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God Prepares a Way: 5 Lessons from a BYU Student’s Opera about 1 Nephi

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CJ Madsen leads the orchestra in the premiere performance of He Shall Prepare a Way

He Shall Prepare a Way, an opera premiered in Provo in 2022, dramatizes the story of Lehi’s family procuring the Brass Plates and departing into the wilderness. All three performances of the new opera were met with at-capacity crowds and standing ovations.

On paper, however, the opera should not have happened at all.

The show was hosted not in a top-notch performance venue, but on a tiny stage in a church cultural hall. The funds came not from ticket sales nor grant money, but from dozens of personal donations. And the composer should not even have had the time to write it.

The story of the making of He Shall Prepare a Way teaches us 5 powerful lessons about launching creative projects in the Lord’s way.

Lesson 1: Go and do what the Lord commands—even when it seems “a hard thing”

Lehi and Sariah ponder the tender mercies of the Lord as they process the implications of Lehi’s prophetic call

In early 2018, CJ Madsen, a music major at BYU, was in the thick of orchestrating and directing rehearsals for a work based on 3 Nephi named One Fold, One Shepherd. His wife had just had their second child. It was then that a BYU opera professor approached CJ and said, “You know what would be cool? If you wrote an opera about Nephi getting the Brass Plates.”

Audibly, CJ responded, “Oh, yeah, cool idea!”

Inwardly, he was thinking, “AAAAAAAA!!! Composing another massive musical work is the last thing I want to think about right now.”

But God had other plans.

The idea kept weighing on CJ’s mind. A couple months later, CJ saw the Church’s film Days of Harmony, about Joseph Smith and the translation of the Book of Mormon. CJ recalls, “As I saw Joseph muster the faith to put in the time and energy to translate the Book of Mormon—in the midst of farm work, a growing family, building a home, and opposition—the Spirit rocked my soul, and I knew I needed to do this opera.”

Lesson 2: If God tells you His timing, follow it

Lehi rebukes Laman and Lemuel for their murmuring

Over the next year, CJ intermittently wrote a third of the opera. Then in July 2019, he and his wife felt strongly impressed that he needed to finish the remaining 14 songs by the first day of school—in 4 weeks. Through many early-morning composing sessions, he did it.

With the score completed, CJ assembled a cast of 40 singers to perform a concert reading (singing only, without acting or props). Some numbers were only rehearsed once or twice before the performance, a remarkable feat considering the opera is packed with sudden key changes, non-Western scales, and 7/4 time signatures.

The cast performed to a full BYU recital hall in October 2019. The concert reading test-ran the opera and gathered invaluable feedback for refining the score and libretto.

Six months later, Covid-19 shut down every performance venue for 2020 and 2021. Had CJ ignored God’s timing and delayed the composition process, the pandemic would have set the opera back by several years. 

Lesson 3: Harness the power of personal connections

Nephi, dressed in Laban’s robes and carrying his sword, obtains the plates of brass

By the summer of 2021, CJ had revised the opera and was ready to finally put on a fully staged production. To do so, he would need to assemble a cast of 26 highly skilled opera singers, 14 chorus members, and 26 orchestra players, in addition to a team of techies, ushers, seamstresses, and videographers. All would need to be experts in their role and willing to give dozens of hours of volunteer time.

CJ gathered his team purely on the power of personal connections.

“If you’ve done anything with music at BYU, then you know CJ,” a close friend explains. “In his eight years at BYU, he has accompanied, sung in, or directed every choir at BYU. He’s accompanied dozens of instrumental recitals and opera rehearsals. But more than that, he knows your name. He remembers who you are. And he’s always excited to see you, even if you were just somebody in that one class that one semester.”

When it came time to assemble the cast, CJ sent dozens of personal emails, inviting friends and connections to fill specific parts. His team included BYU students, alumni, friends, family, ward members, friends-of-friends, and even a couple strangers that he met on BYU campus and invited on the spot to join him.

Lesson 4: Share your vision and invite people to support you

Nephi restrains Zoram outside the walls of Jerusalem

As CJ and his wife, Samm, faced the daunting goal of producing a staged opera, they decided they needed to fundraise all the money needed before production started.

How would they raise the money? Rather than grants or an online Kickstarter campaign, CJ turned to his strength in piano performance. He planned a series of 20 piano concerts in the homes of friends and acquaintances, where he would take requests, play classical and pop favorites, share some of his opera, and ask for donations. The home concerts would serve the added purpose of raising awareness and excitement for the opera. And because each host would invite their circle of friends and neighbors to attend, CJ could reach people he never would have reached otherwise.

The home concert series faced initial setbacks, but word began to spread. Donations began to come in, and miracles continued. CJ recounts: “One woman, not even a member of the Church, asked to meet with Samm and me privately after a home concert. She explained she had received a large inheritance and wanted to give us $7,000 dollars.”

Between this and hundreds of other donations, CJ eventually fundraised over $30,000 for the opera.

Lesson 5: God will prepare miracles to overcome setbacks

Laman threatens to slay Nephi in the wilderness, when one of the daughters of Ishmael intervenes

“The title He Shall Prepare a Way is perfect for this opera,” CJ’s wife, Samm, reflects. “Whenever we would face an obstacle, we would just take a step back and say, ‘God will prepare a way.’ And He would.”

Below are just two of the many obstacles and corresponding miracles in the production process:

  • Orchestrating the opera: CJ’s only available time to orchestrate the 2-hour work was in the early mornings of fall 2021. But with three kids in their two-bedroom student apartment, a sleeping family member occupied almost every room in the apartment. “Most of my writing came at 4 am, in our bathroom,” CJ recalls. “Most of the time I never touched the piano as I orchestrated. I count it as another miracle that I was able to make any of that orchestration work without piano help.”
  • Finding a venue: “We scoured Utah Valley looking for ideal locations,” CJ recalls. Every place they contacted was either not available or too expensive. They started looking into church buildings but had trouble getting permission to take over a cultural hall for several weeks. “The thought came to do it at OUR meetinghouse. At first, we laughed. Our meetinghouse? It was half the size of normal church stages, there was hardly any lighting, and there wasn’t any backstage. How in the world could we do that? But the Spirit insisted.” Thanks to CJ’s (you guessed it!) personal connections with stake leadership, he procured the needed permission, and the building ended up meeting their needs in many unexpected ways.

After miracle after miracle, the opera premiered on April 7–9, 2022. Because all the expenses had been covered by fundraising, the opera was made available for free. Tickets for all three nights “sold” out, with dozens of people waiting in standby lines to get in. 

After the opera each night, the projected subtitles displayed a three-word phrase: Soli Deo Gloria. This was an expression used by composers such as Bach and Handel to signify that a work was produced for the sake of praising God: “Glory to God Alone.”

Conclusion: God will prepare a way to do what He commands

Lehi’s and Ishmael’s families celebrate the marriage of Lehi’s sons to Ishmael’s daughters

During the writing, revision, orchestration, and production of He Shall Prepare a Way, CJ and Samm Madsen learned the same principle that Lehi and his family learned 2623 years ago:

The Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

When we are willing to do what the Lord commands—even when it is hard—and we are willing to do it in His timing, then He will give us the relationships, the support, and the miracles to overcome every setback to make it happen.

He will prepare a way!

CJ and Samm give the glory to God at the conclusion of the opera. Samm, who stage directed the opera, gave birth to their fourth child three days after the opera concluded.

The opera is available in the following formats:

About the contributor

Jeremy Madsen is a fantasy writer, freelance editor, and biblical scholar. He is also CJ Madsen’s brother and had the privilege of playing “False Prophet #3” in the 2019 concert reading of He Shall Prepare a Way. With CJ and their two other siblings, he runs the website Atrium of Light, a repository for scripture memory songs and other uplifting media. Jeremy currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife and two young kids. He is also the operations manager for LDSPMA.

    Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ Through Music

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    As part of a global church, LDS musicians worldwide can use their talents to create musical compositions which share the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ in powerful and inspiring ways. In his conference address “Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation,” President Russell M. Nelson said, “There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul.” Music is a beautiful way to bring souls closer to the Savior.

    The Power of Lyrics

    Lyrics can speak truth to our hearts and help strengthen our testimony of gospel principles. In response to song lyrics, faith in a particular message can be strengthened through the Spirit. DeNae Handy, a Latter-day Saint musician, speaker, and writer, asserts that, “Music forms belief.” Accordingly, as lyricists consider how to convey doctrine and principles in their work, Handy admonishes writers to “know if what they’re writing about really is doctrine, or if it’s belief, practice, or policy.” She also reminds us to be thoughtful and attentive when writing to be aware of attendant biases.

    “The other way music informs belief,” according to Handy, “has to do with the music itself.” Musicians should consider how tempo and melody evoke emotions as they write songs that reinforce belief and strengthen faith. For example, the hymn “Praise to the Man” was initially set to the solemn, lamenting tune, “Star in the East.” This tune conveyed the Saints’ grief following the prophet Joseph Smith’s death. In contrast, when the words were later set to the tune, “Scotland the Brave,” singers experienced a feeling of “celebration,” according to Handy.

    Singers and listeners alike desire to hear themselves and their culture expressed in lyrics and music.

    Music Can Foster Inclusivity

    Music can help us learn and understand scripture stories, prophetic teachings, and even the nature of God. Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 admonishes to “teach one another words of wisdom.” We love songs with simple lyrics and fun rhymes, but Handy says these songs sometimes lack “nutrition”—she compares them to a type of “comfort food.” Musicians need not be afraid of challenging their audiences, whether young or old. Music can serve as an essential teaching tool. As President Nelson reminded us, “The Lord loves effort.” Effort fosters learning. We can promote faith through music by inspiring listeners to “seek diligently” and “seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”

    The first great commandment declares that we should love God and our neighbors. We can demonstrate this love by considering the diversity of individuals from across many cultures and backgrounds. Singers and listeners alike desire to hear themselves and their culture expressed in lyrics and music. 

    Karli Piennette was raised in Magna, Utah, a city she describes as “rooted in the songs and history of the Mormon pioneers.” Later, Piennette sang professionally with her older sisters in the country music group SHeDAISY; but at age 17, she started her musical education at Lipscomb University, a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. She took six credit hours of religious courses each semester where she grew to love a cappella gospel songs.

    Piennette says she has “come to realize that [inclusivity and diversity] is an area in our church where we can grow and develop to connect more with our other brothers and sisters in Christ.” For example, when she began her musical education at Lipscomb, she recalls that the only hymn she recognized was “How Great Thou Art.” She points out that recognizable songs similar to those in mainstream Christianity “can help investigators have some familiarity and make them feel at home—like how I felt when I sang ‘How Great Thou Art’ in my university chapel.” When Piennette was later put in charge of her Young Women’s camp, she felt it was her mission to expose more members to the powerful message of love through Christian gospel songs. She visited all the wards in her Nashville stake to teach the youth different parts in the a cappella round, “The Greatest Commands.” The result, she recalls, “was beautiful!”

    Celebrate Culture through Music

    Jami Orlando, who also studied music at Lipscomb University, is a convert from the Baptist faith where she served as a worship music leader. Orlando expressed the sentiment that, “Music is the language of Heaven.” She goes on to say, “Our culture is so much a part of our social and emotional DNA, [that] if people really want to worship God in a way that is theirs and really have a personal relationship [with Him], we can’t ask them to take their culture out of it. Music is a language in and of itself. It’s not just notes on a page or sounds we hear.”

    Just as the Spirit speaks to church members in different ways, so, too, can the Spirit speak to us through various types of music. “Music’s purpose is to communicate to our souls,” Orlando says. Latter-day Saint hymns were originally broken down in chorally-oriented ways, Jami explains; whereas African-American gospel music enjoys a heavier beat, because traditional African music uses drums instead of stringed instruments—“their African ancestors literally marched to the beat of a different drum.”

    We must educate ourselves in and experience the cultures we wish to celebrate.

    Respect Diverse Musical Traditions

    How can Latter-day Saint creators thoughtfully incorporate diverse cultures and backgrounds in their compositions? First, we must show consideration and appreciation for the contributions of all types of music without misappropriating a culture’s social and historical background. Thoughtless application of cultural elements hurts those whose cultures are inaccurately portrayed in compositions and lyrics. To avoid causing hurt to our brothers and sisters in the church, we must educate ourselves in and experience the cultures we wish to celebrate. 

    We can pray for inspiration and understanding as we strive to build God’s kingdom through song. Jami Orlando implores, “Let’s research, let’s find out, let’s explore and taste other types of music.”

    Lastly, we must encourage creators worldwide to contribute their musical talents to write and compose songs that represent their native cultures. 

    Music is a powerful way to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through articulating belief and inspiring learning and faith. Moreover, music allows Church members to worship in a manner that is customized to every individual. In writing and composing gospel music, let’s thoughtfully consider the needs of all God’s children. What better way to welcome brothers and sisters into our church than by acknowledging and celebrating them? We can invite musicians from diverse faiths and cultures to bring goodness and unite them with what we have to offer.