As many who regularly follow my blog posts knows, I have a bucket list of songs that I always wanted to sing. My bucket list started becoming a reality in March of this year when I started to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Today's Music and the Spoken Word broadcast I was able to check one more off the list. We sang the spiritually rousing anthem used primarily for temple dedications - The Spirit of God. It was (of course) a very emotional experience for me.

The words were penned by W.W. Phelps and was sung around the time of the Kirtland Ohio temple dedication in 1836. For me, just reading the words without the music incites excitement about a time that has begun and a time yet to come. However, putting the words to this marvelous hymn along with my music conductor,  Mack Wilberg's arrangement  puts it over the top for me. Words that testify of truth, when sung with a beautiful music arrangement amplifies the spirit and the emotions that go with it.
The Spirit of God like a fire is burning;
The latter day glory begins to come forth;
The visions and blessings of old are returning;
The angels are coming to visit the earth.

Marvelous manifestations came forth during the time of the Kirtland Ohio temple dedication and is recounted in Section 110 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  Indeed, the heavens have been opened again and keys were restored to the earth once again. I remember visiting the Kirtland temple many times as a youth. Listening to the stories told by our guides and reading Section 110 made it all the more exciting for me to be literally standing on the same spot where those wondrous things occurred. The spirit was still strong there for me even though it is not used as a temple.

The Lord is extending the saints' understanding—
Restoring their judges and all as at first;
The knowledge and power of God are expanding
The veil o'er the earth is beginning to burst.

With the restored gospel on the earth again, our understanding of a God, as described  in the Old Testament is now shown to be a more loving Heavenly Father. Our knowledge of the Plan of happiness is given to us and we know we all share a common purpose. With the keys of Elijah restored to the earth, the urgency to seek out our ancestors; and to give them the same opportunity of accepting the gospel are being performed in temples throughout the world. The veil of forgetfulness that once hid the gospel, it's plan from us are being lifted. Thousands of Missionaries have the charge to seek out the living who have been prepared to hear the gospel, and have their veils of forgetfulness removed from them.

How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion
Shall lie down together without any ire;
And Ephraim be crown'd with his blessing in Zion,
As Jesus descends with his chariots of fire!

How joyous will be the day that no wars and rumors of wars will be!  All things will be in common; brother with brother, nation with nation. This, of course refers to the Second Coning of our Savior. The one who came to this earth as a, "...meek and lowly lamb" will come again in glory. Satan will be bound and we will have the privilege of living in the presence of angels, prophets of old, and Jesus Christ Himself.

We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven:
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!
Let glory to them in the highest be given,
Henceforth and forever: amen and amen!

Just as we all "...shouted for joy" in the preexistence for the plan of our Heavenly Father and that His beloved Son was willing to come to this earth to be "...despised and a man full of sorrows and grief". To be rejected, spat upon, and crucified. Because he willingly let it happen in fulfillment of His Father's will; this same Jesus Christ will return to the earth once again in all His glory and majesty. We will all shout with the armies of angels, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

And He will rule the earth once more, Henceforth and forever.

I look forward to that choir, that will dwarf the mighty Mormon Tabernacle Choir in comparison. I want to be "in that number", to raise my voice in praise to my Savior.


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