9/01/2013

The Spirituality Theme In Lds Poems

By Kate McMahon


Lds poems have their origin in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints and continue to form a part of their liturgical recitations and literature. They have a heavy spiritual or religious theme. The church has been in existence since the early 1800s and continues to use poetry as a tool for evangelization. They consider it an art form that brings the Holy Spirit closer to its faithful.

The other name given to this writing is Mormon poetry. An example of early publication is cited in the Elders Journal where the work of James Marsh was published. The journal was published in 1838 and was edited by Don and Joseph Carlos Smith. The poems were exceptionally beautiful and were considered outstanding in their rendition and themes.

Poetry has formed a major part of Mormon General Conference talks. This is a part of the tradition of the church. It is used by church apostles to expound on current affairs and offer a spiritual dimension. It is common to find the poems being turned into hymns because of the excellent manner in which they capture the teachings of this denomination. One such poem is I Believe In Christ that was written by McConkie Bruce.

Traditional writers have inspired modern day followers to engage in poetry. McConkie is cited by Packer Boyd as the inspiration behind the poem Washed Clean. This is a common recitation for April conferences. The character who inspired this poem was Jesus as described in I Believe in Christ.

Most general conferences are based on poetry from earlier writers. Leaders in the church are particularly passionate about poetry. It is worth noting that the current leader and president is totally in love with this art. Citations can always be found in his works and talks. He goes by the name Thomas Monson. The religious connection in this work has not made it any less creative.

Mormon literature is voluminous and excellent. It comes in different categories including fiction. Literary critics have cited an admirable degree of creativity in the works of a number of writers in this group. Some use the conservative poetic style of early generations while others are dynamic and experiment a lot. The pristine nature of this poetry has seen a number of them turned into hymns.

It is possible and easy to classify this writing into two categories depending on the era in which the writers lived. Pioneer writers lasted up to the 1950s from around 1830. They passed on the button to contemporary poets who have continued with the work up to now. These two groups are differentiated by their choice of supporting themes and their style. They talk to different audiences that can be found in different parts of the world.

Lds poems have their style captured in The Spirit of God that was authored by W Phelps. He is in the same category of pioneers as Snow Eliza who wrote O My Father. Contemporary poets are represented by Orson Whitney who has written The Epic. The themes tackled by present day writers are broader to include violence among others. The spiritual perspective is dominant in this poetry.




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