Category: Things That Stir My Soul

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

By , April 8, 2012 9:06 pm

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

Holy Week

By , April 2, 2012 9:53 pm

Yesterday was the second and last day of what we Mormons refer to as General Conference, an annual gathering in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. We also hold a semi-annual General Conference in October. In both cases, the Conference takes place on the first Sunday of the month. The annual General Conference takes place in April because the Church was organized on April 6, 1830.

All that to say this: the last day of General Conference fell on Palm Sunday this year. That’s not a big problem for Mormons because, though we do celebrate Christ’s resurrection on Easter, we don’t really observe Holy Week. I’m wishing we did. We certainly have no theological reason not to. The Bible story of Jesus Christ’s last week resonates with us. So much so, that the Church just published a series of excellent videos commemorating the events of that week. Treat yourself to them. It will be time well-spent.

I’ve decided to observe Holy Week this year. I’m not sure how, so I guess I’ll figure it out as I go. Today, I’ll begin by celebrating Palm Sunday–yesterday, I know. I’ll do that by uploading one of my favorite arrangements of one of my favorite hymns: Redeemer of Israel, arranged by Mac Wilberg. Before I do, I need to tell the story of my first experience with the arrangement.

Wilberg was teaching at BYU at the time, and my sister Megan was a member of his choir, The BYU Singers, BYU’s best choir. It was Sunday, and Megan and the choir were singing in Wilberg’s ward in Provo, so I attended the service with her husband Jon Carling. The choir sang Redeemer of Israel as the closing song for the meeting. Since we often sang the hymn in our sacrament meeting–the principle worship service in the Church–I was listening, but not really paying close attention until suddenly in the last verse Wilberg asked the congregation to join in and at the same moment the women voices in the choir soared to angelic heights. All I remember after that is hearing people sniffling and blowing their noses during the prayer. Like me, they were all sobbing at what they had just heard.

With that out of the way, here’s Redeemer of Israel. Don’t miss the last verse.

Redeemer of Israel
Redeemer of Israel,
Our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call,
Our shadow by day
And our pillar by night,
Our King, our Deliv’rer, our all!

We know he is coming
To gather his sheep
And lead them to Zion in love,
For why in the valley
Of death should they weep
Or in the lone wilderness rove?

How long we have wandered
As strangers in sin
And cried in the desert for thee!
Our foes have rejoiced
When our sorrows they’ve seen,
But Israel will shortly be free.

As children of Zion,
Good tidings for us.
The tokens already appear.
Fear not, and be just,
For the kingdom is ours.
The hour of redemption is near.

Restore, my dear Savior,
The light of thy face;
Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet longing
For thy holy place
Bring hope to my desolate heart.

He looks! and ten thousands
Of angels rejoice,
And myriads wait for his word;
He speaks! and eternity,
Filled with his voice,
Re-echoes the praise of the Lord.

Text: William W. Phelps

Would You Pay $2 Billion for This?

By , March 28, 2012 9:57 am

So the Dodgers sold for $2 billion today. That great price was certainly related to this (from MLB).

Here Gibson talks about that night.

And here’s one way around MLB, which maintains a pretty tight grip on TV rights.

Recording of Wilford Woodruff Bearing His Testimony in 1897

By , March 14, 2012 9:14 am

How Bright Is The Day

By , March 4, 2012 4:21 pm

I searched for, but couldn’t find, the Mormon Tabernacle’s version of this American folk hymn. But I did find it sung by the Eastview High School Concert Choir. It appears to be the same Mack Wilberg arrangement. The choir does a great job. The talent high school students have these days amazes me.

HOW BRIGHT IS THE DAY
How bright is the day when all people
receive the sweet message to come
to rise to the mansions of glory
and be there forever at home
And be there forever at home
and be there forever at home,
to rise to the mansions of glory
and be there forever at home
And be there forever at home
and be there forever at home
to rise to the mansions of glory
and be there forever at home
The angels stand ready and waiting
the moment the Spirit is come
to carry it upward to heaven
and welcome it safely at home
And be there forever at home
and be there forever at home
to rise to the mansions of glory
and be there forever at home
And be there forever at home
and be there forever at home
to rise to the mansions of glory
and be there forever at home
The Saints that have gone on before us
all raise a great shout as we come
and sing allelujah and glory
to welcome the travelers home
And be there forever at home
and be there forever at home
to rise to the mansions of glory
and be there forever at home
And be there forever at home
and be there forever at home
to rise to the mansions of glory
and be there forever at home

Higher Ground

By , February 26, 2012 7:31 pm

Van Morrison does a great job with religious music. “Higher Ground” is another good example, here played with Cliff Richard:

And here are the lyrics:

Whenever God shines his light on me
Opens up my eyes so I can see
When I look up in the darkest night
I know everything’s going to be alright
In deep confusion, in great despair
When I reach out for him he is there
When I am lonely as I can be
I know that God shines his light on me

Reach out for him, hell be there
With him your troubles you can share
If you live the life you love
You get the blessing from above
He heals the sick and heals the lame
Says you can do it too in Jesus name

He’ll lift you up and turn you around
And put your feet back on higher ground

Reach out for him, hell be there
With him your troubles you can share
You can use his higher power
In every day and any hour
He heals the sick and heals the lame
Says you can do it too in Jesus name

He’ll lift you up and turn you around
And put your feet back on higher ground.

Be Thou My Vision

By , February 26, 2012 7:13 pm

Of course, the LDS Church doesn’t have a corner on great hymns. “Be Thou My Vision” is one I wish we had in our hymnal. Better yet, I wish we simply could get Van Morrison to drop by on a Sunday to sing it for us.

Here are the lyrics:

Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me, save that Thy art
Thou my best thought in the day and the night
Waking or sleeping, Thou presence my light

Be Thou my wisdom, be Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Be Thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight
Be Thou my armour and be Thou my might
Thou my soul shelter, and Thy my high tower
Raise Thou me heavenwards, oh power of my power

Riches I need not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine inheritance through all of my days
Thou and Thou only though first in my heart
High king of heaven my treasure Thou art

Oh high king of heaven, when battle is done
Grant heaven’s joy to me, bright heaven sun
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, though ruler of all

Da, da, da, da, da, etc.

If You Could Hie to Kolob

By , February 26, 2012 7:01 pm

No other LDS hymn captures the majesty of God’s creation than does “If You Could Hie to Kolob,” for me anyway.

Here are the words to all 5 verses:

If You Could Hie to Kolob, 284 – William W. Phelps

1. If you could hie to Kolob In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever, Through all eternity,
Find out the generation Where Gods began to be?

2. Or see the grand beginning, Where space did not extend?
Or view the last creation, Where Gods and matter end?
Me thinks the Spirit whispers, “No man has found ‘pure space,’
Nor seen the outside curtains, Where nothing has a place.”

3. The works of God continue, And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter; There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit; There is no end to race.

4. There is no end to virtue; There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom; There is no end to light.
There is no end to union; There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood; There is no end to truth.

5. There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.
There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.

“Going Home,” er, “Homeward Bound”

By , February 18, 2012 1:36 pm

As I mentioned in a previous post, my brother Jeff died on February 6, 2012. He was predeceased by his father, grandparents, various uncles and aunts, cousin-uncles and cousin-aunts (a Taggart family genealogical category that should be standard issue), and friends. All of which makes the opening choir number at his funeral even more moving.

The Cody Combined Ward Choir sang “Going Home” to open the funeral. Then I spoke. My first words were, “I’m going to pay the choir the highest compliment that can be paid a choir: I thought I was at a funeral in Cowley.” Those from or with roots in Cowley will understand. For those who don’t have those ties, here’s another comparison: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square, and choir member Alex Boye performing Dvorak’s “Going Home.” Yes, the Cody Choir was that good:

UPDATE: This is a bit embarrassing. I was so caught up in the music “Going Home” that I misremembered. In fact, the Cody Choir sang “Homeward Bound,” an equally beautiful piece. If there’s a redeeming feature in my mistake, it’s that Jeff would have been the first to correct me–humorously, of course. Instead, it was my cousin Dana. Here’s “Homeward Bound”:

There Are Flash Mobs . . .

By , August 22, 2011 11:18 am

And then there are flash mobs.

Panorama Theme by Themocracy