There Is No Better

Hey Ya Momma!

Well this one will be quick:

      Lately my back has given me little twinges, but nothing big.  I can attribute that to your prayers and fasts (at least I know Mariah is fasting for that).  It’s so nice to have a family and friend that care greatly :)

      Well, I went to the dentist today and had a little fix on a tooth that chipped. Nothing big.

      I’m glad you got Austin and Julia the statue of Christ for a wedding present.  You said that you couldn’t think of anything better . . . well, that’s because there is no better.  I get giddy whenever I see the Christus in videos or pictures because it’s such a powerful reminder of Him.  I know they will love it.  They are spiritual giants so I know they will greatly appreciate it.  Give them both a hug for me if you see them after you get this email.   :-)

      I love you and I love this gospel and church and work. That story about the Tongan Branch was very uplifting and inspiring (see editors notes below for details).  Thank you :)

With all my love,

Elder Gold

Just a Note From Mom:

 

      This past Sunday, while on vacation, I attended a church congregation that was not my own.  I was accompanied by a good friend from Canada and her teenage son, and as we joined in singing the opening hymn along with several hundred other voices in the congregation I was rather taken back by the lack of amplification this particular hymn was being sung with.  It was very evident that I was not the only one feeling that the volume of the voices were set on low as my friend’s son looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a questioning smirk.  I quickly confirmed with him that I had the same thoughts and that maybe it was because the hymn we were singing wasn’t one that was sung very often.  Well, to give you an idea as to how quiet it really was, when we both looked back down at the hymnal to pick up from where they were singing we had to strain to listen to their voices so we could start singing in the right place.  It must have taken almost an entire verse before we could pick out the words enough to finally find the place they were at in the music.  Then, half way through the second hymn my friend leans over and says to her son, "Man they sure don't sing the songs like we do in Canada.  Does the volume seem to be turned down to you?"  Well, that confirmed it.  My ears were not the problem.  So then came the challenge.  A challenge most teenage boys would run from.  "Hey, let's sing the closing hymn as if we were in Canada, or perhaps Tonga."  Fair enough!  Much to my surprise he took the challenge, and the added blessing was it happened to be one of my favorite hymns . . . ‘The Spirit of God’.  I loved the irony of those lyrics we sung, "We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven."  And so we sang with all the energy and might our voices allowed as if no one was watching but the angels above.  Sure glad we weren't alone.  The best part came at the end of the meeting when this young man leaned over to his mom and I and stated, “That was the best ever.” 

      This experience reminded me of a talk I heard in Sacrament about a month earlier from Brother Forrest, a high council member of our Stake.  Here is how his talk began:

“Several years ago my wife and I we’re on vacation in Maui. We were eager to attend sacrament services and investigated to see what time church was on Sunday. The only meeting that we could attend was a Tongan branch where all the proceedings were in Tongan. We arrived 10 minutes early only to find the entire congregation already in their seats, the deacons were already seated up front, the teachers had prepared the sacrament and families were sitting reverently together waiting for the service to begin. They were all dressed in their best (even the 3-year-old boys wore white shirts and ties). When the first hymn was sung it was like being in a stake conference. The Tongan saints sang with their whole hearts and soul. We had been given headphones to listen in English but the headphones were inoperable. Nevertheless, even though we rarely understood a word spoken, we could feel the spirit of the talks and it was the most spiritual sacrament meeting that I have every attended.

I learned from this meeting the importance of: Early arrival, Early attention to reverence, and
 Singing Hymns to Him instead of Him.”