Monday, November 04, 2013

MM: God Be With You

Originally posted on Sister Snoopy here.

The hymn I chose today is a sorrowful favorite. It is also, I believe, sung at the end of every Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast. My earliest memory of God Be With You Til We Meet Again is at the funeral of the older missionary that taught my parents about theGospel of Jesus Christ. I was not quite four when he and his wife came into our lives. They were an older couple from Lehi, Utah, and my brother and I just loved them. We adopted them as our "Grandma and Grandpa Goates" and they willingly adopted our family into their blended family. "Grandpa" died in 1981, about the same time my Grandpa Jim had his first series of strokes. It was my first funeral.

Every time since then, I'm brought to tears when it's sung. We also sang it when Grandma Goates passed away in 2002.

There was talk of singing it yesterday at church but my neighbor didn't want to so we sang something else at the close of the meeting. Probably a good thing because there wouldn't have been a dry eye to be found. Mine were already wet...

God Be with You Till We Meet AgainLDS Hymn no. 152

1. God be with you till we meet again;
By his counsels guide, uphold you;
With his sheep securely fold you.
God be with you till we meet again.

[Chorus]
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet,
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

2. God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you,
Put his arms unfailing round you.
God be with you till we meet again.

3. God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you;
Smite death’s threat’ning wave before you.
God be with you till we meet again.

Text: Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1828–1904

Music: William G. Tomer, 1833–1896

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Numbers 6:24–26


I think of this hymn especially when I am saying good bye to people I love that I probably won't see again--at least in this life. That's happened too many times for me to count but I look forward to the day when I can greet my loved ones with open arms at His feet...

Til we meet, my beloved friend. Til we meet.

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