For lunch today, I practiced the first two movements of Beethoven's Piano Sonata # 15. I yet play it very poorly. It is such a beautiful piece put onto paper by this composer. I have been trying a new technique to practicing. This technique involves feeling the music—the notes as they are played, hearing the sounds the combinations and the waveforms as they combine and vibrate in beautiful harmony. I have always played because it was enjoyable, but often, practicing becomes mechanical, dull, dry, tedious and as a result I avoid it and cast it aside. As I played the opening notes, tears came to my eyes at the beauty of such harmony. I continued to play and here and there my heart swelled with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for such beauty upon this earth. I believe such beauty comes from the spirit of the Lord himself. That kind of harmony, free of dissonance, self-aggrandizement is pure and comes from eternity.

Many such things can pass us by and we become angry at our circumstances when all we have to do, is stop and return thanks for our life to be full.1

"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." (D&C 59:21)

 

Notes

1. "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." (D&C 78:19)