This is My Beloved Son

Hello! This is My Beloved Son is a song from the LDS Children’s Songbook by (Words) Marvin K. Gardner, b. 1952 and (Music) Vanja Y. Watkins, b. 1938. Each verse talks about a different setting or point in time in which God the Father introduces his Son Jesus Christ, calling him “Beloved”. The Come Follow Me lesson (Sept 23-29) entitled “Arise and Come Forth unto Me” studying 3 Nephi 8-11 lists “This is My Beloved Son” as a suggested song to correlate well with the lesson. I arranged this song with Primary kids and song leaders in mind. The lyric video could be used to help primary children learn the song, with vocal melody help included in the recording. The sheet music has the piano part for accompaniment purposes to use as desired. The free sheet music can be found here: This-is-My-Beloved-Son

3 Nephi chapter 11 contains the account of the voice of the Father testifying of his Son and Jesus Christ appearing to the people in the Americas after his resurrection:

• 1 And now it came to pass that there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place.
• 2 And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death.
• 3 And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.
• 4 And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.
• 5 And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.
• 6 And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:
• 7 Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.
• 8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.
• 9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
• 10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
• 11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
• 12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

A little about the composers:

• Marvin Kent Gardner (born 1952) is a Latter-day Saint hymnwriter and editor. Gardner served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Colombia. He then studied at Brigham Young University (BYU). After that he served as an editor of the Ensign. Gardner also was an editor of the New Era and the Friend and Liahona. He served as assistant or managing editor at one or more of these publications from 1978 to 2005. Among the hymns written by Gardner is “Press Forward, Saints.” He was a member of the Hymnbook Executive Committee which compiled the 1985 LDS English Language Hymnbook.^[1]  Gardner is currently a member of the BYU faculty where he is an associate teaching professor of English language and linguistics. Gardner has also taught religion classes at BYU.
• Vanja Yorgason Watkins (born 1938) is a prolific writer of hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . She composed the music for “Press Forward Saints” and “Families Can Be Together Forever”, hymns that appear in the 1985 English-language hymnal of the LDS Church. She also wrote the music to a number of songs in the Primary’s Children’s Songbook, including the 13 “Articles of Faith” songs. Watkins holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Brigham Young University (BYU). She has served on the general board of the Primary, the church’s General Music Committee, and has been a stake Primary president and a stake Relief Society president. She taught music in public schools in Ogden and Salt Lake City and later at BYU.

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Media sources: Steve Pierce – Lyric Video Background Image

*Reach out if you would like the sheet music for any of the arrangements I don’t have sheet music for yet and I will transcribe and post them. You can find the songs I already have sheet music for here: http://marileekaymusic.com/sheet-music/

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