I have used that lesson in other venues besides Church, and it has worked. You give a more confident impression when you’re not reading from paper or fumbling through scriptures (or whatever it is that you are using).

Mark B., good point about memorization (like language acquisition) being best done when young.

AB, my poor family has had to suffer through decades of odd uses of the name “Barney” in popular culture. For my dad it was Barney Google. For me it was Barney Rubble. For my poor son it was Barney the dinosaur. I’m afraid he got the worst end of the deal.

Kevin K., absolutely! Same principle applies. I appreciate learning about your experience; it sounds wonderful!

Now the song is lovely, and when you really think about the words, it’s a great Easter piece. However, the arranger set the beat in four, instead of it’s original three. Now that’ll wake some people up – beleive it or not.

But the true inspiration came when I was late to church, but had BYU TV on in the bedroom. In the Seattle area, it was ending, right when church should be beginning, so I was about a 15-minute drive late. I caught the last comments, when the choir always turns to the audience and sings “God be with You Til We Meet Again”. For a brief flash, it was llike they were singing to me directly.

That’s when it hit me – no music for the choir. Turn the dry old “I Stand All Amazed” into a personal testimony from each choir member to another in the congregation.

Well, the choir thought differently. Too much work! “I already know the song; why should I learn it?” But I persisted and on Easter morning, I pulled the music from their folders.

The eye-to-eye connection, even spirit-to-spirit, that was demonstrtated that day still keeps me hanging on to my faith. Despite all the troubles I’ve been through with various leaders and decisions, I keep coming back. Somehow, we DO and CAN communicate the deeper feelings and thoughts. We just need to get the paper out of the way and look in each other’s eyes.

PS The SP happened to be sitting with his family that day, in our ward, watching what was going on. He bolted from his chair after the closing prayer and demanded that we reprise the whole setting at Stake Conference in three weeks. We did, and the same beautiful things happened. It’s truly remarkable.

Thanks, Kevin for reminding me. Sometimes, I forget.

AB

It’s especially important for all these young folks who read BCC, since the time to memorize everything is now, before you reach middle age and memorization becomes much much more difficult.

I usually write a very scant outline and try to look at it as little as possible.