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.