Christ Taught Me To Sing

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202803455425280&l=2182008112029297788

Heres a video of a song I have loved all my mission! From the day I heard it in the stake choir directors house of Jacksonvillle, OR, I knew its message was true, and I wanted to share it.

I sing alot out here on my mission, and I get the question alot, "Where did you learn to sing?" Admittedly I have never given it much thought! But here on this post I want to tell you a story of where my heart was converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through a song. Because Christ is who taught me to sing.
I was once an unruly, unmotivated, and uninterested 17 year old boy going through the motions of life, and trying to figure out who I was. My parents are really really smart cause they totally saw through all my little facades I would throw up, and knew I wasn't in the greatest place. Knowing that if they did, I wouldn't resist, they applied for me to go to the E.F.Y. (Especially For Youth) Program that The Chruch puts on each summer for teenagers! Though I accepted the opportunity to go I never in a milliion years thought I would get anything out of it! Boy was I wrong.
Well The time came and I went! I had alot of fun, won a dance competition, and I met some really great people. The time there included some friends I wont ever lose contact with, like Logan Pickett, who currently serves around me in the same Oregon Eugene Mission. The week went by like the blink of an eye, and I was reminded about the pure atmosphere, and unity of the church and its members.
However it wasn't until Friday, that my conversion was complete.
There we were sitting in the auditorium, as a group on our last day, when we were played the song that changed my life. As the auditorium became dark the speakers began to play the song "I AM" By an artist by the name Nichole Nordemann. At the time I had no idea what the song was called but I felt the holy ghost enter my deep into my heart, and as the Prophet Alma describes "penetrating to my very soul" (The Book Of Mormon Alma 36) Needless to say the song had my full attention. The song was accompanied by a slide show of pictures that correlated with the words.
The Artist sang about each phase of life, and how Christ loves us through each phase. To this day I still remember the lyrics I heard and the picture I saw that broke my heart, and gave me a spirit contrite enough to feel the love of our savior. The picture was of Christ, sitting on a park bench with a young man, about my age. The young man had everything he owned packed in a backpack, and it was clear that he had run from his problems and rejected all the people who loved him. His clothing was dark and his eyes were low, but he was looking at Jesus Christ who sat next to him smiling softly. It was as if he were listening.
The words that accompanied the picture read:

"Only 16,
Life is so mean.
What Kind of Kurfew,
Is at 10 PM?

You watched my mistakes.
You watched my heart break.
You heard when I swore Id never love again.

But when I was weak,
Unable to speak.
Still I could Call you By Name.
Id say, heartache healer
secret keeper
Be my best friend
and you said I AM"

I cant hardly describe the feelings that hit me in that moment as I watched the photo disappear. I felt as if I had been sitting on that bench myself, while Jesus Christ listened to me through my tears of my struggles and my pain that I figured no one on earth could understand. I felt as If it was me calling out to the savior: "Be my best friend." And his answer echoed in my heart. "I AM"

I went home a few days later, still in shock of what I had felt inside that auditorium. I looked up the song online, using the words, that kept echoing in my mind. Eventually I found it. I probably listened to that song 20 times start to finish, and cried possibly the hardest I ever have in my life.  All while I sang the words quietly to myself. I envisioned the savior and myself on the bench, and the more I saw the picture in my head, the louder the song began to play it seemed. It was a really strange out of body experience, but I realized that the music wasn't getting louder at all, It was simply my voice, calling out to heaven for the Savior to come to me and to be my best friend. I will never forget, how powerfully I felt the spirit as I sang those words, and It was there I claim that Jesus taught me to sing..

After the experience, I found myself in many musical numbers at church, and I ended up joining a great production company, where I was able to sing out my testimony and stir up the same spirit I had felt that day when Christ gave me my voice. There have been many times since where I have felt the power of music, while singing and it has kept my testimony strong to date. I just want to say that I love this gospel, and I love our heavenly father who gave us music to touch our hearts in ways that words cannot. My invite is: to all our lives let Christ sing through us, for he being perfect, Is the greatest singer of us all!

Have a great week! and sing loud!

Elder Bethea.