Songwriting is the act of baring one's soul to another in the form of words and music.
A collection of hymns and primary songs for Easter. Thanks to RD Parsons who played guitar on “It is Well with My Soul”, Kevin Forbush’s guitar arrangement of “I Love to See the Temple” and Paige Vogt playing violin on “Come, Ye Children of the Lord”.
Over five years ago I wrote a hymn to submit to the new Church hymnbook (it didn’t get selected). A few months ago, I came back to this hymn to look over it and see if I should record it, but I found it needed a lot of improvement. With some time, perspective and more experience with all I have been working on since then, I could see that it needed more work. The message of the song is largely the same, but much clearer and more clarified.
I try to do something regularly that I call “Pray with Paper”. It is just simply praying with the intention of seeking to know God’s will for you in whatever parts of your life you need guidance, or who to reach out to that day or whatever might be going on…WITH a piece of paper (or a phone) nearby to write down whatever comes to your mind as you listen for an answer to your question(s). I have been doing this regularly for about three years now and still, every time, it takes faith and trust for me to listen and write down those thoughts. Just from this simple act, my love and connection with God has grown so much and I feel better able to receive guidance and revelation for my life. God is so generous!!
This is an hour long compilation video of peaceful hymns & primary songs in an instrumental setting. There are a few with guitar, all have piano and some feature strings. I have taken 18 songs and adapted them. Whenever I watch videos with a fire going, I actually feel physically warmer…it’s weird! (or maybe I’m just weird haha) I especially like to turn these kinds of videos onto my TV at our home and there aren’t many like this with specifically LDS hymns and songs so I thought I would make one!
A summary of what inspired the writing of this hymn is as follows…young George Manwaring was looking at a new painting of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. Upon seeing it, he became immediately inspired and shortly after began the work of writing this hymn. Each verse goes through the process of what happened on that beautiful spring morning, I am sure drawing on the accounts that Joseph Smith gave of his experiences.
These videos took me way too long to make as I was figuring things out but I am happy with the end results. I came across a thread that was titled “Why Don’t Mormons like this song?” referring to
I put together a 22 minute Christmas Devotional Compilation with Quotes from Prophets and Apostles. There is something special about combining these uplifting quotes with sacred Christmas music!
This hymn has beautiful, heartfelt lyrics and really speaks to the journey the Jaredites had and really every one of our journeys through life.
This video was inspired by the Come Follow Me Scripture Study Manual for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and more specifically, the lesson “Rend That Veil of Unbelief” (Nov.11-17, 2024). This lesson studies Ether 1-5 in the Book of Mormon.
It was in that talk (In his April 1972 general conference address) that my father first read in public the words he had written of the hymn: “I Believe in Christ.” His talk was entitled The Testimony of Jesus. (At the time he was not a member of the quorum of the 12 apostles, he was serving in the first council of the 70). But shortly after that general conference talk, (later that year) he was called to the apostleship.