Lynne Perry Christofferson – Meridian Magazine

Interested in FREE sheet music downloads of sacred and inspirational music? You’ll find them on Lynne Perry Christofferson’s music website: https://christoffersonmusic.com/ I am knee deep in the Come, Follow Me study of the Doctrine and Covenants. Having just passed the halfway mark of the year, we also passed the anniversary of the Prophet Joseph’s martyrdom, June 27, 1844. Though I have written about him before, I feel compelled to write again in this day when many people question whether Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. My husband and I recently returned from Palmyra, New York and Kirtland, Ohio. Eighteen years ago, we visited church history sites there with our children, but felt a desire to revisit some of those places. We stayed in an Airbnb attached to a large home in Kirtland. The first morning there, I peeked out the upstairs window and was happy to see luscious red strawberries growing in the garden below. They brought back memories of the strawberries my brother, Robb, used to grow when he was our next-door neighbor. My mouth watered just thinking of those tender berries.   Seeing the fruit growing in that Kirtland garden sparked another memory. Years ago, while...

My first true taste of Easter didn’t happen in the spring as you would expect. No, it occurred in December, decades ago, the day after my mother gave birth to her fifth child two months early. In the front room of our family’s rented bungalow, my young father gathered me and my three brothers around him and quietly told us the story of a baby boy–our little brother–who was born too early and lived for only nine hours. As a five-year-old, my understanding of the situation was limited but two things stand out clearly in my memory: first, I sensed an unusual tenderness in my father as he spoke to us. Second, as he talked of the plan of salvation and eternal families–promising that our baby Richard was in Heaven and we would someday see him again–I felt the truth of his words deeply and believed them. With the help of the Holy Spirit, my father’s testimony created an essential layer of my spiritual foundation. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was experiencing my first true taste of Easter–the real-life application of the comforting doctrine of Jesus Christ’s victory over death. There were no Easter baskets that...

I never had a sister growing up. Not by blood. Though I was blessed with four brothers, I was definitely in the minority in my family. I had plenty of good female friends when I was young, but it wasn’t until I served as a missionary that I first tasted true sisterhood. As I studied and taught with, fasted and prayed with, sacrificed and served with my female mission companions, I developed a new kind of bond and caught the vision of what women can accomplish together when they are on the Lord’s errand. In the decades since my mission, I have served in a wide variety of callings, but I am most drawn to the Relief Society. I feel a special connection to my church sisters who have blessed me with their humor, instructive gospel conversations, meaningful support in times of need, and examples of strength and grace while … The post The Sacredness and Strength of Sisterhood first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Have you ever stood outside early on a spring morning right at sunrise? When the golden rays of the sun sweep across a field of grass, the dew transforms into tiny drops of liquid light. The effect is magical. If I were an artist, I would paint an image of liquid light flowing from the pages of the Book of Mormon. Since I don’t have that ability, I once tried to capture a picture of those droplets in a song: I daily drink of living water, a flowing stream that fills my soul. Oh, there is something in these words beyond the wisdom of the ages, for tiny drops of liquid light come spilling from the pages. (1) As we begin a new year of Come, Follow Me study, I have reflected on the “liquid light” I have received over past decades as I have searched the pages of the … The post Tiny Drops of Liquid Light: Living Water From the Book of Mormon first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

I rarely get emotional at the grocery store, though it has been known to happen. On one occasion, while standing in the produce department, I experienced a heightened awareness of my surroundings–the vibrant colors and unique shapes of the fruits and vegetables: red peppers and pineapples, strawberries and asparagus spears–the sheer beauty at my fingertips. A lump rose in my throat, and I was filled with gratitude for a Heavenly Father who designed these foods to grow out of the earth and nourish the bodies of His children. This sweet moment was no random occurrence. It came on the heels of a concerted effort to change my eating habits and live the guidelines in the Word of Wisdom more carefully. This effort was inspired by the need to reduce my high cholesterol, which was due partly to genetics, but mostly to poor eating choices. After recognizing that my heart’s health …

The first week of April 2020, I received an SOS call from my son-in-law. Jonathan informed me that my daughter, who was pregnant with their third child, was extremely nauseated and had lost twenty pounds in three weeks. Sarah was too sick and frail to care for their one- and two-year-old sons, and Jonathan was trying to do his doctoral studies from home due to Covid-19 shutdowns but was struggling to finish his semester’s work while taking care of a sick wife and two toddlers. They hesitated to ask for help because of social distancing, but the situation was dire. I immediately called my daughter-in-law who is a nurse and asked for her recommendations. She gave me the name of an anti-nausea medication and suggested that Sarah take small sips of vitamin water with B6 in it. I texted the name of the medication to Jonathan so he could request … The post A Strong Dose of Jesus first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

I’m not a visual artist by any stretch of the imagination, but I once went through a phase for several months where I made daily attempts to draw human faces, using black and white photographs for reference. Though my pencil sketches were mediocre at best, I still think back on those artistic attempts fondly because I made a fascinating discovery: there is a magical moment in the process of drawing a face. It’s when you’re coloring in the pupils and irises and suddenly sense that someone is looking back at you. This moment often gave me chills. I have wondered if the Lord feels a celestial version of those chills when He begins to see His countenance reflected in the faces of His children, and senses that we are allowing Him to make us over in His image. This deep change is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, … The post Make Me Over in Thine Image first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

On the east facing wall of my home office hangs a vibrant painting. The colors are rich and striking, but it’s the image of four women of different ethnicities that The post Come Sisters Now, of Every Nation: An Invitation first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

(free sheet music download included) If we can agree on one thing in the year 2020, it is that no one likes to live in uncertainty. We want to feel The post When Uncertainty Creeps In: Introducing a New Hymn for Our Day first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Since childhood I have marveled at the workings of the telephone. How is it possible for the sound of a human voice to be converted into a signal which can The post Making Prayer Real for Yourself first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Don’t miss Lynne’s song “Every Faithful Pioneer” at the end of this article.                 I was horrible-izing and I knew it.  Trying to be positive in spite of discouraging world conditions

Cover image: “Light Descending” by Oliver Johnson. “Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. As you do, general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will

Music, lyrics, piano by Lynne Perry ChristoffersonSung by: Tammy Simister Robinson,Carlie Riding, Caleb Jardine, Mark Child For a free downloadable copy of the sheet music, The Light of the World,

Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE Cover image: “Tree of Life” by Kazuta Uota. The guidebook claimed that the Pu’u O Kila lookout would provide not only one

Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE Memory One: Over two decades ago I was asked to be one of the ward nursery leaders. As soon as the Bishop

Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE Cover image via LDS.org.  Has your heart ever been swollen with gratitude? Have you ever been so deeply thankful that you felt

Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE Late at night on a grassy hillside, I sat with two of my daughters watching hundreds of fireworks displays play out over

Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE Cover image: “The Desires of My Heart” by Walter Rane. My earliest memory of a spiritual experience involves Joseph Smith and Carthage

Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE Cover image via LDS.org.  The bottom of this page features a song inspired by the reflections in this article. Don’t forget to

Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please CLICK HERE Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from the book “Sisters, Arise!” by Lynne Perry Christofferson. The book is available at Seagull