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Mormon Traditions
Mormons are an extremely devout people, with over 90% professing belief in God or a supreme being, the Bible as scripture and life after death. Furthermore, most Mormons practice religious observance consistently, keeping a daily schedule of prayer and scripture study. The church encourages its members to bury their dead within seven days after death, with those endowed in temple ceremonies (having participated in an endowment ceremony) being buried with special undergarment and white clothing. Family Prayer Mormon families take seriously the concept that prayer strengthens families. Families are encouraged to hold daily family prayer services alongside individual prayer sessions and scripture study; usually this happens first thing in the…
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Mormon Artists
Mormon artists come from diverse backgrounds and use a wide range of media to craft works that convey the story of the Church. Painting, sculpture and architecture all play important roles. Kwani Povi Winder of Santa Clara Pueblo Indian culture depicted Heavenly Mother with symbols from her native culture incorporated. This could be seen as an instance of Mormonism’s emphasis on continuity and synthesis. Carl Christensen A. Christensen Carl Christensen was an exceptional educator. His every action were consistent with Philippians 1:6, as he demonstrated true Christian virtue. Carl’s family loved and appreciated his dedication as husband, father, and grandfather – they will all miss him deeply. Christensen was born…
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Euro American Musics
As nineteenth-century European piano works, songs, and small choral pieces proved increasingly popular in America, American editions proliferated – this collection provides access to many of them. As dance and club music from Europe continues to gain more mainstream acceptance, producers such as Guetta are turning toward Europe for inspiration while composers in Europe look toward America as potential new audiences. The Composers Helmut Lachenmann provides a striking example of how Europeanness can pervade an artist’s work to an extent that makes translation impossible; more frequently (as Iannis Xenakis and pioneering American minimalists show), Euro American musics engage in an exciting dialectical historical progression across borders and cultures. This collection…
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Five Euro American Artists
Artwork has the power to communicate directly with its audience, and original and free of European style influences will convey more effectively the information intended by artists. Durand and others’ works promote an idealized American landscape while at the same time reflecting a colonial perspective of nature, both celebratory and exploitative. Modern Indigenous artists such as Dyani White Hawk and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith contest these problematic painted narratives. Beauford Delaney At a time when black artists were underappreciated, Beauford Delaney rose above his peers and became an influential figure. Utilizing flat spaces with thick applications of paint, his lyrical painting style echoes jazz music’s improvisational nature. After moving to Boston…
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Book of Mormon Facts – What Mormons Believe About the Book of Mormon
Latter-day Saints believe the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ and His plan for humankind’s eternal salvation. It tells of Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem some 600 b.c. in search of sacred records that bear His mark. It tells of Abinadi’s courage against an oppressive ruler and of Nephi’s unwavering faith. Why Was It Written? Mormons hold that the Book of Mormon provides confirmation of information found in the Bible. This text tells of ancient prophets from North and South America who kept extensive records that were then hidden by Moroni as part of his plan for keeping peace on Earth. There are multiple issues with this claim.…
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Mormon Musicians Who Wear Their Faith on Their Sleeves
Music plays an essential part in Mormon life. The Church provides over 300 hymns in their hymn book and the Tabernacle Choir has graced stadiums around the globe. LDS musicians are making waves in the music industry. Lindsey Stirling has amassed an extensive YouTube following and performed at Utah’s CVX Live festival. Neon Trees Neon Trees quickly rose from being a local Provo club band to major-tour opener and Billboard chart-topper within two short years. Tyler Glenn (lead vocalist), bassist Chris Allen and drummer Branden Campbell hailed from Southern California but soon found a home within Provo’s music scene. The group has released four albums since 2004, most recently Picture…
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Mormon Music
Latter-day Saint congregations may lack professional music ministries, yet musical talent and skill is widely shared and quality can differ considerably depending on its composer or arrangement. LDS musicians have excelled at modern popular styles while Mormon-themed classical pieces have also found great success on charts and airwaves. Hicks’ essays provide vital research that situates Mormon music within historical and contemporary cultural settings. History The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has an impressive history of producing records, dating back to 1910. They have since released over 160 albums. Early recordings by the Tabernacle Choir were experimental, as sound recording technology was still evolving at that time. A microphone designed for telephone use…
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Mormon Traditions
Mormons believe in an unfolding plan created by God for each and every one of His children and are guided by modern prophets. Mormon couples marrying in temples make a vow of eternal commitment, which may help explain why Mormons have such low divorce rates. Their traditions help keep families focused on what matters most. Family Prayer There’s an old saying, “the family that prays together stays together.” Mormon families take this to heart by holding family prayer services and scripture study regularly as well as encouraging each member of their household to pray and study on their own. Mormons believe in an eternal family, which makes them very family-oriented.…
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Mormon Artists Enhance Cultural Richness and Foster a Deeper Understanding of Scripture
Mormon artists are professional sculptors, painters and other artistic practitioners who practice their faith while creating pieces of artwork that enrich cultural diversity and foster deeper knowledge of scripture. Artists are increasingly depicting Heavenly Mother through non-representational art using shapes and symbols to explore her spiritual presence, breaking from tradition by going beyond depicting her as human figure and challenging racial and gender stereotypes. Symbolism Early on in its existence, Christianity was very wary about art depicting deity. Church members for nearly 100 years chastised any attempts at depicting God or Jesus artistically; any that did appear tended towards portrayals that depicted generic European male figures with an illustrative style.…
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Euro American Musics
Students participating in this workshop explore how European musical traditions influenced early America and how American music inspired European composers. One look at orchestral premieres since 2000 will reveal an abundance of pieces by European composers, an increase that can be traced to powerful European influencers with American orchestras. AMERICAN MUSIC ABROAD American musicians draw upon influences from European cultures for inspiration when creating music of any style: blues and jazz, folk traditions, rock music, pop or country genres are all integral parts of the American musical experience. This collection comprises works by major nineteenth-century composers in orchestral, chamber music, piano, and song genres; most were written in Europe. While…
