September 20th, 2025, 1pm MDT
Editor’s Note: “The Coand Word” is shared every Sunday by Derrick Porter in the weekly tabernacle choir on the Temple Square broadcast. This will be given on Sunday, September 21st, 2025. His week is broadcast number 5,010.
150 years ago, the tabernacle here in Salt Lake City was dedicated as a prayer house, a praise house, and a Thanksgiving house (see The New Tabernacle Dedicatedicatory Prayer, Deseret News, October 20, 1875, p. 594).
Since that prayer in 1875, this great tabernacle has held thousands of events to help people connect with God. For over a century, people have gathered inside the building, sometimes at the strength of 10,000 people, to hear songs of hope and inspiring messages.
One such event occurred in 1941. The speaker that day was Helen Keller. The individual with her challenges – she was deaf and blind – could never imagine that she could talk and interact with thousands of audiences. Helen, in a way, learned to use the finesse on her fingers to see and hear. She learned to pronounce words that she could not hear by feeling the vibrations of another person’s voice with her fingers, then mimic those vibrations with her own vocal cords.
She explained to the audience the flowers she received and how she saw with her hands the relics of her pioneering days when she toured the Capitol. Helen then invited Utah Gov. Herbert Moe to ask the questions he wanted. She placed her fingers on his nose, lips and throat, feeling the muscles and vibrations as he spoke. Question: “If you were given a wish, what would it be?” Her response: “World peace and brotherhood.”
Helen shared that she was “grief so unexpressed by the current conflicts of the world,” but she still “believed in God’s power to ultimately achieve God’s hope for ‘peace on earth, goodwill among men’s’. ”
The power of God became apparent that day, as all those present witnessed personal miracles over the years. Thousands of deaf and blind women – hearing and looking at her fingers, proclaiming her faith in the power of God.
That is what this tabernacle was built. To share and testify in God’s power. It was built as a prayer house, a praise house, and a Thanksgiving house. May the voice still carry peace and brotherhood to generations, as Helen Keller wishes.
tuning…
“Music & The Chaked Word” broadcasts are available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160am/102.7FM, KSL.com, Byutv, Byuradio, DirectV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), Tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/thetabernaclechoir and Amazon alexa (everexa). The program will air live at these outlets at 9:30am Mountain time. Find broadcast information by state and city at MusicandTheSpokenWord.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
