Music

Spencer W. Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While he served the church he suffered from throat cancer. I was a young girl, but I remember the small raspy voice of this great man as he struggled to deliver the messages of God.

President Kimball loved music; he both sang and played the piano. When the cancer took his voice his only complaint was his lack of ability to sing the hymns of the gospel.

“It is sad to me to see in the congregations many people standing silent when they could be singing their hearts out. I wonder constantly if they would sing happily today if for twelve years they could only move their lips through thousands of songs and could make no sound? I wonder if the silent ones can even imagine what it is like to be unable to join fellow singers in praise to their Lord in music?” Spencer W. Kimball

My father served in many leadership positions. He had no exposure to music in his formative years and has difficulty carrying a tune. He was accustomed to remaining silent during the hymns because of his lack of ability, until a visiting apostle reprimanded him. He made it clear that the Lord did not care about the quality of the voice, only the sincerity of the singer. If their leader did not sing, then why should his congregation? It wasn’t pretty, but my father began to sing.

Why does it matter? Why would a prophet of God, faced with terrible health issues, only mourn the loss of his ability to sing? Why would an apostle of God chastise my father for not singing off-key? Simply, music is one of the most pure forms of worship.

The scriptures make this point clear. The book of Psalms is a collection of songs of worship. Modern scripture reemphasizes the point.

For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.
Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made. D&C 25:12

If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. D&C 136:28

Here are the thoughts of several others.

Music is part of the language of the Gods. It has been given to man so he can sing praises to the Lord. It is a means of expressing, with poetic words and in melodious tunes, the deep feelings of rejoicing and thanksgiving found in the hearts of those who have testimonies of music is both in the voice and in the heart. Every true saint finds his heart full of songs of praise to his Maker. Those whose voices can sing forth the praises found in their hearts are twice blest. Bruce R. McConkie

When we rejoice in beautiful scenery, great art, and great music, it is but the flexing of instincts acquired in another place and another time. Neal A. Maxwell

We are able to feel and learn very quickly through music, through art, through poetry some spiritual things that we would other-wise learn very slowly. Boyd K. Packer

There come to one’s soul heavenly thoughts as he joins in heavenly expressions coupled with heavenly melody. David B. Haight

Put it together and you have a clear message of the importance of music in learning the gospel of Jesus Christ. It speaks to our hearts because it is part of God’s nature within us. It opens our minds to the workings of the Spirit. We celebrate and recognize the beauty and blessings of life when we surround ourselves with good music.

The scriptures spell it out for us, and great men reiterate it. Music matters to God.

I ran across a beautiful story about the power of music the other day. I was looking for something appropriate to post on Memorial Day, because one of the best ways I know of to express strong emotions and bring peace is through music. With this account I read the truth of my thoughts.

The writer speaks of being a young man during a period of war and political unrest in his home land of El Salvador. Shortly after his family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the tensions and conflict became serious enough that many, including the LDS missionaries, were leaving the country. To the saints left in the area, this marked a great loss. The missionaries and the gospel of Jesus Christ were a source of peace and joy in an otherwise very sad world.

Rather than giving into the grief and anger surrounding them, many of the young people in the area began to form small groups to sing the songs of the gospel. Their hope was to replace some of the spirit of goodness and hope that had left their home land. They came together and sang on the street corners and they introduced many others to the power of gospel peace through their music.

As things got even worse for these people, the writer recalls the fear of huddling with a mattress over them as bombs fell around. Again, they turned to the hymns of the church to carry them through these moments of ultimate fear. They sang, they poured out their hearts in prayers of song, and waited for the violence to end.

They sang hymns such as:
Come, Come, Ye Saints (Hymns, no. 30)
How Firm a Foundation (no. 85)
Joseph Smith’s First Prayer& (no. 26)
High on the Mountain Top (no. 5)
O My Father (no. 292)
I Stand All Amazed (no. 193)

Why these hymns? Because of the message they carry. There was a message of God’s love, a message of the Savior’s love, and a message of the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were messages of hope and faith letting everyone in the land that though it might seem God is ignoring their pain and needs know that He is still among them, sharing in their suffering and holding them up whenever He can.

It’s a message of hope for all of us. Even in the darkest times, music and songs with a theme of hope and faith can do more than we know to lift and succor us.

Years ago I experienced a Sacrament meeting that I will never forget. After partaking of the sacrament, my Bishop arose and addressed us. He had us all open our Hymn books to the First Presidency preface to the hymns, where he read,

"Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.

Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.

We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymn book to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse." First Presidency Preface to Hymns

My Bishop testified that he knew that this was true. He testified of the power of the hymns and their importance. He then shared his concern for us as a ward. He said that he had noticed that during the hymns many of us were not singing. We were not even paying attention to the hymns. Because of this, the spirit was not as strong in our meetings as it could and should be.

He continued by saying that this concerned him greatly. So much so that he had been praying to know what he could do, to change this. He realized that some did not sing because they didn't have good singing voices. To this he responded that he didn't have one either, but that didn't matter. For the Lord had said that the song of a heart is a prayer unto him. (D&C 25:12) The Lord never said it had to be a song of the throat.

However, my Bishop said that he knew that this wasn't why most of us weren't singing. He said that the cause of many not joining in singing was because we didn't have a real testimony of the hymns yet.

He said that after much prayer he was inspired to hold a musical testimony meeting. He told us that for the rest of our sacrament block, he would open the floor for any of us to come forth and share a hymn (and a specific verse), testify why that hymn had great meaning to us, and then the congregation (and he meant all of us) would sing that verse.

As we did so, the spirit of the Lord came so powerfully into the chapel where we sang that no one left unaffected. There were tears in many a person's eyes as hearts were touched, minds were taught, and spirits were edified.

Though I had always enjoyed the hymns before, I grew to love them that day. Now whenever I have to opportunity to sing the hymns I pay close attention to the words as well as the music. As I do so, I feel the spirit rush over me confirming the truthfulness of the message that hymn bears. I am humbled, and softened, and find that I am then ready to receive.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized in April 1830. The Book of Mormon had been printed and the gospel was being to travel faster than ever. As the church grew, Joseph Smith continued to receive revelations to help him make sure the church he organized, was the one Jesus Christ wanted it to be: His church. Many of these revelations were written down and would later be compiled into what is now the Doctrine and Covenants. One of my favorite revelations was specifically given for Joseph’s wife, Emma Smith.

It’s a beautiful message from a loving Heavenly Father. It also contains an assignment just for her

“11 And it shall be given thee, also, to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church.
12 For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.” D&C 25:11–12

I find it wonderful that even in its infant stages; the Lord thought it was important for His restored church to have music. I’m grateful that He loves music as much as I do. It’s a part of me that recognizes the love and beauty of God’s promises.

Emma Smith worked for the next five years gathering a collection of hymns. It wasn’t easy, not because there was a lack of good music available, but because her life over the next few years would be very difficult. Above all else, Emma was a devoted wife, homemaker, and mother. She let nothing take the place of her first and most important duties. However, just in fulfilling these roles her life would be filled with many trials. In the spring of 1831 Emma gave birth to twins who would live only a few short hours. To help ease her grief, Emma and Joseph adopted two orphaned twins. While this was a great blessing, it was also the source of a new trial. Shortly after a malicious attack on their home, one of these sweet infants would die from exposure.

I like to think that the Lord gave her this commission not because she needed something to do, but because He knew and loved her. I imagine that part of the reason Emma received this assignment was because she would need it. At least for me, music is a sustaining and uplifting element that can bring comfort and express joy as needed. Perhaps it was a way for the Lord to reach out to her in the coming years, when her heart would need Him most.

She did have a lot of help along the way and eventually the first LDS hymnal was published in August, 1835. This tiny book measuring 3 by 4 ½ inches and containing 90 hymn texts was entitled “A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints”. More than 30 of these hymns would be original works specifically for and by LDS members such as Parley P. Pratt, Eliza R. Snow and William W. Phelps. This volume of hymns contained only words, because it was the practice at the time to sing the hymns to already familiar tunes rather than assigning their own melodies. This would not happen for the LDS hymnal until 1857.

Our hymnal today is very different from Emma’s first labor of love on our behalf, but it still touches on this history. Twenty-five of the hymns currently within our hymnal were part of Emma’s original selections. Among these are:

Redeemer of Israel
How Firm a Foundation
The Spirit of God
Gently Raise the Sacred Strain

Emma was an amazing woman but if for nothing else, I’m truly grateful for her work collecting music that the saints could sing praises to God with.

Of all the places I could find myself on Sunday, one of my favorites is the children’s Primary. Now, don’t get me wrong. Primary is not exactly the most relaxing way to spend the Sabbath, but for all their energy and antics there is something pure and beautiful about a child learning the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You see, the times I spend in the Primary are the times that I hear the gospel in its simplest and pure form. They don’t question, they just see Jesus Christ and love Him. Before all of our analytical brains of adulthood get to it, the gospel is actually very simple and straight forward. It’s all about loving and being good.

If you want to hear the clearest testimonies of what the gospel and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about listen to the songs those sweet children sing. When children sing it comes from the heart, they don’t worry about whether they’re singing the right note (which means they usually do), or even if they know all the words, they simply look for the joy in the experience and show their love of the gospel in their energetic voices. When the Savior asks each of us to become like a little child I think of Primary children singing. Becoming like a little child means humility, love and the pure faith to sing with all your heart.

Many years ago I had a poster. It was one among many that followed the then popular “All I Ever Needed to Know” theme. This one talked about the Primary Songs. Now I can’t recall all of the titles it listed. But I still carry the testimonies I’ve gained through my own experiences in Primary as a child and those that have been flown into the deepest parts of my heart and soul on the wings of children singing.

Here are some of my favorites.

I Am a Child of God
My Heavenly Father Loves Me
I Feel My Savior’s Love
I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus
Dare to Do Right
Kindness Begins with Me
“Give”, Said the Little Stream
Families Can Be Together Forever

Last weekend, I attended a conference for our Stake in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As I sat with my wife near the front of the congregation, my eyes were drawn to a small group of faithful Latter-day Saints on the left side in the first two rows. They were quietly sitting, intently watching interpreters repeat the words of the speakers in American Sign Language. However, when my wife began playing the introduction to one of the hymns on the organ, these Church members opened their hymnals, set them on their laps, and signed the words as the rest of the congregation sang them.

As I sang with these hearing-impaired Saints, my mind was called back to the second verse of a hymn I used to sing often:

1. There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.

Oh, there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

2. There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my King,
And Jesus listening can hear
The songs I cannot sing.

Oh, there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

3. There is springtime in my soul today,
For when the Lord is near,
The dove of peace sings in my heart,
The flow’rs of grace appear.

Oh, there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

4. There is gladness in my soul today,
And hope and praise and love,
For blessings which he gives me now,
For joys “laid up” above.

Oh, there’s sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

(Hymns, 1985)

Indeed, although each of us has limitations, the Living Christ "can hear the songs we cannot sing." He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts, and he loves us. A major part of His mission was to take upon Himself our weaknesses and our pains. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

The Lord would also have us help those with disabilities to worship and understand Him. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has just launched a new website with resources to assist those with disabilities. The Church publishes many materials, including Scriptures and the hymnal, in Braille, American Sign Language, and other formats in a continuing effort to invite all to come unto Christ.

MP3 Recording of There is Sunshine in my Soul Today
There is Sunshine in my Soul Today in American Sign Language

This year’s course of study for the Sunday School classes in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite hymns is a setting of a text by Parley P. Pratt, and it provides an excellent view of the purposes and content of the Book of Mormon.

It begins by speaking of an angel:

An angel from on high
The long, long silence broke;
Descending from the sky,
These gracious words he spoke:
Lo! in Cumorah’s lonely hill
A sacred record lies concealed.
Lo! in Cumorah’s lonely hill
A sacred record lies concealed.

Moroni, the angel sent to reveal the Book of Mormon to the prophet Joseph Smith, directed him to a hill called Cumorah where the records were buried. The song continues:

Sealed by Moroni’s hand,
It has for ages lain
To wait the Lord’s command,
From dust to speak again.
It shall again to light come forth
To usher in Christ’s reign on earth.
It shall again to light come forth
To usher in Christ’s reign on earth.

The same Moroni who appeared as an angel to Joseph Smith was a prophet around 400 a.d. He was the prophet who finished and buried the book for safety. Many of the prophets in the Book of Mormon were promised by the Lord that their records would come forth to testify of Jesus Christ.

It speaks of Joseph’s seed
And makes the remnant known
Of nations long since dead,
Who once had dwelt alone.
The fulness of the gospel, too,
Its pages will reveal to view.
The fulness of the gospel, too,
Its pages will reveal to view.

The Book of Mormon contains the record of people on the American continent in Biblical times. These were descendents of Joseph, son of Jacob. They had the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and their dealings with God are recorded in the Book of Mormon.

The time is now fulfilled,
The long-expected day;
Let earth obedience yield
And darkness flee away.
Remove the seals; be wide unfurled
Its light and glory to the world.
Remove the seals; be wide unfurled
Its light and glory to the world.

To fulfill prophecy and to testify of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon has come forth at the hand of Joseph Smith, a prophet of God. From the Prophet’s original English translation, the Book of Mormon has been translated into over 100 other languages.

Lo! Israel filled with joy
Shall now be gathered home,
Their wealth and means employ
To build Jerusalem,
While Zion shall arise and shine
And fill the earth with truth divine.
While Zion shall arise and shine
And fill the earth with truth divine.
(Hymns, 1985)

In the words of the prophet Mormon, for whom the book was named, the purpose of the Book of Mormon is:

...to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL God, manifesting himself unto all nations...
(Book of Mormon, Title Page)

I am thankful for the Book of Mormon and its powerful witness of the Savior, Jesus Christ. All who read it may know that it is true through prayer and earnest study by the power of the Holy Ghost.

MP3 recording of An Angel from on High
MP3 recording of An Angel from on High, Men's arrangement

As we approach the officially sanctioned season of thanks (all seasons really should be seasons of thanks), it becomes natural to ponder the things in our life that we are truly thankful for. One of these things, for me at least, is the great gift we have been given in music. It is a gift that, thanks to modern technology, touches us in our daily lives almost as much as the gifts of companionship, shelter and food.

Music has become so pervasive in our society that it is easy to take it for granted. It's easy to forget that all of the music we enjoy on a daily basis, both sacred and secular, has come to us because there are musicians out there (who often aren't paid very well) that have dedicated their time and energy to perfecting their talents for the edification and pleasure of their fellow human beings.

It's also easy to forget that the music we enjoy today is the product of hundreds of years of tradition and developments by composers and musicians of the past. We are blessed with the richest selection of types of music that have ever been available to mankind (at least on this earth). The choices of types of music that we can take in at any given time is staggering when you stop and think about it. Music has been gathered from every corner of the globe. You may not search it out, but you are definitely exposed to it (just think about modern-day movie scores).

I have often pondered the place and role of music in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mormons know all things testify of Christ (Moses 6:63), but sometimes it is really difficult to pin down in words just how that is accomplished. The scriptures and modern-day prophets have emphasized the importance of good music in our homes and have spoken about the effects of music on our lives (for good and ill). They have encouraged us to seek out and embrace the best of music.

In the scriptures we find:

D&C 136:28: If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

Psalms 69:30: I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

D&C 25:12: For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.

And amongst modern-day apostles and prophets we learn:

"I learned too what power there can be in music. When music is reverently presented, it can be akin to revelation. At times, I think, it cannot be separated from the voice of the Lord, the quiet, still voice of the Spirit.

"Worthy music of all kinds has its place. And there are endless numbers of places where it can be heard." (Boyd K. Packer, “The Spirit of the Tabernacle,” Ensign, May 2007, 26–29)

In the secular world, music continues to be studied by scientists who attempt to figure out and explain why and how music is able to influence us in the way it does: it can calm or excite, it has been shown to relieve pain, it has been linked to higher test scores in schools, etc. Try as we might though, the mystery that is music may never be fully explained to us in our lifetime.

Maybe music can't be explained in words; maybe that's why God gave us music in the first place. Perhaps there are certain truths that lose their power when converted to words? Music does seem to have the ability to speak directly to our soul as several leaders of the church have pointed out.

Personally, I think music may be one of those gifts God has given us just because he loves us. I can't deny that it has other uses (some of which I may write on in the future), but it seems to me that the main use of music is to bring us joy and to lift our spirits. So, as we gear up to give thanks in prayer for the many blessings in our lives, don't forget the gift God has given us in music.