Many of you are familiar with The Songs of Zion hymnal that we sing from in Church. (Raise your hand if you call it "the gold book"?) For those readers who may not be aware, the words and music of each Songs of Zion hymn come to us in an unusual way. The words and music are miraculously delivered by God to Sister Arlene Buffington, who has no training or penchant for songwriting or composing. If you want to know more about the history of the songs, check out the preface at the beginning of The Songs of Zion hymnal.

Today, we're excited to bring you an article written by Sister Arlene that tells more about how the songs are given as well as a few experiences relating to specific hymns. We hope to share more periodically throughout the year.

Today's Miracle Monday is an experience that the late Sister Marie McGuire had on May 9-10, 1991, almost exactly 28 years ago.

One morning, after awakening, some words came to me, and immediately following a melody came to me. I wrote the words down at once, and I then reached for the Saints Hymnal, searching and trying to connect the tune and words to any of the hymns in the hymnal. The closest I came was No. 146, where the poet penned, “And the toils of the road will seem nothing, when I get to the end of the way.”

I then called a sister to tell her what had just happened. I read the words I received and hummed the tune to her, and she reminded me that it was the same tune as “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” I then read the words of this hymn, and they were not the same as what was given to me.

“Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:2)

Have you ever been asked to lead singing in your branch, and you only seem to be hearing your own voice?

Have you ever looked around on Sunday morning during singing only to see people’s song books closed?
This can be very frustrating at times. I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s during a hymn that I feel the Spirit of God. When we sing in unity and in spirit, contemplating the beautiful words of worship that we utter can be overwhelming. How many times have we stopped to really meditate on some of those words?

If you're not quite ready to say goodbye to those Christmas carols just yet, this one's for you.

Oh, little town of Bethlehem ... who knew it was such a beat-boppin' musical hub? I'm sure you've heard the Host o' Heavenly Choir's brilliant melody, "Glory in the Highest," and who hasn't belted out the eternal classic hit, "Peace on Earth, Good Will" by the band 2Men, but the rest of the local A.D. talent should not be missed!

All the way from a small town, here are the Bethlehem hits topping the A.D. charts across the globe.

Today, we're featuring another death-related testimony shared by Sister Rosanne Champine.

Although we find comfort in our understanding of God's heavenly reward for those who endure to the end, the heartache we experience when we lose our loved ones cuts deeply and profoundly. This loss is heightened when someone passes on in his or her youth. In our humanity, we sometimes struggle to understand why one is taken home but another is healed or why we have to endure the pain of separation "prematurely."