I'm not much of a concert goer, nor did I ever used to be, but I took my daughter Alyssa to the American Idol concert in June (July?) of 2008. David sang several songs including a cover of "When You Say You Love Me" by Josh Groban. Very beautiful song. After that concert Alyssa and I became even stronger fans, but we really didn't follow him much until we learned of his self titled album tour in 2009. We attended his Idaho Falls concert in March of that year. The much stronger fandom started to slowly come, especially for Alyssa who viewed David as her teen idol. As a mom, I was just fine with that. Not a better young man to have as your idol.
I started then to slowly look up David fan sites, choosing a few as my favorites just to visit sometimes and see if David had any more upcoming events, etc. I joined Twitter in the Fall of 2009 I believe, at first only following David, then a few other stars, then slowly but surely other people/fans.
Alyssa, her friend Kaili, and I attended David's beautiful Christmas concert on Nov 24th of 2009. I was captivated the most by his song Prayer of the Children, written by Kurt Bestor. The entire concert was stunning and stirring.
Note that at no time during this did I ever contemplate returning to church. I knew David was LDS, it was all over the news here in Utah, so what happened next wasn't something I sought out.
In January of 2010 I was YT surfing as I often do and found the video of David singing Prayer of the Children. Then, what I saw in the suggested video column on the right was a time when David sang Be Still My Soul at a fireside. I felt compelled to listen and I am so glad I did. It was so beautiful I bawled and listen to it over and over a few times. The first time I met David at Deseret Books in SLC, I felt the spirit of Heavenly Father strong in him, so strong that it brought me to tears. I've felt this in other people in my life with equal reaction. The next time I met him was just a couple weeks later in Rexburg, Idaho (BYU Idaho). Alyssa and I drove up there and I'm so glad we did. David sang "Be Still My Soul" as his encore song. It was even more beautiful than the fireside performance and it moved me to tears. In the M&G afterwards I told him that his testimony in his book "Chords of Strength" and him singing "Be Still My Soul" along with his other music was bringing me back to the church. He was so sweet to tell me he thought that was awesome and thanked me for telling him.
In August of 2010 I went to a David Osmond concert (outside Deseret Book in Orem). I had never met him but remembered him opening for David A. at BYU Idaho. His opener was Alex Boye. Very talented man and funny too. He sang some beautiful songs but then nothing prepared me for David Osmond. He sang my all time favorite hymn Nearer My God to Thee. I was in front and bawled like a baby. It was so beautiful. He came up to me and asked me why I was crying. I briefly told him everything to that point. He gave me a hug and bore his testimony to me saying that the messages were true and encouraged me to go to church and to let him know when I did. He was the extra nudge I needed to make my decision to return to church. While standing in line to get his and Alex Boye's autograph, I grabbed one of each of their CD's, not really paying attention to what I grabbed. David once more urged me to go to church and I promised I would.
On my way home, while at a stop light I grabbed David Osmond's CD and listened to it. Beautiful! I then looked at Alex's CD cover and the title was "Be Still My Soul". Tears began to flow as I listened to him sing it. Once again God using that song as a beacon to let me know I'm on the right path.
I didn't go to church that Sunday because I was sick. Probably made myself sick because of the nerves. I ended up going the following Sunday but not to my own ward. I instead attended my sister-in-law's ward in West Jordan. The prelude music was Be Still My Soul. I was shaking and crying as the spirit was whispering to me, "this was for you."
The following Sunday I went to my own ward and one of my friends Shawna, whose daughter was once in my Girl Scout troop said she felt like she needed to talk to me. She was getting ready to get married (her second marriage) and working on getting her real estate license at the same time. Twice she tried to have a lunch date with me and both times she had to cancel.
In Nov of 2010 I bore my testimony in Relief Society for the first time. It was a simple testimony and I didn't mention David or the BSMS story, in fact it was a couple years after that when I finally did tell it, also in Relief Society. Shawna came up to me and said once again she still felt so strongly that she needed to talk to me. She called me after church to come to her house. We sat in her family room and she listened to my story and was straight faced with no reaction. I thought it odd since she invited me over. She then said she had to go to her fiance's house because his home teachers were coming over and she wanted to be there, however, she had something she wanted to show me.
She brought over her laptop and sat next to me. She briefly told me the story of her divorce and why it happened (I'll keep that private) and how she became depressed. Shortly after she went to the Women's General Broadcast of the church at her stake center. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir started singing a song she had never heard before. The close caption was going across the screen "Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side....". I of course bawled and she bawled. She then showed me on her laptop she had 25 renditions of BSMS, but not David's which she promptly added. She said "I think we're kindred spirits." "Yeah, ya think?" I asked, with laughter from both of us, more tears and hugs, then we both had to go.
In August of 2010 I went to a David Osmond concert (outside Deseret Book in Orem). I had never met him but remembered him opening for David A. at BYU Idaho. His opener was Alex Boye. Very talented man and funny too. He sang some beautiful songs but then nothing prepared me for David Osmond. He sang my all time favorite hymn Nearer My God to Thee. I was in front and bawled like a baby. It was so beautiful. He came up to me and asked me why I was crying. I briefly told him everything to that point. He gave me a hug and bore his testimony to me saying that the messages were true and encouraged me to go to church and to let him know when I did. He was the extra nudge I needed to make my decision to return to church. While standing in line to get his and Alex Boye's autograph, I grabbed one of each of their CD's, not really paying attention to what I grabbed. David once more urged me to go to church and I promised I would.
On my way home, while at a stop light I grabbed David Osmond's CD and listened to it. Beautiful! I then looked at Alex's CD cover and the title was "Be Still My Soul". Tears began to flow as I listened to him sing it. Once again God using that song as a beacon to let me know I'm on the right path.
I didn't go to church that Sunday because I was sick. Probably made myself sick because of the nerves. I ended up going the following Sunday but not to my own ward. I instead attended my sister-in-law's ward in West Jordan. The prelude music was Be Still My Soul. I was shaking and crying as the spirit was whispering to me, "this was for you."
The following Sunday I went to my own ward and one of my friends Shawna, whose daughter was once in my Girl Scout troop said she felt like she needed to talk to me. She was getting ready to get married (her second marriage) and working on getting her real estate license at the same time. Twice she tried to have a lunch date with me and both times she had to cancel.
In Nov of 2010 I bore my testimony in Relief Society for the first time. It was a simple testimony and I didn't mention David or the BSMS story, in fact it was a couple years after that when I finally did tell it, also in Relief Society. Shawna came up to me and said once again she still felt so strongly that she needed to talk to me. She called me after church to come to her house. We sat in her family room and she listened to my story and was straight faced with no reaction. I thought it odd since she invited me over. She then said she had to go to her fiance's house because his home teachers were coming over and she wanted to be there, however, she had something she wanted to show me.
She brought over her laptop and sat next to me. She briefly told me the story of her divorce and why it happened (I'll keep that private) and how she became depressed. Shortly after she went to the Women's General Broadcast of the church at her stake center. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir started singing a song she had never heard before. The close caption was going across the screen "Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side....". I of course bawled and she bawled. She then showed me on her laptop she had 25 renditions of BSMS, but not David's which she promptly added. She said "I think we're kindred spirits." "Yeah, ya think?" I asked, with laughter from both of us, more tears and hugs, then we both had to go.
I have heard so many other stories of how this song has touched other people's lives, even causing some of them to seek out the church and be baptized. A friend recently told me this was the song of her baptism 13 years ago, and to add to her own strong connection to it, this amazing young man sang it and strengthened her testimony and love for the song.
God has used this song, I feel, as a reminder that I can be still in hard times and remember that He is with me, but also as a reminder to stay faithful in the church and to Him. The reminders pop up everywhere and friendships with other fans have been forged because of this song. I am eternally grateful to God for bringing this song to my life and to David Archuleta for singing it.
"Be Still My Soul, the Lord is on thy side..."
I bet that Katharina Von Schlegel never knew when her poem was first published in 1752 that 258 years later a talented, beautiful young man would sing the hymn written to her poem and touch the lives of so many. God set this chain of events in motion so long ago!
Me singing "Be Still My Soul" :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_fJdgapLQ
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“I want to sing a song that has helped me in my life, especially during American Idol. Just to know that, ummm, I owe so much to God, and what He’s done, and how his hand’s been in my life. And I know that I’m supposed to be-be doing music because of, because of Him and-and for Him, because he’s let me have a wonderful gift of-of being able to take in music and see how it touches other people’s lives. And, so I’d love to sing one of my favorite hymns for you, of, which is about, um, you know, despite the craziness and the chaos that might be going on in your life, just to know that you can be still….It’s called Be Still My Soul.” ~David Archuleta 19 June, 2010; BYU Idaho , Rexburg , Idaho
Addendum: On August 7th, 2012 David's new CD Begin. was released. On it, was Be Still My Soul. I can never listen to it enough. It makes me cry every time. David recorded the CD before he left on his mission with Kurt Bestor's orchestra. Breathtaking, every note. My heart swells with how my life has come full circle for me because of this song. Thank you David!
Addendum: 1 April 2013, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir released a video of David singing Be Still My Soul to them in March of 2009. It is beautiful and it is the most beautiful performance of him singing it I've seen. Close ups of the emotion on his face, a little humbleness at the beginning when he tells the choir he's nervous and to forgive him in advance. It was stunning, and he received a standing ovation from the choir. Judge for yourself!
Addendum March 2013: In the LDS women's choir I belong to The Chauntentettes, we sang Be Still My Soul at our sacred fireside. Very pretty rendition. I sing contra-alto. I loved our part in the song. My niece Maggie attended the fireside and took the video. Addendum: On August 7th, 2012 David's new CD Begin. was released. On it, was Be Still My Soul. I can never listen to it enough. It makes me cry every time. David recorded the CD before he left on his mission with Kurt Bestor's orchestra. Breathtaking, every note. My heart swells with how my life has come full circle for me because of this song. Thank you David!
Addendum: 1 April 2013, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir released a video of David singing Be Still My Soul to them in March of 2009. It is beautiful and it is the most beautiful performance of him singing it I've seen. Close ups of the emotion on his face, a little humbleness at the beginning when he tells the choir he's nervous and to forgive him in advance. It was stunning, and he received a standing ovation from the choir. Judge for yourself!
Addendum 14 Sept 2014 my niece Samantha sang Be Still My Soul with her Young Adult choir at the CES devotional at BYU. It was pretty cool to see her there and that they chose BSMS. Elder Christofferson was the speaker. She's the girl toward the bottom of the screen cap blonde long hair, glasses.
Addendum March 2015. I auditioned in my choir for the one and only special number in our sacred devotional and my choir director Margaret chose me. There isn't a video of me singing that day, but this is me practicing. Pretty much how it sounded.
Addendum 15 April 2015 Religious Symposium at UVU, David spoke and sang a few songs including Be Still My Soul. I couldn't contain my tears. It was as beautiful if not more so than hearing him sing it in person the first time in 2010. As you can see 5 years later, this song is still touching my heart and soul.
Addendum 15 April 2016 (1 year after the UVU symposium) David sang Be Still My Soul in Orlando, Florida at the Time Out For Women convention. He is scheduled to sing and speak at more of these across the country this year. I am still humbled and in awe of this young man especially when he sings Be Still My Soul. Every performance is different yet the same. The same song of course, but also the same in the beauty of the performance and the strong spirit he exudes when he sings it. Different in that every performance seems to have different emphasis on words and phrases when it strikes him to do so, making him emotional at times. Another difference is every time he sings it, it's more powerful each time.
For me it brings back the memory of when I first saw a video of him singing it and that was the pivot point for me to my journey back to the gospel I love. It's crazy that I first did this blog post 5 years ago. Each and every performance has a special meaning to me. I've only heard him sing this in person twice, but it was twice the spiritual experience both times. Every time it seems as a reminder to me that I'm where I'm supposed to be. David may never read this because of being busy to read everything fans write, but I'll just say it anyways...God Bless you David and thanks to God and you for your voice, and your performances of Be Still My Soul. Forever grateful.
Image of Jesus comforting the young girl from http://www.eons.com/photos/group/catholics-50-3/photo/260205-Jesus-comforting/jesus---preachinghealingcasting-out-demons
Information on the hymn "Be Still My Soul" gathered from Wikipedia
