Songwriting is the act of baring one's soul to another in the form of words and music.
The suggested song this week is “When Faith Endures” which can be found in the the LDS Hymn Book. This song has only one verse, so it one of the shortest hymns in the hymn book. One of the scripture references at the bottom of this hymn is the following: 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
This week’s suggested song is “Master, the Tempest Is Raging” which can be found in the the LDS Hymn Book. This song is depicts in musical form the story found in Matthew and Mark 7 when Jesus Christ calms the stormy seas while out with his disciples. What I found striking about this hymn, was it’s use of metaphor to expand the meaning of that story to what we may face in our daily lives. This music video includes LDS bible film depictions of three miracles performed by Jesus Christ, which are just some of what is related in this section of scripture.
This week’s suggested song is “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” from the LDS Children’s Songbook. This song is a beloved song to sing during Primary at our church. All the youngest kids especially love it and you can’t forget to do the hand motions when you sing it: “the rock” (plant right fist in palm of left hand), “rains” (let hands descend from high in the air), “floods” (raise hands with palms up), “Sand” (wiggle fingers and move arms back and forth in front of body), and “washed away” (wiggle fingers and move arms out away from the body)! 🙂
I picked “Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise” from the LDS Hymnal, for our song this week. I think it goes well with the scripture passages and is a beautiful hymn. It was really fun arranging a Viola part to go along with it. I had never done that before! I got my good friend Janei Evans, to play it and she did such an amazing job!
“God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son” is a song from the LDS Hymnal and is one of the hymns that is usually sung right before the administration of the sacrament to prepare hearts and minds for that sacred ordinance. This hymn bases it’s text on one of the scriptures from our lesson, John 3:16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
This week’s Come Follow Me lesson is studying Matthew chapter 4, and Luke 4-5 and is titled ““The Spirit of the Lord Is upon Me”.” In this video – I included depictions from three different stories found within these chapters – Jesus inviting his disciples to follow him, Jesus healing a possessed man and Jesus declaring he is the Messiah.
“Baptism” is a song from the LDS Children’s Songbook – it speaks of the baptism of Jesus Christ and shares an invitation to follow in his example. Blake Roberts, a young man from my ward/church congregation here in Tucson, joined me for this song. His pure, innocent sound was perfect for it.
“The Lord Is My Light” is a very hopeful, joyful and fearless song which I could definitely feel as I began to arrange it. So I decided it would be fun to do this one as another piano solo. To be played “Resolutely” as it suggests at the top of the hymn, (which can be found in the LDS Hymnbook).
This week we are revisiting the Christmas story in our New Testament Come Follow Me lesson, titled “We Have Come to Worship Him.” What a privilege it is to take another look at this beautiful description of the Savior’s birth as it is found in Matthew 2 and Luke 2. “Stars Were Gleaming” is the recommended song for this lesson and comes from the LDS Primary Children’s songbook and, as is usually the case, the lyrics fit perfectly with the scripture passages in this section.
Happy New Year! We are officially diving into the New Testament Come Follow Me schedule for 2023. This week’s lesson is titled “Be It unto Me according to Thy Word” and covers Matthew 1 and Luke 1. “He Sent His Son” is the recommended song for this lesson and comes from the LDS Primary Children’s songbook. Four or so years ago, I wrote a second verse to this song (the original has only one verse), no rhyme or reason why, I just felt like doing it one day, ha ha.