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Have you ever wondered what makes people happy? A noted psychologist made it his life’s work to find out. Over a period of 25 years, Professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi from the University of Chicago studied the lives of athletes, artists, and assembly-line workers. Through exhaustive research, interviews, and surveys, he sought to discover what it is […]
After being freed from bondage in Egypt, the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They finally found refuge across the River Jordan in a promised land. It was centuries later, that songs would be sung to encourage others who also longed for deliverance. This unique expression of music, known as the […]
“Earth has no sorrow that heav’n cannot heal.”[i] This promise brings comfort and hope in times of distress. Life, with all its joy, also brings pain and anguish. When our hearts ache, we search for help and comfort. The great 19th-century Danish artist Carl Bloch captured such a moment in his beautiful narrative painting Christ […]
The promise of new life, even everlasting life, is everywhere at springtime. A once-bare tree dons a new coat of pink blossoms. A red-breasted robin searches the dry grass for just the right twig for her nest. A baby lamb makes a test run of his little legs. A mother holds her baby for the […]
For 24 years, Henry Francis Lyte dedicated his life to serving his congregation of humble English fishermen in the coastal village of Brixham. He lived with his wife and two children in the rectory overlooking the tumultuous but life-giving sea. Devoted to his hearty parishioners, Lyte was known to climb a high lookout to warn […]
Sure on this shining night I weep for wonder wand’ring far alone Of shadows on the stars On this shining night.1 In the still of night we stand in awe of the cosmos. No matter where we live, we see a canopy of stars—most likely, the same stars seen when we were born, when […]
We’ve all seen people who appear to be ignoring a conversation until a word comes up that catches their attention. And we all know children who seem to have “selective listening” when reminded about their chores. Many of us hear only what we want to hear. Sheep know the voice of their shepherd and will […]
Richard L. Evans was the writer and announcer of the spoken word for 41 years. Today’s message was given by him on April 23, 1967. These lines from Longfellow suggest some self-searching: For Time will teach thee soon the truth, There are no birds in last year’s nest! 1 Often we regret and brood […]
To learn in love and safety is the right of every person. Occasionally, the burdens of life crowd out this important opportunity, but with some effort, our hearts and minds can be enlivened by knowledge and blessed with learning. The story is told of a woman who lost interest in life. She felt oppressed by […]
Ever ask a married couple, how they keep love alive in their marriage? Well, they’ll probably tell you that the honeymoon always ends. Daily life together, with its stresses and problems, tends to crowd out the bloom of romance in even the best of relationships. But we all know that love, real love, never dies. […]
A young man walked cheerfully from the hospital room of his ill mother, his hopes higher and his step lighter than when he had come. He marveled that , despite her illness, his mother retained the ability to lift the spirits of others. Even in her troubled condition, this good woman was able to maintain […]
A song is an expression of the soul. Notice how children spontaneously erupt into song. Their underdeveloped language and motor skills cannot keep them from singing. They simply have to express themselves, and oftentimes they depend upon melodies, drums, or music makers to do so. Perched on a rock in the picturesque landscape of a […]
As sure as morning breaks and nightfall comes, lullabies are for children. And each of us was once a child. But who enjoys the lullaby more: the babe in arms or the loving adult who sings it? Around the world, probably since the beginning of time, lullabies have been passed from one generation to the […]
“Sing praise to him, . . . the fount of love”1 for blessings large and small. Love pours down from heaven in the beauties around us. It is the salve that ancients called “the balm of Gilead.” But what of the love we express in our own lives? A couple walking hand in hand speaks […]
Life is lived one step at a time. If we’re patient, we can learn a lot from taking one step of faith—and then another and another. In 1833 John Henry Newman was traveling from Europe back to his home in England. He was already ill and homesick when he was seized by an attack of […]
The first broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word was on a hot summer afternoon in the Tabernacle on Temple Square, July 15, 1929. The announcer climbed a ladder to speak into the one and only microphone, suspended from the ceiling. He stayed perched on the ladder throughout the half-hour program. An audio engineer was […]
So many family traditions are wrapped up in Christmas: green and shimmering trees; homes decked with twinkling lights, tinsel, and holly; stockings hung in hopes of St. Nick; eager little hands helping frost cookies in the kitchen; plates of turkey and trimmings; and candles beckoning welcome to all. These are the glitter and glow of […]
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of […]
Few sounds gladden the heart like church bells ringing. In days gone by, villages full of people gathered to the sound of bells. On Christmas Day, church bells rang far and wide resonating with hope and goodwill. The story is told of a village where the church bells stopped ringing for many years. No one […]
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come; let earth receive her King!”1 Those words resound in the hearts of all who seek real peace, abiding love, and true joy. In a quiet village in the meridian of time, lowly animals welcomed the King of Kings to an obscure cave-stable. Joy came to the world […]
The Tabernacle on Temple Square has been the beloved home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 137 years. Millions have entered within these walls since it was completed in 1867, and millions more will return when it reopens following an 18-month renovation. Beginning next week, the Choir will broadcast its weekly program across the street […]
So often we fail to be grateful for the present moments of life. We consume the joys of the here and now with a longing for something else. When we’re on vacation, we may think of pressures mounting at home; and when we’re at home, we long to be away on vacation. Or, when the […]
A mother of four children was busy running errands one afternoon when she saw a sign in the window of a truck. It read, “The more you know, the less you need.” As she pulled into a parking lot, the phrase gave her pause, and she stopped to consider whether she really needed the items […]
The year was 1918. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in the Forest of Compiègne, World War I came to a close. It had been a harrowing time. For four punishing years, brave young soldiers on both sides of the conflict had taken up arms, and each mother carried […]
Life today is noisy and chaotic. Many of us navigate busy traffic, take phone calls, make appointments, run errands, and manage homes—all against the backdrop of a changing, rattling world. Sometimes it seems we are almost skidding down a hillside, grasping at twigs to slow us down. Many of us look for a safe mooring […]
Nearly all of us, young and old, have a desire to do our best. A powerful allure draws us to scale the heights of human potential. We may hear the call of lofty goals or simply desire to make the most of our everyday circumstances. Regardless of our target, it seems natural to aim high. […]
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.”1 Those words resonate in the hearts of all who worry, all who are burdened in some way, all who face challenges and disappointments—and that is each of us. Life is difficult. Sometimes we make it more difficult by comparing ourselves with others who seem […]
Richard L. Evans was the voice and writer of the Spoken Word for 41 years. Today’s timeless message was given by him back in 1954. In thumbing through some commonplace words we find the word fringe—and we find it in part defined as “an ornamental border . . . ” or “. . . […]
Living a life of integrity means that we live truthfully. What we believe is reflected in who we are: how we think, act, and interact. The Biblical account of Abraham, the father of the faithful, is a lesson in integrity. When Abraham and his nephew Lot left Egypt and returned to the land of Bethel, […]
As our calendars turn to autumn, nature’s grand finale of seasons dresses up around us. On many mountainsides and hills, the robes of summer’s green have given way to quilts of red, orange, yellow, and amber. Overhead, autumn shines down on everyone as the harvest moon fills the sky with its singular brilliance. Soon winter […]