MUSIC MATTERS TO GOD

Music is part of the language of the Gods. It has been given to men and women so they can sing praises to the Lord. It is a means of expressing, with poetic words and in melodious tunes, deep feelings of rejoicing and thanksgiving. These are found in the souls of those who have testimonies of music in both the voice and in the heart. Every true saint finds his inner self full of songs of praise to his Maker. Those whose voices can sing forth the joys found in their hearts are twice blessed. Bruce R. McConkie

When we rejoice in beautiful scenery, great art, and great music, it is but the flexing of instincts acquired in another place and another time. Neal A. Maxwell

We are able to feel and learn very quickly through music, through art, through poetry some spiritual things that we would otherwise learn very slowly. Boyd K. Packer

There come to one’s soul heavenly thoughts as he joins in heavenly expressions coupled with heavenly melody. David B. Haight

Put it together and you have a clear message of the importance of music in learning the gospel of Jesus Christ. It speaks to our hearts because it is part of God’s nature within us. It opens our minds to the workings of the Spirit. We celebrate and recognize the beauty and blessings of life when we surround ourselves with good music.

The story is told of two men who had a disagreement and wanted President John Taylor to settle it for them. President Taylor told the pair that before discussing their differences, it would be well to sing a sacred hymn, which he did in his beautiful baritone voice. One sacred song deserves another and so this time all three joined and sang another hymn of praise. Two more hymns were sung and all were weeping, as the Spirit filled the room. Finally, Pres. Taylor agreed to hear their conflicting views. “That will not be necessary,” they said, “for our arguments have been swept away.” The pair then thanked Pres. Taylor and left the room tearfully rejoicing. (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses)

The scriptures spell it out for us, and great men reiterate it. Music matters to God.

(Taken, in part, from music.ldsblogs.com)

The Meaning of the Word “Mormon”

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of the word, “Mormon?”

This is from Volume 5, page 399, of the History of the Church, by B.H. Roberts. Joseph Smith wrote a letter to the Editor of the Times and Seasons, wherein he said:

“Sir – Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully because I hope sober–thinking and sound–reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth than be led astray by the vain pretensions of the self–wise. The error I speak of is the definition of the word, ‘Mormon.’ It has been stated that this word was derived from the Greek word, ‘mormo.’

This is not the case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of the Lord, translated the Book of Mormon. Let the language of the book speak for itself. On the 523rd page of the fourth edition, it reads:

‘And now, behold we have written this record according to our knowledge in the characters which are called among us, the Reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech; and if our plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written and also that none other people knoweth our language; therefore He hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.’

Here, then, the subject is put to silence; for ‘none other people knoweth our language;’ therefore the Lord, and not man, had to interpret, after the people were all dead. And, as Paul said, ‘The world by wisdom know not God;’ so the world by speculation are destitute of revelation and as God in His superior wisdom has always given His Saints, wherever he had any on the earth, the same spirit; and that spirit, as John says, is the true spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus. I may safely say that the word ‘Mormon’ stands independent of the wisdom and learning of this generation….The word Mormon, means literally, more good.

Yours, Joseph Smith”

THREE TREASURES OF INFO

I. A deceased member of the BYU faculty with the last name of Peterson conducted an American survey years ago. In order to answer the query, the person questioned was required to have at least a 7th grade education and be at least 21 years old. The question was a real puzzler.

What are the first four books of the New Testament called? 36% answered correctly, 4% named three out of the four, 4% named two out of the four and 56% did not know even the names of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I fear that the average American knows very little about the Bible and yet this is the information age.

As members, we may know that the Gospel is true, but do we know the Gospel? We say every member a missionary, but as Jeffrey R. Holland says, he’d be thrilled if every member were a member. There are many inactives among us.

II. Next example: For you Book of Mormon experts out there, you probably already know the answer to this one. How did the brother of Jared come up with the idea of bringing 16 molten stones for the Savior to touch? It was then that there could be light in the eight barges for the 344 day journey across the ocean. (Ether, Chapters 2 & 3)

So…how did the brother of Jared come up with this suggestion? Did he just stumble over a rock and get this idea? Have you ever tried to molten anything? It takes a lot of heat. A simple campfire will never do. That would be a lot of work if he were just guessing.

Also, remember that the people of the brother of Jared were trying to build the Tower of Babble (Babble means Heaven’s Gate) so they could get to Heaven their own way and not God’s way and then they were going to send Nimrod, the mighty hunter, to hunt down God and find out why He flooded the earth. You know that God confounded the language before they got that far.

If you look in the book of Genesis, Chapter 6, verse 16, in the KJV of the Bible, God is talking to Noah about the Ark, and says:

16. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

The footnote below that verse for 16a says the following, referring to the word, “window,” which has an alternate translation.

16a. “HEB tsohar; some rabbis believed it was a precious stone that shone in the ark.”
Since the Noah’s flood experience happened before the ocean voyage of the brother of Jared, it may be that he got the idea from Noah. How about that?

III. Final Example: Have you ever wondered about the wording in Luke 6:29 and 30.? It reads:

29. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

When I read that I always thought it must be talking about using a lot of self control when you are mistreated or perhaps, the thief that takes your coat needs it worse than you do. Is that what it means?

Did you know that the JST covers those verses in the Appendix of the JST, page 806?
Here’s what it says in the JST version of Luke 6:29 & 30:

29. And unto him who smiteth thee on the cheek, offer also the other; or, in other words, it is better to offer the other, than to revile again. And him who taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also.

30. For it is better that thou suffer (today we might say allow) thine enemy to take these things, than to contend with him. Verily I say unto you, Your Heavenly Father who seeth in secret, shall bring that wicked one into judgment.

Does that help your understanding of those verses? It does me. God wants us to avoid contention even if it means we lose possessions.

So there you are; three different examples of information that we may have been unaware of…

MORMON SMUGNESS?

Do the Mormons really think that their religion is better than any other? Hugh Nibley, in his work, The World and the Prophets, page 256, said, under the Chapter heading of, What Makes a True Church?

“Why this smug insistence, they would ask, that you are the only ones who have the truth? Why this narrow - minded claim that your religion is better than any other?

The first answer to this question today is an historical one. Every church that has an independent organization once claimed exclusive possession of the saving truth. If it did not, it should never have been organized, for the organization of every church creates division in Christendom and nothing will justify that, short of a peculiar and special claim to enlightenment on matters vital to salvation.

In the days of their pristine vitality and conviction, all the churches that now accuse others of thinking they have something better than anybody else thought the same way themselves. If Christianity is anything more than an ethical code or an agglomeration of sentimental attitudes and platitudes, it must be specific in its teachings and clear and uncompromising on matters which by its own profession are of transcendent importance.

It is a sorry day when churches apologize for ever having been definite and outspoken on the subject of salvation. Today the fashion is to be neither hot nor cold – and that is the worst state of all. The alternative to being firm and specific is a slippery relativism that leads to nothing but paralysis.

Because equally intelligent and gifted people disagree on what makes good music, it does not follow that all music is equally good or that all music is vanity. Because scientists in the same field often contradict each other, it does not follow that all science is a joke or even that the work of the wrangling scientists themselves is thereby discredited.


Because what seems wise and moral behavior in one society may be frowned upon in another, it does not follow that all morality is an illusion or that all actions are equally moral. Why then should we assume that since people of equal intelligence and devotion take different views on religion that one religion is as good as another and it really makes no difference what a man believes?

All prophetic religions, like all true disciples, are marked by a kind of narrowness, for strait is the gate and narrow the way that leads to eternal life. But the charge is a false one that the followers of the prophets would exclude all the rest of mankind from their little circle of the elect.

Of all the Christian religions in the world today, the only prophetic one, that of the Latter-day Saints, is that one which alone provides salvation for all the human race, living and dead. It alone has been taught by prophets that it is absolutely wrong to think of God as limiting his blessings and manifestations to but one small portion of his human family; all creatures, we are taught, were meant by God to have joy in the sphere in which they were created and in every age and in all parts of the world men have been given all the joy and all the glory that they have been willing to receive.

One of the most wonderful chapters in the history of the restored Church has been that which tells of the innumerable miracles and manifestations, visions and revelations by which the way has been opened up for the missionaries everywhere. The recipients of some of the most marvelous of these dispensations were what the Victorian world chose to call savages, living in the wilderness or the islands of the sea, yet God had filled their whole lives with blessings.
It was so in the ancient church. Cornelius, the Ethiopian, the righteous jailer and his family, the great company of priests…obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7) all these and many more were so near to the gospel that they recognized it instantly on sight – God had never deserted them but poured out his Spirit on them even in their pre-Christian days.

Yet when they heard the gospel, they joyfully accepted it. Because God had remembered them, they did not conclude that they needed no more. It was precisely because they were searchers for more light that God had blessed them as richly as he did: ‘To those that have shall be given,’ said the Lord, not, ‘to those that have there is no further need.’

There is nothing narrow, arbitrary, or ungenerous in revealed religion. In the end, all the human race will hear the fulness of the everlasting gospel. But meantime, all things must be taught in order and milk must come before meat. The Lord must work through his established Church, which must unfailingly be under the guidance of his servants, the prophets.”