Welcome to closer to Christ through general conference
where two friends who love Jesus share our own
approach to studying the most recent general
conference talks. This is Abby and Amy. Let's
jump into it. Today we're talking about tune
your heart to Jesus Christ, the sacred gift of
primary music. This was given by sister Tracy
Y Browning, who I absolutely love. She's the
second counselor in the primary general presidency.
Abby, didn't you love this talk? This one just
screams to my heart. I loved it. We were crying
the week before in primary over the primary song.
Yes, we were. It touches our heart. So sister
Browning has been serving long enough to travel
the world and also just encounter members. all
over the land. But she can't always communicate
word to word, so she found that in her service
in primary that you can feel love beyond any
language. Through sacred music, especially simple
primary songs, the Spirit bridges language barriers.
Amen to that. Allowing one to feel joy and God's
love as children testify of Jesus with pure,
powerful voices. I've been blessed by primary
music. Just thinking back to my earliest memories
as a child up to this very day. You were referencing
a couple weeks back, but we were just getting
news of the shootings and the fire in Missouri
and then the kids are just singing their little
hearts out and they're oblivious to the news
and I'm kind of getting... text messages for
my sister who was a member of this board when
they were medical residency. And it was just
kind of a heavy, overwhelming day. And we had
learned about the Prophet's passing just a few
hours earlier than that. And it was like, it
was a heavy Sunday and their little hearts are
just seeing these truths with their pure heart.
They were so pure. I did love that. I learned
gospel truth myself from a very young age through
music. And I know that's not everybody's language,
but because it's always resonated with me, it's
something that I've tried to use as a really
powerful tool for my own children. And just in
general, watching these young primary kids be
able to just bring the spirit, invite the spirit
and sing these songs, make me think that it's
pretty universal. Music just has that power.
I do recognize we feel the spirit in different
ways, but it does seem that music transcends
language and age. I love that there's such a
focus on music. for primary age children. I do
too. Maybe we should scratch Sunday school and
just have like a hymn sing. Just kidding. I feel
so blessed that we get primary music. I do too.
I was telling my husband that this week. Yeah.
At times that I'm not serving in the primary,
I'm in the religious society. I always love it
when the doors just kind of cracked open a little
bit and you hear their voices through the hallway.
Me too, Abby. I love that Sister Browning points
out that even when you're not raised in the church
and have the opportunity to grow up with these
songs that are on your heart as an adult, the
testimony has been strengthened with these gospel
lessons set to music. Like she's saying she was
a converse and didn't have primary times. And
yet still, it was not too late for her to put
them on her heart. Absolutely. Yeah. And I'm
also like, one of the things I love is that because
it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that they're
singing. It is like living scripture. And just
like she's saying, yeah, maybe some of these
songs I sing as a child, but a lot of these new
ones, like Gethsemane, like I Will Walk With
Jesus, all of these, it totally is a new testimony
in my heart. Every time it's sung, I'm like,
wow, this is just so strong. Primary music brings
a sense of sacredness. And as President Oaks
said, the singing of hymns is one of the best
ways to learn the doctrine of the restored gospel.
If he said it, it's fact. I totally agree with
that. Primary music is one of God's most tender
tools for planting the seeds of testimony in
the hearts of the Savior's youngest disciples.
I love when she said that, Abby. It makes my
heart so happy. I have to give that direct quote
because it was so true and it was so sweet. She
said that. I have been a primary chorister multiple
times. I've been a primary piano player multiple
times and I've been a primary teacher and in
primary presidencies multiple times. And so I
get to watch just a varying degree of people
teach gospel, truth through music and kind of
how, you know, that dynamic of how things are
run. Well, I'm on, I'm not currently leading
the music. Well, I get a sometimes sub. Yeah,
I get it sometimes dabble and that's staying
fun. I am on a Facebook page on my social media.
And so I'm like right in the middle of the talk,
I hop onto my Facebook thing and I open up my
primary choristers Facebook page. And it's just
like blowing up with this men and women who are
in this calling just like, what about this talk?
This is so amazing. And I'm like, amen. It's
so amazing to be recognized as what an important
calling is. It's a heavy calling. Back when church
was three hours, your primary course had every
week, two hours. I mean, we're combined now.
And so it's a 30 minute calling, but it's still,
you know, that prep and stuff. It's crazy. And
it's on your mind all week long. And I don't
know. I don't sometimes, I don't think that it
gets quite the recognition of being one of the
top hardest jobs, but it is. So anyway, these
choristers, they were all shouting for joy across
the world. The Sister Browning shared her thoughts
on the importance of this calling. And I just
made a note here, Primary Chorister is a seven
day a week calling for most. You're tasked with
teaching gospel truths through song in an engaging
way, but inviting the spirit, making the message
sink so deep that it'll be on their hearts for
these disciples as they encounter the world and
the contrary message that the world's going to
be trying to teach them. I've been so grateful
for the music leaders that my children have had
over the years. I look back over them and I mean,
one of them that I remember distinctly was when
my Adam, who is 19 now, he was just a brand new
sunbeam. And it was a man and he was actually
the choir teacher for the high school. He was
fantastic. We sang the song, you know, God sent
his son and I was crying. I even had a, you know,
a three -year -old in there and I was still crying
just with just how beautiful it was every week.
And I was so, so grateful for his service that
he gave to us. I love it when my kids will be
playing random little things and they'll be humming
something that they come home from church with.
And I always just want to like, you know, do
a little screen. record of that and send it like
it matters. What you're doing matters so that
they know it's a tough calling and it matters.
And we as parents are super helpful, grateful
for the help that we're getting from these lessons
they're doing. Absolutely. And also it's one
more tool that parent, like you're saying, parents,
leaders and teachers have to combine our efforts
to teach these essential truths. Like you're
saying, when they're hunting in something, you
can, as a parent, you can piggyback on that.
They might have a serious gospel question and
you'd be like, think about the song that you
sing, this line, and that's what that means.
And they're like, oh, well, then I get it. That's
already in my heart. It's through music that
we give nourishment to that seed as they testify
to and invite the testimonies of children of
all that they are coming to know about Heavenly
Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
That's what Sister Browning said. Question, how
can primary songs learned in childhood become
the spiritual language children use to testify
for the rest of their lives? From its beginning
in 1878, it was determined that singing was necessary,
absolutely, and can become the children's first
spiritual language. Why? Because their simple,
memorable melodies give voice to gospel truths.
Sink these truths deep into the hearts of children.
These songs hold the power to stay with them
for a lifetime, becoming part of their discipleship
and also a natural and normal way for them to
testify of the savior. I love how she said the
songs you sing and learn when you're six years
old can echo decades later and come to mind when
you need the most. That's power. When I don't
have the words to say what's on my heart, I often
default to music. Like it's my favorite way to
testify. You asked me to speak in church. I have
to come up with those words and be shaking through
it. And that's a little bit terrifying for me.
But seeing my testimony through somebody else's
music, it's my favorite. It's amazing. And I'm
not here to criticize previous music, the music
from the earliest part of the primary, but I
am here to say, and maybe even to testify that
the songs that these children had to sing now
in 2025 are powerful. doctrinal teaching tools.
And I think, you know, the way you said it was
nicer, just being like songs when I was a kid,
they were great. Now we're in primary at this
phase, we get new songs all the time. And we're
like, man, that's super powerful. It is, you
know, these kids are made for something great.
And they need, they need these dogs there. And
they're being bombarded with harder things. I
think that they, you know, these particular artists
that are coming up with this music were saved
for such a time as this, so that they could do
this great work and write these messages in a
way that the kids are anxious to sing. You have
the kids repeat a song, they're not like, I don't
want to sing that. They are eager to sing these
songs. Any particular primary song, one of these
newer ones that are coming to your head? Which
one are you loving right now? This week I was
driving. I had quite a while, a long drive ahead
of me. And so I was listening to my playlist
and the song Miracle - Amy went to Disney this
week. When she says a long drive, you're like,
Oh, we feel bad. She had to drive. No. That was
actually for my hair, but either way, it doesn't
matter. It was a long drive. But I was listening
to the song, Miracle. And Abby, almost every
day I wake up with the words in my head, Jesus
is a God of miracles. Nothing is impossible.
That sometimes gets me through the day. I seriously
was driving and crying and just thinking how
grateful I am for these words and this testimony.
And what came to my heart like so strongly was
I was thinking of our beautiful children who
sing this every week and I want to bawl my eyes
out. They're singing with all of their hearts.
They're standing up, you know. tall and proud
and they're testifying of truth and I just want
and that's at their age that's at their level
of understanding and it's still true and then
me as almost a 50 year old woman who's lived
decades beyond them I still testify like I've
gone through a lot of crap in my life and still
Jesus is a God of miracles and nothing is impossible
with him. I love that about these simple truths
because they are true when you are one year old
and they are true when you are 99. And when they're
seeing him, they might think, yeah, he helped
me find my stuffie when it was fun. And that's
important to them. Yeah, he helped bring Snickers
back to life or whatever, whatever their sweet
little experiences have been. And with 40 years
of experience and challenges and the hard things
that we've gone through because we said yes to
this life. Yes, you have more to seeing and praise
about the miracles that's brought you. She said,
some songs tell the stories of the Savior's life
and ministry, others teach of His attributes
such as His faith, His hope, His charity, and
the most sacred songs testify of His infinite
atonement and the love that flows from the act
of salvation. The next insightful question that
Sister Browning poses is how does singing gospel
truths help children remember the Lord as part
of their covenant and then also prepare them
for His ordinances? And later in her talk, she
answers this by saying, and the restoration of
the gospel with its saving principles and exalting
ordinances. And then she says this, music provides
power for us to express prayerful thoughts and
bear testimony of sacred truths. She says it
a lot more eloquently than we were just saying,
but I am 100 % behind what she's saying. Well,
I mean, I'm sure it's a fact when you teach a
kid a song, it's just words and then they're
just trying to say the words, but there is a
change. When they sing the words and they and
they're testifying the spirit enters then they're
singing the words even if they don't understand
the whole concept of it they're creating this
energy in the room and it is that it is the power
of the spirit and so They they know what they're
singing is true. Even if they don't understand
it completely, right? They are understanding
it at their level of You know of life Whatever
whatever phase there is line upon line those
the words are the words and then it starts to
sink until it is sunk deep. And it takes multiple
exposure to it, but we're just the feeling that
the whole primary is creating as they're singing
these songs in unison and testifying together.
The spirit's present. Yes. Also, the way that
the spirit works too is they're going to apply
their experiences. that they've already had with
Jesus Christ, with His Atonement, with the Holy
Ghost, to these words as they're singing, and
that testifies of truth. And at the same time,
the Holy Ghost has a compounding factor where
He has the ability to really magnify whatever
it is you're feeling, and it will fit for the
rest of their lives. We always have a responsibility
to point people towards their next covenant.
Meaning, if you're a parent, you know, I've got
a kid that's working towards baptism. We've got
one, you know, a couple years away from temple
endowment or whatever. And then if you're in
a primary calling, you've got the seven year
olds, maybe, you know, that whole class you're
preparing for, we're always preparing for the
sacrament, which is, you know, a renewal of covenant
or the next covenant that we're making. Anyway,
in primary, we're singing songs that point to
that always. Songs like, I know when I am baptized
or I love to see the temple. Those come to mind.
Music leaders have been instructed to teach songs
and then take time to emphasize the doctrines
that these songs are teaching. And it's not a
sermon. It's brief. It's a short testimony. Ours
is very good at, she says her nose when it gets
red that she's really feeling the spirit. She's
crying and the kids are like, do you think we'll
make sister sweetheart cry today? And we're like,
guaranteed. I'm like grateful we're at the back
of the primary room because it gets me every
week. And I'm like, I can't, it's even harder
to hold it together when you're at the front,
filling that energy from the kids. But she does
it in such a simple way. When she points out,
like she kind of like, you know, she points it
out. and she lets them stop and think for just
a second. The reason that this is happening is
because the spirit's with us. And so they take
that moment to be like, oh, that's what I'm feeling
in this song. This is what the spirit feels like.
Because how many encounters have they had with
that? Or it's a new friend. They're just getting
experience with it. Some people will be like
teens, 20s, 40s, they'll be like, I don't know
if I've ever felt the spirit. Well, if you're
in primary and you're singing those songs and
it's inviting the spirit and you're a music leader
or you're... primary leaders point out that is
what the spirit feels like. It's easier to grasp
that when you're filling it in other ways. That's
not musical. So, so, so, so powerful. Elder Henry
B. Eyring has reminded us in those moments of
filling the spirit that we have evidence of the
Savior's Atonement working in our lives. And
then when they encounter the spirit, like I said,
in other settings, it's more like he's a familiar
friend. one that they met way back as a primary
child. President Nelson taught that children
can learn the doctrine when they're learning
to sing just as much as they can learn, just
doctrine in class. A lot of times we just have
to play off of the feeling that's invoked in
singing time, because we go from sacrament to
singing time to our class, and there's always
something to just... like swing off of. They've
already achieved what we need to in church. They've
already felt the Spirit. They've already learned
some truths. We just have to just kind of bring
it on home. Songs can provide a reservoir of
faith -filled sermons that point children to
the Savior and help them develop devotion to
His gospel. I love that. I know, right? Abby,
I know we've said it before, but I can't emphasize
enough. We both consider the primary music time
as the highlight of our calling. Love it. And
like Abby said, we have a music leader that brings
passion and testimony of the savior every single
week into our preparation and a primary presidency
that also values the time dedicated to the doctrines
in primary music. Our primary president always
stands up at the end and just reminds and points
out brief testimony and feeling the Holy Ghost
and our heart is happy. And you know, it's the
biggest like having been a chorister many times
and being on chorister pages. There's a lot to
have to work through grievances. The presidency,
they stand up and they give a lot of announcements.
They give, you know, they drag out like, you
know, the other pieces and parts. Literally,
we get in there, it's brief, and we are into
music time. And if they've gone over sacrament
meeting for whatever time, our president's like,
we'll split the difference, we'll do a little
shorter class time. She puts a lot of emphasis
on the music and she knows that the music leader
has put a lot of time and preparation into what
she's coming with. It is a beautiful balance.
It's the best. And if that's not happening in
your primary, fight for it. Yeah. Make that happen.
For sure. We need passionate leaders to continue
to prioritize what is without a doubt the most
important gospel teaching tools that we have
for these young children. Something Sister Browning
shared made me think about, you know, like the
sun rising in Australia. It's the, it's the most,
it's the earliest time. Like it's, it's so far
away. It's so far around the world for us that
it's like beginning of the day, right? They're
ahead of us though, right? So, so anyway, like,
you know, the sun sets on Australia and primaries
open up and it kind of starts a 24 hour kickoff.
It's primaries throughout the world, start singing
these songs. And I'm thinking, you know, it's
hard to imagine exactly how like time folds in
on itself or whatever from the perspective of
God. But I do believe somewhere in there, that's
gotta be his favorite day of the week. It's probably
a blip for him, but you know, our heavenly parents,
and their son, Jesus Christ, just get to hear
each of those children around the world and their
languages in their country, praising and learning
of them through music. I'm sure it's one of their
favorites. Okay. She had one final question.
Her last one was, how can primary songs help
write God's law upon the hearts of these youngest
disciples? You take it. Yeah. Primary music can
be a miracle. carried along the lifelong arc
of discipleship that our children will travel.
A song learned, like she said this or I said
this before, a song learned at age six has the
power to stay with us and can return decades
later in moments of decision. temptation, grief,
or joy. Perhaps in our later years, the lyrics
of I will follow God's plan may serve as a spiritual
anchor that echoes the witness of the apostle
Paul of the surety of God's promises to us. Or
they may remind us that because of that God keeps
his promises, his covenants offer strong consolation
and a place of refuge and invite us to put our
hope and assurance steadfastly on Jesus Christ
and also in his atoning power. Abby, is there
a song that has helped you in your arc of discipleship?
Well, I certainly have a favorite primary song,
but I know that's not exactly what you're asking.
I can think of a primary song for just about
every question that I contemplated in my life.
And with these new music offerings in particular,
I just feel like they're a gift from God. I think
that there was so much talent from these sons
and daughters of God that have this gift for
music and they articulate the things that...
The word that I want to testify and say and share.
Right now, we're in like the heaviest part of
preparing for the primary program because it's
coming up in a couple of weeks and I can't say
that there's been a week that's gone by that
I haven't been moved to emotion just by like...
the spirit that these kids have brought. And,
you know, like we were referencing back, you
know, the Prophet had passed and then there was
the Missouri shootings. It was just kind of a
heavy time and, and they're singing those songs
and they just, they hit differently that week.
Cause I was just thinking about all the hard
things that some of our brothers and sisters,
you know, in other parts of the world are experiencing.
And I'm just, I'm, I'm grateful that These songs
mean so much to these kids with whatever they're
going through and they mean so much to me for
what I'm going through. Adult members across
the globe in times of difficulty often remember
and turn to the primary songs that they learned,
that we've all learned as kids. The Savior promised
this, the Comforter shall teach you all things
and bring all things to remembrance. Primary
music can be one way that that promise is fulfilled.
Songs teach about the desire of a disciple, which
she says the Lord's youngest disciples, and learning
of the pattern of covenant living. The Spirit
can use music to engrave eternal truths on their
hearts. And in time, children can choose to tune
and turn their hearts and their lives toward
Jesus Christ by making and keeping sacred covenants
with him. So again, these songs are helping us
on our covenant path. From her she says as primary
leaders We have the opportunity and the sacred
responsibility to ensure that music in primary
is taught with joy with doctrinal understanding
and with the spirit Which includes inviting children
to notice what they feel as they sing and helping
them recognize that those feelings come from
the Holy Ghost Super powerful when we have fun
we teach a truth the spirit comes and we're pointing
that out like it's You know if if you miss pointing
out that they've invited the spirit that that's
what they're feeling Not that it's a dud, not
that you failed, but it's such a key piece to
the process because they might not know that
that's what they're feeling if you don't point
it out at these young ages. Let's see, these
efforts help prepare our children for sacred
ordinances such as baptism and confirmation,
as well as inspiring their covenant memory as
they regularly renew their promises to God. Through
singing sacred music, congregations of God's
children are given an opportunity to prepare
their hearts for that sacred ordinance to take
upon themselves His name to always remember Him
and to keep His commandments. So we know music
is an integral part of our worship. And honestly,
the most important thing we do on Sundays is
partaking of the sacrament. And what do we do
in preparation of that? We sing. Absolutely.
Can we each take some time today or maybe this
week to think about the eternal truths and the
doctrine that led us to Jesus Christ and his
gospel in part because of the music that was
the delivery method of those truths. Sister Browning
says this, I invite you to consider what foundational
truths have been written into your hearts through
the simple teachings of these songs and to testify
of those truths of the Savior's youngest disciples
as you teach the good news of the gospel through
song. That really is the main point. I'll be
like you like you just touched on. In fact, reflect
long enough to know the truths that had the power
to touch you and lay the gift forward by sharing
it with someone else. So a challenge, consider
how you are incorporating music in your own homes.
Hopefully this talk re -energizes us all to think
back fondly on what music played in our lives
in shaping our testimonies and help us remember
how important these things are. Can we make the
songs last just past the Sunday experience, hopefully?
Any last thoughts from you, Amy? I think I've
said everything along the way as I felt. Yeah,
I think so. She gave a powerful testimony and
I didn't want to cut it, but it's quite long.
So if you want to kind of start sharing some
of her thoughts from her testimony, I would love
to share part of it. I know that God, our father
and his infinite love sent his beloved son to
earth to teach us to show us the way and to redeem
us through his atonement. I know that the Savior's
life and ministry are real and personal. The
scriptures are full of stories of his healing,
his kindness and his miracles. I know that heavenly
father hears and answers the sincere prayers
of his children, no matter their age. circumstances,
or language. He listens to the quiet pleadings
of our hearts. I testify that in Gethsemane,
Jesus Christ bore the weight of our sins, our
sorrows, and pains. He suffered willingly because
of his love for us and made it possible for us
to be forgiven and return home." Not to detract
from the spirit of her testimony, but different
lines that she has. There's a primary song to
each. to each of those children all over the
world, or he sent his son, Gethsemane, Miracle,
like, I mean, she knows her songs and she knows
that the power they've had and, you know, the
very adult testimony of things that children
could also testify of through their music. She
finishes her testimony like with this, I know
that we are literal children of God. I am a child
of God created in his image endowed with divine
potential. and invited to return to live with
Him if we choose to follow Jesus Christ, choose
Him again. I know that Jesus Christ is our perfect
example, and as we follow Him by serving, forgiving,
and loving others, love one another, we become
more like Him day by day. And I know that the
Lord's holy temples, I'd love to see the temple,
and His houses here on earth, In them, we make
sacred covenants, receive eternal blessings,
and learn more of Him and feel more of His presence.
The temple is the place of learning, peace, and
preparation for our lives. I testify that the
efforts we make to teach and sing these primary
songs to our children are not simply a nice part
of our religious tradition. They are sermons
for disciples of Jesus Christ, testimonies of
the truthfulness of the restored gospel, and
prayers set to music. Sacred music can shine
the light of Christ on the hearer and can pour
it into the heart of the singer. Dear friends,
Jesus still wants us for sunbeams. And she does
this testimony in the sacred name of Jesus Christ.
Amen. Amen, Abby. That was fantastic. She's amazing.
She is. I love listening to her. Thank you for
being with us this week. We hope you enjoy incorporating
some music into your week and hope that it has
a great effect on you as it does on us. Have
a great day.