Feelings of the Heart

It's a beautiful, bright, sunny, Sunday morning and I'm sitting here at my computer with gratitude in my heart, since I love the sunshine. I've sorted out, copied and prepared several stories and inspiring clips to add to my Uplift My Soul blog. I was wondering what to call this post when the speaker from the Sounds of Sunday on the radio mentioned "the feelings of the heart" and I realized that is just what I was looking for. These are articles, pictures or quotes that are feelings of my heart. I hope you find something uplifting and inspirational for you here.

I've also started a file of other thoughts to share as I can. I love you all and pray that you will have what you need today and forever forward. Together we will have all that we need to prepare ourselves to return to our Savior and our Father together. Happy Sunday and even more than that HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRACIE!!

A friend just sent this to me. I thought that you might like it, especially the music and the words. Flora

Flora is a sister who works in the Provo Temple and met Seth while he was in the MTC. She took a real liking to him and we've kept in touch ever since then. She sent me this email a while back. There is also a website where you can download and print off a copy of the song they sang at Pres. Hinckley's funeral from the poem that he wrote. I will try to add the website since it hasn't come through with the email letter.


Don't forget to open the 'attachment' to see the hymn.
From: Janice K. Perry
To: Senior Missionary Friends
Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 8:28 AM
Subject: story behind hymn sung at pres. hinckley's funeral


During President Hinckley's funeral the Tabernacle Choir sang a hymn text written by President Hinckley which I set to music in December. I would like to share the story of it with you:
About two months before my niece Kathy Blacker died, on January 11, 2008,
she found a three-verse poem by President Hinckley among her files.
Although she was resigned to dying, she had some fears about the dying
process and his words greatly comforted her, especially the second verse
which described exactly what she was feeling. She wrote to Pres.
Hinckley's office to ask permission to have the poem printed on her funeral
program, and she received a very nice letter from his secretary, Don H.
Staheli saying that President Hinckley gave his permission for her to do so.
The letter also conveyed some very comforting words from Pres. Hinckley
which were helpful to Kathy in her final weeks, and he said he
would remember Kathy in his prayers.

Then Kathy suggested that I write and ask permission to give the poem a
hymn setting. I did so, and Brother Staheli conveyed President Hinckley's
permission for me to write the hymn. After offering some heartfelt prayers
that I might be able to write appropriate music for his profoundly beautiful
and moving text, I wrote the hymn setting and sent a copy to President
Hinckley's office for approval at the end of December. I received an
immediate response.

Kathy passed away January 11 and after her funeral I sent a copy of her
funeral program to President Hinckley's office so he could see how nicely
his poem was displayed along side my brother Gary Kapp's painting of Christ.
When I heard President Hinckley had passed away last Sunday night I was
feeling a little sad to think I hadn't received a letter with his official
approval. But the very next day, after his passing, the hoped-for letter
arrived with his approval, his permission for me to publish it in a future
volume of my series Inspirational New Hymns for Choir and Home, and leaving
it to my discretion as to whether to submit it to the Church Music Division.
The timing was so unusual and I was extremely grateful to receive the letter
as a tender mercy in my life.

Then on Monday afternoon Craig Jessop, Tabernacle Choir Director, heard
about the hymn and had his office call me to obtain a copy of the hymn for
consideration for President Hinckley's funeral. On Tuesday, while
travelling in California, I learned that the hymn would be performed by The
Tabernacle Choir at President Hinckley's funeral on Saturday.

Having seen the great comfort this hymn brought to my niece who died just
two weeks before President Hinckley passed away, my great desire is for
people throughout the world to have a free copy of these magnificent words
of President Hinckley to comfort them in times of the loss of loved ones.
This is just one more way his influence could be felt down through time.