#288 "How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord"

I wasn't very familiar with this hymn, but I was able to play it.  The timing was a little tricky.  This hymn isn't sung much, but would be a good hymn for a sacrament meeting with the theme of "Temple Work".

#287 "Rise, Ye Saints, and Temples Enter"

This hymn is new to the 1985 hymnal and I don't recall ever singing it.  However, in my personal hymnal I have written that the choir sang it on 7-13-97, so I must have sung it back then.  I have phrasing markings in my hymnal, as well.  The message is nice and the tune is by Robert P. Manookin, who is a well-known LDS composer.

#286 "Oh, What Songs of the Heart"

I wasn't familiar with this hymn until our ward choir director asked the choir to learn it back in January 1998.  I have notes in my personal hymnal that the choir sang it on January 11, 1998.  The choir director wanted us to learn it so that we could help the congregation learn it and sing it at a later date.  I don't really remember singing it with the choir, but I remember singing it as a member of the congregation in March of 1998.  Why would I remember that kind of detail?  My first husband, Mike Ramsey, died on February 23, 1998.  When the congregation sang this hymn in March, the words really touched my heart.  Verse two has the following words:  "Tho our rapture and bliss there's no song can express, We will shout, we will sing o'er and o'er, As we greet with a kiss, And with joy we caress all our loved ones that passes on before."  These words really touched me when we sang them that day.  I remember having tears fall down my cheeks and that I had a difficult time singing the song.

#285 "God Moves in a Mysterious Way"

This is a very old hymn text.  I think I remember hearing it as a youth.  I've used it one or two times in a sacrament meeting since I've been the Ward Music Chairman.  The timing always confuses me, however.  I like the message of the words, and the tune is fine--I'm just not sure how to handle the 3/2 timing.

#284 "If You Could Hie to Kolob"

I  love this hymn!  The words and music work together perfectly.  In the 1950 hymnal it was included in the Choir section and was set to a different tune that just wasn't sung very often.  This new tune is very ethereal and fits the words in a way that really brings the spirit of the message.  I've used this as a choir number several times, at a funeral, and as a congregational hymn.  This is one I will continue to use!

#283 "The Glorious Gospel Light Has Shone"

The words to this hymn are distinctly LDS in nature, but the tune is an alternate to the Christmas hymn "While Shepherds Watched Their Flock By Night".  This hymn would be good to use in a meeting that has the theme of Temple Ordinances for the Dead.

#282 "We Meet Again in Sabbath School"

This is another Sunday School song that isn't used much now that we don't have a separate service for the Sunday School.  As I looked over the words, it seems that it would still be appropriate for use in a sacrament meeting.