Music

Cover art: Greg Olson

My First Book of Mormon Teachings

I never wondered whether the Book of Mormon was true—I just always knew it was. I grew up in the days before seminary classes and before children were encouraged to carry their own set of scriptures and actually read from them. Mother taught and testified to her four children about the Book of Mormon primarily from a book first published in 1951 entitled Book of Mormon Stories for Young Latter-day Saints, by Emma Marr Petersen. As she taught with passion from this book in our humble Oregon farmhouse, the stories sunk deep into the hearts of her four children and have remained with us for a lifetime.

As a young boy, my brother Jack, who later became a noted space engineer, costumed himself as Captain Moroni and ran through our yard leading imaginary warriors in noble causes. My brother Gary, who would later paint twenty-four Book of Mormon scenes used widely by the Church, noticed the unique line-drawings in this precious book that piqued his interest in religious art. My sister Nettie (Ann) and I recall as adults the strong stirrings of testimony those blessed sessions generated in us and have devoted many of our efforts as composers of gospel music to the themes and characters we knew so well from those early teachings.

Later in Life

Several decades and many readings of the real Book of Mormon later, I sat in my brother Gary’s art studio watching him put the finishing touches on one of his marvelous Book of Mormon paintings. My eyes were drawn to a beautifully framed plaque on his wall which displayed these words from a modern-day prophet, Ezra Taft Benson:  “I have a vision of artists putting into film, drama, literature, music, and paintings great themes and great characters from the Book of Mormon.” (1) I saw my brother doing his part to fulfill President Benson’s dream and prayed silently to know how I might do my part also.

By this time, I had been writing music for many years—Primary songs, general gospel songs, missionary-themed songs, cantatas, and even a couple of full length musicals. It was a time of great happiness in my life as our songs spread throughout the Church. Still, I often felt there might be something important I would yet be doing and always had a prayer in my heart to know what it might be. I wondered if it might somehow be related to President Benson’s vision of the arts regarding the Book of Mormon.

An Unexpected Turn in the Road

I didn’t immediately recognize it as an answer to prayer when my husband unexpectedly said to me one day: “I have a strong impression you should write one hundred hymns.” I resisted—writing worthy hymns is a special skill. And why one hundred hymns? But the months and years passed, fine text writers handed me their words to set to music and eventually I wrote and published many more than one hundred hymns. A leading LDS publisher combined these hymns with my brother Gary’s Christ-themed paintings and published them under the title Another Witness, Music and Art That Testify of Christ in 2009. My focus had definitely turned to hymn writing which has occupied much of my interest and time for the last fifteen years. It also prepared me for the current project about which I am writing here. Sometimes it is only in looking back that we see the Lord’s hand in orchestrating our lives to fulfill His purposes.

A Prompting to Write a Book of Mormon Hymn

One of the hymns published with my brother’s art, “The Book of Mormon Has Come Forth,” came about in an unusual (dare I say “inspired”) way. I received a call from the Church Music Office saying that a sister from Colorado, Bonnie Hart Murray, had sent the text for this hymn to Salt Lake asking if they could recommend an established hymn writer in the church to provide the music. Knowing of my current devotion to writing hymns they called me and read her text over the phone to see if I would be interested in writing the musical setting. I loved the text and soon Bonnie and I were getting acquainted by phone and email and started working together to complete our collaboration.

Bonnie had noticed that there were very few hymns written specifically about the Book of Mormon and had felt a strong impulse to write such a hymn—her first effort at hymn text writing. I learned  that Bonnie had a strong background in piano performance and came by her poetic instincts naturally from her father, English professor and poet, Mark Hart. The text was no amateur effort but a polished and shining example of what a willing and worthy person can do when they listen to promptings and their talents are enhanced by the Spirit.

The Book of Mormon Has Come Forth
Words by Bonnie Hart Murray

Music by Janice Kapp Perry

The Book of Mormon has come forth
From precious plates of gold
The records, hidden long ago
An ancient story told
A tale of mighty nations
A message of great worth
The gospel in its fullness
Now rolls forth to fill the earth

The Book of Mormon teaches truth
From prophets wise and just
Moroni, Alma, Nephi too
Who spoke as from the dust
O come and hear, ye nations
The message now revealed
A witness of our Savior, Lord
A prophecy fulfilled

To those with faith in Jesus Christ
The Holy Spirit guides
And manifests the truth and light
That in this book abides
Moroni made this promise
A message heaven-sent
To all who will sincerely ask
And pray with real intent

Another witness now proclaims
That Christ was born on earth
And came unto His other sheep
To show their priceless worth
We love the Book of Mormon
It testifies with might
O, come ye Jew and Gentile too
And learn of Jesus Christ

Taking the Next Step—A Series of Book of Mormon Hymns

When I suggested we collaborate on a series of Book of Mormon hymns about people and events in the Book of Mormon, Bonnie was somewhat hesitant, feeling that the text she had written was just a one time experience. I convinced her that someone who could write one beautiful hymn text could no doubt write more. We started out like a train leaving the station, chugging to build up momentum until it is going at full speed. Watching her talents and confidence bloom to fruition through the months and years was like watching a beautiful flower open petal by petal.

Bonnie chose to write narrative hymns, using as many words and phrases directly from the scripture as possible. She is a marvelous combination of scriptorian, poet and musician who devoted her heart and soul to gleaning every scriptural phrase that related to the person or event we were writing about and then masterfully weaving them into poetic lines that give great authenticity to her texts.

Those who sing her texts will actually be singing beautiful and familiar phrases right from the pages of the Book of Mormon. Together we have worked and prayed over our music and words and have done all in our power to make the hymns authentic so they will ring true to all who read and love this sacred book. Several of our hymns have received awards in the Church Music Submissions and have been performed in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square or have been published in Church magazines.

In 2011, we published and recorded some of our hymns in a musical fireside format titled The Book of Mormon Has Come Forth and have attended several performances of this hour-long work. One of the songs from this production, “Two Thousand Stripling Warriors,” was published in a special Book of Mormon edition of the Ensign magazine in 2011.

Two Thousand Stripling Warriors
Words by Bonnie Hart Murray

Music by Janice Kapp Perry

Two thousand stripling warriors
Young men of pow’r and might
Responded to the battle cry
O, who will stand and fight
Behold, our God is with us
We serve at His command
They did not fear to give their lives
But boldly took a stand

This willing band of brothers
Were by their mothers taught
To trust in God continually
Be true in deed and thought
For God would then protect them
Their faith He would reward
They did not doubt their mothers knew
They trusted in the Lord

With Helaman their leader
This valiant brotherhood
United in exceeding faith
And fearlessly they stood
With no desire for bloodshed
But wanting to be free
They fought for life and liberty
For God and family

Two thousand stripling warriors
Courageous for their cause
Went forth as with the strength of God
And not one soul was lost
Their faith had made them mighty
Their strength was multiplied
They fought with pow’r beyond their own
For God was on their side

Our Eight-Year Odyssey

We have given our all to this project for eight years, persevering in spite of many discouraging, and even dark moments that told us the adversary was also aware of our work. We found that if we kept our faith strong, these setbacks would always be followed by moments of supernal joy as the Spirit quickened our minds and filled us with the light necessary to proceed. We labored not knowing if our works would ever become known and accomplish all we hoped they would. But I made a promise to Bonnie at one point that I would find a way to publish our hymns no matter what it took. In one of our discouraging moments I posted above my computer this statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland which gave us the focus to complete our work:  “If God has told you something is right . . . . He will provide the way for you to accomplish it.” (2)

Bonnie’s dream has always been to have our 28 Book of Mormon Hymns published alongside inspiring Book of Mormon art. When the hymns were completed this year we sought out a publisher who would share our vision of how these hymns might be presented, and were blessed to find such a publisher in Covenant Communications, an arm of Deseret Book.

Our publisher made the decision to print the book in two parts, with the first part being eighteen of my best known songs that families could enjoy (enhanced by the art of Greg Olsen and Simon Dewey) and the second half being our new Book of Mormon hymns (with the art of Arnold Friberg and Tom Lovell). We could not have asked for a more beautiful presentation  of our hymns than they have designed. For those who do not have a pianist in the family, there are two CDs mounted inside the back cover with recorded piano accompaniments for all the songs and hymns in the book.

Our Hopes For Our Newly Released Hymns/Songs

Our greatest wish is that our book, titled A Songbook for LDS Families, will be just that! Open the book! Sing with your children! There is no more palatable way for children to learn about the scriptures than through a song. And there is great power in singing the actual scriptural words and phrases in these new hymns. Oh how we hope this music can inspire those in our day just as the  Book of Mormon stories I heard early in my life inspired me, and blessed me with a testimony of the truth of that book from which I have not and will never waver.

Janice Kapp Perry: Composer, author, lecturer

SPECIAL FOR MERIDIAN READERS: Order “A Songbook for LDS Families” at www.JaniceKappPerry.com through Nov 10 and get either a FREE DVD or FREE CD with each copy ordered (see details on the Songbook page of the website).

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(1) Ezra Taft Benson, “Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, November, 1988.

(2) Jeffrey R. Holland, “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence,” Ensign, March, 2000.