Music and the Spoken Word

If you are ever in Salt Lake City in the summer, you definitely should go see the Music and the Spoken Word by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is a treat. Every Sunday morning at 9:30, MoTab performs a 30 minute concert for TV and radio called Music and the Spoken Word and they invite the public to watch. I've been going to the Spoken Word since about 5 years ago. It is the Dan Toller tradition to go when we are in Utah. Although it was sometimes hard to get myself out of bed, the Spoken Word has never been disappointing.



This summer, I have been lucky to have been able to go to the Spoken Word twice. The first time was for the Toller family reunion. All the Toller cousins except for Scott's were there along with second cousins and grandparents distant relatives. That performance was extra special because it was the Fourth of July, so all the music was patriotic. I remember feeling that that performance was the most patriotic thing I could have done to celebrate the founding of my country. The Spirit of our nation was so strong inside that conference center.


Yesterday, I made another trip to the Spoken Word, this time to meet my guard buddy, Maddie Clarkson. Unfortunately, her phone had died so I couldn't contact so we could find each other. So I had another lesson in being alone. Luckily, I found an aisle seat right in the middle of the conference center, giving me a great view of the choir. But what I really enjoyed was the Spoken Word. Here it is:

"In 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released what is now considered one of the best musicals ever made, Singing in the Rain. This great love story is also a story of adapting to change- it depicts the transition in the 1920s from silent movies to "talkies". Imagine what a change that must have been!

Indeed the adage is true: nothing is more constant than change. Just in the past 100 years or so, we've gone from horse and buggy to trains, automobiles, and airplanes; from paper and ink to typewriters, computers, and who know what the future will bring? Countries, cultures, and economies, and people are continually changing. We've all had to make changes...

Like an unexpected rainstorm, change can be unsettling at first. But it can also be refreshing and invigorating and enriching if we are willing to trust that good can come from change. Life in the coming decades will inevitable change for all of us. Rather than trying to avoid change, we can continue to learn, be open to new opportunities, and do our best to be prepared so we can be a positive part of change.

The future is coming, filled with wonderful opportunities and inevitable challenges. When difficulties come and dark clouds gather, they may no be easy to face, but we can make adjustments, accept changes, and maybe even find a reason to sing in the rain."

What a wonderful message, especially to all my fellow classmates out there who are making the transition to college. I know that it struck me and I hope that I'll will be able to keep a positive outlook as my life continues to change. I hope I can learn to sing in the rain.

P.S: I found Maddie and we had a marvelous day together. Here is a picture of us outside the temple.