Time passes and every once in a while you need to stop and take stock of how things have changed. When I was a little girl in the late 1950s and early1960s, Primary was on a weekday. We just walked to Primary after school. I remember the teachers letting us play jumprope and kickball outside if we got there early. We lived in Utah where we could walk almost everywhere we needed to go, and we had to because Dad took our only car to go to work.
In 1960, we watched this chapel being built. We called our new meetinghouse the Rock Church because it had rocks on the walls both inside and out. My brother and I liked to look for shapes of the states in the rocks. We found Nevada, Ohio, Vermont, Tennessee and quite a few others. Our mother led the singing in Primary. She made sure we knew a lot of songs and could sing them well. Some of my favorites were "Reverently, Quietly," and "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" -- the original version that had a high F. My mother had a glorious soprano voice and I wanted to sound just like her!
Chapel in East Houston, Texas We moved to Houston Texas when I was 8. The drive to get to Primary was much farther. We got a second car out of necessity with this move. My mother took all six of her children in "Susan" the station wagon, plus drove around picking up quite a few other kids to go to Primary. This was before seatbelt laws. We sometimes squeezed ten or more kids in old "Susan."
Once again my mother led the singing in Primary. She led the singing in all the meetings, I think. I remember after my brother Billy was born, I was old enough to babysit him during Church. I would take him to the cry room off the chapel where we could watch the meeting through the window. Sometimes three or four of my friends would come "help" me. My favorite songs during this period were "I Think the World Is Glorious" and "Lift Up Your Voice and Sing." (I really liked to sing.)
Our family moved a lot during my growing up years -- from Utah to California to other towns in Utah, then to Texas, then back to Utah, then back to Texas, then eventually on to Ohio. In all of those places, my mother led the singing in Primary. She wore a lot of other "hats," too. Her callings were varied from being Relief Society President to Activities Committee Chair to Primary Teacher. Usually she held up to six callings concurrently because she always served in Stake and Ward Music callings regardless. While we lived in Houston, "I am a Child of God" was introduced to the general Church population. My mother had me sing this song to introduce it to our Stake Primary Leadership. Soon after, we learned that Pres. Kimball requested that "Teach me all that I must know" be changed to "I must do."
Our family moved a lot during my growing up years -- from Utah to California to other towns in Utah, then to Texas, then back to Utah, then back to Texas, then eventually on to Ohio. In all of those places, my mother led the singing in Primary. She wore a lot of other "hats," too. Her callings were varied from being Relief Society President to Activities Committee Chair to Primary Teacher. Usually she held up to six callings concurrently because she always served in Stake and Ward Music callings regardless. While we lived in Houston, "I am a Child of God" was introduced to the general Church population. My mother had me sing this song to introduce it to our Stake Primary Leadership. Soon after, we learned that Pres. Kimball requested that "Teach me all that I must know" be changed to "I must do."
Chapel in Fairborn, Ohio When I was 12 and graduated from Primary, my mother decided that I should learn to lead the music in Primary. I was her unofficial assistant, especially when my Mom accompanied because we had no one else who could play the piano. She really liked having me create her visual aids, too. When we moved to Ohio, I was officially called to lead the music in Primary. I was just 13. Primary was still on a weekday, so serving in Primary did not interfere with Young Women's (MIA) meetings. My mother also encouraged me to learn to play all of the Primary songs on piano. It was a good thing she trained me so well.
After college we moved into our first newlywed ward and it wasn't long before I was called to lead the music in Primary. However, that was the 1980s and and the schedule changed to having the three hour block on Sundays. That was also when we got the new Children's Songbook!
Wow! So many changes over the years! And now we are eagerly awaiting the news of the NEXT new Children's Songbook.
Wow! So many changes over the years! And now we are eagerly awaiting the news of the NEXT new Children's Songbook.
Here's one of the songs I submitted for the new CSB "Put on the Whole Armor of God." It ought to come in handy when we study the teachings of Paul in the New Testament.
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