THE MORMON CURTAIN
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HYMNS
Total Articles:
7
Topics surrounding Mormon (LDS and FLDS) Hymns.
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Hymn #51: Sons Of Michael He Approaches - More Changes
Wednesday, Jun 8, 2005, at 08:36 AM
Original Author(s): Anonymous
Topic: HYMNS -Link To MC Article- | ↑ | I'm amazed they haven't axed hymn #51: "Sons of Michael He Approaches."
Current Version:
Sons of Michael, he approaches! Rise, the ancient father greet.
Bow, ye thousands, low before him; Minister before his feet.
Original Version:
Sons of Michael, he approaches! Rise; the Eternal Father greet
Even though it's been santized, it's still a clear throwback to the Adam-God doctrine. I suspect it will be MIA in the next hymnal.
| LDS Hymns - What Are They Teaching?
Monday, Dec 4, 2006, at 06:32 AM
Original Author(s): T-Bone
Topic: HYMNS -Link To MC Article- | ↑ | "Praise to the MAN" (Not God, not Jesus, but Joseph Smith)
Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah! Jesus annointed that Prophet and Seer.
Blessed to open the last dispensation, Kings shall extol him, and nations revere.
Notice the arrogance that is taught in these simple words. Joseph had abilities no other man had, and kings will look in awe at him.
"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet"
The wicked who fight against Zion will surely be smitten at last.
Notice how that mindset comes out when exmos discuss leaving. Mormon family members take it as a person insult (you are fighting against Zion) and try to bring on the smiting all on their own. What if they were to find out that the acts of conditional love Mormon families engage in are actually not God's will?
Also, notice the persecution complex that is built in, and the implication that anybody who says anything negative about the Mormon church is "fighting against Zion". And anybody doing that is automatically wicked.
| Hymn #27, "Praise To The Man" Anyone Ever Do A Double Take On This One?
Friday, Jun 8, 2007, at 06:51 AM
Original Author(s): Jahedgpeth
Topic: HYMNS -Link To MC Article- | ↑ | To me, the most embarrassing and horrendous hymn in the entire Mormon compilation is Hymn #27. Does anyone ever stop and read the lyrics to this song? It is saturated with cult over-tones. This hymn is one of the utmost examples of the Mormon “man worship” phenomenon. Lyrics to hymn #27 “Praise to the Man”.
1. Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah, Jesus anointed that prophet and seer. Blessed to open that last dispensation, Kings shall exalt him and nations revere!
Hail to the prophet, ascended to heaven. Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain. Mingling with Gods he can plan for his brethren; death cannot conquer the hero again.
2. Praise to his memory he died as a martyr. Honored and blest be his ever great name! Long shall his blood which was shed by assassins, plead unto heaven while the earth lauds his fame.
Hail to the prophet, ascended to heaven. Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain. Mingling with Gods he can plan for his brethren; death cannot conquer the hero again.
3. Great is his glory and endless his priesthood, Jesus anointed that prophet and seer. Ever and ever the keys he will hold. Faithful and true he will enter his kingdom, crowned in the midst of the prophets of old.
Hail to the prophet, ascended to heaven. Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain. Mingling with Gods he can plan for his brethren; death cannot conquer the hero again.
4. Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven; Earth must atone for the blood of that man. Wake up the world for the conflict of justice. Millions shall know Brother Joseph again.
Hail to the prophet, ascended to heaven. Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain. Mingling with Gods he can plan for his brethren; death cannot conquer the hero again.
I remember this song as being one of my favorites. I still like the tune. I never really paid attention to the lyrics as a Mormon. One day, I found myself singing it while driving by myself. I thought “WTF?”. The title should have been my first clue.
| More From The 1887 LDS Hymn Book
Friday, Mar 6, 2009, at 08:25 AM
Original Author(s): Magiccicero
Topic: HYMNS -Link To MC Article- | ↑ | Hymn #292
1. O, stop and tell me, Red Man,
Who are you, why you roam,
And how you get your living;
Have you no God, no home?
2. With stature straight and portly,
And decked in native pride,
With feathers, paints, and brooches,
He willingly replied:
3. "I once was pleasant Ephraim,
When Jacob for me prayed,
But O, how blessings vanish,
When man from God has strayed!
4. Before your nation knew us,
Some thousand moons ago,
Our fathers fell in darkness,
And wandered to and fro.
5. And long they've lived by hunting
Instead of work and arts,
And so our race has dwindled
To idle Indian hearts.
6. Yet hope within us lingers,
As if the Spirit spoke,
He'll come for your redemption,
And break your Gentile yoke.
7. And all your captive brothers
From every clime shall come,
And quit their savage customs,
To live with God at home.
8. Then joy will fill our bosoms,
And blessings crown our days,
To live in pure religion,
And sing our Maker's praise."
* * *
Hymn #288 (A hymn to mark the completion of a temple -- I'm not sure if it was originally written for a specific one)
1. Ho, ho, for the Temple's completed,
The Lord hath a place for His head,
The Priesthood in power now lightens
The way of the living and dead!
2. See, see, 'mid the world's dreadful splendor,
Christianity, folly and sword,
The "Mormons," the diligent "Mormons,"
Have reared up this house to the Lord!
3. By the spirit and wisdom of Joseph,
Whose blood stains the honor of state,
By tithing and sacrifice daily,
The poor learn the way to be great.
8. Shout, shout, for the armies of heaven,
Will purify earth at a word,
The "Twelve," with the Saints that are faithful,
Enter into the joys of their Lord!
* * *
Hymn #297
1. The God that others worship is not the God for me,
He has no parts nor body, and cannot hear nor see,
But I've a God that reigns above,
A God of power and of love,
A God of revelation, O, that's the God for me!
O, that's the God for me!
O, that's the God for me!
2. A Church without a Prophet is not the Church for me,
It has no head to lead it, in it I would not be;
But I've a Church not made by man,
Cut from the mountain without hand,
A Church with gifts and blessings, O, that's the Church for me.
O, that's, etc.
3. A Church without Apostles is not the Church for me,
'Tis like a ship dismasted, afloat upon the sea;
But I've a Church that's always led
With the Twelve Stars around her head,
A Church with good foundation, O, that's the Church for me.
O, that's, etc.
4. The hope that Gentiles cherish is not the hope for me,
It has no faith nor knowledge, far from it I would be;
But I've a hope that will not fal,
It reaches far within the vail [sic],
Which hope is like an anchor, O, that's the hope for me.
O, that's, etc.
5. The heaven of sectarians is not the heaven for me,
So doubtful its location, neither on land nor sea;
But I've a heaven upon the earth,
The land and home that gave me birth,
A heaven of light and knowledge, O, that's the heaven for me.
O, that's, etc.
6. A Church without a gathering is not the Church for me,
The Savior would not own it, wherever it might be;
But I've a Church that is called out
From false tradition, fear and doubt,
A gathering dispensation, O, that's the Church for me.
O, that's, etc.
* * *
Hymn #313
1. "Great Spirit! listen to the red man's wail!
Thou hast the power to help him in his woe,
Thy mighty arm was never known to fail;
Great Chieftain! save him from the pale-faced foe.
2. "His broad, green hunting-grounds, where buff'loes roam,
His bubbling streams, where finny thousands play,
The waving prairies, once his happy home,
Are fast departing to the Christian's sway.
3. "With cursed firewater's stupefying flame,
(Which lulled the senses of our chiefs to rest,)
And soft-mouthed words, the cheating pale-face came
And stole our lands and drove us to the west.
4. "Our grey-haired med'cine men, so wise and good,
Are all confounded with the dread disease,
Which ne'er was known to flow in Indian blood
Till white men brought it from beyond the ses.
5. "And shall our nation once so great, decay?
Our children perish, and our chieftains die?
Great Spirit, help! Thy glorious power display,
Subvert our foes! O! Hear the Indian's cry!"
SECOND PART
6. The red man ceased and trembled with delight,
For, brighter far than the meridian sun,
A dazzling vision burst upon his sight --
A glorious angel from the Holy One!
7. "Your prayers are heard," he said, "and I am here
To tell you what will shortly come to pass;
A day of joy for all your tribes is near;
Your foes shall perish like the sun-scorched grass.
8. "The Holy Book your fathers hid is found,
Your 'Mormon' brothers will the truth reveal;
Though troubles press, and all seems black around,
Obey their words -- your soul's deep wounds will heal.
9. "Not many moons shall pass away, before
The curse of darkness from your skin shall flee;
Your ancient beauty will the Lord restore,
And all your tribes shall dwell in unity.
10. "The arts of peace shall flourish, ne'er to die;
The war-whoop and the deadly strife shall cease;
Disease shall then depart, and every sigh,
And health and life shall flow in every breeze.
11. "Farewell! remember I was once on earth,
And served the Lord of Hosts on this fair land,
Observed his sacred precepts from my birth,
And now I dwell in bliss at His right hand."
12. The angel left, and darkness came again,
But light and joy dwelt in the Indian's soul,
Oh! may the day soon dawn for Ephraim's reign,
When all the "glorious land" he shall control.
* * *
Hymn #322 -- this one seems to recall the doctrine that the earth was made near Kolob and literally fell from its position after the Fall. It also suggests that part of the earth was literally removed and brought closer to God when the City of Enoch was translated. And it teaches that the Ten Lost Tribes were also removed from the earth (verse 5).
1. Thou, earth, wast once a glorious sphere
Of noble magnitude,
And didst with majesty appear
Among the worlds of God.
2. But thy dimensions have been torn
Asunder, piece by piece,
And each dismembered fragment borne
Abroad to distant space
3. When Enoch could no longer stay
Amid corruption here,
Part of thyself was borne away
To form another sphere.
4. That portion where his city stoof
He gained by right approved;
And nearer to the throne of God
His planet upward moved.
5. And when the Lord saw fit to hide
The "ten lost tribes" away,
Thou, earth, wast severed to provide
The orb on which they stay.
6. And thus, from time to time, thy size
Has been diminished, till
Thou seem'st the law of sacrifice
Created to fulfill.
10. When Satan's hosts are overcome,
The martyred, princely race
Will claim thee their celestial home --
The royal dwelling-place.
11. A "restitution" yet must come,
That will to thee restore,
By the grand law of worlds, thy sum
Of matter heretofore.
12. And thou, O earth, will leave the track
Thou hast been doomed to trace;
The Gods with shouts will bring thee back
To fill thy native place.
| It Just Might Have Been The Sacrament Meeting Music That Pushed Me
Friday, Jul 23, 2010, at 07:45 AM
Original Author(s): Former Ward Organist
Topic: HYMNS -Link To MC Article- | ↑ | As a musician, I not only didn't mind playing the organ, I was eager to do it. I enjoyed the idea.
However, there was a big push in our ward to limit musical numbers to strictly songs from the hymn.
Even as a TBM, I thought the hymns were dull, at least I felt like the congregation needed to wake up a bit.
However, this idea in many ways offended me as a musician.
Imagine giving an artist a paintbrush with only 2 colors and saying "here you go, you can paint anything you want, as long as it is with these two colors, and only paintings that are already framed on the walls. Oh, and here is a straitjacket you will have to wear, but have at it."
That is how I felt as a musician. I didn't feel like I personally had anything of value to add. It was anti-inspiring.
Music is supposed to be an art form where the individual can express himself. Instead, the music was getting bogged down in the monotony of a watered-down centralized dogmatic contrived system.
Someone had mentioned that a truly creative person in the LDS church is most likely on their way out, even if they don't realize it. (I think it might have been Tal Bachman) This is very true in my case, simply because there is no room for creativity when everything is placed in a small box and it is the individuals who are required to conform to it.
The music was just a microcosm of the greater aspect. Talks, meetings, priesthood, sacrament meetings, gospel doctrine classes were continually being watered down. It became so watered-down that I became completely uninterested and started doing "independent study".
That is when I started coming across fun little facts about church history and false claims that were so clearly wrong and absurd.
| Pianist And Organist Exmos - Did You Feel Used?
Thursday, Dec 2, 2010, at 07:32 AM
Original Author(s): Forestpal
Topic: HYMNS -Link To MC Article- | ↑ | Yeah, not only does God hand us a talent on a silver platter--but we have a RESPONSIBILITY to use that talent--as in the "parable of the talents." I tried to tell people that with me it was all just hard work--no talent here.
They made me sing, too. If I had talented fingers, my vocal chords must be talented also. Makes sense? I led several choirs, because I did understand music, and knew how to put life and feeling into it, but it was humiliating for me to have to sing people's parts while I was teaching them.
My pet peeve was people calling me all the time to accompany them in sacrament meetings. That meant rehearsals--and they always wanted plenty--usually Saturdays when I wanted to be with my children, and early Sunday, before meeting, when I needed to make breakfast and get the kids ready for church. (I was a working single mother)
My worst pet peeve was people calling me at the last minute, though. It was like, "Since you're going to be there playing the organ ANYWAY, you might as well walk over to the piano and accompany us." I was just some kind of robot, so just sit me on the right bench....
I used to love the piano, otherwise I would not have taken private lessons from the age of 5 all through BYU and graduate school. I never wanted to be an organist, because the piano was part of me, and I was a perfectionist, and was shy about performing in a church setting up there on the stand. All the cues were musical, and I was afraid I'd miss a cue. Mormons are such a critical group.
The Mormons hounded me for years, and finally I gave in, when my husband and I moved to California, and I had an opportunity to play at the Organ Pavillion. I had my babies--and was given Hell for taking time off from church! I wanted 6 weeks maternity leave, but they would say, "It's only an hour, and you'll be sitting down. We'll watch your baby for you. You can choose the hymns." They didn't get that I needed my rest, and alone time with my family. The organ was held over my head like a bludgeon, and I started hating it. Maybe everybody gets this kind of pressure with any Mormon church job.
Our California stake house had an old, hand-crafted German organ, with exposed pipes, and the chapel was designed around the organ, with wood floors, walls, and ceilings, like a giant, ecoustal music box! I was completely enraptured by the sound of it! I couldn't believe that I was making all that beautiful music! Mozart, Handel, and Bach fugues when I got good. I had a key to this heaven, and we lived only a block away. When the kids were asleep, I would put a skirt on over my shorts or pants, and practice--no, play--until time got away from me, and it would be 2:00 am.
When the church "discouraged" the greats, and prelude/postlude music from other churches, that's when the music died.
We moved to Utah, and I was organist again for many years. Our new ward was happy to see me, but the joy was gone. Sometime's I'd play disguised Beatles songs, or something with a nice melody, slowed-down and disguised. I hated-hated-hated the slowed down tempo that the choristers would insist on, like the MoTab choir (don't get me started on the MoTab). I was playing durges, plus more durges as preludes and postludes. I was Primary pianist a few times, which was a lot of laughs--but those songs are brainwashing. My most hated job was RS pianist. I had to listen to all those repetitive lessons about "honoring the priesthood," and I was divorced.
The upside was--I was popular! My phone rang off the hook! I was needed! I got invited to all the Christmas parties, to play carols. I went to weddings, funerals, fashion shows, road shows. A couple of Mormon prima donnas asked me to come to their Mcmansions, and accompany them on their grand pianos while they practiced their singing--for FREE. (I said no) A Mormon barbershop quartet wanted me to practice with them for free, one evening a week (no). People always wanted me to arrange and transpose music for them. I didn't have a computer program, so I'd write it out by hand. I was also required, as stake organist, to teach other pianists to play the organ. They kept moving away, and there was definitely a shortage of organists.
I played for my kids' schools, which I actually enjoyed, because my children were a part of the productions. That was different. I was working with professionals.
I always felt that the only reason the Mormons liked me was because I played the piano. When I left, they love-bombed and harrassed me fiercely, and not one of them is my friend today.
FWIW, since I left the cult 6 years ago, I hardly touch the piano anymore, and haven't played the organ at all.
| I truly loved almost all primary songs and really enjoy when I come accross some of the old ones in our Lutheran hymnal.
I think it is funny that with words changing meaning, they had to change some of the songs. Especially the old line...
"It's always fun when grandpa comes, when grandpa comes, we're gay!" was changed to "hooray!"
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