A few Sundays ago, while John and I were both in Utah, we drove to Salt Lake City to attend “Music and the Spoken Word,” which is the longest running weekly broadcast and features the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square. Attending either a practice on a Thursday night or a broadcast on a Sunday morning is one of our absolute favorite things to do when we’re in the Salt Lake City area, and I could listen to the choir sing for hours and hours. We’ve discovered that our little Tyson is also a big Motab fan…it really seems to calm him down. Thankfully, I have several albums in my iTunes which we listened to…a lot… 😉
We left early so that we could be sure and get a seat since we knew the tabernacle would probably be fuller than usual since it was September 11th. As we walked into the tabernacle and heard the choir rehearsing for that day’s broadcast, tears instantly filled my eyes. If you’ve never heard the choir, you are definitely missing out on a piece of heaven. The spirit their music brings is unquestionable, and it was just what I needed after the emotional events of the past week and a half with Tyson’s birth and the lack of sleep from getting to help take care of him and Kam, which has been a total blessing. I’d also been worried about Kailen and the health issue she was dealing with on her mission. To say I was a bit of an emotional mess is a bit of an understatement. And when I heard the bagpipes start playing at the beginning of “Amazing Grace,” the tears flowed again—both times I got to hear it that morning. That hour spent in the tabernacle was exactly what my empty bucket needed, and I left the tabernacle feeling filled to the brim again.
After the broadcast was over, John and I took the opportunity to walk around Temple Square for awhile. The grounds are always beautiful, and the flowers are always amazing. I seriously could spend hours on Temple Square, and I hope that one day I can do just that—spend a few hours just sitting and enjoying the spirit that is there.
^I love this reflecting pool where you can seriously see the entire temple reflected in the totally calm waters.
And…for your listening pleasure, here are my top 10+ (because I could not narrow it down to only 10) favorite Motab songs. Enjoy!
O Divine Redeemer
Faith in Every Footstep
Homeward Bound: Kailen and Tyson’s favorite—he calms right down when he hears it.
Battle Hymn of the Republic
How Firm a Foundation
My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
Abide with Me
I Need Thee Every Hour
High on the Mountain Top: My 4th great grandpa (Joel Hills Johnson) actually wrote the words to this song!
Lead Kindly Light
And many more…
You can check out the Motab YouTube channel here, and you can watch “Music and the Spoken Word every Sunday morning on BYUtv (live or on byutv.org) at 9:30 am MST. The program is also carried on many radio stations, and it is always uplifting. What an awesome way to spend 30 short minutes of your day!
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