O My Father

This has been a bitter sweet weekend. A couple of weeks ago my mother got cornered by one of the counselors in the bishopric. He asked her if our family would be willing to do the program for sacrament meeting. She of course said yes and went to work trying to figure out what the plan should be. She came up with the idea to have everyone in our family pick our favorite hymn/primary song and share our feelings about them. As most of you know, when we all get together there are 13 of us! That is a lot of singing/talking if you think about it. So, me being my OCD self went to work trying to figure out just how much time each person could take so that we didn't go over the allotted time frame. (Which turned out being roughly 4 minutes per person to share their feelings and perform their song.) I'm not gonna lie...I was a bit of a crazy slave driver as we practiced and went over the agenda, but it all worked out so I feel much better now that it is over. So you are probably wondering what songs we all picked, well here is the line-up. Dad: I am a Child of God. Mom: My Heavenly Father Loves Me (Piano Solo) Nish: How Firm a Foundation (A Capella-Nish-Kiana-Rachel-Kaitlin-Melanie-Rhonda-Shelley) Jeep: Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy (Jeep-Koda-Dalaki-David-Tim) Kin: A Child's Prayer (Livingston children-Shelley) Tay: Follow the Prophet(Primary Kids) FYI Tay knows all of these words by heart :) Kiana: Where Can I Turn for Peace (Solo) Koda/Kaitlin: O My Father (Entire family) Dalaki: Let Us All Press On (Same as Brightly Beams line up) Daezia: For the Beauty of The Earth (Solo) MahLee: I'll Walk With You (MahLee-Kaitlin) Akaydeh: Give Said the Little Stream (Primary Kids) It was quite the experience being able to bear my testimony of each of these songs we presented. Because of the holiday weekend, we were able to add a few more voices and piano players to our program. Thank so much to Rachel, Melanie, David, Rhonda, Uncle Tim, as well as Richard and Shirley. We were able to give the program variety as we had different people perform each song. I decided on O My Father because it has great a special place in my heart. One day I was over at my Grandpa Fisher's house playing the piano and I asked him what his favorite hymn was. He replied, well I love them all, but I especially like O My Father. I have spoken at numerous funerals throughout my lifetime and I would refer to this hymn most of the time. I would do so.

I then went to page 292 and read through the words to this beautiful song. This is where I gained my testimony of The Plan of Salvation, The Plan of HAPPINESS. As a struggling young teen I was overcome with the spirit as I read the second verse, "For a wise and glorious purpose thou hast placed me here on earth." Tears filled my eyes as I shared my testimony of this song when I was on the stand; which is something that does not happen very often with me. I hate crying, but I couldn't help it. My heart went out to my ailing grandfather who has taught me so much in my life. He has been a constant strength in my life and I love him dearly. I invited everyone in my family to sing this song with me because I knew that I could not perform it alone. As Melanie accompanied us, tears filled my eyes once again and I could only look at the hymn book as I sang the words in my heart because my voice failed me through the tears. I am so grateful for my grandfather who taught me so many things in my life, including the true meaning of this beautiful song.

Here are the words to an amazing hymn that will always remind me of my Grandpa Fisher.

O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?

For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, “You’re a stranger here,”
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.

I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav’ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I’ve a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.