More Need for Preparation

 

Elder Holland did such a good job sharing what it was like being off on his own and starting a family.  Being President of BYU seemed to enhance his understanding of what it is like to be starting off into adulthood.  This song was inspired by 6, Jan 1982, Jeffrey R. Holland, “For Times of Trouble, ” Tambuli

panic, self-doubt, and despair are no match when we apply preparation to our day. I wrote the words a long time ago. 

To Move Along

Read from the link, the story about one of the saints crossing the plains who sat at camp, tired and sick. He sang Come Come Ye Saints and then died in the night.  When they buried him, they used the very rock he had been sitting on as his headstone.

For others, what can you do
In just a spare hour or two?
Clayton wrote up a new song
To help the Saints move along

Come Come Ye Saints.

Read this wonderful article that
excerpts journals of early pioneers
to uncover the circumstance
around the time that Willaim Clayton wrote
this inspiring hymn.  There are
some great stories here as well:
BYU-EDU
in a speech given in the salt lake
tabernacle on 27 november 1978
President Jimmy Carter said,
"I thought about the early mormons coming across this country singing a
famous hymn Come Come Ye Saints.  Only a deep faith
could let the words of that song, All is Well, ring out. In times
when you and your forefathers were persecuted and driven one from
another when you crossed this land looking for freedom and a chance
to worship in your own way when perhaps you knew that you were
about to die when drought and thirst affected you and still the song
rang out all is well. This is indeed a demonstration of faith and a
reaffirmation of hope.

For Times of Trouble

Make each day count
And avoid self doubt
Evil is there
When e'er there’s despair

It will work, it will grow, it will spread,
It will fill our lives with more dread
As a germ it is fed. It is bred

Wake up late, climbing through the sand
We’re open for sin, we just can’t win
One poor thought, with no strength we’re caught

It can erode
Charity, faith and hope
We turn inward-
And then look downward

We’ll feel shame and pity, woe is me
It will fill our lives with more need
With increase- it will be a disease

And again we will surely be
It is troublesome and burdensome-
And it builds, as it yields blind fields

A panic bold-
Soon fear takes a hold
An evil twin
Grips and sweats within

No more breath, no more depth, feels like death
It will fill our lives till we’re deaf
Fear and self doubt have met and they fret

Panic and despair lead us nowhere
The times of trouble now are double
Where one stops one begins and hops

It will attract
It seeks to distract
With misery-
You don’t think clearly

Don’t give up, don’t give in, you can change
All thought patterns will rearrange
Free of filth, free of mange, there’s more range

We must confess- our sins address
Make restitution, make ablution
And we feel cleansing that’s real

Preparation
Acts as prevention
From self defeat-
The three cannot meet

We will work, we will grow, we will spread
And, yes we’ll use our head, to where led
We’re ahead; it’s our bread, now we’re fed

Preparation is our cure for this
Being more aware coupled with prayer
The prepared are not impaired

Carry the calm-
With focus the balm
Composed to fight
Attack goals with might

We will work, watch the time, thoughts are seen-
And we’ll burst at the seam
When we’re keen, how we dream and we beam!

Having a vision, for our mission
And, we’ll work out a plan- one that we can
With each step we will holler, yep!

Off to the school
With the golden rule
We’re on our own-
From home we’ve flown

Off we go, it’s a test, on our breast
We will wear the BYU crest
To do our best, and with zest we’ll not rest

In each class we’ll pray. Always we’ll say-
We’re so thankful with hearts so full,
For this chance- for minds to enhance

to a tune similar to
the caissons go rolling along
And may BYU remain strong!

6, Jan 1982, Jeffrey R. Holland,
“For Times of Trouble, ” Tambuli