A Moving Christmas Rendition

Dear Magdalene,

Today we showed up late for church.  Since it was the Sunday before Christmas, showing up late meant there were no empty seats, except for the front corner pew.  We made it in time to sit before the sacrament hymn ended, and all six of us squished in the small space.

The meeting was beautiful, as it always is for Christmas.  But I must report that my favorite part was the last two songs.  The full choir was in front of us.  There were two of the best piano players sitting at the piano (meaning two men with big, strong hands), an organist at the organ, three violinists and one bass violinist, all with instruments ready to go.  Sister Mecham (my fav) warned the congregation that once the song starts, "Get ready cause it's really gonna move."  The pianists began the introduction to the song, and then it began.  The large choir, the two pianists, one organist, three violinists, one bass violinist, and one large, packed congregation began singing Angels We Have Heard On High.  And it moved.

The we switched into Hark The Herald Angels Sing.  And it moved.

I don't think I've sat in a sacrament meeting so powerful.  Maybe I have, but it's been a very long time since such power has been sustained.  I think Daddy was moved from the get go, as was I.  I don't know how anybody sang, but it seemed everyone was.

Because we were in the front corner pew, we had the best seats in the house.  We got the fullness of sound from the strings, the bulk of volume from the choir, and the rest of the congregation coming from behind.  This is praise!  This is faith.  This is inspiration.  This is what a heavenly host might begin to sound like.  I envisioned that Christ could have appeared in the space between me and the choir on the podium, and none of us would have been surprised.

If that's what heavenly choirs sound like, I think I should much like to participate.  Definitely something worth sitting in the front left few for the rest of my time at church, if that's what it sounds like there.

Moving, indeed.

~Mom<3  

1 Nephi 1:15 - Whole Heart Filled

1 Nephi 1:15

And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

After this manner... this tells me Nephi is somewhat paraphrasing, and there were likely LOTS more to the praising that what was contained in verse 14.  His soul did rejoice, and when one's soul rejoices, there is a lot more than words that come out of their mouths.  Lehi was joyous, thrilled, happy.  His whole heart was filled, not just part.  It wasn't bittersweet, but he found joy at what the Lord had shown unto him.  This is not only a good reason to ask the Lord to permit me/you to have these experiences, but to earnestly get my/your life in order to be prepared for such things.  Perhaps God will not grant us all these types of experiences, but James 1:5 says that God gives liberally to all who ask in faith.  So why not ask in faith, and begin the process?  It is possible.  

Imagine if the whole world began this process, doing what it takes to turn fully to Him, and to experience such joy.  This joy was resultant from a vision.  Imagine what greater joy God can bestow upon us, outside of visions.  

1 Nephi 1:14 - A Merciful God

After Lehi read the book he had been given by Jehovah, he saw of their impending destruction.  He warned them with a double "wo" of what he foresaw (1 Nephi 1:13).  But then Nephi explains the following, which occurred to his father, Lehi.  

1 Nephi 1:14

And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy ^apower, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who ^bcome unto thee that they shall perish!

After Lehi both read and saw many great and marvelous things... tells me that perhaps there weren't all bad things that Lehi saw, concerning Jerusalem.  Perhaps he saw the wonderous things which they might be experiencing in the future.  Perhaps he saw the holocaust, but saw of the redemption yet to come.  It is promised that these are His covenant people, and they will be redeemed.  The entirety of what Lehi saw is veiled from our view, but it is not to Lehi.  And what he saw was not just horrible destruction, but also "great and marvelous things".  We too, can ask to see such things, and God willing, some of us may be able.  

He did exclaim many things unto the Lord.  Many things, not just a few.  All of them are words of praise.  Despite seeing all the destruction, it is clear that the great and marvelous things outweighed the abominations, destruction, and probably even persecution of this covenant people.  Lehi's not mourning their destruction, as we might if we were to view our homeland being destroyed in vision.  

Great and marvelous are they works, O Lord God Almighty!  This is a far cry from the atheism we witness so prevalently in our day.  Interesting how when things go bad, even atheists believe.  I wonder if anyone heeded Lehi's and the other prophet's warnings.  Either way, they praised God for the marvelous works.   

Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth.  What does high in the heavens mean, besides the obvious altitude? Typically something high, for example the sun, is able to have influence over thousands and thousands of miles below.  God's throne is high in the heavens, such that His light is able to shine over all His creations.  Lehi is praising, in a natural and not forced way, the power, the goodness, and mercy of God for all His creations.  This is a far cry from the mean, heartless, and un-merciful being that so many religions create to instill fear in their subjects.  

(I love pictures like this.  So beautiful.  I got it here, but if you are the true artist of the portrait, let me know so I can ask permission to share!:) Thanks!)

 Because thou are merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!  What does that mean?  Does that mean all who follow God will never die?  Never know pain?  Or the depths of hell?  Did the Savior experience death?  Did he know pain?  Or experience the depths of "hell"?  I think he experienced it all, moreso than any of us ever will.  He experienced our pains, our sins, and more.  Didn't the Savior turn to his Father?  Does that make Lehi a liar, or is he getting at something else here?  

Following God doesn't mean we will never die, or experience hardship.  Quite the contrary for some.  If we are true followers of the Savior, it only makes sense that our lot should somewhat mimic his.  He apostles were all killed, and so many of his true followers are so often persecuted.  But that does not mean they will not be saved.  God is merciful, and I think Lehi is talking about an eternal perspective here.  He (God) will not suffer that those who come unto Him will perish, as in eternal perishing, or eternal damnation.  There is hope!  We do not have to suffer eternal pains of hell.  All can be redeemed if we come to Him.  Although for some, that might seem hard, but the first thing to do is to try.  Ask for help, and He will help you turn to Him fully, if you're willing.

I hope my kids know how much I know this is true.

1 Nephi 1:8 - A Throne and Concourses

In my last post about 1 Nephi 1:7,  I wrote my thoughts on what Lehi was going through, as he had just barely experienced a remarkable situation of being overcome with the Spirit.  On to 1 Nephi 1:8:

And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a ^avision, even that he saw the ^bheavens open, and he thought he ^csaw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.

This post has really taken me a long to muster.  Figuring out how to really analyze this one is really challenging.  What did Lehi really experience here?  He was carried away.  Is that literally?  Physically, or spiritually?

I've learned a lot in the last several months about spiritual separation - how when many people experience certain things, part of their spirit will recede to somewhere else in order for the part of the spirit which remains to be able to tolerate the experience and still allow the body to function.  For those who believe we have a spirit that is fluid, is it not hard to imagine and believe.  Some may think that's way out there, but for those who have experienced trauma and undergo serious emotional and spiritual work, they will attest to the possibility, and even truth of this idea.

So what happened to Lehi?  Was he spiritually carried away, or is it more literal, in a physical sense?  Just some questions to ponder.

He was carried away in a vision.  What did he see?  He saw the heavens open.  Wow!!!  What does that entail?  Is it like a curtain parts?  Like a new realm simply appears where he was carried away to?  Or was he carried to a heavenly space?

He thought he saw God.  Remarkable.

Sitting upon his throne.  A throne is a strong symbol of authority.  It denotes a position of power, respect, and justice.  It is also, for some, a "mercy seat".  I know the term mercy seat is a loaded term, so I won't get in to that, but a throne is a very symbolic image.  It denotes Kingship.

God was sitting.  Why sitting?  Why not standing?  To me, this sends a message of calm attentiveness.  What was He paying attention to?  How would it be, to have God's attention?  How would that make one feel, to know they were privy to this scene?  How would it feel to be Lehi, and get a glimpse of this throne with the Almighty God, sitting on it?

God was surrounded - not just in the company of, but surrounded... Have you ever been surrounded?  How does that feel?  Overwhelming?  Exciting?  I know I personally get overwhelmed when I'm surrounded by people, but God is capable of this.  And apparently rather than get flustered, as many mortals do, He did not.  For there were numberless concourses of angels.  Numberless?  Holy cow.

The angels were in the attitude of singing and praising their God.  Can you even imagine?  True singing!  Real praise, not just lip service!  What does it take, to truly sing and praise God?  Is it showy?  Is it all hands in the air?  Or is it all hands on the ground?  Perhaps both?  Perhaps neither?  Have we mortals ever really experienced what it feels like to really sing to and praise God?  What a wonderful thing for Lehi to witness.  It must have been a remarkable sight.

p.s. - Denver Snuffer's The Second Comforter has an extensive and deeply poignant view of this verse.  See the chapter titled Ceremony and Knowing God.  Well worth the read.