Experience “Daughters in His Kingdom”

“There are many truths of which the full meaning cannot be realized until personal experience has brought it home.”  John Stuart Mill

Personal experience.  It is incredibly valuable and is something that no one can take away from you.  But it is also something that you can never completely share with others.  Sure, you can research something by talking to those who have done it, seen it, lived it, or been there.  And yet, it is only after you find yourself in that very situation that you begin to truly understand. Only then can it really become your own.

Knowledge of gospel truths comes most powerfully and deeply into our lives by walking the path of personal experience.  This is the purpose of the program, “Daughters in His Kingdom”: to give each woman in attendance a deep and abiding personal experience with the love of God and Jesus Christ for HER. If you have clicked over to this post, you might be interested in hosting or attending one of these programs.  So let me start out by giving you a quick run-down of what this experience entails….

First, WHAT is it?

“Daughters in His Kingdom” is a 90 minute presentation with singing and narration delivered by me and by members of the stake in which the program is performed. (Remember what I said about personal experience?  This is HUGE when it comes to the success of this program.  And believe me, the rewards are more than worth the effort they require.) There are 10 songs performed during the program.  I sing two solos and direct the choir in three numbers. The remaining five numbers consist of three small group songs, one solo, and one duet.  The small group songs and the solo can be performed by members of the stake (in fact, I prefer it that way), OR in most cases I can bring women with me to sing them.  In between each song, quotes from the book “Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society” are delivered by me and by the narrators chosen from among members of the hosting stake.  I also share a few personal experiences and words of my own testimony throughout.

HOW is all of this accomplished?

Never fear!  I provide you with a detailed list of preparations that guide you gracefully through the entire process. 🙂 I provide your stake with sheet music, narration, and practice CDs for the choir.  I do need all of this back, however, so I also include sign-out sheets for choir music, small group/solo music, and rehearsal CDs.  This way you can easily keep track of who has what.  And I don’t expect you to do any of this alone!  I work closely with you as you prepare. Have questions?  I’m always a simple text, email, or phone call away. 🙂  Here’s a basic run-down of the prep work that you’ll be responsible for:

-Gather a choir of 30 or more women

-Invite women to perform the solo and the small group songs (more specifics are provided on this when you schedule)

-Find one or two accomplished accompanists to play for the choir and small group numbers

-Distribute music and rehearsal CDs to choir members and small groups

-Schedule the dress rehearsal and reserve the building where it is to be held (attendance for this is REQUIRED as it is the only time we will have to put everything together).

-Encourage all of the sisters to practice, practice, PRACTICE with their rehearsal CDs and/or accompanists!

-PUBLICIZE!!!!  The more your sisters hear of and plan for this, the better prepared they will be to not only attend but to spiritually feast while they are there.

WHO should be invited to participate and attend?

I love this question because ultimately, it is completely up to the hosting stake!  I originally wrote the program with Relief Society age women (18 years and older) in mind.  But as things have grown and evolved, I have seen the benefits of including Young Women (ages 12-17) and in some cases even older Primary girls (ages 8-11) as both attendees and participants.  I am a former junior high choir director, and I absolutely love that age group.  So inviting the Young Women to be a part of the choir and/or small group numbers is beautifully thrilling in my book. I’ve even seen great success with older Primary girls attending with and singing next to their mothers.  The program truly serves ALL women of ANY age and stage in life as it reinforces the eternal truth of our divine identity as God’s precious daughters.  It is a wonderful way to bring girls and women together in unity and love for the Savior and for one another.  At the end of the day, I strongly believe that the heaven-called leaders within the hosting stake will be inspired to know how to proceed on this front.  They will be directed as to what is needed by the sisters in their area.

WHERE can this program be performed?

Ideally the answer to this question would be “in ANY chapel of ANY stake in Zion”!  But right now, I’m a tad bit more limited than that.  I currently reside in northern Utah (though that will be changing sometime in the next year), so my ability to travel to where you are has to play into the equation for now.  I’m working to revise the program so that the music can be purchased by and performed in any English-speaking stake in the Church without my assistance (no foreign languages yet… though I hope to make it a reality in time).  However, we’re just not there yet. So, if you live in Utah, GREAT!  This may be right up your alley!  Take a look at my calendar here and send me an email through the contact form here.  I would love to chat with you!  I’ve even traveled to Idaho and could easily be persuaded to do so again as I have quite a bit of family scattered throughout the state with whom I could stay (Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Rexburg, and Boise).  🙂

The program is reverent and respectful of the standards by which we abide in our meetinghouse chapels, so that’s where I prefer to perform.  Most specifically, I recommend using the stake center chapel as it is usually large enough to accommodate both those attending and those participating in the program.  Stake centers are most often equipped with the appropriate audio visual equipment (a screen and projector) to enable the choir to sing along with one video during the performance.  We use the choir seats, piano, and podium in addition to two stand-alone microphones on each side of the rostrum.

WHY experience Daughters in His Kingdom? 

Isn’t this the ultimate inquiry behind everything that we choose in life?  WHY do we do what we do? In referring to the “why” of the gospel, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught that “while understanding the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the ‘why’.” (Forget Me Not, October 2011)  I’ve basically explained the “what” and the “how” of this experience, but the real power of it comes in understanding the “why”.  We women need to understand our true identity as daughters of the Most High God.  We need to feel our value and our great and eternal worth in His eyes and in the eternal plan for the happiness of ALL mankind.  We, dear sisters, have a great and essential role to play in bringing families unto Jesus Christ.

President Joseph F. Smith, the sixth President of the Church, urged Latter-day Saint women to “lead the world and to lead especially the women of the world, in everything that is praise-worthy, everything that is God-like, everything that is uplifting and that is purifying.” (Daughters in My Kingdom, pgs. 179-80)  We all know that the world is full of negativity, injustice, cruelty, hate, and so many other maladies.  We see a constant barrage of it every day on the internet, television, and now social media.  If you’re like me, you might feel down-right discouraged and depressed sometimes by this whole state of affairs!  Well, because I know that Heavenly Father loves us and desires our happiness, I strive to lift myself and my family (and anyone else who wants to come along) above debilitating darkness and into glorious light.  Some days, this is not easy!!  But that’s where something like this comes into play. We need to fill our lives with light and truth, drop by drop and experience by experience.

Simply put, this program will lift those who experience it.  And hopefully it will go far beyond that. As the sisters dive into the preparation of the music and their hearts, miracles will take place.  Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, those in attendance will feel the great power of unity in a common cause. We each have unique, God-given gifts and talents. As we bring our individual gifts to the table, we can be a powerful force for positivity, light, strength, and beauty in this world.  Each sister matters.  Each sister has something to give.  And together we truly can lead and lift the world, one heart, one family and one simple step at a time.