My Grandpa passed away a few years ago.
I was asked to play the organ for the opening and closing hymns at his funeral services.
Although I’ve played the piano for years, I hadn’t had any organ-related opportunities for quite a while so I knew I wanted to practice a lot. I didn’t want to be rusty for this important occasion.
I was able to get into the chapel the night before his services. I checked my phone for the two hymns and practiced them over and over – I really wanted them to be perfect. “Love One Another” and “The Lord is My Shepherd”.
The morning of his funeral, I walked in with the family processional. I went to the stand and quickly traded places with the lady who was playing prelude music.
As I was changing the registrations, pedals, and books, I heard the person conducting announce the opening hymn:
“Love at Home”.
NOT “Love One Another” like I had practiced.
I hurriedly glanced at the program next to me to confirm that yes, he had announced it correctly.
I had no time to even panic – I just turned to hymn 294 and started the introduction.
I immediately and silently pleaded with the Lord to help me transfer the practice time and energy from the one hymn to the new one.
“Love at Home” actually isn’t that difficult of a hymn to play, but I had the most beautiful experience. I KNEW that everything was going to be okay. I felt strength and confidence in my playing. I’m sure my dear musical Grandpa, my Heavenly Father, and probably others were supporting me.
To me, THAT is GRACE.
The Kirtland saints pleaded with heaven in the dedicatory prayer: “And now, Holy Father, we ask thee to assist us, thy people, with thy grace”. D&C 109:10
They knew they didn’t really know what they were doing. They knew they had a lot to figure out still. And they asked for God’s grace to carry them along all the right notes.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
3 Responses
One of my favorite words is Grace. I’ve been studying it a lot lately. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Grace is a beautiful thing! <3
In my journey I have found that grace is all that you have experienced and so much more we have yet to experience. One of the more direct interpretations of the etymology of grace is that it is directly tied to all the divine attributes of godliness. Hence Christ received “grace for grace” [D&C 93: 11-14] or in other words, he developed attribute upon attribute until he received a fullness of the Father’s divine attributes; developing the same divine character as his Father. Grace is not something we lack but what we actually have already within us… we just need to embrace it and become one with it so that we may become like Christ and our Father in Heaven. When we receive the “grace of God” we are actually developing within ourselves the attributes of godliness. My grace is sufficient for thee. 2 Corinthians 12:9… in other words “my divine nature is sufficient for thee.” And “it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do”… in other words “it is by divine nature that we are saved after all we can do.” This is what grace really is to me!
“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 25:23).