Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022.
In today’s world, we are surrounded by noise. Some of it is welcome — noise we have chosen. And we have so many media tools, we could fill every second of the day with sounds. But life is also full of unwelcome noise, and all the commotion leaves so many feeling stressed, anxious, and unsettled. We struggle to find a moment of silence. And even when we do, often the internal sound of our thoughts and worries presses upon us, disrupting our lives and making us uneasy.
So how can we quiet the noise?
Here’s an example that might be helpful. This microphone I am speaking into is designed to amplify sound. But it can do this only as audio engineers turn the correct knobs, slide the faders just right, and carefully watch the volume levels. They make adjustments as they monitor other sounds that might impact the microphone’s level and mix. Simply put, the job of the sound engineer is to regulate and enhance the sound.
Similarly, we can regulate and enhance the sound around us by intentionally choosing to focus on some things more than others. As we monitor the noise, adjust the feedback, and carefully watch the level of sound — both around us and inside us — we gain more of a sense of calm. Audio engineers have knobs and faders to regulate noise; our tools include meditation and prayer. Taking time to be silent, to ponder and pray, can help clear our minds, settle us down, and give us peace.
Years ago, a wise religious leader called meditation “the language of the soul.” “Meditation is a form of prayer,” he said. “[It is] one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.” (See “Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay,” published in 2003, pages 31–32.)
Meditation and prayer help us to feel God’s presence and His peace in our lives, even in a noisy world. Finding time to be still and hear the voice of God takes practice and patience, but it can be a revitalizing spiritual exercise. It refocuses our priorities, quiets the noise, and brings us closer to the divine.
Tuning in …
The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM Radio (Ch. 143), the tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on many of these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
