I have always been very involved in music.  I sang in choir in high school and played in bands through college.  It comes as no surprise that many parts of my testimony first started by feeling the power of good spiritual music in my life.

This morning my 7-month old son was up during my study time again, and it is my duty to take care of him till 6:00 so my wife can sleep.  That means I can’t really study, so I turned to trusty ol’ BYU TV for a little spiritual uplifting.

BYU TV online deserves a post by itself.  It has some great features that allow you to watch online, anywhere, and pretty much anything they have.  So I browsed around till I found this awesome program: “America’s Choir: The Story of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.“  I highly recommend it.  It really shows how the choir has evolved and the wonderful work they have done.

On a sidenote, they have ALWAYS been on the front of adoption of technology and now stand as the longest running radio program in the nation.

If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, watch start watching at around 49 minutes and watch through 54 minutes. ((Note to the tech folks there if they read this… it wouldn’t let me link directly to this spot on the e-mail option… it kept sending me to the wrong day… oh, and it would be nice to just put a time in the start/end time to share instead of having to click the button…))  Here is some of the words from that part of the show…

It is a tremendously beautiful performing organization and is recognized as such and valued as such.” (President Hinckley)

This band of teachers, engineers, doctors, accountants, mothers and dads, have sung from coast to coast, country to country, at music festivals, in great halls, stadiums, and parades, and in outdoor settings reminiscent of their desert beginnings.

In these days of political, personal and economic disintegration.  Music is not a luxury, it is a necessity.  It is the persistent focus of our intelligence, aspiration, and good will. (Robert Shawl)

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has touched and lifted audiences and individuals.  360 voices strong, they sing as one, of sacred yearnings, of their deepest convictions, when they offer “here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it” they mean it.

The choir then ends by singing the most beautiful rendition of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” I have ever heard.