Sabbath Song #3

 24 October 2021. Wow, getting Covid can really set one back. Spending 2 months sick and then in recovery kept me from church, and the shaking kept me from writing. So grateful I'm well now. 

Today's hymns were 280 Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning, 169 As Now We Take the Sacrament, 129 Where Can I Turn for Peace?, and 14 Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings.

"Welcome, Welcome, Sabbath Morning" is a joyous, happy song. Lyrics by Robert Baird (1855-1916), music by Ebenezer Beezley (1840-1906). 

Robert Baird was from Glasgow, Scotland, and emigrated to Willard, UT in 1863, with his parents and some of his 13 siblings. He served as a schoolteacher, director of the Willard Ward choir, and as a member of the Willard City Council. In addition to today's song, he also wrote the lyrics to several others songs of praise and joy, including  "O Father, Look Upon Us," "With Cheerful Hearts and Voices Sweet," and  "Come, Join with Me to Sing and Praise."

The Sabbath should be a day of joy and gladness, given by God to man as a day of rest and refocusing on what's truly important--our relationship to each other and to the Father of us all.

"As Now We Take the Sacrament" is a contemplative prayer. Lyrics by Lee Tom Perry (b. 1951), music by Daniel L. Carter (b. 1955). Brother Perry is the son of the late L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. Daniel Carter has composed several works for the Church.

The sacrament, or communion, is the focal point of Sabbath worship. It is a reaffirmation of our baptismal covenant to always remember the Savior and keep His commandments. This song reminds us of the gifts we have been given of repentance, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives as we strive to obey. 

"Where Can I Turn for Peace?" is a hymn that is on my mind often. Text by Emma Lou Thayne (1924-2014), music by Joleen G. Meredith (b. 1935). Sister Thayne was a beloved poet, activist and "hugger of life" who wrote, and lived, prolifically. When both Thayne and Meredith were on the Young Women General Board of the Church, they were collaborating on a song for the 1971 YW General Conference. Both had been dealing with mental illness in their families, and as they talked on the phone about it, this hymn was created. They called it their 'mental illness hymn", and apt nickname for a song that describes so poignantly the mental and physical challenges we all face from time to time. It was first included in the 1985 hymnal.

"Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings" seems to me a logical next step after the previous hymn. Text by Mary Ann Morton Durham (1826-1897), music by Alfred M. Durham (1872-1957). Verse 6 is especially meaningful for me.

That which we have in part received

Will be in part no more,

For he in whom we all believe

To us will all restore.

Have a blessed Sabbath!

Sabbath Song #2

15 August 2021

I had the signal honor of conducting the singing in sacrament service today, as our regular conductor was ill. There was little time to prepare, as she texted me last night to ask if I could do it, and then texted me the songs numbers early this morning. The four hymns were #252 (Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel), #177 ('Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love), #308 (Love One Another), and #81 (Press Forward Saints).

Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel is a rousing song, the lyrics and music both written by Will L. Thompson (1847-1909). Thompson was an American lyricist and composer who opened a publishing house as well as a music store. First published in The New Century Hymnal in 1904, PYSttW was republished by the LDS Church in 1909 in Deseret Sunday School Songs, and has been a Church standard ever since. The song has a special meaning for the LDS, as it evokes the struggles and triumphs of our pioneer heritage, which included the pushing of handcarts and driving oxen-pulled wagons across the Great Plains from Missouri to their new home in Utah.

'Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love (text by George Manwaring, 1854-1889) is in the hymnal twice (#176 and #177), with different music. #176 is to Frank W. Asper's tune Meredith, in 3/4 time, while #177 uses Ebenezer Beezley's tune Hancock, in 6/4 time. I prefer the latter, as it sounds more lyrical, but it is longer, as it takes the 4th verse as a repeated chorus. The text is based on two sections from the Doctrine & Covenants (sec. 138:1-4, sec. 20:75.) On the third of October, in the year nineteen hundred and eighteen, I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures; and reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God, for the redemption of the world; and the great and wonderful love made manifest by the Father and the Son in the coming of the Redeemer into the world; that through his atonement, and by obedience to the principles of the gospel, mankind might be saved...It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus. The song also reminds me of another scripture verse, from 2 Nephi 31:21. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.

Love One Another (text and music by Luacine Clark Fox, 1914-2002) is a beloved LDS hymn, originally written as part of an Easter cantata. Sister Fox recounted how the song came to her:
“It is always my habit to pray before doing any writing or composing. This I did while in the process of working on Psalm of Easter, from which “Love One Another” is taken. In searching the scriptures, I came to the words of the Savior at the Last Supper wherein he gave his new commandment to love one another. I knew I had found the theme I wanted. As I jotted down the words in my notebook, taken from John 13:34–35, the melody to accompany them came into my mind, and I wrote it down as well. The final result of the words and music was exactly the same as had come to me initially, with no variation whatsoever. It is my witness that whatever is of worth in the song came from the Lord.”

Of the four, my favorite is Press Forward Saints.Written by Marvin K. Gardner (b. 1952), it is based on a verse from the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 31:20) Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting on the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. It is joyful, as well as reverent, in its exhortation to keep going, to keep striving to follow the Savior.

May you also find joy, not only in the music, but in the Spirit which comes to those who take the words to heart, who find good in all things, and who love and serve Jesus Christ.

Sabbath Song #1

 Welcome to Sabbath Song! Since I was a child, I've had music in my life. My mother would play classical music on a record player, my father belonged to the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA), they sang in the adult choirs at church, while I sang in the children's choir. I learned to love both sacred and secular music and to find joy in performing it for others. In 1964, at the age of 12, I had the incredible chance to sing in the children's choir for the dedication of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, wrote the music for the dedication. 

When I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I found a home where everyone loved music. In a Latter-day Saint Sunday service, there are at least three hymns sung during the general, or sacrament, service, the opening hymn, an intermediate hymn, and the closing hymn. Other hymns are sung during the other Sunday meetings (Relief Society for the women, Priesthood for the men, and classes for the Young Women/Young Men and the children's Primary classes). The Church also hosts one of the oldest and best-known choirs in the country, the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square (formerly the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). For almost 100 years, the Choir has brought joy, comfort, and inspiration to people all around the world through live concerts, television specials, and the continuous broadcast of the half hour Sunday devotional "Music and the Spoken Word". 

This blog is the result of some gentle Divine nudging to start recording my thoughts and impressions regarding the Restored Gospel and its influence on my life. It seemed natural to do this through the medium of sacred music, which has been such a driving force in everything I do. Music is constantly in my head, songs, both sacred and secular, continually work their way through my mind. (The occasional 'earworm' settles in, but I can usually banish it with a better song.) In deciding how to start this off, I spent many weeks going through my internal 'library', until the Lord, getting impatient with my lack of progress, simply said, "What did you sing in church this past Sunday?" Hence, the title of the blog!

My hope is that you, gentle readers, will feel the Spirit through my feeble efforts to bring the music I love to you. 

25 July 2021. Hymn 185 "Reverently and Meekly Now"

This is one of only two hymns in the LDS hymnal where Christ is speaking in the first person. Ebenezer Beezley wrote the music, Joseph Townsend the lyrics. To me, it speaks most clearly of the love of God for us, His children. Christ came to save us from our fallen selves, and this song reminds us of the great price that was paid on our behalf. We have been bought and paid for, redeemed from death and being eternally cut off from our Heavenly Father. Christ is the source of my joy, my Help through trials and suffering, and my Mediator before the Father. 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns/reverently-and-meekly-now?lang=eng

 

 

Lyrics

1. 1. Rev’rently and meekly now,

   Let thy head most humbly bow.

   Think of me, thou ransomed one;

   Think what I for thee have done.

   With my blood that dripped like rain,

   Sweat in agony of pain,

   With my body on the tree

   I have ransomed even thee.

2. 2. In this bread now blest for thee,

   Emblem of my body see;

   In this water or this wine,

   Emblem of my blood divine.

   Oh, remember what was done

   That the sinner might be won.

   On the cross of Calvary

   I have suffered death for thee.

3. 3. Bid thine heart all strife to cease;

   With thy brethren be at peace.

   Oh, forgive as thou wouldst be

   E’en forgiven now by me.

   In the solemn faith of prayer

   Cast upon me all thy care,

   And my Spirit’s grace shall be

   Like a fountain unto thee.

4. 4. At the throne I intercede;

   For thee ever do I plead.

   I have loved thee as thy friend,

   With a love that cannot end.

   Be obedient, I implore,

   Prayerful, watchful evermore,

   And be constant unto me,

   That thy Savior I may be.

5. May you have a blessed Sabbath!

The Poster Children for the Progressive Elite

First, a disclaimer. I am a white, older-middle-aged, middle-class, female, heterosexual, conservative Mormon. That should cover all the bases. I remember where I was when JFK was shot, when the Challenger blew up, and when the Twin Towers fell. I learned as a child that what a person did was more important than what was said, but that what was said (and how it was said) also gave an indication of the internal mindset of the speaker.

There's an old curse that goes "May you live in interesting times." These are definitely "interesting" times. The confluence of rapidly advancing technology, breaking down of traditional mores and societal expectations, and polarization between the major political ideologies has created a perfect storm. It seems well planned and perfectly executed. The institutions that we as a society once counted on--nuclear families, a generally stable economy, strong faith communities and a good educational system--have been gradually eroded away, becoming weak and ineffectual structures that can't perform their purposes. I believe there is an agenda at work here, one that is designed to destroy America as we have known it and replace it with something different.

Since before Woodrow Wilson, Progressives have been working quietly, behind the scenes, to accomplish this feat, gradually pulling apart what had been so carefully woven by our founders. In the past few years, however, this behind-the-scenes undertaking has moved out into the light of day, becoming bolder and more transparent in their endeavors. There is no "official" spokesperson for the Progressive party, but two men seem to have taken up the mantle, albeit unknowingly.

Of the many politicians on the Left who have been in the spotlight lately, one has stood out as a shining beacon of Progressive propaganda. His usual speeches consist of the half-truths, prevarications, misrepresentations, inaccuracies, aspersions and calumniations common to most modern politicians, but he is prone to truth-telling more than any of them. In fact, I have found more truth from him in the past 7 years than from almost any other politician.

I speak, of course, of Joseph Biden, our current Vice President. He is quite good at framing the Progressive agenda in smooth terms and can read a teleprompter as well as his boss. But he sneakily signals the truth behind the lies, cleverly disguised as "gaffes". When I first heard a Biden gaffe ("You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.... I'm not joking."), I laughed along with all the others. As I heard more of them, I realized that these "mistakes" were actually speaking truth. When he said, in 2012, that Obama should be impeached if he unilaterally ordered an attack on a country that wasn't attacking us, it was the truth.

My father was fond of saying "the truth will out." Biden's inability to keep up the lies, his repeated slips of the tongue, show just how anxious he is to tell the truth. For example, the Left insists that they are not racist or prejudiced in any way, and that all racism is held in conservative minds. But, as the first quote above shows, Joe Biden is a racist par excellence. He is even oblivious to his basic attitude, as was my grandmother (God rest her soul), who firmly believed that blacks as a whole were dishonest, shiftless and lazy, but insisted that some of her best friends were black.

In another instance, Biden said, "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there's still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong." That is also in the pantheon of Biden gaffes, but it's so obviously true. The Democrats weren't listening, but they should have been. The number of scandals plaguing this administration shows just how careless they have been about "doing everything right". Biden is the Left's blue collar Cassandra, his oracular pronouncements constantly misread and dismissed by his friends and his adversaries.

On the other hand, another fiery Liberal speaker, Harry Reid, has no such excuse for his verbal behavior. He seldom says anything he does not consciously intend to say. In August, 2012, he backhandedly accused Mitt Romney of not having paid taxes for the previous ten years, a criminal offense. In the face of heated objection to this smarmy characterization of a private citizen, he continued to hold to the story. In fact, Harry Reid's track record speaks for itself.

Reid is known for speaking his mind, which has made it very clear to Democrats and Republicans that he holds virtually everyone, including Barak Obama, in contempt. He comes across as the ultimate "elite"; no one is his equal, or even close to it. He feels comfortable saying anything scurrilous, defamatory or abusive about anyone, because he feels the truth resides in him, and him alone.

While Biden seems foolish and unable to curb his foot-in-mouth disorder, Reid presents as amoral and conscienceless. Biden doesn't know he's telling the truth; Reid thinks he is telling the truth. These men represent, I believe, two sides of the same coin.

In October, 2008, Barak Obama famously said. "we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America." That also was the truth, and the majority of Americans simply smiled and nodded, bobble heads in front of the boob tube. Then we were surprised when our country's slide into oblivion, that started off slowly 100 years ago, accelerated to warp speed. The agenda is lies, repeated endlessly. Its proponents are well-versed in rhetoric and deception. But, as the poster children, Biden and Reid keep giving us what we refuse to handle, or come to grips with--the truth.

Common Standards, Uncommonly Shortsighted, Part One

I have been following the progress of the Common Core rollout for several months, and have been increasingly dismayed by the obviously poor standards, the threat of data mining by the Department of Education, and the increasing frustration experienced by my grandchildren as they struggle with nonsense math. Here is one of the things I've been pondering.

"National standards are good. Children can move from one district to another and have the same curriculum." I have seen comments like this posted to news stories about CC. It sounds good; seamless transitions for children's education no matter where their parents move, no trying to figure out what class to put them in, no having to "catch up" to a more advanced curriculum. I did my share of moving from one school to another as a kid. I went to a regular public elementary school in California until the 3rd grade. For 4-5th grades, my sister and I went to a small private school run by a retired teacher. I was back in public school for 6-8th grades, and then we moved from California to Michigan, where I graduated from high school. They were all big transitions for a kid, but the biggest for me was the move from a private school back into a public middle school. I had enough education to be put into the 8th grade, rather than the 6th, but my parents wanted me to be with my age group. So I was very bored with public schooling until I decided to teach myself. I wasn't considered "gifted", so those programs were out. I guess I was just "over qualified". I coasted through high school, practically living in the library. I read everything I could get my hands on, took tests when I had to, graduated with a B average, and went on with my life.

Transitions are never easy, but looking back on the experience, it wasn't the moves themselves that caused problems, nor was it the disconnect between what I already knew and where my classmates were. The problem was that I wasn't aware that I had any control over the different expectations for success in each school, different cultures, and different teaching philosophies. The private school (which was not an "elite" place in any form; Mrs. Covey's idea for uniforms was everyone in blue jeans, a white shirt and a navy blue sweater) was heavily invested in all their students learning all the material and being successful thinkers, with a narrow but very deep curriculum. The public schools were more broad in their outlook, with an emphasis on covering much material rather shallowly. I learned in both, but preferred the Covey method; it was the deep studying I had done that made it possible to for me to succeed. I don't see CC improving on any of that. What I do see is a poorly-thought-out curriculum that was never tested in a real school district, using untested pedagogical methods, and an insistence on a Rube Goldberg-style vague and complicated decoding of the simplest concepts and exercises.

But a much bigger problem I see looming on the horizon is similar to what I call the Monsanto model of agriculture. Over the past 60 years, the genetic diversity of our food crops has been gradually diminishing (another battle for another time). But this lack of diversity leaves us vulnerable to an entire worldwide crop devastation if a super bacterium or other pest burns through a non-resistant cultivar. There is little resilience in uniformity.

Our greatest strength as a people is our diversity, not of race or culture, but of knowledge. The seeds of knowledge children acquire in one area of the country are not the same as what are learned in a different area. When people move from one area to another, they bring their acquired knowledge with them, enriching and expanding the horizons of the people in their new locality. They all learn math, reading, etc. But they learn them with different emphases, with different styles, and with diverse outcomes. There are many proven ways to teach math concepts, writing styles, and reading strategies. Trying to enforce the "one best way" destroys that diversity, and discounts the very real differences between learning styles in children. This is a consideration that I have not seen in any discussion of CC.

What do we lose by having only one curriculum, one way to teach, one "best" of anything? What is lost (or could possibly be gained) by removing time to study great literature, history or the arts in order to study government pamphlets? How can one set of standards possibly cover all the different ways of knowing? Mrs. Covey's way of teaching and emphasis on certain knowledge structures was very different than the structure I encountered in the public schools. The different PS districts also varied in emphasis and style. For example, I learned about the Catholic mission system in California and its influence on the local history by reading, writing and studying. Aside from being a very good beginning to my interest in anthropology and religious thought, it helped me understand other parts of the society I lived in. Are children in California learning that now? Or are they busy reading the latest publication from the EPA on carbon emissions? Any national standard, even a very good one, cannot help but lessen that knowledge base and impoverish the experience of being an American. It weakens each one of us and leaves us, as a nation, with little resilience.

Our Darkest Hour

This has been an upsetting 3 1/2 years, politically and economically. Passions on both sides of the political spectrum have been inflamed, and the focus of the storm raging about us is the current President of the United States, Barak Hussein Obama. In my 60 years of life in these United States, I can't think of a time when we have been more divided, more polarized, more fearful, or more unsettled as a nation.
There are many theories as to why this is so. Lack of faith in God, a lessening of brotherly love, deception and lawlessness in high places, laziness on the part of the people, an influx of uninvited people across our borders, are all given as reasons for the general malaise that has afflicted us collectively. Our President has been charged by some as the source of all these problems, the main motivator of the evils we see, but feel helpless to minimize. Others have hailed his actions as masterful strokes. He has been accused by the conservative members of society of being crazy, psychotic, manipulating, a Communist, a Socialist, and many other names unsavory, and for the most part, inaccurate. The liberal side of the spectrum has hailed him as a savior, a great statesman, a genius, a person who is the last, best hope for our country.
I would put out the hypothesis that he is none of these things. I think both sides have missed seeing Obama for what he is, because his motivations and central thinking are so far removed from an American point of view that we have all mistaken what he is for what we individually think he is, or what we want him to be.
The American POV is one of exceptionalism, of faith that our country, our way of life, our political system, our very being, is a force for good in the world. Americans truly believe that we are the "city set upon the hill", the grand experiment in freedom and faith that will free the world from the chains of the past. We do not look upon ourselves as aggressors, but defenders. We do not try to conquer, but to comfort. We are the most generous people on the face of the earth, by any reasonable measure. This POV has been developed and strengthened by over 200 years of history. We are not perfect; we have made some very serious mistakes. But we have tried to learn from those mistakes, tried to make amends when possible, and turn former enemies into friends. That, I believe, is part of who we are; a people who want to help, want to uplift and strengthen our neighbors, and want to protect the helpless and downtrodden. This worldview of ours is strong, and, for the most part, correct. We have done what we could, and what we can do is expanded by our unfailing optimism in ourselves and our God, however we picture deity.
But there are many in the world who do not hold our worldview, who resent our "colonial" aspirations, who have no part of our view of ourselves as good and exceptional. Most of the developing world was subjected to European colonialism at one point or another, which colored their views and expectations of Europeans, and by extension, Americans. There are many in Africa and Asia who resent and despise the Western model of conquest and domination, and include America in their resentment, even though we, as a country, are a result of European colonialism.
It is not my purpose, nor my intent, to judge the feelings of those people who resent us, even if I feel their resentment is misplaced. My job is to live my life according to the principles I hold: that we are all brothers and sisters, children of a Heavenly Father who loves us equally and impartially.
Barak Obama grew up in a fractured household, abandoned by his father, his mother, and his stepfather. He spent most of his formative years in Indonesia and in Hawaii, living with people who were not believers in the American model of republican democratic principles. He grew up hearing how colonialism destroyed his people, how Western governments were evil and dominating, and how there were only a few fit to govern, the elite of the underdogs. He absorbed aspects of communism, socialism, fascism, and a collective mindset, but he does not completely fit into any of these categories. He has been termed an "enigma" by those who have tried to tease apart his actions and words. But there is a paradigm that fits better than the rest, a worldview that explains much more why he has done the things he has.
Dinesh D'Souza wrote a book, which has been made into a movie, called "2016: Obama's America". In an interview on 7-12-2012 with Glenn Beck, Mr. D'Souza talked about what he found while researching and filming Obama's past. He found that Obama's heritage and upbringing were anti-colonial, and that he blames the developing world's problems on their colonial past and present. Obama wants to bring the 3rd world up by bringing America and Western civilization down. It's not just socialism, but the annihilation of republicanism, not just advancing the less advantaged, but pulling down and contracting the advantaged. His moves to prevent energy independence, to leave our borders open, to give a free pass to illegal immigrants, to make fawning overtures to despots and tyrants, are all designed to make America weak, small, and unable to be a superpower. He doesn't want any superpowers, preferring the idea of "equal" peers, all nations having the same power. He will leave us without the means to defend ourselves, to feed ourselves, to power our civilization, so that we will become like "everybody else".
His mindset is so different from the run-of-the-mill American's that both sides of the aisle have been floundering to define Obama, to put him in a box. But none of the boxes so far have fit well; there are parts of communism, socialism, etc., but he doesn't fit any of the boxes Americans are used to dealing with. Our colonial past was over and done with in 1787, with the Constitution. We forged a new nation, beholden to no one, exploited by no one, able to make her own way on the global stage. No other country has managed to do what America has. And that is why, in Obama's mind, no country needs more to be brought down, humbled and squeezed smaller than America.
This is truly our darkest hour. We are gambling on our very lives, our standard of living, our exceptionalism, our fortunes and our sacred honor, with the dice being cast in about 4 months.

Gratitude

Today is Nov 24, 2011, the national holiday of Thanksgiving to those of us lucky enough to live in the United States of America.

I awoke this morning, as I do most mornings, with a hymn soaring through my mind. "On This Day of Joy and Gladness" (Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no. 64.) The first verse reads, in part,


On this day of joy and gladness,
Lord, we praise thy holy name;
In this sacred place of worship,
We thy glories loud proclaim!


Today is truly a day of joy for me as I go over in my mind the many things I have to be grateful for. But the mention of being in a sacred place of worship was a bit puzzling at first. A quick search at LDS.org brought up this quote:


“Temple. One other word is equal in importance to a Latter-day Saint. Home. Put the words holy temple and home together, and you have described the house of the Lord!” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Shield of Faith,” Ensign, May 1995, 8.)

I have been gently urged for the past few months to work at making my home a reflection of the holy temple, a place of peace and order where the Spirit and my family and friends will feel welcome. But I hadn't really thought of our home as an important place of worship before. But my home is where I spend the majority of my waking hours, the place where I have the most influence in the world. It is also the place of greatest gratitude. Most of my worship consists of expressing gratitude for the incredible blessings I have received throughout my life.

I am grateful for my health, for the wondrous ability I have to see and hear the beauties of this world, the health I enjoy that enables me to move, to work and to serve others.

I am grateful for my husband, for his love and concern for my well being. As we near the end of our walk together on the earth, I am grateful for the opportunities I have to serve and care for him. I am also grateful for the knowledge that we can continue our walk together in the future as husband and wife, sealed together for eternity.

I am grateful for our children and grandchildren, who have taught me patience and the importance of unconditional love. Our family consists of people who have struggles and challenges that make them stretch and grow, who don't always know or remember how much they are loved, but who are all on the path, one way or another, back to our Heavenly Father. Raising our children has been my greatest challenge and deepest joy, and in some ways, my deepest sorrow. And that's how it should be, because it's through our family associations that we learn the heights and depths of our own souls. There is nothing in this world more important than the family unit.

I am grateful for my parents and grandparents. They gave me my first lessons in love, gave me the chance to come to this earth and start my mortal journey, and continue to bless my life. They are my guiding lights.

I am grateful for my friends, who have given me shining examples of how to be the person I long to be. They give me opportunities to serve, help me back up when I fall, and strengthen me when I am weak. C.S Lewis said "Friendship is...the sort of love one can imagine between angels." I have been blessed to be in the company of angels throughout my life.

I am grateful to live in this country. I believe the USA was produced through divine intervention, that this is a blessed land for a righteous people. In spite of our shortcomings as a nation, no other place on earth can equal it. We are going through dangerous times now, as we have in the past, but the collective faith of her people will still call down blessings from heaven. We have the greatest freedoms ever accorded a people in the history of the world, which brings upon us the greatest responsibility to guard and share those freedoms with the rest of the human family.

I am grateful most of all for my God, for His love and care for me and my world. This is truly a day of joy and gladness for me as I think about my Savior, His wonderful gift of the Atonement, and His promise of eternal life with my family and friends.

We all have much to be thankful for today. May we all spend some time in reflection on how richly we have been blessed.