Ghana Ashaiman and Bethlehem Stakes YSA Choir Performance

Recently the young single adult choir of the Ashaiman Ghana and Ashaiman Ghana Bethlehem stakes blessed the community with a choir and reading performance: Celebrating our Pioneers—Music and the Spoken Word. What a fantastic and uplifting evening this turned out to be! The music was heavenly, with the award-winning choir backed by a whole representative orchestra with pipe and wind instruments and the inspiring stories and testimonies just complemented each other, to the edification of all who were blessed to witness. The choir plays a major role in the activities of the YSA gathering places which was launched in June 2021 in both stakes. The YSA choir was led by Sister Lucy Anaafi-Apreku.

President Edward Kofi Senanu, first counselor in Ashaiman Ghana Stake presidency, in his opening remarks, talked about the history of Music & the Spoken Word from Salt Lake City, Utah in USA. The purpose of this program is to increase faith in Jesus Christ and to inspire our minds in these challenging times, even in the COVID-19 pandemic. He mentioned the uniqueness of this evening and the objective to raise in everyone that feeling of gratitude, to all pioneers of the Church in Tema and Ashaiman, that has given birth to our newest stake, Ashaiman Ghana.

Many musical selections were performed beautifully as well as several readings.

The opening hymn was “Faith of our Fathers”. Musical numbers included “Yen Ara”, the local anthem; a solo By Mr. Samson Jerry Addo, a friend to the Church and member of Presbyterian church and a powerful baritone voice that shook the whole chapel; “Come, Come Ye Saints” (medley); “Come Ye Children of the Lord”; “Circles of Life” being performed by the choir’s quintet backed by President Eric Adjei Owusu on percussion; a performance by David Koomson and Sedem Ezra Prempeh using the organ keyboard and the flute. It was such a melodious tune of “Homecoming.” Many other musical selections and readings were shared during the performance.

The first spoken word titled “The Freeze and the Thaw in Ghana,” was read by Amos Ameyaw Agyei.

“On June 14, 1989, Ghana announced a ban on all meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Meetinghouses were locked, and foreign missionaries were given one week to leave the country. Church leaders authorized members in Ghana to hold sacrament meetings in their homes. The ‘freeze’, as this ban came to be called, tested the resolve of Latter-day Saints in Ghana. Many Church members were criticized by their friends for persisting in their faith, and a few were arrested for questioning.

“But the freeze brought out the best in the Saints of Ghana. They came to each other’s support as home and visiting teachers, immersed themselves in scripture study, saved their tithes and offerings, and waited patiently. In November 1990, the ban was lifted, and members again enjoyed one another’s fellowship at regular Sunday meetings and other activities. The experience of the freeze taught them that the Church was not in the meetinghouse but in their hearts.”

Fidel Kossi Agbesi, a member of the choir said, “Music on its own fills me with so much inner peace and joy. I felt great to be among those who were going to touch the souls of the congregation through music. It is true that good music calms our souls and I experienced that. All my worries were far from me, and all I felt within me was how heaven is going to be like with great music everywhere.”