Living by the scriptures
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"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." — Doctrine and Covenants 25:12
It took me a good long 60 years to learn the real meaning of Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 and the great blessing it promises while singing joyously.
I stumbled onto its real meaning by accident about two years ago. As I was driving my car one day, I was listening to the radio. I enjoy the music stations I get because I love the music of the 1940s. Most of my life I have been a part-time musician. I played the clarinet for my first dance job when I was in the ninth grade.
I usually whistle or sing along with the radio when I am alone. One day, I was remorseful because of a sin and started singing along with the music, asking the Lord to please forgive me and help me to never do it again. I sang the words of my prayer to join with the melody on the radio. To my surprise, the Holy Ghost permeated my body as I was singing. That let me know that the Lord's answer to my prayer was heard, and the answer was yes.
Since that time, I continue to sing personal prayers to music when alone and always strongly feel the presence of the Holy Ghost. This has inspired me to sing the hymns at Church more personally and sincerely. As a result, I feel the Holy Ghost more often when I sing in Church.
What a great blessing this has been to me!
— Les Harrison, Skyline Ward, Tacoma Washington Stake
"Living by the Scriptures" is another in a series of Church News reader response articles. Was there a time when a particular scripture touched you, when it offered comfort, guidance and much-needed support? If so, please describe your experience in 250-300 words, giving the scripture reference and telling how it affected you.
Send your submission to Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Fax (801) 237-2524. E-mail: churchnews@desnews.com
