Students gain insight into how European musical traditions impacted early American music. They examine how immigrants adapted musical styles to their new culture, creating music with depth and drama while still remaining accessible enough for amateur musical ensembles to perform effectively. Piano music, songs and small-scale choral pieces by European composers who enjoyed modest American success are well represented here. Additionally, an excellent selection of major operatic arias and ensembles in accurate voice-and-piano editions. Classical Before the early 1900s, classical music in America was predominantly created by European immigrants who had settled here permanently. Composers such as Benjamin West and Samuel Morse attempted to capture traditional European art forms in…

Mormons follow several traditions and customs. On Sundays they attend church services with sacraments, singing and testimonies as well as following health and lifestyle guidelines such as forgoing tobacco use, coffee consumption and premarital sexual relations. Mormons generally embrace eternal families and practice temple ordinances like celestial marriage and family sealings to facilitate this goal. Other ceremonies at Mormon temples may also include endowments or blessings of infants. Family Home Evening Family Home Evenings are an integral part of Mormon family traditions, serving as an opportunity to gather weekly for religious instruction and activities. Each family can adapt this manual according to its needs. Beginning each evening with prayer and…

Visual art is an integral component of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints faith and culture, giving artists a special opportunity to shape its theology through what they produce and their interaction with it. Mormon art has historically favored realism and illustration; however, this archive provides a broad array of approaches and styles. Historical Trends Mormon artists use visual art as an expressive means to convey religious teachings and values. Artworks often depict scriptural events and stories from The Book of Mormon or depict scenes from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints history. Mormon art likewise addresses complex historical subjects like polygamy, which contemporary artists are…

The Book of Mormon serves as the doctrine-base of the Church and encourages faith, hope and charity among its readers. The Book of Mormon contains key excerpts from Nephite history which illustrate the rise and fall of people, their persecution by wicked enemies, and visits from Christ. Lehi’s Story Millions of people can trace their ancestry back to Lehi, as he is chronicled in the Book of Mormon. Lehi led his family into the wilderness where they saw visions of Lehi’s posterity and received Brass Plates before managing to overcome rebellion by Laman and Lemuel sons of his. Lehi’s story begins around 600 BC when, after being dismissed from Jerusalem…

Mormon artists share their faith and culture through various art forms, often employing historical styles to convey messages or spark worship. Artists like Katie Payne have used symbols to depict Heavenly Mother in ways that break free from the social constructs typically associated with Mormon art depictions of deities. Joseph Barsch Joseph Barsch is a Mormon artist renowned for creating work that is both profound and numinous. His art fuses European abstraction with Islamic and Egyptian cultures. Born in Reudnitz and trained at Bauhaus with masters taught by Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky himself, Barsch gained both power and numinousness from his artistic practice. His artwork has been honored with…

The Denver Art Museum’s European and American art before 1900 department boasts an expansive collection, which spans painting, sculpture and works on paper by artists like Edward Hopper. Their works demonstrate how artists are adept at adopting European techniques while remaining uniquely American in style. Continental Europeans often view America’s massive music industry with disdain, believing it homogenizes culture into mass markets that dilute community identity. Exile Exile can provide artists with an invaluable opportunity to broaden their horizons and produce fresh work, but its complexity often creates additional hurdles from language barriers to social divides. Elizabeth Catlett used her relocation to the US as a vehicle for social justice…

Mormons hold that Jesus Christ is the sole Savior for humanity and that God has an individual plan for each family. One component of that plan is the temple. Here, couples pledge their forever commitments – which may explain why Mormons have lower divorce rates than the general population. Family Prayer Family prayer is a central Mormon tradition. Through collective prayers, families can communicate with God and form stronger bonds within themselves. Regular family prayers also help families better comprehend and adhere to Jesus Christ’s teachings. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes that families are an essential component of God’s plan for humanity, urging families to seize…