By Dana KingMake a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
—Psalms 98:4
Nekisha Rhodes, a member of the Lindell Ward, has won third place in the St. Louis Diamond Gospel Idol competition. I couldn’t be more proud of her performances and showmanship—she was gracious and happy for the winners.
The top five winners will go on a local church tour with Merdean Gales, Gospel music promoter and BET network host.
If you had told me a year ago that I would be writing about a Gospel Music competition, I would have said, “You're crazy—what do I know about that?” Never did I think I would have the opportunity to have such a close and personal experience with Gospel music—Not even when I helped start a Gospel music choir with other Latter-day Saints about a year ago.
But here I am, being taken in by this Christ-centered and testifying music, joyful and expressive. Yes, it makes me move!
Our Gospel choir sang at a fireside several weeks ago. We sang “Wade in the Water” and “This Little Light of Mine.” Bishops and stake presidents, Nekisha and Merdean, and our choir members were all singing and clapping and moving!
Merdean shared her thoughts with us about Gospel music, further testifying of its power to convey the message of Christ. She also treated us to Theresa San Luis on viola playing “Amazing Grace.” The audience, people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, spontaneously sang the song. The spirit of Christ, the unity we felt as God’s children, was overwhelming.
Did I ever imagine Latter-day Saints moving and rejoicing in the Lord like this? I wish you could have seen everyone’s smiles and their tapping and clapping.
As Merdean likes to say, “Anything God puts His hands on has to move!”
We have been given a taste of this joyful, spirited music by our own Sister Gladys Knight and the Saints United Voices. Now, we are doing it—moving—right here in our chapel in St. Louis, Missouri!
And my husband, a mild-mannered guy, typically not an expressive man, said, “I really liked that; it was a great experience. I want to join the choir.”
Thanks to help from our friends Nekisha and Merdean and others, we are learning to embrace and understand Gospel music. I am grateful for friends who broaden our horizons and take us on new adventures.