The Power of Music

Today's Prompt:

"Write about a piece of music that changed your life forever. What do you feel when you hear it now?"

Um. Music that changed my life? I don't know if there is anything in particular. I can think of lots of songs that have special memories attached to them.

After thinking for a minute, I did come up with a hymn, actually, that did affect me very strongly. It forever changed how I think about the Sacrament. :) Let us flash back to 2005...

My senior year of college was my favorite. I had great roommates and wonderful group of friends. Best FHE brothers, ever. We were a little family of 13. :) So many awesome memories and experiences. Anyway...

One Sunday my FHE brothers were preparing the Sacrament as we were singing "God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son". This hymn isn't necessarily one of the "popular" ones, and the music isn't the most beautiful of the hymns. But I love the words.  I especially love the third and fifth verses. And if you'll notice, the song is supposed to be sung "with dignity." I love that. It is an honor that the Savior died for us. And we should do everything in our power to live up to that honor.

1. God loved us, so he sent his Son,
Christ Jesus, the atoning One,
To show us by the path he trod
The one and only way to God.

2. He came as man, though Son of God,
And bowed himself beneath the rod.
He died in holy innocence,
A broken law to recompense.

3. Oh, love effulgent, love divine!
What debt of gratitude is mine,
That in his off’ring I have part
And hold a place within his heart.

4. In word and deed he doth require
My will to his, like son to sire,
Be made to bend, and I, as son,
Learn conduct from the Holy One.

5. This sacrament doth represent
His blood and body for me spent.
Partaking now is deed for word
That I remember him, my Lord.

So that day, as we sang the hymn and I watched my friends prepare and pass the sacrament, I finally "got it." I understood that the Savior died for my sins and that it was immensely and intensely personal. I don't understand how it works, but I know that the Atonement is real, and that it does work, and it works for me and for you.

And so because of this experience, this hymn is one of my very favorites. It always makes me so happy when we sing it on Sunday.

***
Today I am grateful for my testimony of the Savior and His Atonement.