My View

What a thrill to sit in the Marriott Center at BYU with 18000 LDS women. We sang a lot of hymns and from my previous posts you know I love the hymns of the Church. We started singing about 10 minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start, it takes a long time to get women to stop talking :o). During the opening session Sister Rogers the Conference Chairman was the speaker and she had asked Sister Merilee Webb to lead us in singing "Now Let us Rejoice". Well, Sister Webb does not just get up and lead the music, she gave us some background to the writing of the hymn. During the persecution of the Saints in Missouri, they were driven from their homes in the dead of night, the men were tarred and feathered and the women and children sent packing in what they stood up in. Their blood stained the snow and this song was written during that very trying period. After knowing the history it is almost impossible to sing without tears. But is was written as a song of thanksgiving and as you read/sing the words you can feel them. The third verse reads/sings:

In faith we'll rely on the arm of Jehovah,
to guide through these last days of trouble and gloom
And after the scourges and harvest are over,
We'll rise with the just when the Saviour doth come.
Then all that was promised the Saints will be given
And they will be crowned with the angels in heav'n
And earth will appear as the Garden of Eden
And Christ and His people will ever be one.!

That set the tone for me and although I went to various classes and enjoyed them and learned, for me my greatest learning and feasting came thru singing the Hymns of Zion.
The theme was, "In the Strength of the Lord". As we read/sing the hymns and focus on the words with new insight, we will gain comfort and strength.