Marlene's Story- Lyrics

My name is Marlene Merkling, and I am the one who wrote the lyrics to Angels Remembered.  I'll give you a little of my background.  I was born and raised mostly in Salt Lake.  I married my husband, Dan, and we have four daughters, four sons-in-law. and twenty living grand children.

Emily Tingey and I have been friends for about nine years.  We served in a Relief Society Presidency together and remained good friends.  My elderly Mother lived with me for many years, and Emily always befriended her and did her best to make sure to greet her and speak to her whenever the occasions arose, and I loved Emily for this.

A few months ago, Emily called me one day and told me of her feeling that she was to  share her thoughts and feelings about the ministering of angels, particularly of her mis-carried babies spirits.  Emily knew that I love to write poetry, and that I have done some song lyrics in the past, so she asked me if I would help her with getting her thoughts into a format that could be put to music.  I told her that if she would write her thoughts down, and email them to me, I would see what I could do.  I told her to give me a few days, as I sometimes really struggle to get the cohesiveness needed for the meter, rhyme and words to come together.  

Later that night, when the house was quiet, I sat down with her thoughts and started trying to put them into song lyrics.  In less than two hours, I had them finished, and except for moving one stanza and changing the title, there were no other changes needed.  The repeats of the phrase Angels Remembered, came about as the music was later composed by Melody.  It is very rare that I feel the sweet flowing of words to my mind as I did that night.  

My Father was also a poet, and I felt his spirit near as I worked on these words.  I have also had three mis-carried babies, and also experienced the heartbreak of daughters who have lost babies.  As I shared these words with them, they expressed their love of the message.

Throughout the process, as the words and music came together, Emily has told me that she feels the nearness of my little lost babies.  In all honesty, I have to say that I've wished that I could feel them, or maybe even see them, too, but this does not seem to be my gift.  I kept feeling badly that I could not feel or see the same things as Emily, and wondered if I was completely out of tune.  A few days ago I read a scripture that totally spoke to my soul.  "For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by Spirit of God.  To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby."  D&C 46:11-12.  One of the gifts listed by name is the gift of discerning of spirits.  This is definitely Emily's gift.  It is not mine, at least not on that same level.

That said, even though, I don't see these little spirits, I believe that they are there, and that they can and do touch our lives for good.  A few years ago my niece had a little boy who died when he was just two.  He had been born with cerebral palsy among many other problems.  After his death, I was able to write two poems, one about her, and one about her little son which brought her comfort at that time.  I felt very close to the spirit at that time, as I have while writing other poems and songs.  Perhaps that is my gift.  

It is my testimony, that life is eternal, through the magnificent gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I believe in Him, and know without a doubt that we will be with our loved ones in the eternities, if we are worthy of this blessing.  I also believe that the spirits of our family who have died, have the privilege of ministering to us in this life from time to time, including those little ones who have had the opportunity to obtain a physical body, but who have died before their birth.  I am thankful for the privilege of helping to portray this message in this song, and pray that the lyrics will bring peace and reassurance to those in need.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.