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My First General Conference: I Believe in Christ

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Dear Readers of my Blog,

 Some of the things I share in this post are very, very personal to me. I feel a need to share them right now, but please know that I am opening up some thoughts and feelings that I've never shared before. Thank you for taking time to read. 

 This weekend was my very first time singing in General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At this conference, we listen to leaders of the church speak about family, faith, and how to anchor ourselves in a world that is continually getting crazier! Interspersed with these addresses are musical numbers by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. So when I joined the choir, I knew that a big responsibility I would have would mean singing at these conferences (held in April and October each year). 
I think I was 13 or 14 when Grandma and Grandpa Bateman sent me my very first Tabernacle Choir CD (Consider the Lilies). I listened to this CD over and over again. I put the album on my new iPod (back then, when iPods were the coolest thing ever!). My immediate favorite from this CD was "Rejoice, the Lord is King." I think I was drawn to the beautiful texture of the strings joyfully spinning throughout the piece (the tempo of the Youtube version isn't as vivacious as the one on the CD, but it is still good). But then I got to track 13: "I Believe in Christ". The organ swelled, the choir's strains of testimony pierced me to my very heart. 

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I'll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain."

I knew that I believed in Christ, just as this song proclaimed. I wanted to sing this song with them. I realized that being in this choir was my "fondest dream."  I wanted to testify about my Savior in this beautiful way. 

So why am I telling you this story? Well, one of the pieces we memorized for Conference was "I Believe in Christ". It was sung at the end of Music and the Spoken Word, before General Conference began. As we rehearsed this piece on Thursday, I could barely sing for I was in tears. The words hearkened me back to my adolescence when I had ONE dream, one goal for my life. Just one. And now I'm living it, less than fifteen years later. I was only thirteen, but God heard my prayer, He knew what my fondest dream was. 

I am the evidence that God loves His children. If you ever doubt in any way whether or not God loves you, please listen to some music from the choir. Please send me a message or an e-mail. I'm not a perfect person, but because I try to live God's commandments, I see His miracles surrounding me on a daily basis. God cares about you and your goals, hopes and dreams for the future. Nothing is too small to be beneath His notice. If He cared enough to help me achieve this goal of mine, He surely can help you with anything. Pray to Him and talk to Him about your desires, your goals, and your dreams, and your troubles.  He will listen. He cares.

Singing in General Conference is the absolute highlight of the year for all the choir members I've spoken to, and it was certainly a highlight for me. The blessing of gathering with people from all areas of the world, to be able to voice our faith through music on behalf of all members everywhere, is a privilege to say the least. It is a privilege that comes at a price. Below I include the pieces that I sang in (you may or may not be able to find me, singing in the very back of the soprano section). 

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merilee said…
We LOVED looking for you during the hymns sung by the choir. We found you! The spirit that the music brought to conference was wonderful! Thanks for a heartfelt post. Love you! ♥
Monday, April 07, 2014
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