Gladys Knight and the Saints Unified Voices

Yes, my Saturday didn't stop with the mp3 experiment in Central Park. It just kept on going.

Directly after "The Experiment!" we hopped on the subway and headed to the Lincoln Center chapel (where the temple is). Gladys Knight was in New York for the weekend with her choir and Saturday and Sunday was putting on a sort of concert/fireside. It was amazing! How often do you get to clap and shout out "Amen!" in an LDS Chapel?

The choir was great, as was Gladys. They sang a couple songs unique to our church (although with a little more soul than what we may be used to): "I am a Child of God" and "Love One Another," as well as some good ol' gospel songs that I had never heard of before. But judging by some of the other people in the congregation...they were fairly well known outside the Mormon Community.

It was so great to see so many members of other faiths together in the chapel seeing, hearing, and feeling first-hand what we are about...well, kind of anyways. Haha, the introduction to the fireside was great. I don't know his name, but he stood up at the pulpet and said something to the affect of, "for those not of our faith, we welcome you...and for those who are not visitors, please know that it is oppropriate to clap this evening...we don't normally clap in our church services/chapel...."

What a GREAT missionary opportunity!!! I sat by these two great African American ladies. Before the fireside started the one leaned over to the other and said, "Now, are these the same as the Mormons?" To which the other responded by simply shaking her head in ignorance. I leaned in a few moments later and asked if I had heard her question correctly, and then upon confirmation affirmed that yes, this is the Mormons. :)

I was able to tell her friend beside me a little bit about the Church before the choir came out and got started only to find that through the course of the fireside, most of what I had said to her was brought forward and discussed from the pulpit. It was great because when they talked about Joseph Smith and other things I'd already mentioned to her, the woman next to me turned and smiled knowlingly as if to say, "oohhh look, we already talked about this, I'm excited." It was cute.

Again I proclaim: "What a GREAT missionary tool!" The spirit was amazing. Gladys and her husband bore their testimonies and talked about their conversions. The were so bold from the pulpit. Straight forward and yet not brash at all. Then again, some of the things she said just can't be said by a little white boy from northern Idaho like me. It just doesn't really come across the same you know?

When it was over, the lady that had been sitting next to me thanked me. It was so humbling to hear her tell me that it wasn't a coincidence that I sat next to her. I was her Godsend she said. I made her stay all the more comfortable and understanding. It's been awhile I think since I've been that for someone. It felt amazing. I love this gospel. Let's live what we believe.