the wish of my heart

Our family has been asked to provide a special musical number for church services this morning. We have chosen to sing a double quartet of a familiar number based on these words of the prophet, Alma, “Oh that I were an angel, and could have the wish of my heart…” Our rehearsing has caused me to ponder, can angels have the wish of their hearts? What is the wish of my heart? Alma’s wish was to go forth and speak with the trump of God, a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! His desire was that all men would hear and understand the great plan of redemption, repent, and come unto God; that there would be no more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. Alma then realizes the boldness of his wish and thinks of it as sinful, for “I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.” Oh Alma, if you only knew then how your words would touch millions! Your wish has been granted a thousand fold.

As for me, my simple wish this morning is that we do justice to his words.