remembering

I'm remembering today my first week of college at BYU. It was a Tuesday, and crazy freshman that I was, I had an 8 am class. When my alarm went off around 7 I heard on the radio that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. At this point they didn't really know what was going on. I ran over to my neighbors in the dorm who had a TV and we turned it on to watch the news. We watched the second plane crash into the second tower. It was surreal. We watched the buildings come crashing down and the people running through the streets. It seemed like a movie. The world changed forever before our eyes. No one had answers. We would come to find out that thousands died that day.

Later, at what was supposed to be the school year's first campus devotional, we sang the hymn by William Clayton "Come, Come, Ye Saints". It brought me, and I'm sure many others, comfort at a time when so much in our world seemed uncertain. It gave me perspective and reminded me that even if we "should die before our journey's through", all will be well.

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
’Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—
All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
’Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we’ll have this tale to tell—
All is well! All is well!

We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We’ll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we’ll tell—
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey’s through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell—
All is well! All is well!