Mike and I were baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on February 18, 1978. That was thirty years ago!! Thirty years!! This important ordinance took place in the Fortuna, California Ward building, with those wonderful ward members!! Our awsome missionaries were Elder Boyd Clark and Elder Peter H. Barth. I'm grateful for their sacrifice to leave their homes and families and teach us the gospel of Jesus Christ. Words can not express my emotions today as I ponder the significance of that special life changing event. I am so grateful to know the love of my Savior Jesus Christ. I'm grateful that I could raise my family with the strong values that I have learned in the gospel. I'm grateful to know that my family can be forever. I can't imagine eternity without one of them!The opening song played at our baptism was How Firm a Foundation. Guess what song was played yesterday in Sacrament meeting? Out of the three hundred and some songs that they can choose they played, How Firm a Foundation. Coincidence or not?? I don't believe so! I have had this firm foundation on which to build my life and that of my family. I hope to continue to do so for the rest of my life.
How Firm a Foundation
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—
As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still, like lambs shall they still,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
Text: Attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787. Included in the first LDS hymnbook, 1835.
Music: Attr. to J. Ellis, ca. 1889
