Mormon Music

Mormon artists come in all sorts of styles and tastes; what unites them all, though, is membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

These young artists share a desire for a different sort of domestic normalcy; one not dependent on cosmetically enhanced Osmond family bands but instead founded on gritty yet cool acts like Duluth’s Low.

Composers

Early Mormon music featured simple folk melodies accompanied by simple percussion instruments to deliver messages to its adherents. Over time, as Utah and beyond became more populated by Mormonism, many hymns borrowed from Protestant traditions were modified so as to reflect themes specific to LDS beliefs.

Although some Mormon composers have garnered recognition in musical circles at large, most remain obscure to most musical enthusiasts. Of those that have made an impressionful statement with their compositions like Leroy Robertson and Crawford Gates have done so by employing specific techniques and aesthetic mindsets which resonate with Mormon mythologie.

Recently, several Mormon composers have avoided local notoriety by leaving Utah and seeking professional music careers elsewhere – such as Leigh Harline and Michael McLoskey (deceased), who both received critical acclaim through scoring many major motion pictures for Disney and Hollywood studios.

Hymns

If you have ever attended a Mormon service, chances are you have heard hymns. Most date back to Kirtland, Nauvoo and Utah’s settlement or earlier. These classical-style pieces may be quite beautiful but sometimes result in boredom. There are other genres of music which Latter-day Saints sing as well, for instance stripped down Latter-day Saint folk music or contemporary Christian artists who create devotional and praise songs with Mormon influences.

The Book of Mormon emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with great people and spending your time wisely, with music playing an integral role in that mission. Emma Smith, wife of Joseph Smith, compiled the original collection of hymns for their church titled A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of Latter Day Saints which was published in 1835; that collection later expanded into what is currently known as Hymns for Home and Church.

Instruments

Mormons usually sing without using acoustic instruments; however, as there is nothing in Scripture which prohibits or mandates churches using musical instruments in worship services, each church can decide for itself which kind of music to include in worship services – though some members have warned against any instrumentation as this detracts from spiritual experiences.

Musical instruments possess powerful soul-stirring properties, but must be used responsibly. For instance, The Book of Mormon warns about Laman and Lemuel’s irreverent music-making during their sea voyage (1 Nephi 18:9) as well as the potential danger of music becoming an instrument used by Satan to lead people astray (2 Nephi 20:1-2; Moroni 6:9).

Beehive Band of Parowan, Utah discovered that early Mormon pioneers often utilized music for social, cultural, and recreational purposes. Through research of 19th century dance tunes from Parowan in Utah – as well as reading old Mormon journals – it came to their understanding that Mormon pioneers embraced a folk culture which relied heavily upon folk melodies for resilience during life’s hardships.

Performance

Although Mormons have produced composers who openly declare their faith through music, most Mormon musicians do not identify themselves as such. Even those who use music to explicitly articulate Mormon identity by drawing upon scriptural or church historical themes (such as Leroy Robertson, Crawford Gates and Merrill Bradshaw) usually do so without including, at least on an elemental level, sonic devices identifiable as specifically “Mormon.”

Not to say that Mormon composers’ music has not had an impact beyond its local sphere; indeed it has had great resonance with audiences all across America with performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at four presidential inaugural ceremonies and many major national events, touring internationally to perform concerts at major festivals, recording albums for album release etc.