I Learned to Love the Hymns

Our family has made singing hymns a part of our daily routine. We have been singing together now for years. While I am not blessed with a good singing voice, I enjoy singing the hymns.

That is why I was surprised today when I pulled my missionary journal off the shelf and began reading in it. On my third day in the Missionary Training Center in Provo I wrote: "I have never liked singing the hymns, but I love it now. The Spirit is telling me that I should."

I had other notable experiences in those first few days of training.

The first person I met in the MTC was a young elder who bumped into a freshly painted blue pole while wearing his brand new suit. I was the one who broke the bad news to him.

On my second day in the MTC my name was called out over the intercom and I soon found out that my call had been changed from the Canada Manitoba Mission to the West Indies Mission.

It is also clear from my writing that at the time I found just about any story about Mormon folklore believable.

Learning to love the hymns was just one of the many valuable lessons I gleaned while preparing to enter the mission field.