The Hymns of the Church

I have really had to brush up on my piano playing while serving this mission, and now I am brushing up my organ skills as well.  There has been a great need for missionaries to help with the music of the Church in many areas, and especially in the wards and branches where sometimes the numbers are few.
I am grateful that I had a mother who made sure I had piano lessons and practiced at least enough to play in church.  My first calling was as a primary accompanist and then as a Junior Sunday School organist.  (My children and grandchildren are probably wondering what is Junior Sunday School?)

As a young girl, I remember my Mother, Verda Nebeker Westenskow, telling me how she learned to play the piano.  They were very poor, and could not afford piano lessons, but they did have a piano.  I need to check the family history story, but it seems like an older brother (Vern?) bought the piano for the family after he began working...  Anyway, I remember my mother telling me that she taught herself to play the piano by playing the hymns of the church.  My children will remember how much my mother played the piano in her home, and she was a ward organist way into her 80's!

Verda Nebeker Westenskow

I love the hymns of the church, and they have always been a great strength to me at all times of my life, and especially as I have had a family of my own.  My father loved,  "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," so that became one of my favorites.  The grandchildren sang it at his funeral.  My mother loved, "There is a Green Hill Far Away," as that was sung at the funeral of her father.  I think of that each time we sing it.

I always loved "High on the Mountain Top," so chose it for our student choir to sing at the dedication of the Timpanogos Lodge at BYU Aspen Grove when President Thomas S. Monson came to dedicate the building and decided to dedicate the whole camp as well.  It seemed so fitting for that beautiful mountain setting.

I have so many favorites that I really cannot begin to list them, but a week or so ago the words kept going through my mind, "Sweet Is the Peace the Gospel Brings to seeking minds and true..."  I couldn't remember anymore words, but that phrase kept going over and over in my mind for several days.  Then we ran over to the church so I could practice the organ for Sacrament Meeting, and there on the bench was this sheet of music, just like it was waiting for me:  (Coincidence?  I think not.)

I read it clear through when I got home, all verses, and it was scripture to me.  One tradition that the Danish people have is that they sing all verses of the hymns in their church meetings. Then we get the whole message! I encourage all of my children and grandchildren who are old enough to read all verses of this hymn and think about its meaning. We learn much from the beautiful words and music we hear regularly, and can receive much peace, comfort, and strength to help us in our daily lives.  This hymn is not one we sing often, but now my list is expanding...

I will always love the hymns of the Church, and the Primary songs also! Today was our Primary program in the Amager Branch.  We only have five Primary children, but they sang a ton of the Primary songs and gave a wonderful program.  The children had many, many parts to speak!  We are truly blessed to be assigned to the Amager Branch while completing our mission here in Copenhagen.

Benedicte, Jacob, Hanne, Rebecca, Birk

Leaders are Vicki, Katja, Jørn (piano), Alejandro, Hanne