I heard the bells

Of the 14 Christmas songs in the LDS hymnbook, my favorites have always been "Silent Night" and "Angels We Have Heard on High." So when our ward choir director told me that she had picked "Silent Night" as one of the songs we would sing for the Sunday before Christmas, I wasn't surprised. But when she told me her other pick was "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," my thought was more along the lines of "Meh."

Today as we sang from the stand, I had a sudden change of mind.

It came during the fourth verse. I tried to sing along with everyone else:

      And in despair I bowed my head;
      "There is no peace on earth," I said;

     "For hate is strong,

     And mocks the song

      Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

But I choked up and had to resort to mouthing the words.  My thoughts had turned to the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. I thought of turmoil in the Middle East and of starving children in Africa. I thought of all the sad, ugly, horrible things that happen to good people every day.

Of course the song doesn't end there. I was able to find my voice, and I fervently sang with the rest of the choir:

      Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
      "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

     The Wrong shall fail,

     The Right prevail,

      With peace on earth, good-will to men."


The world can be a scary place. Some pain is inflicted by people. Some pain comes from natural disasters. But God is mindful of all His children. He loves us. He knows what trials we face. He wants us to be happy.

I'm grateful for this knowledge. I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who allowed us to come to this earth to experience all that life has to offer, including joy and sorrow. I'm grateful for His Son who came to this earth and died for us so we can live again.

It would be easy to be discouraged by all that's bad in the world today, but I take comfort from the final verse of "I Heard the Bells" and these words from Ammon:


"Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen" (Alma 26:37).