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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Poems based on President Hinckley



We search to be taught from those who are dying
To feel their pain and breathe, with them, their last sighing
The love that's shared goes beyond this mortal life
And sweetens grief by deepening the soul unto Christ

Tenderly assuring us our loved one has been called back
Providing comfort when alone the strength we lack
A turning of hearts unto bigger and greater things
Thus, preparing us for what e'er this life brings


here are the lyrics to His Song:
What is This Thing Called Death?

What is this thing that men call death,
This quiet passing in the night?
'Tis not the end, but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch thou my aching heart,
And calm my troubled, haunting fears.
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change,
With recompense for vict'ry won.
The gift of Him who loved all men,
The Son of God, the Holy One.


"What Is This Thing That Men Call Death"
By President Gordon B. Hinckley

The Symbol of Our Faith

They judged Him, as though He were just a Jew
He forgave them for they “know not what they do”
He died in pain, loneliness and misery
Him, the greatest miracle in history
Without Christ, what of all who've lived and died?
He arose in power, beauty and in life
Why do ye seek the living among the dead?
He was not there; He'd risen as He had said

The day dawned and became the new Sabbath
So, all man could resurrect, as He now hath
Although He hung on a cross that tragic day
Keeping covenants is the symbol of our faith
To a world wavering, there's a new witness
We've a Book of Mormon and prophet's preface
It tells of how Jesus came to our nation
His love's to all man no matter their station

As His Saints we've responsibility
To live good lives to our best ability
We're thankful He suffered the grave price
From the tomb, He emerged, as our Living Christ
Though skin worms may destroy this body
We'll resurrect and then we'll have eyes to see
Our Lord above, who's dressed in the brightest white
He's our strength. He's our comfort. He is the Christ!


The Shepherd of Israel

In our Savior's name, we do pray
For our Bishop who serves this day
He's our Shepherd, and we're his flock
He is there when we need to talk
May our prayers help him with his load
Bless him with safety on the road
Bless his dear children, and his wife
Keep them safe from harm and from strife

Please bless us to be teachable
For he makes himself reachable
Bless him when there's not enough hours
Sustained by his priesthood powers
Bless us to trust when he knows best
For with all thy funds he's honest
Bless him through his meeting this day
And us to heed what he will say

Please help us trust his confidence
He can lift burdens tremendous
When clouds bring anguish and despair
Bless him with wisdom for repair
He places in us stewardship
Help us to improve fellowship
Help us be worthy as a ward
We ask for these things with one accord


The Salt Lake Temple

To our Savior in Heaven
Who hath created this earth
And all things that are therein
Who's shown us to walk with worth
Towards our eternal birth

Forty years we built these walls
Our haven, this house is thine
Please, walk along its carved halls
There was care in its design
For strength, harmony and line
(May I think of it as mine?)

It's the largest of our day
A place where Thy prophets meet
To learn of all things, we do pray
That will lead man to Thy feet
Bless us, please, with Thee to greet-

Dressed in white, on Thy Mountain
To endow all, it's our plight
Thou art our living fountain
Help us serve with all our might
As Thy proxies each day and night


THESE ARE THE THINGS OF WHICH I KNOW

How deeply grateful we are for this true church
To know of God and that which does not subvert
We've knowledge come directly to Joseph Smith
The Father and the Son spoke in his presence!
He was taught basic truths which help us to grow
Sacred truths are the things of which we rightly know

We know that God governs all the universe
We know that His children can with Him converse
We've felt God's influence and cannot deny
He hears our prayers, hears our cries, He is most wise
In a time of divisiveness, He is truth
That our hearts are blessed full in all that we do

We know that Jehovah created the earth
He put His light in all things that have birth
With His finger he wrote commandments to man
He served us through humble birth and circumstance
Our Lord suffered for us in Gethsemane
Of this, there is witness of personally

The sorrow of death softens with this promise
We know that our Brother was and always is
Jesus spoke of those who were not of this fold
He came to the new world as had been foretold
And they made a record for the Latter-Day
Of these things we humbly witness and proclaim


An Unending Conflict, a Victory Assured

An unending conflict, a victory assured
When one side has found peace, another is disturbed
There is one, who wants us to turn to war in haste
To devastate families so nations lie in waste
He must live in hatred and peace he'll never know
He spreads his misery, as he reels to and fro
When we lived in heaven, we dwelled in God's presence
The great dragon of old caused a war so intense
That it has never ceased and has been ever since
We must not let him in; we'll build stakes as our fence
We have been called and we must make a commitment
We can and must do it. We will do as we've been sent
!

An unending conflict, a victory assured
For we can fight the foe, as we cling to our God's word
We hold His sword up high and stand upon Zion
We're listening to His word, we shan't fear this lion
But, we'll keep our breastplate, for he'll wait till we are weak
He froths much at the mouth as he gnashes his sharp teeth
He can confuse the mind, to hell and back again
We must not be tempted, in deed by this Satan
We have a kind Father who knows his stratagem
He gave us a Savior, We must follow Him
We have been called and we must make a commitment
We can and must do it. We will do as we've been sent


As the gospel work rolls and continues to grow
Satan and his angels labor much to overthrow
The Saints must not give up. With faith we must go on
Till every ear has heard that with God we belong
Two powers must juggle but God's victory is assured
For we can fight the foe, in good deeds with God's word
Whose armor is tarnished? Held loosely- and not tight?
Whose light has extinguished? Can their future be made bright?
We must prepare to help. The goal is yet in sight
We'll girt about our loins and work with all our might
We have been called and we must make a commitment
We can and must do it. We will do as we've been sent



Faith to Move Mountains

Faith is the wellspring of activity
To move a mountain despite gravity
As a simple grain of a small mustard seed
We grow increased faith. It’s what we most need
May faith be as Israel’s cloud?
And lead us on our way
May faith be as Israel’s cloud?
And strengthen day by day


Faith full of charity on our Lord Jesus
We’ll grow the founding roots of hope and trust
And of the great cause of which we are a part
Bless us to be meek and lowly of heart
May faith be as a warm candle
Bright with holy light?
May faith be as a candle
To guide us in the night?


Our Prophet would hold on as does a trees last leaf
To give his people a clear strategy
Built on God’s instruction, and if we have the faith
He’ll bless us with strength to do as the Lord sayeth.
He’ll teach of Jesus Christ
And of his light to guide
He’ll lead us to Jesus Christ
He’ll see us through our time


Stay on The High Road

As daughters of God, we pray to stay on the high road
When the dust settles it won't matter which car we drove
We pray that we´ll find our own bit of divinity
It may make a difference to all eternity

With body, spirit, and mind our paths on the high road
To reach the vistas it will matter which way we drove
Our Father rules o´er the earth, and thus He'll hear us pray
We strive for excellence and there´s help along the way

Our prophet taught us there´s modesty on the high road
We need to obey for there´s tragedy some will know
He calls for high morals. He calls to each girl and boy
He humbly asks we not think him as a killjoy

A one-time false move- carelessness can leave a deep scar
Our prophet counsels that we need to raise our bar
Some stumble and fall when the storm comes and it descends
We must seek shelter, wisdom and good friends

When heavy laden, the Lord offers to give us rest
At times of distress our Lord's pillar star is at breast
His way is easy and his path is peaceful to trod
With faith there's a beacon a light towards our God

Though lonely at times, there is safety on the high road
There's vistas plenty to stop and check where next to go
And when there's mistakes temptations can take us off track
Our father knows us best he´ll help us to get back!



Ofttimes


Ofttimes we worry and perplex
Upon grave subjects so complex
Childhood of birthdays and cupcakes
Threshold to chances of mistakes
Now dreams and hopes and longing thought
Lead us on to paths more than not

This season explodes with knowledge
And we must seek high goals full-fledged
With high goals we’re not left to chance
We’re robust- we sing and we dance
Be humble and pray and be true
Be grateful and smart and clean too
-------------------------------------
We know what is right
We know what is true
Repent and be bright
With God we belong

We know what is right
We know what is true
With these goals of light
We’ve help to be strong

From Gordon B Hinckley’s
6 Be’s



Rise to the Stature of the Divine Within You

We know we shall reap
Whatsoever we sow
We promise, we keep
Wherever we go
We need not look far
To find gratitude
We share a bright star
For good attitude
To live as we should

It’s time to rise
With stature divine
With virtuous eyes
And a wholesome mind
With love for the land
And the sky above
We labor by hand
We give and we love
And, we do not shove...

A struggling mother
Much marred by abuse
Needs hope not smother
To feel she’s of use
As a morning star
We shouted for joy
For just where we are-
With life to enjoy
For each girl and boy.

With minds full of light
We’re full of glory
The oppressed now bright
Know a new story
A broad horizon
Can master one’s fate
For daughter and son-
It is not too late
For love’s bloom, not hate

We can cultivate
Beauty all around
Through prayer and not fate
We are safely sound
To safeguard from sin
Stand above evil
And rise and begin (clean the drab within)
Speak against what’s ill-
Harvests then fulfill


Times in Which We Live

Men bent on attacks
Like Gadiantons
Hide in unknown shacks
With oaths and wantons

Religious evil
Bent on destruction
What will they fulfill?
Where is their instruction?

From the times of Cain
Satan found strong hold
He creates disdain
To weak he is so bold

Although hard he tries
To lead man to hell
He only hears lies
And, he's doomed to fail

We must bow on knees
And invoke our God -
To lead our armies
Where terrorists trod

Frank and straight forward
Is our president (of the U.S.)
He’s not a coward
Yet for prayers he sent

Our nation unites
There can be much good
Let’s support who fights
And pray as we should


We must not panic
Nor go to extremes
We are in conflict
And must protect means

And with compassion
We help our neighbors
We help each nation
With our good endeavors


From: This Glorious Easter Morning
Four writings from one talk

Jesus Is Our Brighter Hope

Jesus is our brighter hope
Though sorrow comes with death
He helps us all to grieve and cope
He is our living breath

No event in history
Is more certainly confirmed
The grave’s without victory
For of our Lord we have learned

Our Lord is mighty to save
Though cruel spikes pierced His flesh
As followers we proclaim
He was not long left lifeless

No event in history
Is more certainly confirmed
The grave’s without victory
For of our Lord we've learned

He is our Deliverer
He, for us, sacrificed
He gave His all that we might live
Our Savior, Jesus Christ

Though we would salute His name
He desires not fame
All He asks us that we do
Is share His light anew


He Lives

Risen reality
Our Savior does yet live!
He is divinity
To our day, He did give
Sacred volumes to speak
Of His visits to man
In scriptures, Him we seek
The gospel is at hand!


Here We Now Assemble

Here we now assemble
What a marvelous sight
With our hearts in full swell
Overwhelmed in God’s light

In His warmth, here we bask
United in His cause
Strengthened for this task
We pledge to keep His laws

May our futures be bright?
May we see through earth’s blight?


Here we now assemble
What a glorious sight
Though the earth may tremble
We will sing with His might

May angels join to sing?
May heaven hear our calls?
And down His Spirit bring
What’s holy to these halls?

May our futures be bight?
Here we pray and unite


Here we now assemble
What a tremendous sight
And with this preamble
May we join in the fight?

As armies we must go
In battle for lost souls
Or else they’ll never know
Of man’s Celestial roles

May our futures be bright?
As we’re true to the fight


There’s Joy on the Mountains

There’s joy on the mountains
The valleys cry aloud
Dry lands spring with fountains
That of God we are proud D & C 128:23

Let all the sea and land
Tell wonders of our King
The gospel’s now at hand-
The earth joins us to sing

And, let the moon and sun,
Together with the stars,
Shine bright to everyone-
That death contains no bars!

Above all God towers-
Kind, though He’s supreme
Through His priesthood powers
He gives us hope to dream


A Tragic Evil Among Us

A raging storm increases
And destroys what’s beautiful
And the pain it unleashes
Is fully unmerciful!

It leaves a visual impact
A nasty deep impression
And shakes up what was intact-
And leaves us with depression
(Please turn from this digression)

What is this evil master?
That violates and betrays?
That leads souls to disaster?
A stranglehold that degrades!

All involved are a victim
Their bodies are exploited
And no one can out wit them-
When to their sin they are pointed

With false concepts, minds are warped
It’s impossible to break
And, love for others are dwarfed
It’s time for you to awake
(If you were caught how you would shake)

To those who’ve taken this trip-
Who have become so enslaved
It’s time to break the vise grip
And confess how you’ve behaved

May you have courage to seek
The counsel for addiction
It is time to become meek
It is time to clear the friction

You’ve defiled your own soul
Let virtue be your garnish
And, repentance be your goal
Polish away the tarnish
(And then new habits establish)



An Ensign to the Nations

We’re His ensign to the nations
To light wherever man stations
We are all in this together
As with the Lord we endeavor
We’re working as one in this cause
And, there is time for us to pause-
To ask the Lord whose work this is
For sufficient light which is His

There’s never reason to despair
The Lord thy God is always there
His work will always go forward
This is our time to press onward
The Lord is a living fountain
And His house is on the mountain
Here, on His path the righteous stay
He will teach us along the way

We cannot shrink nor turn aside
We’ve a mandate we must abide
There are forces all around us
We can flee from what is boisterous
Regardless of the circumstance
We will not soften our stance
With our eyes on truth's objective-
Of goals we must be protective

With the whole armor of our Lord
We will stand firm with one accord
Be strong in the lord in His fight-
True to what we know to be right
We do not wrestle flesh and blood
But against darkness' rampant flood
There’s much out there that’s seductive
But we’ll stay clean and productive

There is what is sleazy and uncouth
The tawdry rich seek for our youth
Life is better than they portray
They seek your soul and then betray
They grow rich from high admission
And for salacious exhibition
What a waste of time and money
Though the sin-drunk think it's funny

The mountain’s full of God’s forces-
Chariots of fire and horses
Open your eyes and you may see
Legions of angels, God’s army
God will bless and magnify you
If you do what you’ve been taught to
Those with us are more than with them
We can pray when there’s a problem

Fear not little flock and be good
And pray for sound minds, as you should
Doubt not, fear not, you will not fail
Those built upon a rock will prevail!




Be Strong in the Lord


Be strong in the lord-
In the power of his might
He has a strong sword-
It is double edged for the fight

Put on his armor
That, against evil you’ll stand
Trust our protector-
He'll guide others to lend a hand

Our lord Almighty
Gives mankind revelation
We must be friendly
And serve without elevation

When we have rapport,
And they have respect for us-
They’ll lend us support
And, they'll know that we love Jesus

-Ensign to the Nations,
A Light to the World

- President Hinckley


The Way That Pays

What may appear as harmless fun
Will grow upwards to a large sum
That which may seem so innocent
Breaks pursuits in one incident
We need not fritter away pay
Or engage in some aimless way

There are better ways to spend our time
Ways that don't cost a single dime
Music and dancing in the night,
Hiking and talking while it's light
These wholesome recreations pay
They refresh us like no other way!


The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain


When Joseph earnestly prayed, the grove became so lustrous
Never have we a record of something so glorious
God spoke of the Risen Lord, “This is my Beloved Son.”
Who then answered Joseph's prayer- of the churches please join none
Why is it so important that both God and Christ appeared?
For a new dispensation? A young boy was to be reared
He was schooled and ushered in, by great clouds of witnesses
God organized this kingdom, this true gospel which is His
A stone cut out of mountains now rolls with bold promises

The night was in September, it was eighteen twenty three
When the young Joseph Smith prayed, oh a miraculous thing...
The room became much brighter, much brighter than of noon day
There a personage appeared and called Joseph by his name
He was told that he had a work that only he could do
His name would be known for good. But, to scoffers- evil- too
For a poor unlearned son, how he must have been so stunned
What was he to accomplish? Him without a single fund?
Just how could his name be known by mankind of every tongue?

The Book of Mormon records the testimonies of men
They heard God and saw Jesus, And, they new He'd come again
May we read its sweet message, it's been translated for us
It was buried to come forth, for our latter- day purpose
It holds for us great cautions of murmuring and of pride
It is a second witness, it's power can't be denied
And it ends with a promise for all those who humbly pray
For the Prophet Moroni saw the trials of our day
He knew we'd feel God's power, if we'd exercise our faith


May the Blessings of Heaven Attend

May the blessings of heaven attend
As our conf'rence has come to an end
We so humbly and sincerely pray
To become inspired from this day
That we'll know exactly what to do
As phrases come to mind, we'll reprove

For now, to our homes we have returned
What's in our best interest is discerned
As families we will confess each truth
Held dear to our hearts and not aloof
We've been uplifted and edified
How to stay this way each must decide


A Glorious Season

In each of us lies a piece of childhood
Where bliss and wonder is best understood
We revel with much fun at Christmas time
Amongst tinseled presents some yours, some mine

But there is something else, something better
As we sit with our families together
And we read the fascinating story
Of our Lord's birth, ministry and glory

When God's great love for us has been measured
His priceless gift stands alone most treasured
To us was given the Mighty Prince of Peace
And may our love for Him only increase

And so at this Christmas season, we sing
With praise and gratitude, with hearts softening
Let us be more generous to spread His love
With Peace and wonder to ponder what's above



These - Our Little Ones

Parents behold each child
Who wonder with joy mild
When they see the new babe
How still they then behave
Love them, teach them, respect them
Pray with them and for them

They are your piece of heaven
To lift up and to leaven

They have sensitivity
For our Lord's nativity
Sing to them of Jesus
Share the Light of Christmas
Love them, teach them, respect them
Pray with them and for them

Let them feel of your sweet love
And of God's love, pure, from above

They're soon our rising future
Lead them to paths that endure
Be your best example
Tread softly, and don't trample
Love them, teach them, respect them,
Pray with them and for them

They can reach heights with God's strength
To grow in depth, breadth, and in length



Merry Christmas
Dear Latter-Day Saints


I greet you wherever you may be
As members of a church family
Tonight we pay homage to our Lord
Born in a stable. Loved and adored

He who'd been the creator of this earth
Condescended to a humble birth
And, thus we have the gift of Christmas
This the greatest of all enigmas!

His life and death mean so very much
He calls out to all to heal with His touch
How grateful we of this church should feel
We have the fullness, we of Israel

We've a Latter-Day witness, He lives!
We are blessed with the comfort this gives
On this glad night we'll lift our voices
Till the heavens hear and too rejoices



Fear Not; Only Believe

We believe that our Heavenly Father is near
He has sent us here, with fam'lies so dear

Let earth and hell combine against us
We know where to trust, For His laws are just

We'll not fear, but believe that we are His flock
Though with death we'll walk, The Lord's our sure rock

Power comes, there is majesty in each prayer
God is ever there, We are in His care

We each have the capacity to do good
Stand bright as we should, Full of brotherhood

We believe in goodness and seek out learning
Study and faith brings, spiritual earnings



We Testify of Jesus Christ


Unspeakable pain...
Incomprehensible love...
Lord Omnipotent, His name
Our Savior above
Two millenia ago
He condescended
He gave His life, that we'll know
He lives, who is resplendent-
In sunshine and in shadow

Like the Polar Star
Jesus is our sure anchor
When lost we need not look far
He's our focus, strength and more
He has shown us worth
Of one thing there's certainty
None so great has walked the earth!
He, who for all eternity
Has assured us of rebirth



God Will Make a Way

God hath not given us the spirit of fear
He would that we know He is ever near
When we're living right, God will make a way
As long as we have the power of faith

Some fear the present and some fear the future
While some suffer and think their a failure
Who among us can say they have not felt fear?
It gnaws destruction that is hard to bear!

Fear is not of God. Let us recognize this-
The adversary would that we be his
When we're pulled down and trapped- he steers and drives
And he would that we fear to change our lives

This can be corrosive and even deadly
But we can overcome, when we're ready
Through the power of faith which comes from our God
Who would that we pray and hold to the rod

Dear Father, Grant us faith when storms beat us down
May adversity not drive us to the ground
That we will not be consumed with life's pressures
But, look to the miracles of our future

Give us faith to pay our tithes and offerings
That the window from heaven be opening
Please help us to know and do what is right
That we may wax strong with a measure of Thy light

Help us not forget the power of priesthood
And find our strength in the bonds of brotherhood
Lord, help us increase our faith in one another
That we may do good and great things together

Help us subdue impulses that degrade
And that our negative elements may fade
When sacred things are mocked, shall we compromise?
No, we'll keep Thy standards right before our eyes

Help us live happily and be productive
Walking in paths where the light is conducive
May we realize the desire of our hearts
Help us humbly submit. As Thy will imparts

Help us reach out to those whose faith has grown cold
Warm them, unto faith until they are bold
To Thy panorama, may we add beauty
When we feel there is 'no way', help us to see


The Things in Which I Know (part two)

Our great creator with His finger wrote
The commandments unto man
He then condescended to atone
Though the greatest, the "I am"

He who left the royal courts on high
Came to live upon the earth
And with great circumstance to try
He was born of humble birth

He healed the sick and caused the blind to see
He showed compassion unto those infirm
He raised the dead and rebuked the Pharisees
And of His love for all, He then confirmed

As He was ever only the perfect man
He suffered greatly in Gethsemane
He fulfilled the Father's perfect plan
And then in death proved His humility

The Things of Which I Know
Ensign, May 2007


Optimism

We are so prone
To complain and moan
To see the bad
When we should be glad

But what of progress?
And how oft we've been blessed?
With God, we'll not fail
As to Him, our heart swells

Yes, we've setbacks
As Satan attacks
But, truth crushed to earth
Will rise with new birth

Now, some of our youth
Don't follow the truth
But, seen as a whole
They rise to their role

They have storms to fair
And must not give to despair
The sun's shines above what's dark
As they prepare to embark

I have some words for
The noble birthright
May I underscore
The need to be bright

Continue to train
And develop the brain
Opportunity will come
To the faithfilled ones

And when there is concern
And anxiety does burn
Our Lord has told us
To rejoice and to trust

Hope cannot be borrowed
And we all must face sorrow
So we must cultivate
In us thoughts that are great

We must testify
And share our light
That to souls it may infuse
Joy from the gospel's good news

In His dark and troubled hour
For us, the Lord did not cower
He said "Don't be afraid
Or let your heart upbraid..."

Now, do you feel gloomy?
Lift up your eyes!
Stand on your feet
Imagine the clear skies

Say a few words to the Lord
Of appreciation
Tell Him how He's adored
Feel anticipation

Ponder the salvation plan
Think of all that has occurred
For the benefit of man
And, how every prayer is heard

Prophecy has been fulfilled
Prophets spoke of our day
You've a purpose to be instilled
And you must keep the faith

Walk tall in righteousness
For the Lord will prosper you
Nurture truth and witness
You're the chosen and the few


New Era, Jul 2001

John 14:27
"let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid"

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