remember

"Remembering the Great Things of God" is the title of the art exhibit that moved me to tears this past Thursday evening.

http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/museum/competition

The evening began with a serendipitous event - we "happened" upon the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice at the convention center in Salt Lake City. Our host wanted to show us Temple Square, the Tabernacle, and the convention center.

I was on the edge of my seat. Never have I seen 350 people as one voice, directed by one man. Crescendo, decrescendo - the faintest whisper, the truest pitch when the organ rejoined them after the a capella section... Words cannot describe the beauty and flow of their worship.

As we left, we noticed the art exhibit. I've included the link to it so that you can see the expression of various artists, all with the theme of remembering what God has done for us. I was stunned by the beauty of a quilt representing Orion - a blaze of reds, orange and yellow at the core; cooling toward the outer edges; with small, brilliant pieces that drew my eye further into the galaxy.

Next, the Mormon Tabernacle. Smaller than I expected, and round! A massive organ dominated the front, and I was pretty sure there was a Steinway grand piano hidden under cover. The guide demonstrated the acoustics by tearing paper, which we heard clearly at the back where we stood. She next announced that she would drop three pins, followed by a nail. The three pins sounded like large nails dropping.

Finally, dinner in a restaurant on the tenth floor of a building next to the Temple. Our window-side table allowed us to see the full beauty of the temple lit for the evening, against twilight backdrop. We were next to the piano, so I heard the simple beauty of the Jim Brickman song I recently played for a wedding.

So when I remember the great things of God, I will remember this evening - a multi-sensory experience of worship.