A Testimony

Those in my family who happen not to be LDS may wish to skip this entry. I have to write it -- it's been bubbling up all day, and every time Bob and I discuss it we get weepy. It's about personal revelation, and it's very difficult to express in words.

Long years ago I read the following thought from Brother Robert Cundick, a former Tabernacle organist. I've forgotten his exact words by now, although I have the letter in my box of memorabilia. He said that good music can give one a personal revelation. I only had a slight inkling of what he meant back then -- I was young and I was new in the church; but as the years have gone by and I've had some extremely moving and memorable musical experiences I have come to truly believe this. This morning my sweet companion and I experienced together an exaltation that we haven't yet experienced here, although we've come close. The Tab choir was singing an arrangement of Gustav Holsts's "All Creatures of Our God and King," with an extended Alleluia section; not a fugue, but contrapuntal in nature, that kept building and building to a great and glorious climax. There was no message in the revelation beyond the fact that God does indeed live and that our life after this one will be glorious beyond expression. We felt that we were at the very gates of Heaven. It's a humbling and at the same time exalting feeling and the emotion we experienced cannot be expressed with mere words. We had only one hanky between us and we were both using it. We were very grateful to be alive today, and more than grateful to know that when we are no longer here in the flesh we will be even more alive in our next state, and involved in celestial music that we can only dream about now. I feel very tranquil, almost excited, about going on over. But please don't worry -- I'm not going to stop taking my vitamins. Life with my Bob is too lovely to give it up any time soon.

And on another musical note, our branch choir acquired some new singers today, and my 30 folders weren't quite enough to go around. Life doesn't get much better!

And on yet another musical note, tomorrow is our regular Monday morning mission devotional, and I get to play that beautiful organ for it. Although I'm not sure exactly how it came about because no one officially asked me, I seem to have become the default accompanist for the Women's Choir, so now I'm doing three things that I dearly love to do -- sing, conduct, and play. I won't even miss the flute at this rate. I'm still waiting to sacrifice for this mission. So far it's been pure joy. I will say, however, that although we enjoy our new assignments very much (or we will after this edition of the Mission Memories book is put to bed), we do miss working with the patrons and staff over in the Family History Library. We don't seem to have as much time now for personal research as we did, although we have made some progress. Bob's has been pretty awesome but mine rather less, but nonetheless real. Our function now seems to be to serve the missionaries rather than the patrons, which is fine and dandy but (being human) we'd like to do it All. So we get a little tickled when we're at the library doing research and a patron sees our badge and assumes that we're there to help. So we help, and we love it. Bob is proposing to go over there next time we have a lull in the office and put on an "Ask Me" badge and just help out. Tempting!