Miles Murphy

1. Music and the Art of the Prophets Miles Murphy

2. Hyfrydol (Hymn 172) In humility, our Savior,Grant thy Spirit here, we pray,As we bless the bread and waterIn thy name this holy day.Let me not forget, O Savior,Thou didst bleed and die for meWhen thy heart was stilled and brokenOn the cross at Calvary. Audio: Prelude on Hyfrydol, Vaughan Williams Audio: Hymn #172 from LDS.org

3. “It is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received?” --Joseph Smith 1842 Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received?”--Joseph Smith 1842

4. “And being thus overcome with the Spirit, [Lehi] was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.” 1 Nephi 1:8 “Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou [Israel] hast heard, and live? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.” Deuteronomy 4: 33, 35, 36 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 “And being thus overcome with the Spirit, [Lehi] was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.” 1 Nephi 1:8 “Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou [Israel] hast heard, and live? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.” Deuteronomy 4: 33, 35, 36 “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

5. “Elder Bruce R. McConkie referred to music as the ‘language of the Gods.’ I am a witness to that principle. I have been blessed on many occasions to know of His existence and power through the performance of, or listening to, divinely inspired music. God’s voice is heard in music through a form of personal revelation, or the whisperings of the Spirit. Therein lies the power!” Michael Ballam

6. “Behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.” 2 Nephi 31:13 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” 1st Corinthians 13:1 “Behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.” 2 Nephi 31:13 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” 1st Corinthians 13:1 

7. “And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.  “And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? … “Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?” Alma 5: 9, 26; 26:13

8. “A man can get nearer to God by music than any other method except prayer.” J. Reuben Clark

9. “The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5: 8-10

10. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Luke 2: 11-15

11. “The powers from which all truly great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Bach and Beethoven drew their inspiration is the same power that enabled Jesus to work his miracles. It is the power that created our earth and the whole universe.” Johannes Brahms

12. “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the Great God Himself.” Georg Frideric Handel

13. “Music, then, is more than an art, which is important enough in itself. It is also bright, new, incontrovertible evidence that God lives, that the prophets were divinely inspired, and that [Scripture] is as relevant today as it ever was. …The harmonic chart and history of music cannot be accidental. They indicate the existence of a plan.” Albert Roustit “The Lord was flooding the earth with light and knowledge, not only at the Hill Cumorah, but in science, literature, and music.” Michael Ballam

14. Timeline 1830 1700 1960

15. The Annunciation (Branufels) Abraham & Isaac (Britten) The Body of Christ (Buxtehude) The Fall of Adam (Galluppi) King David (Honegger) Belshazzar’s Feast (Walton) Golgotha (Martin) The Transfiguration (Messiaen) St. Luke Passion (Penderecki) Jacob’s Ladder (Schoenberg) Moses and Aaron (Schoenberg) Lazarus (Schubert) The Flood (Stravinsky) St. Mark Passion (Telemann) The Childhood of Christ (Berlioz) Salome (R. Strauss) The Pilgrim’s Progress (Vaughan Williams) Intimations of Immortality (Finzi) The Hymn of Jesus (Holst) Countless Settings of the Psalms Israel in Egypt (Handel) Solomon (Handel) Joshua (Handel) Esther (Handel) Samson (Handel & Saint-Saens) St. Paul (Mendelssohn) Elijah (Mendelssohn) St. Matthew Passion (Bach) St. John Passion (Bach) The Holy City (Vaughan Williams) Job (Vaughan Williams) The Apostles (Elgar) The Kingdom (Elgar) The Resurrection (Mahler & Roussel) The Beatitudes (Franck) The Burning Fiery Furnace (Britten) The Prodigal Son (Britten & Prokofiev) The Creation (Haydn) Christ on the Mount of Olives (Beethoven) Ruth (Berkeley)

16. Timeline 1805 1820 1830 1700 1960

17. Beethoven’s Third symphony is “an authentic watershed work, one that marks a turning-point in the history of modern music. Nothing prepares one for the scope, the almost bewildering originality and the technical certainty manifest in this symphony.” New Grove Dictionary

18. “Whenever a creator creates, it is something that has never been done before…We are launched into a daring enterprise of fearful commitment. The creative moment is entirely one’s own, or it is not creative; one must find oneself in a new and unprecedented situation and all alone, with nothing to sustain one but faith” Hugh Nibley, “But what kind of work,” in Approaching Zion, p.278

19. “Ah, how could I possibly have referred to the weakening of a sense which ought to be more perfectly developed in me than in other people… For me there can me no relaxation in human society, refined conversations and mutual confidences. I must be entirely alone…Such [has] brought me close to despair, and I came near to ending my own life – only my art held me back, as it seemed to me impossible to leave this world until I have produced everything I feel it has been granted to me to achieve… Patience – that must be my guide, as I am determined…Oh God, you look down on my inner soul, and know that it is filled with love of humanity and the desire to do good…Urge your children to follow the path of virtue, as that alone can bring happiness – money cannot. I speak from experience, as virtue alone has sustained me in my misery, and it was thanks to virtue, together with my art, that I did not end my life by committing suicide. Farewell, and love one another…Come when you will, death, I will meet you resolutely.” Ludwig van Beethoven

20. Restoration Truths taught in the Ode • Time for change; refreshment. ‘None of the sects of religionists are right’ • The Gospel promises not freedom pain or trial, but true joy. JOY=GOSPEL 3. The Gospel has the power to unite all men 4. Ideals of friendship & marriage. Circle invokes temple imagery 5. All are invited to the celestial banquet; all will receive a degree of glory 6. Encouragement to stay the course, pressing forward, ‘on, on to the victory’. “Can we not go on in so great a cause?” 7. The embrace is a powerful symbol of atonement. “This is eternal life, that they might know thee.” Seek, and ye shall find Him.

22. “We must remember that an artist interprets society and that he translates through his personality the tendencies of his time. It is the period which creates the artist and not the artist which creates the period. The artistic genius belongs to those ultra sensitive beings whose intuition grasps the underlying ideas and directions which the majority of human beings do not perceive.” Albert Roustit, “Prophecy in Music”

23. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” 1 Timothy 4:1 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3,4

24. “The final aim of [my] music is for the glorification of God.” J.S. Bach “I thank my God for the bliss of knowing Him as the key to true happiness.” W.A. Mozart “I have no friends, I must live alone. But well I know that God is nearer to me than to other artists. I associate with Him without fear. I have always recognized and understood him and have no fear for my music. Those who understand it must be freed by it from all the miseries of the world.” Ludwig van Beethoven 1807

25. Enter their [Saints consumed in Christ] homes, and the pictures on their walls, the books on their shelves, the music in the air, their words and acts reveal them as Christians. Ezra Taft Benson, “Born of God” “The powerful force of good music belongs in the life of every Latter-day Saint” Handbook for Church Music 1981 If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. 13th Article of Faith (Joseph Smith after Paul)

26. Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free. Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers! D&C 128:19-23