Hello again, Jackie! We are so grateful that we were blessed to share in five of those memorable 19.3 years you served as Augusta Stake music chairman. 

Shorly after moving to Georgia in 2000, we heard about the choir from the Standages.  Karla said that Augusta Stake had wonderful stake choir and a fabulous choir director, Jackie McArthur. Soon you called inviting us to be part of the choir.  We had sung in stake choirs before and they were pretty much  of a short-term-prepare-for-stake-conference-please-beg-your-friends-to-come-join-in-also sort. 

This practice was different.  It was fun and easy to feel that this choir loved singing together, but especially loved singing under your direction. There was an amazing spirit and we came to love the variety of songs and sharing opportunities. Prior to moving to Georgia, joining the Mormon Tabernacle Choir had been a goal we were working toward. Soon we were saying, “We’ve found our hoped for choir experience here in the Augusta Stake and we are loving it.”  Thank you, Jackie, for giving us such an experience.  

In a CES Fireside, Feb. 1998, Elder Boyd K. Packer said:

Music is properly used to entertain, to cheer, to amuse, to challenge and develop the intellect, to comfort, but in its highest, purest reaches, it is an act of worship. It is a gift from God to draw us nearer to him. 

Under you direction, the choir enjoyed and shared all these gifts, but especially the the last and in abundance.

. . .sending our love from the Philippines Cebu Mission.

Mark and Merrillyn Dover