wondrous and glorious testing ground! I love how the newer temple presentations all seem to pay moments of homage to God's amazing creations all around us. I never tire of reveling in the Lord's beauty. Which means I have to end with this song because now it is in my head:
This is a blog where I share inspirational/explanatory quotes, pieces of my testimony, and various things/events/experiences that have strengthened and will continue to increase that testimony. I am not officially called of my church to keep this blog. I share these things because they are the core of my very existence. And every part of me wants to proclaim it to all the world. So, I'll start here. I hope all who read my "spiritual ramblings" may know with a surety that I know and believe these things with all of my heart and with complete assurance.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I would love to talk more with readers, though I do reserve the right to not discuss or respond to anything inappropriate or that I am not comfortable with.
