My brother promised to take me to Zion National Park after the Redd Reunion in southern Utah two years ago. He kept his promise and this picture is from our drive on the second day we spent in the park. My Lumix camera locates the pictures with a GPS feature, and so I found out tonight that this picture was taken on East Kolob Canyon Road in the Park. Which took me back at once to my Mormon childhood meetings, where we sang "If You Could Hie to Kolob." And the magic of the Internet supplied all the verses, which in addition to Memory Threading, are a poem, as are words to hymns generally,
See Emily Dickenson's use of this poetic form and its history here.
And then continue onward With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever, Through all eternity,
Find out the generation Where Gods began to be?
2. Or see the grand beginning, Where space did not extend?
Or view the last creation, Where Gods and matter end?
Me thinks the Spirit whispers, “No man has found ‘pure space,’
Nor seen the outside curtains, Where nothing has a place.”
3. The works of God continue, And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter; There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit; There is no end to race.
4. There is no end to virtue; There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom; There is no end to light.
There is no end to union; There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood; There is no end to truth.
5. There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.
There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.
See Emily Dickenson's use of this poetic form and its history here.
If You Could Hie to Kolob, 284 – William W. Phelps
1. If you could hie to Kolob In the twinkling of an eye,And then continue onward With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever, Through all eternity,
Find out the generation Where Gods began to be?
2. Or see the grand beginning, Where space did not extend?
Or view the last creation, Where Gods and matter end?
Me thinks the Spirit whispers, “No man has found ‘pure space,’
Nor seen the outside curtains, Where nothing has a place.”
3. The works of God continue, And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter; There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit; There is no end to race.
4. There is no end to virtue; There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom; There is no end to light.
There is no end to union; There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood; There is no end to truth.
5. There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.
There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.
*******************
Should I go to church now, I always sing the hymns; I usually get tears in my eyes when I do, remembering
my parents and the friends of my youth. Do you have a favorite childhood hymn? Is there one that you hope they will play at your farewell service? I cannot pick one favorite tonight, but I am going to think about it.
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