This morning, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was practicing the pieces that we would be singing today and for other sessions of the Annual General Conference. We basically sat through all of the of the pieces that we were to practice. This is unusual because the directors like to have us stand because we sing better. The music was glorious and tender. Anyway, we were singing and got to the piece that we sang for the closing of the first session, "I Believe in Christ". And then something subtly unique happened.
As the organ started playing the glorious intro, it was almost spontaneous and without prompting from the director that we all stood. It was as if we had to stand to sing that declaration!  (emphasis added by me)

I Believe in Christ, He IS my King!With ALL my heart to Him I'll sing; I'll raise my voice in praise and joy, in grand amens my tongue employ.I believe in Christ; he is God's Son.On earth to dwell his soul did come.He healed the sick; the dead he raised.Good works were his; his name be praised.
And in voices, we did! That declaration made by Elder Bruce R. McConkie was his final testimony. Only a few short weeks, he would leave this earth, his mission completed. The wonderful thing about this opening declaration as well as the other verses, no one in Christianity can object to. We who profess Jesus Christ as our Savior, can with assured voices proclaim that Jesus Christ is our King! That He is God (the Father's) Son who came to earth to experience mortality. We also profess that He did perform many miracles while He was on the earth.

I believe in Christ; OH blessed name!As Mary's Son he came to reign'Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,To save them from the woes of sin.I believe in Christ, who marked the path,Who did gain all his Father hath,Who said to men: "Come, follow me,That ye, my friends, with God may be."

We profess that Jesus Christ Came to earth, that Mary was His mother. We further profess that Jesus came to earth to save us from sin and error. His invitation to "Come follow me" is given to ALL mankind; not just LDS, Catholic, etc. but ALL men. 

I believe in Christ--my Lord, my God!My feet he plants on gospel sod.I'll worship him with all my might;He is the source of truth and light.I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.From Satan's grasp he sets me free,And I shall live with joy and loveIn his eternal courts above.

We profess that Jesus Christ built His church on the earth, and His disciples were His Apostles. We profess that Jesus said to all men that, "I am the light.." and we are bound to Him by his blood of the atonement and that HE can free us from Sin if we but believe.

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!From him I'll gain my fondest dream;And while I strive through grief and pain,His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain."I believe in Christ; so come what may,With him I'll stand in that great dayWhen on this earth he comes againTo rule among the sons of men.
We profess that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, that we have been given the opportunity to return to our Father in Heaven. That while we are on this earth, we will go through trials. We will fall and we will get back up and continue pressing on. This is what enduring to the end means. And we are promised that if we are true and faithful, we will be rewarded. We profess that if we keep our eyes on the eternal prize, we can obtain all that our Father in Heaven has and wants to give us. We finally profess that Jesus Christ will return to the earth to claim it and all who have tried their best to become spotless from the sins of the world. He will return in glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.




With apologies to Elder McConkie, and in recognition of tomorrow being Easter, I would like to add one more verse (I'm not a lyricist):


I believe in Christ, He atoned for me;He pled for me in Gethsemane.And on the cross, with final breath,His work was done, then mortal death.I believe in Christ, He rose from the graveHe came forth ris'n, our souls to save.With grateful heart, I say today;He lives! His commands I'll obey.
I believe in Christ! I believe in God the Father! I believe in the Plan which was presented before the world was. I believe in the gospel. This declaration strengthens and buoys me and, like the choir did spontaneously, I "stand" and boldly proclaim this.

I am grateful for Easter-time  a time for renewal on the earth. A time for new beginnings. But most of all, I am eternally grateful that the tomb WAS empty. That Jesus did everything His Father asked. That His statement of, "Send Me and the Glory be Thine" was carried out in exactness. That Jesus, who walked this earth left his footprints for us all to follow. I wish all a Happy and Blessed Easter!



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