Love at Home?

10/10/10 (In honor of a truly perfect day!)

On page 294 of the LDS Hymn book, there’s a lovely song called, “Love at Home”, whose text and music were composed by John Hugh McNaughton, 1829-1891.

1. There is beauty all around
When there's love at home;
There is joy in ev'ry sound
When there's love at home.
Peace and plenty here abide,
Smiling sweet on ev'ry side.
Time doth softly, sweetly glide
When there's love at home.
Love at home, love at home;
Time doth softly, sweetly glide
When there's love at home.

2. In the cottage there is joy
When there's love at home;
Hate and envy ne'er annoy
When there's love at home.
Roses bloom beneath our feet;
All the earth's a garden sweet,
Making life a bliss complete
When there's love at home.
Love at home, love at home;
Making life a bliss complete
When there's love at home.

3. Kindly heaven smiles above
When there's love at home;
All the world is filled with love
When there's love at home.
Sweeter sings the brooklet by;
Brighter beams the azure sky.
Oh, there's One who smiles on high
When there's love at home.
Love at home, love at home;
Oh, there's One who smiles on high
When there's love at home.

It hasn’t been one of my favorites for a long time. I mean, honestly, WHO REALLY has a family like that???

Recently, however, I was blessed with several days where God’s love filled my soul to overflowing. (I’m still working on explaining how that came about. Sorry, you’ll have to wait.) It was like hiking to the top of a tall mountain and looking down on the place where you spend most of your days living and working and eating and sleeping. And suddenly the place you thought you knew, looks very different and you can never live your life the same way again.

I feel extremely blessed to have a testimony of the Savior’s Restored Church. Every vestige of doubt has been removed from my mind and heart even as I continue to grow in my understanding of the Principles and Ordinances therein. But this experience truly humbled me as I realized how limited was my understanding of God and how He loves and cares for His children. I'm beginning to realize that when the Lord says "where much is given, much is required," He also means that we should work as hard at obeying His commandments as we do at just comprehending and enjoying the unfathomable love He offers us, His children.

So now the other day I had the phrase “Hate and envy ne'er annoy” in my mind, and I realized that this song is impactful on more than one level.

Societies need ideals in order to flourish. I really believe that families can be like this. Are they? Probably not. But this song paints a beautiful picture of how lofty our goals can be.

On another level, however, just because we or those around us are struggling with human weaknesses doesn’t mean we can’t feel joy and peace and plenty. Certainly “Hate and envy” in those around us or even within us will “ne'er annoy” if our homes are regularly filled with love. Fighting children won’t draw the love from our heart, we’ll see them as God does. Personal thoughts of envy or other vices won’t stay long, we’ll see ourselves as God does. Roses can “bloom beneath our feet” and “there’s One who smiles on high” even if tragedy is also afoot. We’ll see the beauty of how the experience is fashioning us for the eternities. Gratitude and a commitment to following the path of beauty, peace and plenty will always bring the Love of God in our hearts and homes.

Thanks, Brother McNaughton, for such a lovely and lofty new view of the place where I live. And despite my personal history with your song, it is my sincerest prayer that I will never live my life the same way again and that the most important question I can ask will be,

“Is there Love at Home?”