Know by Heart, Play by Ear.

In the world of music, the phrases "know by heart" and "play by ear" are pretty peculiar. I would like to offer you some insight on these phrases, being a singer and a piano player myself.

To Know by Heart is to know something perfectly or to have memorized something perfectly.

To say "I know it by heart" usually means it's been way more than memorized, it's been internalized. "This song is personal to me," the performer is saying, "I have no problem recalling it. I know it." A performer has probably toiled countless hours practicing and perfecting this song to play and express it the best he can.

We can compare this to getting a testimony of The Book of Mormon. When we read the Book of Mormon with an open heart we can gain knowlege that is ingrained in us.

2 Nephi 33:1 "And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which were taught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking; for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men."

The Holy Ghost carries the truth of what we read to our heart. The prophets in the Book of Mormon wrote such things when they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost, just as prophets of old in the Bible. So the Holy Ghost verifies the words they speak to be true. Notice that the Holy Ghost does not carry it into our heart but unto our heart. This takes us to the next phrase.

To Play by Ear is to try to learn a song by listening to the song itself and not having any sheet music to use.

You really have to listen closely to a song and to its very intricate details in order to get the exact same sound. The only way you can get a song to the express uniqueness by which it was written is to find the right combinations of chords and melody. As we listen very closely to the Holy Ghost we can know if the Book of Mormon is true or not. All we need to do is listen and turn down the noise of life so we can actually hear the Holy Ghost testify to our hearts of truth.

1st Kings 19:  The Lord speaks to Elijah in a still, small voice.
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."

Moroni 10:3-5
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

I encourage you to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder the message it contains. If you read it enough and are prayerful in understanding the teachings, you will come to know for yourself that they testify of Jesus Christ. If you listen to the feelings in your heart and the impressions on your mind and perhaps  "read by ear", then you can "know by heart" because the Holy Ghost testified to you the truth.
The Book of Mormon is the Keystone of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true restored church of Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul. If you want to know for yourself, I exhort you to read The Book of Mormon and ask God, with Faith in Christ if it is true believing that God will give you an answer. Be honest in your heart and believing, I believe you will get an answer. God loves all his children and wants to show them the truth of all things if they just ask.

Life, Death, and Sunsets

I really love sunsets, so I thought I'd write about them on my blog. I'm from Arizona, and we get a ton of really beautiful sunsets in our valley. I can't remember a time when I didn't love and admire amazing sunsets. I have probably taken over 1,000 pictures of sunsets. The reason for that is because a sunset is always changing. The clouds are moving, the sun is setting, so it is a process. I take so many pictures of just one sunset to see if I can get the best shot, the most beautiful picture of one. From what I've seen, it takes only about 30 seconds or about a minute for you to get a different looking sunset. It's slightly different but it could make a big difference. Time is intensified when trying to capture the grandeur of a setting sun. I run to my camera whenever I see what could be a great picture.



“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon,

my soul expands in worship of the Creator”

 Mahatma Gandhi

Sunsets really give you a simple joy of the beauty of the earth. A sunset is the most magnificent display of clouds and light and colors I can imagine. It seems to be a small glimpse of what it will look like when Jesus comes again. Sunsets could also be compared to the end of life, as sunrises to the beginning of new life.

"Doors of Death" Russell M. Nelson, April 1992 General Conference Address
"Life does not begin with birth, nor does it end with death. Prior to our birth, we dwelled as spirit children with our Father in Heaven. There we eagerly anticipated the possibility of coming to earth and obtaining a physical body. Knowingly we wanted the risks of mortality, which would allow the exercise of agency and accountability. “This life [was to become] a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God.” (Alma 12:24.) But we regarded the returning home as the best part of that long-awaited trip, just as we do now. Before embarking on any journey, we like to have some assurance of a round-trip ticket. Returning from earth to life in our heavenly home requires passage through—and not around—the doors of death. We were born to die, and we die to live. (See 2 Cor. 6:9.) As seedlings of God, we barely blossom on earth; we fully flower in heaven."

“How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.”

George MacDonald

There's nothing to fear of something as death. If we have an eternal perspective on life we would have a hope from the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I feel like a beautiful sunset could be a reminder to us of God's plan for us. It is inspiring to me, and also gives me a sense of how fast life goes. One minute the sunset will be there and the next it's gone, you have to cherish it while you have it.
Life can be the same way. If we don't take advantage of the opportunities right Here in front of us, life might pass us up and move right on. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it. Doesn't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till its gone? Don't let life be that way, cherish what you have. Make a change you need to, and take the courage to be who you need to be TODAY. Pray to Heavenly Father for the strength to be your best self. Don't let yourself be held captive by the things of the past. Don't forget the reason for our life on Earth is to prepare to meet God.

“The Lord has turned all our sunsets into sunrise.”

Clement of Alexandria

“There is nothing more musical than a sunset.

 He who feels what he sees will find no more beautiful example of development

 in all that book which, alas, musicians read but too little-the book of Nature.”

Claude Debussy (French composer)