Most of you probably know that I LOVE to take pictures! I have been working a resolution to take a picture a day for the whole year. There are many events and days in my life that do not have pictures to go with them that are very special. If I had a digital camera, I would probably have a million photos, but instead I just have the feeling in my heart.
Meridian Magazine had an article today about the origins of the Primary songs. I am especially fond of I Am a Child of God and my memory took me on a quick little review of some important events of my life. This might be boring but I need to capture the feelings now.
My Baptism: October 22, 1983. I had been attending church for years and finally decided that I wanted to be baptized. I started attending seminary and getting huge doses of the Spirit every day & realized that I wanted to feel that peace every day of my life. At my baptism I requested the song “I Am A Child of God”.
Temple Square: I met Scott in a physics class at the University of Utah when I was a freshman in college. His opening line? “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” We dated for a long time. One activity that we did with his parents was to go to Temple Square for FHE. While there, the missionaries pleaded for volunteers to work five hours per week. I was so inspired by the message that I asked how I could sign up. Soon, I was working every Saturday afternoon from 12:30-5:30. I was set apart as a full-time missionary and committed to learn the tours. I eventually knew three tours – the Life of Christ (upstairs near the Christus), the church history tour (around the grounds), and the Book of Mormon tour (South visitor’s center). I was able to see a major shift as the church brought in full-time missionaries to replace the member volunteers. I still remember Sister Barnes & the powerful testimony that she brought on her mission. I was able to sit in on discussions & to see lives change. It was very powerful.
On one Saturday afternoon in September, I was invited to go to the Tabernacle to see the General Women’s Broadcast & sit on the third row!!! I knew that I was sitting in VERY reserved seating. I turned & asked the woman behind me why she was sitting in this section. She sweetly replied, “I am Naomi Randall. I wrote I Am A Child of God.”
One other Temple square memory, because the men let the sisters leave their shift early so we could go to the women’s broadcast, we filled in for them for the General Priesthood Session a few weeks later. One Saturday night I was standing near the door to the Tabernacle so I could see the prophet, Ezra Taft Benson. As I looked in the door, President Benson took off his suit coat & invited everyone else present to do the same thing. (If you know which talk this was, please let me know.) As he took off his coat, he just GLOWED and inside I felt very much that he was the prophet that the Lord had chosen to lead his church!
These darling children are singing the song in the Tabernacle on Temple Square (the egg-shaped building). I love the words & the message. When I learned to play the piano (as an adult), several (lots) of kids from the ward were taking from the same piano teacher as I was. When we went for our practice recital at a nursing home, I played the piano & all the Primary kids who were taking piano sang while I played. Very sweet because I was the Primary chorister at the same time.
Better run! If you want, let me know your favorite children’s song – Primary or otherwise.
2 comments:
I very sweet memories of "I Am a Child of God. When I was at the funeral for my cousin's wife this week, her siblings sang this song and I also sang it at my Grandma's funeral with all my cousins, so I have special place for it in my heart.
My favorite primary song, though, is A Child's Prayer. I often sing it to my nieces and nephews when it's time for their naps.
"Heavenly Father Loves Me" (or Whenever I hear the song of a bird). When I was little there was a very sweet old lady whow as the stake primary president and when she came to visit she would request that we sing it for her. My first memories of singing that song are in primary opening exercises to Sister ____ (can't remember her name). She died a few years later and had requested that the children sing it at her funeral. My first funeral, I got out of school during the day(3rd or 4th grade) and went and sat in the choir seats and sang in with other primary children at her funeral. I still love that song.
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