LDS Hymn #52

Hymn #52 - The Day Dawn is Breaking

My first memory of this hymn being set into my head was in 10th grade when I was singing in the ward choir. I was in the soprano section with my good friend from high school and Young Women's (not a common occurrence in my east coast home) and her mother. I think I may have sung this once or twice growing up. The tune when I sang it in choir was somewhat familiar. But I didn't know the words. So, there we were sight-singing. And all 3 of us gustily singing in the chorus were suddenly holding out "Hail to thine ear........!" What? Ear!? Before we all at the same moment realized it was the first syllable of the word "early." Oh! We should have been singing "er!" And every time I have sung this hymn I think of "Hail to thine ear."

Aside from that fun memory, I enjoy this hymn. A bright one to sing about the Restoration and getting to live the Gospel on earth until the beautiful day of the Millennium.

Favorite lines:
*"the world is awaking"
*All of Verse 2, especially "In many a temple the Saints will assemble And labor as saviors of dear ones away"
*Still let us be doing
*Then pure and supernal, our friendship eternal, With Jesus

Some great text with wonderful messages and lessons!

From the history book
She quotes J. Spencer Cornwall who "often did not care for hymns in the less dignified gospel-song tradition...calling [this hymn] 'distinct and interesting due to its chorus which is rhythmically different from the verse part, but beautifully co-ordinated with the tune and form of the verse.'" This is SO true! First published in 1877, by a man who became a member only 4 years earlier.

Gospel Message Day 357

Family Responsibilities, Part 2

This month is the 20th anniversary of the Proclamation on the Family being given. I can't believe it has been 20 years. That is 2/3 of my life, and yet I can remember when it came forth. I wasn't old enough to be present at the Relief Society meeting (though I always thought of that as my meeting, considering the timing of it). But I remember it being talked of, and seeing the document start showing up everywhere. It has been a most crucial and sustaining document for me in my life, especially over the most recent years.

It breaks down responsibilities of parents. To quote (emphasis added): 

"HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations....

"By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."

It doesn't list any responsibilities of the children, but I have been taught about that as well. As children, we are to obey our parents when we know what they ask is honorable and righteous. As siblings we are to treat each other kindly and do our best to protect each other from the world we have to live in. While I know that is the parents' job as well, I remember as I grew up how my siblings were with me every day at school, and at church functions, and at home every day. Just ask my family about The Halloween Story and one would know how my siblings were just as much protectors as my parents. All my life, every one of them have been there for me in so many ways. Perhaps part of that is because I was the baby for a decade, and even after Baby Bro came I was forever Baby Sister. They cared for me and took care of me though my college years. It's probably why for the last 8 years I have missed my siblings so much. I miss the times and experiences we had growing up--especially the happier ones! :-) It has been tough in life to see these siblings go on with marriages and families of their own while I am not able to experience or enjoy it. But what hurts more is that I feel left behind. I don't feel as much a part of my siblings any more. 

Still, even though they live different lives from me now, we all still have the Gospel. And we all still have each other. For eternity.

Gospel Message Day 356

Family Responsibilities

Well, that could include all kinds of things! So let me see how to write this with the Gospel perspective and relation.

To start, I guess I would state that the central unit in the Kingdom of God is the family. The most important organization is the family, which means the responsibilities to and within are many and great. We have a responsibility to care for each other--emotionally, physically, religiously. Parents particularly have this responsibility, as well as caring financially. There is the responsibility to teach. The responsibility to protect. The responsibility to provide. The responsibility to love. The responsibility to support. Depending on our role in the family, the responsibility will vary in degree or depth. But we are all responsible for each other. That is why Heavenly Father put us into families--so we could watch out for and take care of each other and help each other reach the potential He sees in us.

Gospel Message Day 324

Priesthood Power – Part 2

Since I’m trying to use my own definition of things, I would define the Priesthood as the power and authority to act in God’s name to do His will in order to serve His children. One cannot use the Priesthood for their own benefit. It can only be used to help others. (This often makes me think of the scene in “Slipper and the Rose” when the fairy godmother explains that she cannot use her power for herself.)

Worthy males (beginning at age 12 for the Aaronic Priesthood and beginning at age 18 for the Melchizedek Priesthood) are ordained to the Priesthood, giving them the authority to use this power of God to help others. Priesthood helps a father to be a father, especially helping him to be the best he can. Because with the Priesthood he is better able to preside and provide. A woman does not need the Priesthood, because it is already a part of her nature to nurture the family. She is also joining forces with Heavenly Father each time she invokes His power as she gives birth to a child of God.

I’m just going to get this out right now, because I’m sure many will wonder: those ridiculous women who keep arguing and fighting and protesting that women should hold the Priesthood do not have a correct testimony of what the Priesthood is and why it is here on Earth. They are being selfish (not to mention stupid). And selfishness cannot be a part of the Priesthood. Not to mention, they don’t need it. Do they not realize how spiritually endowed they already are?!

I am a woman. I am not a repressed one. I simply know who I am and what my plan and purpose are on this Earth. And I will achieve all of it without the Priesthood because that is not the duty or responsibility that has been given me. I have been given plenty of other responsibilities and I certainly don’t want to have the Priesthood added to that! I will gladly leave that responsibility for the brothers as it will enable them to serve better than they could without the Priesthood, and make them even more the kind of stalwart, strong men that I want in my life.

Gospel Message Day 305

Work and Personal Responsibility, Part 5

I feel haven't touched as much on personal responsibility, except for the occasional how it applies to work. The two are very interconnected, but I just don't feel I've said enough yet. To me, personal responsibility incorporates accountability. We have things we are responsible for in this life. All of those things could probably tie back to work some how. I'm responsible for my own salvation. I'm also responsible for my health, taking care of my body, helping my ancestors by working on family history, helping the dead by doing temple work, taking care of my finances, caring for my home, working on being the best I can be, trying to be more Christlike, searching for and preparing for my eternal companion, preparing to be a wife and a mother, for helping to take care of the Earth we've been blessed with. The list could go on and on.

To be Christlike and to be a member of His Church gives me many responsibilities:

"willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death" (Mosiah 18:8-9).

Each of us who have covenanted with the Lord through baptism has these responsibilities. And we are each responsible for how we will carry them out. They cannot be done by others and us not have to worry about them. No one else can take over our part, and no one else can make up for us if we don't do our part. We are accountable and personally responsible for how we fulfill our part of the covenant we have made. Taking care of ourselves helps us better take care of others. Having the Gospel in our lives gives us the responsibility to share it with as many as we can. With each added degree of knowledge, we are given more responsibility with what we will do with that knowledge. How we will use it, what we do with it, how we will let it affect and change us, and how we will use it to make the world better and build the Lord's kingdom.

Gospel Message Day 303

Work and Personal Responsibility, Part 3

Work is an important principle in the Gospel. We do not believe in getting something for nothing. We must work to earn any reward or better result of any kind. To be forgiven, we must go through the work of repentance. To enjoy peace of mind in upcoming, unforeseen trials, we have to put forth the work to prepare ourselves in all ways. Food storage doesn't just show up. We work to save it up. Blessings from tithing and fast offerings come only after we make the effort to pay them. A house becomes clean only after we have cleaned it. A testimony only grows if we make the effort to build it. Our calling is only magnified if we do our utmost within it. We are, however, blessed when we work, for when we give our all the Lord will add His part--which is much greater and more effective than our all. And thus together we are able to achieve wondrous things.

Too many people in this day have a sense of entitlement. They believe they deserve this or that just by being them. They don't see that they must work to deserve something. No one is entitled to anything. We have rights (which are not always given). But even those rights must be fought and worked for. Its a patriotic month, when we often are reminded that freedom isn't free. It has a price. It is every man's right to be free. But they are not entitled to it. They are to fight for and protect their freedoms.

We also cannot expect to gain a reward from someone else doing our work for us, hence the personal responsibility. For one, where is the growth for us if we shirk our work? For another, why should we deserve to be rewarded for what we have not done for ourself? We take responsibility for what our share of the load in life is to be, to take care of our own tasks and duties.

Now service is entirely different. Service is assisting someone in their life's work load. But it is not taking over all and doing it for them. If a sister in the ward has a baby, we offer meals and childcare and maybe even some house care until the parents are ready to take over these tasks again. Our serving others does not mean those people can just sit back and do nothing for themselves because we are taking care of it. We reach out. We help. We lift. We inspire. We give hope. But we do so with the intent and desire that those we serve will soon be back on their feet and able to take care of themselves. Even better, that they can reach a point when they can help lift another as well.

Gospel Message Day 302

Work and Personal Responsibility, Part 2

Well, I'm fighting a headache. Have been all day. I don't feel like writing much as sleep is begging for me. But it does put me in mind of something related to the topic. The last two days, I have felt very far from wanting to work. Emotions and aforementioned head. I think that is the true test of one's personal responsibility at least where work is concerned--continuing to do so when your mind or your heart or your health are just not as in to it, because you know it is not about you but those you serve.

Gospel Message Day 273

More Random Gospel Thoughts

Another good Institute lesson. So glad my training ended early tonight so that I could make it. We only have one left, and I don't know if Sister A. will be teaching us again. I love her lessons so much. I always feel the spirit. She has a natural way of getting class members to readily participate, which I rarely see in any other religious classes I attend. Over the years I have learned to apply what I read and study, and this class has taught me to do it even more. But what I will miss the most is that she would bring up applications that she understands we're going through because she is going through them, too. And brings them up in ways that aren't whiny, complaining, sob-storying, etc. She simply tells it like it is, while helping us feel and know that we're not alone in what we're going through. I don't get that with any other teachers in my other religious classes.

Our Church is one of change, as far as what some of our callings and responsibilities are. 18 months ago, I was playing the piano in Primary (the children's organization). Now I pick the music, lead it, and lead the choir. Four years ago I helped supervise visiting teachers and their respective routes. Ten years ago, I was a Young Women leader. Twenty years ago I was a Beehive secretary. We receive different callings to help us grow in various capacities. I learned very different things from being a leader to teenage girls than from leading a volunteer choir of all skill levels. As much as we love (or might not love) the callings we have, they are not meant to last forever. Others need their chance to learn what they can in those callings, and serve the people in them.

And that's the part that we sometimes forget when we are in our own callings. The people we serve are obviously affected by who is holding and fulfilling that calling that involves them. Our Institute class has been greatly, greatly blessed to have Sister A. For me, she has been just what I need right now. And as members, we often hate to see those people move on to other callings that keep them from working so directly with us. I don't want to see her go, but maybe the Lord has someone else in mind who can touch my life now in a way that Sister A. cannot. And I'm sure He has other tasks in mind for Sister A. So though we want to hold on to the people in the callings they have, we need to get used to "letting them go" so they can continue to grow in new and varied ways that the Lord wants for them.

Gospel Message Day 140

Gathering the House of Israel, Part 2

Today, some scriptural backing to the topic.

In Deuteronomy 28:64 there is a prophecy about the House of Israel being scattered:
And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

In their scattered state, the Lord wanted to gather them to Him. But they could be so stubborn. We see this in 3 Nephi 10:5:
And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.

But the Lord had made a covenant with His people that He would remember them,as we see in 2 Nephi 29:14:
And it shall come to pass that my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one. And I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever.

And also in Jeremiah 23:3:
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

And the promise is now coming true. In 1836, after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery experienced this vision as recorded in Doctrine & Covenants 110:11:
After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.
From these scriptures I have had impressed on me during my life that doing my part to gather Israel is not simply my duty as a member of the Church--it is helping the Lord fulfill a promise He made to His children.

Gospel Message Day 139

Gathering the House of Israel

Seriously? Wow. OK. Where to begin? The first thing that comes to mind is missionary work. But there is more to this topic than that (plus, I'm pretty sure that is a topic that has yet to be picked). I think for today, I'm going to start the topic off with a song that often comes to mind when I think of the gathering of Israel. Tomorrow I hope to give more scriptural accounts to talk of the subject.

The most important thing that I can begin with however, is stating that gathering the House of Israel is one of the greatest, most important responsibilities we have as members of Christ's church. It is not to be taken lightly. It cannot be ignored. It happens on both sides of the veil--work for us to do with those living now, and work for us to do for those who have already died. The work will not end until the Savior comes, and as His coming draws closer, our time to do this work gets less and less. We cannot shirk or neglect. Because those people need us. And we need them.