My favorite hymn

Last Sunday, our ward conducted a "Music and the Spoken Word"-like service. Several members were asked to share their favorite hymn with the congregation and then we sang the song. I was impressed with the thoughts and hymns selected.

The program got me thinking about my favorite hymn. I realized I don't feel as strongly about the music as I have in the past, especially when my church assignment is to plan hymns for the services. If I had been asked about my favorite hymn, I would have pulled this story from my past:

On Saturday night, the January of my senior year of high school, my family was in the family room when my dad started teasing us kids. He said, "If I were to get a new church assignment, what do you think it would be?" We had various guesses and played around for a while before the conversation ended and we eventually made our way to bed.

The next day at church, I sat on the stand to conduct the hymns for church. A friend who was getting ready to leave on a mission spoke as did several members of his family. The meeting time was almost over when the Stake President stood up and announced a change in the ward leadership. My dad was called as Bishop of the ward; my heart sunk. My dad had been bishop for eighteen months several years earlier, and I knew how busy he would be with his new assignment. The Stake President had the old Bishop speak and then had my dad speak. My dad was wearing his customary blue shirt, sports coat, and bow tie. As he stood up, he said, "It feels hot in here. Does it feel hot to anyone else?" And with that, he took off his coat. And then he took off his bow tie. And then he started unbuttoning his shirt. I nearly died of embarrassment. I could not imagine what my dad was thinking. Under my dad's shirt, he had on his white shirt and a tie. He used the costume change as an object lesson to speak of his commitment to make the changes necessary to serve the ward.

And after all of that, I had to stand in front of the congregation and lead the closing hymn. The hymn I had selected was "Be Still My Soul." I had been comforted by the lyrics before, but as I stood trying to sing amid the tears, the words touched my heart.

Fast forward three years. Another January, this time in Utah. I am again in charge of the music at church, this time in my student ward at BYU. We sing "Be Still My Soul" and I think of the day my dad was called to be bishop. That evening when I chat with my family, I find out that my dad was released from being bishop earlier that day. My heart was touched again by the connections in our lives and especially the words of hope in my favorite hymn.

Below is a link to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "Be Still My Soul."