Monday, November 2, 2015

Preach Junie! Preach!

last week i was tucking the kids in bed and was laying by june singing songs. after singing four versus of Come, Come Ye Saints -- my favorite hymn forever and ever -- i was tears. in fact, i was barely able to finish the song. i got very quiet for a minute trying to collect myself and avery, always very aware of my moods, asked if i was crying. i said yes, but the tears were tears of joy and gratitude and strength because i always feel so much of god's strength and love when i sing that song. and then i said something like, "and i love that song because it teaches us that 'God will never us forsake' which means..." and i paused trying to come up with easy words for them to understand and June emphatically replied, "it means that God will always be by your side!" oh she was just so sure there was no way anyone of us could have denied it! yes, june, yes! you get it! God will always be by your side. He never leaves us.

elder george q. cannon said: "when we went forth into the waters of baptism and covenanted with our Father in heaven to serve Him and keep His commandments, He bound Himself also by covenant to us that He would never desert us, never leave us to ourselves, never forget us, that in the midst of trial and hardships, when everything was arrayed against us, He would be near unto us and would sustain us."

here are those most beautiful words that never cease to inspire me to keep enduring as best i can. these words have literally saved my spirit on many occasions and have helped me through nearly every difficult thing i've done in my adult life. i cannot wait to thanks william clayton. his words have been God's arms around me many times. through his words, i have seen God's strength and felt his love.

  1. Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
    But with joy wend your way.
    Though hard to you this journey may appear,
    Grace shall be as your day.
    'Tis better far for us to strive
    Our useless cares from us to drive;
    Do this, and joy your hearts will swell--
    All is well! All is well!
  2. Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
    'Tis not so; all is right.
    Why should we think to earn a great reward
    If we now shun the fight?
    Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
    Our God will never us forsake;
    And soon we'll have this tale to tell--
    All is well! All is well!
  3. We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
    Far away in the West,
    Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
    There the Saints will be blessed.
    We'll make the air with music ring,
    Shout praises to our God and King;
    Above the rest these words we'll tell--
    All is well! All is well!
  4. And should we die before our journey's through,
    Happy day! All is well!
    We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
    With the just we shall dwell!
    But if our lives are spared again
    To see the Saints their rest obtain,
    Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell--
    All is well! All is well!
  5. Text: William Clayton, 1814-1879
    Music: English folk song


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