![\"Relief](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2017\/03\/800px-Batiment_Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9_de_Secours_0.jpg\")
<\/a>On Thursday evening, my wife and I were privileged to participate in a dinner at the Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City. \u00a0It was an interesting group to be with. \u00a0Elder Matthew Holland of the Seventy conducted the event. \u00a0Sister Tracy Y. Browning<\/a>, second counselor in the Primary General Presidency of the Church, spoke briefly, as did Sister Lesa Stevenson and her husband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. \u00a0Several officials of the Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis<\/a> were there \u2014 they were interesting to talk with \u2014 as was Governor Michael Parson<\/a> of Missouri. \u00a0And it was fun to run into Elder Ahmad Corbitt<\/a> yet again; I first met him many years ago in New York City, and I was absolutely unsurprised when he was called to the Seventy in April 2023. \u00a0A high point for me was to chat briefly with Rev. Amos Brown<\/a> and his wife.<\/p>\n Afterwards, we all headed over across the street to the Conference Center for the first of the three 2024 Christmas concerts performed by theTabernacle Choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square, and Bells at Temple Square. \u00a0The special guests were Ruthie Ann Miles<\/a> and Dennis Haysbert<\/a> (plus a special surprise guest who is connected with the featured story told by Mr. Haysbert). \u00a0The first performance of the annual Christmas concert series can sometimes be just a tiny bit rough, and Thursday evening\u2019s illustrated that with a few slightly muffed lines and an incorrect (but swiftly corrected) musical entrance. \u00a0I imagine that all of it was worked out for the Friday night performance and that it will be fine for tonight\u2019s.<\/p>\n I was delighted that the Choir performed the Nigerian Christmas carol Betelehemu<\/em>, by Via Olatunji and Wendell Whalum. \u00a0It has become one of my very favorite Christmas songs, and it is my Christmas musical piece for this post. \u00a0I first heard it performed by the BYU Men\u2019s Chorus, so I\u2019ve included here a link to their recording of it<\/a>. \u00a0But that recording doesn\u2019t provide video, so I\u2019m also giving you a link to an earlier Tabernacle Choir performance<\/a> of the carol that I don\u2019t like quite as much, but that is still fun to watch. \u00a0And here are the lyrics, in the original Yoruba, with a pronunciation guide (in all caps) and a translation:<\/p>\n Betelehemu, Betelehemu<\/p>\n BEH-TEH-LEH-HEH-MUH, BEH-TEH-LEH-HEH-MUH<\/p>\n Bethlehem, Bethlehem<\/p>\n Awa yi o ri Baba gbojule<\/p>\n AH-WAH EE-OH, REE BAH-BAH, BO JOO-LEH<\/p>\n We are glad that we have a Father to trust<\/p>\n Awa yi o ri Baba fehenti<\/p>\n AH-WAH EE-OH, REE BAH-BAH FEH-HIN-TEE<\/p>\n We are glad that we have a Father to rely on<\/p>\n Nibo labi Jesu?<\/p>\n NEE-BO LAH-BEE, JEH-SOO<\/p>\n Where was Jesus born?<\/p>\n Nibo labi bii?<\/p>\n NEE-BO LAH-BEE, BEE-EE<\/p>\n Where was he born?<\/p>\n Betelehemu ilu ara<\/p>\n BEH-TEH-LEH-HEH-MUH, EE-LOO AH-RAH<\/p>\n Bethehem, the city of wonder<\/p>\n Nibe labi Baba o daju<\/p>\n NEE-BAY LAH-BEE, BAH-BAH OH DAH-JOO<\/p>\n That is where the Father was born, for sure<\/p>\n Iyin, iyin, iyin nifuno<\/p>\n EEE-YIN, EEE-YIN, EEYIN NEE-FOO-NOH<\/p>\n Praise, praise, praise be to him<\/p>\n Adupe fun o, Adupe fun o<\/p>\n AH-DOO-P\u2019WEH FOO-NOH, AH-DOO-P\u2019WEH FOO-NOH<\/p>\n We thank thee, we thank thee<\/p>\n Adupe fun o jooni, Baba oloreo<\/p>\n AH-DOO-P\u2019WEH FOO-NOH, JO-OH-NEE, BAH-BAH O-LOH-RAY-OH<\/p>\n We thank thee for this day, Gracious Father<\/p>\n Iyin fun o Baba anu, Baba toda wasi<\/p>\n EEE-YIN FOO-NOH BAH-BAH AH-NOO, BAH-BAH TOH-DAH WAH-SEE<\/p>\n Praise be to thee, Merciful Father<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I often disagree with Jana Riess, but this article of hers is worth a look: \u00a0\u201cWhat the new LDS hymns say about Mormon theology: Memo from the newest LDS hymns: We\u2019re Christians, we\u2019re Christians, we\u2019re Christians.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 In passing, she shares an important insight regarding one of the very valuable roles played by the hymns of the Church and its children\u2019s music. \u00a0(I judge it to be important not only because I agree with it but because I have thought the same thing for years. \u00a0From The Devil\u2019s Dictionary<\/em>, by Ambrose Bierce: \u00a0\u201cAdmiration<\/em>, n. Our polite recognition of another\u2019s resemblance to ourselves.\u201d) \u00a0Here\u2019s Sister Riess:<\/p>\n Many years ago, I was called to be my ward\u2019s Primary chorister. Soon after, the Primary president took me aside and told me I had just been given the most important job in the entire Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was rather stunning. We are not accustomed to thinking of the chorister job as a very important position. Basically, your role is to help the children learn the songs for their annual Primary program. It also helps if you can keep them from killing each other when they get bored. (This was particularly important back at that time, when we still had three hours of church, which meant nearly two hours of Primary.)<\/p>\n Her reasoning, the Primary president explained, was that these kids would likely forget almost every talk or sermon they heard growing up in the church \u2014 but the songs they learned by heart would stay with them for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n I realized she was completely correct about this. I didn\u2019t grow up in religion, but the Girl Scout songs, McDonald\u2019s advertisements and pop music of my childhood are likely the only things I will remember verbatim when I\u2019m in a nursing home and I\u2019ve forgotten the names of all my beloved family members.<\/p>\n That wise Primary president recognized something we don\u2019t tend to discuss in the church much: Hymns and children\u2019s songs are the best teachers of theology. They have a liturgical function; we have repeated them so often that they become available to us in our hours of need \u2013 anytime, anywhere. Once we learn them, they lodge in our hearts and minds as the scaffolding of our future faith.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n On Friday night, my wife and I sat in the seats of the Provo High School auditorium for a full rehearsal by the Intermountain Choral Artists and Symphony Orchestra<\/a>. \u00a0(A friend has been deeply involved with them.). At 7 PM on Saturday night, 21 December, and only<\/em> on Saturday night, they will be putting on a program of Christmas music titled \u201cWondrous Love.\u201d \u00a0My wife and I won\u2019t be able to attend the concert because of a conflicting obligation (or opportunity), but I think that some of you might enjoy it, especially if you were unable to land tickets to Saturday\u2019s Tabernacle Choir concert. \u00a0(To me, Intermountain Choral Artists\u2019 performance of Morten Lauridsen\u2019s O magnum mysterium<\/em> \u2014 which was my first selection here for this year\u2019s Christmas music back on 1 December<\/a> \u2014 was an absolute highlight of the program.) \u00a0Tickets for \u201cWondrous Love\u201d are available \u2014 if<\/em> they\u2019re still available (which I don\u2019t actually know<\/em>) \u2014 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 On Thursday evening, my wife and I were privileged to participate in a dinner at the Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City. \u00a0It was an interesting group to be with. \u00a0Elder Matthew Holland of the Seventy conducted the event. \u00a0Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary General Presidency of the Church, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":29140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[33825,30451,38281,38284,38278,33828],"class_list":["post-108334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ahmad-corbitt","tag-amos-brown","tag-dennis-haysbert","tag-michael-parson","tag-ruthie-ann-miles","tag-tracy-y-browning"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a><\/a>