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Light the World (Again)

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Yes, I copied Mommy's title. We're both so original, right?!
Anyway, the prompt for Light the World yesterday was to share a scripture with a loved one, so I decided to share it here so all of my loved ones could read it. 

I think one of my favorite scriptures is probably Doctrine and Covenants 25:12. It reads:

"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."

Reasons I love this scripture:

1. Here, the Lord is speaking to Emma Smith. Emma had to be a pretty amazing woman to endure all that she did during the Restoration of the Gospel. She had to be so strong and faithful and tender and loving to give up so much to follow Joseph and support him as he worked to bring the truth back to the world. And here, God is speaking to her, telling her to put together a collection of songs praising Him. He trusted her with one of the most essential part of a church meeting.

2. God Himself is validating the importance of music. Unlike Mark, I cannot claim music as my degree or life blood, but music means a lot to me. Since being at college, I have been cut off from the constant love of my family and my home, and sometimes, that can be lonely. I have made lots of friends, and I am happy at school, but at times when I'm sad or lonely, music brings joy to my soul. Even when I'm already happy, music can bring an extra energy to my life. When there is an absence of music in my life, the world seems dull. There are countless hours of music available for me on Apple Music, and I certainly take advantage of it, because how can we feel truly sad when we listen to music? We too, can delight in the songs in our hearts!

3. Music brings joy to God, and He will bless us as we sing praises to Him. With that, I want to add that music has memory, or rather, brings back memories for us. When Range died, I had a really hard time feeling happy, because growing up, he was what always made me feel better. During that time, I listened to A LOT of the King's Singers. Like, probably much more than is healthy for any human being, but then again, they are wonderful, so sue me. But I now feel a nostalgic kind of sadness mixed with happiness whenI hear them now, because they bring back memories of my sweet cat.  There are songs that I will forever associate with my job at Penn Skates, or my mission, or singing with my family. And to think about the association God has with songs in the hymnal. Some are focused on the birth of His Only Begotten Son, or the Atonement of Christ, or the gratitude of the Saints for their blessings. We may never know what His favorite hymn is, but I imagine that how I feel when I hear music is only amplified for God. 

4. Those who praise God through music will receive blessings. I think the greatest of all those blessings in joy! Right now, as we celebrate the Christmas season, we sing the classics like "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night", accompanied by the lesser known "Das its sin Ros entsprungen" and "Kling, Glöckchen, Kling". When we sing praises to God and His Son, we are using a power not normally felt. When I sing, I feel differently than when I just listen to music. It really feels like the Spirit is flowing through me, and out through my voice. True unity is achieved when multiple voices join together to tell Heavenly Father how much we love Him and Jesus Christ. We can feel hopeful, and grateful, and have a greater desire to do good when we sing or join the continuous chorus. 

Music has played a very significant role in our family, and I expect it will continue to do so for some time. It defines much of who we are, and that is why this verse celebrating music is one of my favorites. I can't wait to be with you all again, and sing our hearts out. 

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