T H E AND OFPower WORTHY ProtectionMUSIC BY ELDER RUSSELL M. NELSON All the vain things that charm me most, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles I sacrifi ce them to His blood. Were the whole realm of nature mine, hrough music we raise our voices in That were a present far too small; powerful praise and prayer. Hymns Love so amazing, so divine, provide a pattern of worship that is T Demands my soul, my life, my all. 1 pleasing to God. He taught us through the Prophet Joseph Smith to “praise the Lord with Indeed, Isaac Watts did demand much singing, with music, . and with a prayer of from himself. In his lifetime he wrote approxi- praise and thanksgiving” ( D&C 136:28 ). mately 600 hymns. Two of his most produc- Who can help but be moved by the tive years were between his graduation from Fill your minds with lyrics in a hymn such as “When I Survey school at age 20 and his taking a job teaching worthy sights and the Wondrous Cross,” by English poet when he was 22. At that young age many sounds. Cultivate Isaac Watts? The message focuses on the great hymns fl owed from him. Hymns by your precious gift of Atonement of Jesus Christ: Isaac Watts in the LDS hymnbook include “Joy the Holy Ghost. to the World,” “Sweet Is the Work,” and “He When I survey the wondrous cross, Died! The Great Redeemer Died.” 2 Even as a On which the Prince of glory died, small boy Isaac Watts had poetic potential. My richest gain I count but loss, “Once, during family prayers, he began And pour contempt on all my pride. to laugh. His father asked him why. [Isaac] Forbid it, Lord! that I should boast, replied that he had heard a sound and opened his eyes to see a mouse climbing a rope in Save in the death of Christ, my God: PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN LUKE, EXCEPT AS NOTED; IMAGING J. SCOTT KNUDSEN; MUSICAL NOTES, © SUPERSTOCK PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS ENSIGN DECEMBER 2009 13 orthy music Whas the power to make us humble, prayer- ful, and grateful. a corner, and had immediately On one occasion I was in a mission conference when Prophets through thought, a missionary, with great compassion and tears in his eyes, all generations asked me, “Why did the Savior have to suffer so much?” ‘A little mouse for want of stairs have taught the I reached for our hymnbook, turned to this song, and ran up a rope to say its prayers.’ importance of answered his question with this verse: worthy music in “His father thought this irrever- And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, our expressions of ent, and proceeded to administer Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in, worship. [physical] punishment, in the midst That on the cross my burden gladly bearing of which Isaac called out, He bled and died to take away my sin. 5 ‘Father, father, mercy take, The Power of Music and I will no more verses make.’ ”3 Jesus suffered so much because of His love for you and The text of another song in our hymnbook, “How Great me. What a message! Worthy music is powerful. It has the Thou Art,” was written by a young minister in Sweden power to make us humble, prayerful, and grateful. named Carl Gustav Boberg when he was only 25 years Prophets through all generations have taught the impor- old. After attending a church meeting, he walked two miles tance of worthy music in our expressions of worship. A along the southeastern coast of Sweden in a thunderstorm. few citations from the scriptures may serve to illustrate. The experience inspired him to write the words, which An Old Testament scripture bids us to “make a joy- were later translated into English by Stuart K. Hine: ful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise” (Psalm 98:4). In the Hebrew O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder language, the meaning of this verse is to literally burst Consider all the worlds thy hands have made, forth into song and to shout for joy. Contrast that spirit of I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, enthusiasm with scenes we may see at church when some Thy pow’r thru-out the universe displayed; sing only passively and without a spirit of joy. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee, A New Testament scripture counsels us to have a well How great thou art! How great thou art! 4 of good music within, “speaking to [ourselves] in psalms 14 and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making “We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our con- melody in [our] heart to the Lord; gregations. We encourage all members, whether musically “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called upon 5:19–20 ). to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to fi nd sermons Another New Testament verse says, “Let the word of presented powerfully and beautifully in verse. Christ dwell in you . ; teaching and admonishing one “ . Latter-day Saints should fi ll their homes with the another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing sound of worthy music. with grace in your hearts to the Lord” ( Colossians 3:16 ). “Hymns can also help us withstand the temptations From the New Testament we also learn that the Lord of the adversary. We encourage you to memorize your and His Apostles sang a hymn at the Last Supper (see favorite hymns and study the scriptures that relate to them. Matthew 26:30 ). That tradition continues in our day. Each Then, if unworthy thoughts enter your mind, sing a hymn 6 IRI INC. time members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of to yourself, crowding out the evil with the good.” © the Twelve Apostles meet in the temple, we sing a hymn. Worthy music also has the power to persuade. We It sets a sweet, spiritual tone for our deliberations. learn this lesson from the writings of John Jaques. He was The Book of Mormon teaches that one’s desire to sing born in England in 1827, a son of Wesleyan Methodist praises to the Lord comes with one’s complete conversion parents. In his youth John earnestly sought the true to Him. Alma asked this penetrat- PHOTOGRAPH BY CRAIG DIMOND, BY CRAIG DIMOND, PHOTOGRAPH ing question: “I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a Hymns invite the change of heart, and if ye have felt Spirit of the Lord, to sing the song of redeeming love, create a feeling of I would ask, can ye feel so now?” reverence, unify us ( Alma 5:26 ). as members, and Ammon later exclaimed, provide a way for “Blessed be the name of our God; us to offer praises let us sing to his praise, yea, let us to the Lord. give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever” (Alma 26:8 ). religion. He studied intensively with Latter-day Saint mis- Complete conversion is the key to our experiencing sionaries and, at the age of 18, became a member of The God’s greatest blessings. In the Doctrine and Covenants, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. we read this expression from the Lord: “For my soul John’s austere father, upset upon hearing this news, delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the wrote: righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered “I wished you . to attend the Wesleyan Chapel. with a blessing upon their heads” (D&C 25:12 ). “They [the Mormons] do not teach you . [to] honor In the preface to our hymnbook, the First Presidency and obey your parents. ” has provided this statement: He later wrote, “I . hope you will give up the idea of “Inspirational music is an essential part of our church belonging to such a party. It is fi ction.” meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a John’s reply, written March 14, 1847, when he was but feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a 20 years of age, included these words: way for us to offer praises to the Lord. “Dear Father: “Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the “ . I would pray . that I may understand the things of singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good the Kingdom of God, and carry my ideas to you. works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, con- “Since I have [joined the Church] . my eyes have sole the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end. been opened, and I have been able to understand ENSIGN DECEMBER 2009 15 the truth. I can bear testimony to the truth . of influence for good well beyond times when children the doctrines . in the Church of Jesus Christ of are small. For my gift to our family for Christmas 2007, I Latter-day Saints.” 7 prepared a compact-disc recording of musical memories. Three years later, at age 23, John Jaques wrote the I sat at the piano and recorded a variety of music that I words to a hymn we know and love: had sung or played to the children through the years.