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During the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah - the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed with the cast during the finale of "Light of the World" singing this great latter-day hymn, "High on the Mountain Top" In Sunday school yesterday, I learned early LDS Prophet Brigham Young wanted the state of Utah to be called "Deseret", but residents, not of the LDS faith, decided they did not want a name with 'religious connotations'. So, the state name of "Utah" was chosen, because of the Ute Indian tribe in the area. Brigham Young had chosen the name "Deseret" to signify a high mountain where a banner to the Lord would be unfurled. ("Lift ye up a banner, upon the high mountain" Isaiah 13:2) Later, it was learned that in the Ute language, "Utah" means "people of the high mountain". One of the most beloved LDS hymns is "High on the Mountain Top" The story of "High on the Mountain Top"
by Joel H Johnson
This is the story behind the writing of "HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP" by Joel Hills Johnson as told by his wife Margaret Threlkeld Johnson to her grandson Bernard A. Johnson. Joel H. Johnson established a sawmill in Mill Creek Canyon soon after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. Sawing lumber for the "Building up of Zion" was Joel's church calling. This meant that he spent his time sawing prime lumber and delivering it to the tithing office. In lieu of wages, he would go to the storehouse and get what was needed for him and his family. As he made his wagon trips up and down the steep canyon, he often thought about the flag that had been planted on Ensign Peak. He knew he had safely made it down the mountain with his load when he turned north and headed for the tithing office. He always breathed easier when he could look up at that peak and see Old Glory waving. In the early spring of 1850, Joel loaded up a load of prime lumber and headed for the tithing office. As he headed into the lot that housed this office, he noticed that there were several other wagon loads of tithing offerings ahead of him. He stopped his team, unhitched the horses and turned them into "Brother Brigham's" pasture, and sat down to wait his turn to unload. Being a warm spring day, Joel sought the shady side of his wagon, leaned back against the wheel and waited. As was his habit, he pulled out a piece of paper and prepared to write. He found himself thinking about the breeze and how it must be making 'Old Glory' ripple. In his mind he pictured how it must look there on the top of the peak under the clear blue sky as it waved and fluttered in the breeze. His mind painted such a wonderful picture. Almost as if written by unseen hands, words began to appear on the paper: "High on the mountain top,
A banner is unfurled.
Ye nations now look up;
It waves to all the world."
In Deseret's sweet, peaceful land-
On Zion's mount behold it stand! For God remembers still
His promise made of old
That He on Zion's hill
Truth's standard would unfold!
Her light should there attract the gaze
Of all the world in latter days. His house shall there be reared
His glory to display
And people shall be heard
In distant lands to say
We'll now go up and serve the Lord,
Obey His truth, and learn His word. For there we shall be taught
The law that will go forth,
With truth and wisdom fraught
To govern all the earth;
Forever there His ways we'll tread
And save ourselves and all our dead. Then hail to Deseret!
A refuge for the good,
And safety for the great,
If they but understood.
That God with plagues will shake the world
Till all its thrones shall down be hurled. In Deseret doth truth
Rear up its royal head;
Though nations may oppose,
Still wider it shall spread;
Yes, truth and justice, love and grace,
In Deseret find ample place. He originally titled his poem "DESERET". It was later changed to "HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP". Joel finished his poem, folded up the paper, put it in his pocket, and went about the task of getting his lumber measured and recorded. Much later in the day, he went home. Sometime later he showed his poem to John Taylor, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. President Taylor liked the poem so much, he asked if he could keep it. In those days, words only were written down and then sung to familiar folk tunes. In just a short time it became one of the favorite songs where ever the Saints gathered. My blog: Day of Praise
Tags: Hymns Utah Deseret Mountain
I was confirmed in Church last Sunday. I love being an official member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In my confirmation blessing, the Bishop said I should study the Scriptures diligently (especially 3Nephi) and make this a time of preparation for what is to come. The Bishop also said to me "Live in JOY". What a neat counsel! I'm sure that is what Jesus Christ would say to every one of us! Online I found a great talk by Elder Jeffery Holland to new (and longtime) Church members, it has very wise counsel in sections titled "The Way of the Covenant", "The Sanctity of Service", "The Holy Temple", "Leaving the Past Behind" and "Everyday Victories". I wanted to share just a small part of the last section, since it's about blessings and it seems appropriate for this week of Thanksgiving. The whole talk can be found at the link below. “What I Wish Every New Member Knew—and Every Longtime Member Remembered,”
Ensign Oct 2006, 10–16
By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles "We must never allow our burdens to obscure our blessings. There will always be more blessings than burdens—even if some days it doesn’t seem so. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Enjoy those blessings right now. They are yours and always will be. Let me summarize only a few of those blessings. There are untold others. Knowledge of the truth. In a world that wonders and speculates and drifts, we can be certain who our Father is, who we are, and what our destiny is if we follow the path that has been marked for us. We can enjoy the highest of all higher education—the learning that comes, in both spiritual and temporal affairs, when our spirits and our minds respond to the light that streams from heaven to the faithful. Peace in daily living. We can walk our path day to day with comfort, hope, and direction despite the challenges and obstacles we meet along the way. We can have these blessings because of our source of strength—He who “descended below” all things and triumphed over all trials. When we center our faith in Him, we draw on His strength and our reward is, among other things, “peace in this world." Strength in virtue and confidence in integrity. The world may wonder what the standard of moral behavior is, chasing here and there the driftwood of political correctness or the frivolous fashions of the day, but we have a sure rock on which to build and to which we cling, an absolute anchor to the certainty of our moral judgment. “Let virtue garnish [our] thoughts unceasingly,” we are taught, and the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion. When our minds are so focused and our lives so directed, “then shall [our] confidence wax strong in the presence of God." The fellowship of good people. Surely one of the greatest strengths and joys of membership in the Church is the fellowship of good men and women, new friends with whom we have so much in common. The Church is a community—a community of believers, a community of those striving to be faithful, a community of Saints. Association with people hoping for the same things we hope for brings strength for the journey and delight along the way. “A friend loveth at all times,” says the writer of Proverbs, and many of our dearest friends will inevitably be members of the Church. Walk with us. Stay with us. We need your company and your unique strength. We welcome you to a fellowship based on covenants, with “a determination that is fixed, immovable, and unchangeable.” We pledge to be your friend, your brother or sister “through the grace of God in the bonds of love, to walk in all the commandments of God blameless, in thanksgiving, forever and ever." Welcome to the Church. Welcome to the blessings. Welcome to the celestial journey. Take courage and take hope. You have help from heaven and on earth. As the Lord told the missionaries (including the missionaries who taught you), so He promised us all: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." And remember, the most significant sign of your progress on this journey is not so much your location on the path at the moment, but rather the direction in which you are moving. When you come to the end of your time in mortality, you will not yet have completed the process of perfection—none of us will have done so—but if you have loved and served, sacrificed and stayed faithful to the end, you will hear those glorious words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: … enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Your journey then will continue in unspeakable glory in the company of loved ones who have gone before you and the very angels of heaven themselves. Welcome to “the way, the truth, and the life.” My blog: Day of Praise
Tags: Blessings Membership Fellowship
We have bought our first house! After renting and living frugally for 16 years, we have finally been able to become home owners. (no, it wasn't a foreclosure, but it was a good deal!). We found the cutest house in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, the prettiest little town in the world!!!
The area is actually called, "City Between the Canyons", and it is on the east bench of the Wasatch Mountain range.
The house even has a pond and waterfall in the backyard! And the front yard has 20 rose bushes! It's a very romantic story. Every year when the first owners had a weddding anniversary, they planted a new rose bush. After 20 years, I guess they ran out of room and moved.
We take possession of the home on Tuesday, November 4th.So this will be a memorable and miraculous "election day" for me, no matter who wins. This is still the most wonderful country in the world, and I feel so blessed, privileged and grateful to live here in the United States of America! (see a couple pictures of me and Beau in front of the house, here: http://dayofpraise.blogspot.com/ It really IS a "Day of Praise"!) 
Tags: House Home Cottonwood Heights Utah Blessings
America has always been my "house", my neighborhood, my country, my home.
During the upcoming Presidential election, no matter who wins, Obama or McCain, or someone else; I will passionately pray for the continued Liberty and Freedom "my house", my neighborhood, my country has always enjoyed and cherished.
And I will pray God's Wisdom and Guidance will be heard, listened to, accepted and followed by our newly elected leaders. God Bless America!
* "The House I Live In"
(Lewis Allen)
The title song of a 1940's Oscar-winning documentary, the catchy tune and these simple lyrics were turned into an instant hit by Frank Sinatra that became an American classic.
"The house I live in, a plot of earth, a street,
The grocer and the butcher and the people that I meet,
The children in the playground, the faces that I see;
All races, all religions, that's America to me.
The house I live in, my neighbors, white and black,
The people who just came here or from generations back;
The town hall and the soap box, the torch of Liberty,
A home for all God's children that's America to me.
The things I see about me, the big things and the small.
The little corner news-stand and the house a mile tall;
The wedding and the churchyard, the laughter and the tears;
The dream that's been growing for two hundred years.
The house I live in, the goodness everywhere;
A land of wealth and beauty with enough for all to share.
A house that we call Freedom, the home of Liberty;
And a promise for tomorrow, that's America to me!"
* "Spirit of America" cd
By the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
and the Orchestra at Temple Square
Visit my blog: http://dayofpraise.blogspot.com/
Tags: Prayer America Liberty Freedom Election
I'm still praying for our country's best hope right now, that Mitt Romney will become the Vice President candidate of the Republican Party. I still can't believe that he isn't the Republican candidate for President ! But, God is in charge and His plans are above our plans and He will do what is best for America, even if it may come about in a way I couldn't have imagined. But somehow, I believe, Mitt Romney will be a big part of it! from Feb 07, 2008 "It is the common task of each generation-- and the burden of liberty -- to preserve this country, expand its freedoms and renew its spirit so that its noble past is prologue to its glorious future. "To this task, accepting this burden, we are all dedicated, and I firmly believe, by the providence of the Almighty, that we will succeed beyond our fondest hope. America must remain, as it has always been, the hope of the Earth. "Thank you, and God bless America." -Mitt Romney Mitt Romney's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Tags: Romney Vice President Election Politics
The Caravan Moves On
"The Church is like a great caravan—organized, prepared, following an appointed course, with its captains of tens and captains of hundreds all in place.
What does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travelers? Or that predators claim those few who fall by the way? The caravan moves on.
Is there a ravine to cross, a miry mud hole to pull through, a steep grade to climb? So be it. The oxen are strong and the teamsters wise. The caravan moves on.
Are there storms that rage along the way, floods that wash away the bridges, deserts to cross, and rivers to ford? Such is life in this fallen sphere. The caravan moves on.
Ahead is the celestial city, the eternal Zion of our God, where all who maintain their position in the caravan shall find food and drink and rest. Thank God that the caravan moves on!"
~Elder Bruce R. McConkie
“.. Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.……….” Isaiah 43 : 1 - 2
http://dayofpraise.blogspot.com/
Tags: LDS Church Steadfastness Elder McConkie
I found this in an article at mormontimes.com "Last fall, John Beck, the former Brigham Young University quarterback, and current member of the Miami Dolphins, became the first returned missionary to start a game at quarterback in the National Football League." Read more on my blog, "Day of Praise" http://dayofpraise.blogspot.com/
Tags: LDS Missions NFL Football Morman Missionary
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