Sincere worship and praise of our Heavenly Father is a personal emotion that exemplifies - and largely stems from - our obedience to Him. It is visible to others through acts of caring and service, but is primarily a deep, heartfelt feeling of love and appreciation to our Father in Heaven, who has given us life and eternal hope through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Two scriptures come to mind in my personal preparation for worship: "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6.) and "Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." (Matt. 22:37.)As a child, I was taught by many powerful examples of these two scriptures.
When I was 2 years old, my family moved from the primarily Mormon community of Lehi, Utah, to the "mission field" and a small branch of the Church in Walla Walla, Wash. Mother had been taught the principles of obedience and service by her wonderful parents, and she wanted her children to have the same experience. She made this not only possible, but she made sure we attended every Sunday meeting no matter what the conditions, whether we walked or had a car.
She served willingly and shared her talents to help the branch grow. We had the missionaries in our home often. She served the hungry who would come to our door (these were the Depression years), and was always taking food and assisting those in the branch who needed her. We had family prayer, blessings on the food, and she read to us regularly from our favorite Bible story book.
I knew that my mother loved the Lord.
As I reached adulthood, my course had been set to follow what I had seen and experienced in my youth. Life was lived by serving and caring for others and by attending to Church responsibilities. There was no question in my mind but what tithing was always paid, and that temple marriage was the only way.
Along the way there have been many challenges in my life. I have found strength in asking myself the question, "What would the Savior have me do?" And then the words of Nephi would come to me. "I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Ne. 3:7.)
In my mature years, I look back with wonder and appreciation at how my Heavenly Father has blessed me. How can I help but love Him! The Lord in His tender mercies has helped me overcome weaknesses, has given me faith to face trials, and is here to comfort me as He carries much of our burdens.
We praise and worship God by the kindness we show to all others; by the words we speak; by our honest dealings with our fellowmen and our unselfish motives. We praise and worship God by offering prayers of gratitude, singing hymns, constantly studying the scriptures and following the words of our living prophet.