Aloha, my dear brothers and sisters.
Several months ago our dog, Barclay, who is usually well behaved, began to show a different side of his personality. One evening after dinner, we didn't clean up very well and he seized the moment. All seventy pounds jumped onto the table for a glorious feast—a pile of chicken bones lying in a puddle of Shoyu-flavored grease that was just too much to resist. When my wife, Stacy, discovered him lying on top of the table eating out of the Pyrex dish she was rather surprised.
We laughed this one off but a day or two later it happened again. At lunch, Barclay was sitting up tall, staring at the sliding glass door that looks onto the back porch. I was curious. Stacy reported how he had managed to open the door of the pantry and raid the package of marshmallows on the bottom shelf. This time, however, his behavior was rewarded with scraps of a different kind. Scolded, contrite, and forlorn, he seemed to be learning the lesson of a lifetime. Perhaps he was having a moment of self-reflection.
Brothers and Sisters, I am not a dog-psychologist, but I accept that each of us, from time to time, has a moment of truth. Shakespeare captured this well in the famous line from Julius Caesar: "The eye sees not itself But by reflection, by some other things." 1 Like Barclay seeing himself in the glass, the mirror from which we examine ourselves is the gospel. And, it too may be understood by looking at "other things" outside of itself. For me, analyzing and performing music complements and enriches my understanding of the plan of salvation.
To illustrate, I offer a behind-the-scenes look for several compositions drawn from the repertoire of French composers at the turn of the twentieth-century, namely Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) and Claude Debussy (1862–1918). In the first example, Ravel's enigmatic comment about an unfinished trio parallels the spiritual creation of the earth, the stage on which we now prove ourselves. We'll then consider how the American poet, Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), influenced both artists, as a prelude to seeing musical forms analogously to patterns of eternal progression in our own lives.
Maurice Ravel once quipped to his student Maurice Delage, "My Trio is finished. I only need the themes for it." 2For those unfamiliar with the terminology of classical music, themes are the melodies and the starting place for most compositions. Perhaps the best-known example is three short dramatic Gs followed by a long E-flat, repeated down a step. 3
In the pre-mortal realm our Heavenly Father organized the framework of the earth before setting the physical creation in motion: "For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air." 4 Like Ravel's nearly finished composition without notes, Heavenly Father had prepared an earth for us to "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling." 5
The plan itself was simple. With the gift of agency, we would experience mortality through a succession of choices. In this second phase, however, we would not have the advantage of remembering what came before, in order to have a true test of character. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell explains, "Agreeing to enter this second estate, therefore, was like agreeing in advance to anesthetic—the anesthetic of forgetfulness. Doctors do not de-anesthetize a patient, in the midst of what was previously authorized, to ask him again, if it should be continued. We agreed to come here and to undergo certain experiences under certain conditions." 6
One challenge would be to subdue our carnal natures—to learn and live eternal laws of righteousness, while housed in telestial bodies. As President Brigham Young taught:
I told you here, some time ago, that the devil who tempted Eve, got possession of the earth, and reigns triumphant, has nothing to do with influencing our spirits, only through the flesh; that is a true doctrine. Inasmuch as our spirits are inseparably connected with the flesh, and, inasmuch as the whole tabernacle is filled with the spirit which God gave, if the body is afflicted, the spirit also suffers, for there is a warfare between the flesh and the spirit, and if the flesh overcomes, the spirit is brought into bondage, and if the spirit overcomes, the body is made free, and then we are free indeed, for we are made free by the son of God. 7
Modern revelation also reminds us that the vast majority of mankind will inherit degrees of glory, the highest being the celestial kingdom as described in sections 76, 132, and 137 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
For our second musical example, we begin with Ravel's enjoyment of transforming themes from a basic idea. In his analysis of Ravel's Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn (Minuet on the Name of Haydn), the musicologist Arbie Orenstein describes the melody as "A free adaptation of the Renaissance ‘soggetto cavato’ (a ‘carved-out subject’)" and points out that "the name H–A–Y–D–N turns out to be B–A–D–D–G. H stands for B-natural in German, and the remaining letters derive from the alphabet. …In the score, each appearance of the Haydn motif [theme] is indicated (forward, backward, and upside down)." 8
For those familiar with Impressionism, it will come as no surprise that Ravel and Debussy were influenced by the American poet, Edgar Allan Poe. Ravel claimed him as his "greatest teacher." 9 In his essay, The Philosophy of Composition, Poe first explains why authors hide their trial-and-error work: "Most writers—poets in especial—prefer having it understood that they compose by a species of fine frenzy—an ecstatic intuition—and would positively shudder at letting the public take a peep behind the scenes, at the elaborate and vacillating crudities of thought."
Poe then recounts the decisions he made to give meaning to the refrain "Nevermore," in his poem The Raven, illustrating a focused crescendo of emotions leading to the final conclusion:
I saw that I could make the first query [question] propounded by the lover—the first query to which the Raven should reply "Nevermore" — that I could make this first query a commonplace one—the second less so—the third still less, and so on—until at length the lover, startled by the original nonchalance by the melancholy character of the word itself—by its frequent repetition—and by a consideration of the ominous reputation of the fowl that uttered it—is at length excited to superstition, and wildly propounds queries of a far different character—… Perceiving the opportunity thus afforded me—or, more strictly, thus forced upon me in the progress of the construction—I first established in mind the climax, or concluding query—that to which "Nevermore" should be in the last place an answer—that in reply to which this word "Nevermore" should involve the utmost conceivable amount of sorrow and despair." 10
Poe's organization of The Raven reminds me, as a Latter-day Saint, to see the end from the beginning and work backwards, as it were, to progress eternally through determined repetition. As a young boy, I was motivated to read a large-print copy of the Book of Mormon because it featured illustrations by Arnold Friberg. Although the images were sparse in comparison to the prose overall, my goal was to start from the beginning and read the pages in-between, looking forward with great anticipation to the next picture. These included Samuel the Lamanite preaching with outstretched arms, perched on top of the city wall, unharmed by a flood of arrows, and an aging Lehi and his family crossing the sea.
An incentive for reading the Book of Mormon in my teenage years was food, promised by teachers at church. Later as a missionary in South Carolina I memorized dozens of scriptures to learn the fundamental doctrines of the gospel. At BYU-Provo, I sought out specific religion professors, ones who could offer substantive insight. My focus of study changed as a mature adult once I began to prepare lessons for youth and gospel doctrine classes. Now, as a YSA bishop, I find myself reading differently than ever before, carefully searching out individual words and passages that may have been glossed over earlier.
Comparable to a layered understanding of the scriptures, our view of the temple changes too, throughout our lives. When we first go through for ourselves, we may not fully grasp the meaning of the endowment. But, after giving our best efforts and staying true to what we've learned, our confidence and resolve expand. We refine our ability to seek answers through revelation. Eventually this sustained effort, over a period of years, helps us grow into our covenants. Looking back, we begin to sense our Heavenly Father's steady, yet unseen, hand and the wisdom of His intervening at particular times and places. Ultimately, we perceive the larger architecture of the Plan of Salvation, which offers a context for knowing ourselves, similar to notes on the printed page that take on a new meaning, once the hidden organization of a musical framework becomes apparent through analysis.
According to the Scottish pianist, Roy Howat, Debussy's prélude "La Cathédrale engloutie" ("The Sunken Cathedral") "follows a celtic myth of [a] submerged city…[rising] once a year through sea mists with pealing cathedral bells, organ and chanting monks, before sinking again." 11 As we'll hear in Stacy's final performance, the passage is effective because Debussy, like Poe, organized this section with the end in mind. The start of the climax begins after a lengthy buildup and coincides with the loudest dynamic overall, while thick chords enter and imitate the sound of an organ in the heavenly key of C Major as the modulation settles. 12
Just as Poe's repetition was purposeful, Debussy's compositional style was too. The undetected formula in "The Sunken Cathedral" is the Golden Section ratio. Simply put, for a Golden Section piece, if we take the length of time that it takes to be performed, and divide this total by 38.2 or 61.8 percent, we can expect to find a moment of significant musical interest at these points. 13
Debussy was not an expert mathematician. The arithmetic, however, is simple if Fibonacci numbers are used, and "The Sunken Cathedral" reveals these patterns. Starting with 0 and 1, the last two digits are added to each other. Doing so yields the sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, etc. While we don't know Debussy's intentions with certainty, he likely organized the larger sections according to these numbers. As such, the composition unfolds naturally and feels expansive, because the musical ideas, which play out in time, match the framework. Generally speaking, Debussy's ideal was to create music that sounded as if the ink was still wet on the page. On the surface everything appears improvisatory, when in reality, there are intricate designs underneath. As Howat suggests in his book Debussy in Proportion, the all-important theme, which I described earlier as being "in the heavenly key of C major," arrives at 21 units into the piece, which has 55 overall—the precise moment of the short division, or .381. 14
For me, this point of Golden Section, relevant to what came before as well as after, is the metaphorical equivalent of a revelation, communication timed perfectly by our Heavenly Father to renew our vision and direction. Brothers and Sisters, what are the Golden Section moments of our lives, and what are the traps that keep us from reaching our potential? As we attempt to answer these questions, I believe it is vital that we look to the scriptures, from which I will quote freely and juxtapose against my own words in the second half of my talk. They teach us that each phase of our existence depends on decisions made in the world before. Just as we followed the Savior in the pre-mortal realm, we must now remember how He sacrificed station and status to become the Savior of mankind: "He received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first." 15 If He, the Creator of the world, had to progress incrementally, then we do too. And if we are to achieve celestial glory, like the Savior, whose life unfolded perfectly according to the Father's plan, what are the patterns to establish? Which ones should we avoid?
Patterns of descent
At one time or another, each of us is tempted to worship false gods. Everything may be going well. You've just finished your mission, having had a wonderful experience. Your days were filled with hard work and your focus was serving others. When you came home, your life changed with the consequent return to university life, work, and adjustment to the complexities of modern social life. In your moment of stress, you're tempted to return to the habits that once held you in spiritual darkness before your mission. Now is the time to be on your guard. You've experienced great heights and are stronger spiritually. Yet, you remain vulnerable.
Moses chapter 1 offers insights into the tactics of Satan. In verses 8 and 9 Moses shares his vision where "[He] beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created." His experiences were only possible in the flesh because the glory of God was upon him. Afterwards "The presence of God withdrew from Moses,…And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth."
I like to think of this as a moment of Golden Section in Moses's life. He now knew with certainty who God was. "But now mine eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld: for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him." Then Satan tempted Moses, saying, "Moses, son of man, worship me." 16 Here we see the real battle lines drawn when he addressed Moses as the "son of man."
Fortunately, he was able to discern correctly, precisely because his mortal body had been subjected to the glory of God, Moses having lost his physical strength for many hours afterwards. For him the distinction was clear: "I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely?…Where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve.…I can judge between him and thee. Depart hence, Satan." 17
Perhaps the greatest test of life is staying morally pure and avoiding sexual transgression. Whenever we indulge these unrighteous desires, if only briefly, or even with the intent to repent later, our testimonies erode. "And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit." 18
Apostasy manifests itself in different ways. In Alma 31, the sophisticated Zoramites had their downfall when they replaced the god of their fathers with apathy and pride. "They would not observe to keep the commandments of God, and his statutes, according to the law of Moses. Neither would they observe the performances of the church, to continue in prayer and supplication to God daily, that they might not enter into temptation." Their theology and manner of worship changed the nature of God from a distinct being of flesh and bones to "spirit forever." Summarily, they denied the Christ. Following their logic of descent, they abandoned that part of their cultural heritage, which was good, declaring their belief to God himself: "Thou hast elected us to be thy children." 19
Patterns of righteousness
Let's now turn our attention to patterns of righteousness. I offer four that will keep us in the right path: prevention, repentance, conversion, and sanctification through temple work.
In Alma 53:4, Teancum fortified the city Bountiful against further attack by having the captured Lamanites "build a breastwork of timbers upon the inner bank of the ditch…[casting] up dirt out of the ditch against the breastwork…until they had encircled the city…round about with a strong wall of timbers and earth, to an exceeding height." 20
We protect the inner banks of our souls through daily scripture study, which helps us recognize the manipulations of Satan. 21 Ultimately, bolstering ourselves in this manner gives us the strength to "Exercise more control over even the marginal moments that confront [us]," 22 such as when a friend—or, a friend of a friend—posts suggestive images on social media. One solution is filtering our devices and browsers or blocking unwelcome guests. As the Savior taught, "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." 23
Yet, if we succumb to temptation we can repent. When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, they were gradually brought back into the presence of God. They began by sacrificing the firstlings of their flocks to prepare themselves to accept the Atonement. Adam's golden moment came in the form of a question posed by a visiting angel: "Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord?" His reply: "I know not, save the Lord Commanded me…And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. …that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will." 24
Like Ravel's minuet where the letters of Haydn's name were transformed and repurposed, Alma the Younger, after being converted to the Savior, focused his efforts on the spiritual rebirth of others. Previously he had gone about with the sons of Mosiah destroying the church. As his future lay in the balance he remembered the Savior: "Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!" 25
The reflective symmetry of Alma's past and future comes into striking relief in Alma 36, verse 21: "Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy." The depths of hell had changed to a vision of joy and when he saw "God sitting upon his throne…[his] soul did long to be there." 26
The final pattern is sanctification, through sustained temple worship. 27 Like Adam, who was visited by angels, we may receive the same power that he did when we experience the ordinances for ourselves. We read in Moses 5:58–9, "And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost. And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance."
What is the celestial kingdom like?
I recently had a moment of Golden Section. It came several weeks ago when Stacy and I toured Japan with the BYU-Hawai‘i Concert Choir. After two weeks, we finished our trip in Kyoto. That afternoon we went to the Kinkakuji Temple, which I had not heard of before. As we entered the path and pressed forward with the throngs of tourists, a stunning tableau opened before our eyes, which took my breath away. I was not prepared as we turned the corner. There was a golden temple, floating on the water, as it were. My first thought was to think of the many mansions in heaven, wondering if one of them might look like this, quite frankly, hoping that one could be reserved for me, surrounded in the tranquil perfection of nature. I then remembered the scripture, which talks of the celestial kingdom "having the appearance of [streets] paved with gold. 28
The laws of heaven
Brothers and Sisters I doubt we will ever find ourselves in the celestial kingdom as superficial tourists. According to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "It is necessary for men to receive an understanding concerning the laws of the heavenly kingdom, before they are permitted to enter it:…God has in reserve a time…when He will bring all his subjects, who have obeyed His voice and kept His commandments, into His celestial rest. This rest is of such perfection and glory, that man has need of a preparation before he can, according to the laws of that kingdom, enter it and enjoy its blessings." 29 For each of us, these laws are learned within the walls of the temple.
As the Savior taught in the Parable of the Royal Marriage Feast, the frustrated king, who had struggled so many times before to get everyone to the table, finally directs his servants to try one last time:
[They] went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 30
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness;there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen…wherefore all do not have on the wedding garment."
Unlike the thief from the highway, may it said of us: "They knew what good order was, for they had been orderly and obedient to the laws imposed on them by their wise sovereign,…Such individuals would indeed adorn any court where perfection was one of its main springs of action." 31
In closing, my dear brothers and sisters, may we imagine ourselves as the notes of an expertly crafted piece of music on a scale of grand proportion, guided lovingly by our Heavenly Father towards a majestic climax. Like Haydn's name, spelled musically in the hands of Ravel, we are transformed by the Savior through purposeful repetition—put forward, backward, and upside down—when we study, pray, and serve others. Only He knows what we can become and the destiny that is ours if we will but exercise our agency properly.
The gospel teaches us the patterns of eternal progression. Sabbath-day observance, temple attendance, diligence, and repentance help us go forward, while transgression and apostasy leave us hanging in the balance like Alma the Younger. Repent if necessary and redirect your physical appetites. In short, place yourselves within the context of the Plan of Salvation. The decisions you make now are those that affect your future, and either confirm or contradict who you once were in the pre-mortal world. As you make choices, be constant in your resolve to keep covenants. I promise you that if you do so, you will gain a deeper and richer understanding. Someday you will know with certainty that Heavenly Father has woven the elements of your life together, with his unseen hand, into a finely woven tapestry. But only in our flashes of revelation and reflection can we realize the purposeful intervention in our lives, leading us, forward, back to him. These are our moments of Golden Section.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
[1]Act I, scene 2
[2]Roy Howat, Debussy in Proportion: A Musical Analysis, paperback ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986, reissued 1999), 192.
[3]Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony no. 5 in C Minor, movement 1, bars 1–5 (Stacy McCarrey, piano).
[4]Moses 3:5
[5]Philippians 2:12
[6]Neal A. Maxwell, "Premortality, a Glorious Reality" (October 1985):
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/10/premortality-a-glorious-reality?lang=eng&_r=1 (accessed August 16, 2016)
[7]Brigham Young, "Instructions to the Bishops—Men Judged According to Their Knowledge—Organization of the Spirit & Body—Thought and Labor to Be Blended Together," Journal of Discourses, 3 (March 16, 1856): 247.
[8]Text: Arbie Orenstein, Ravel, Man and Musician (New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1975), 174. Performed example: Maurice Ravel, Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn, bars 1–4, 19–20, and 25–26 (Stacy McCarrey, piano).
[9]Arbie Orenstein, A Ravel Reader: Correspondence, Articles, Interviews (New York: Columbia University Press, 1990), 454.
[10]Edgar Allan Poe, "The Philosophy of Composition," Graham's Magazine 28, no. 4 (April 1846): 165. See www.eapoe.org/works/essays/philcomp.htm (accessed August 16, 2016)
[11]Roy Howat, Claude Debussy, Piano Music: Volume 3, Tall Poppies 164, 2002, compact disc liner notes, 4.
[12]Debussy, "La Cathédrale engloutie" (Préludes, Book 1), bars 14–40 (Stacy McCarrey, piano).
[13]Figure 5.1 from Roy Howat, The Art of French Piano Music: Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Chabrier (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2009), 53.
[14]Roy Howat, Debussy in Proportion, 160–1.
[15]D&C 93:13–14
[16]Moses 1:11–12
[17]Moses 1:14–15, 18
[18]D&C 42:23
[19]Alma 31:9–10, 15–16
[20]Alma 53:4
[21]Helaman 3:29
[22]Jeffrey R. Holland, "Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul" (April 2010): https://www.lds.org/general- conference/2010/04/place-no-more-for-the-enemy-of-my-soul?lang=eng&_r=1 (accessed August 16, 2016)
[23]Matthew 5:29
[24]Moses 5:4, 6–7, 9
[25]Alma 36:18–20
[26]Alma 36:22
[27]Marion D. Hanks, "Christ Manifested to His People," in Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual & Symbolism, ed. Donald W. Parry (Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Company and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994), 3–28.
[28]D&C 137:4
[29]Joseph Smith, Jr., Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, ed. Joseph Fielding Smith with scriptural annotations by Richard Galbraith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1993), 51, 54.
[30]Matthew 22:11–14, Joseph Smith translation in italics. According to James E. Talmage, "The unity of the narrative requires that some provision had been made whereby each one who properly applied was given the garment prescribed by the king's command, and in keeping with the established custom at court. That the unrobed guest was guilty of neglect, intentional disrespect, or some more grievous offense, is plain from the context. The king at first was graciously considerate, inquiring only as to how the man had entered without a wedding garment. Had the guest been able to explain his exceptional appearance, or had he any reasonable excuse to offer, he surely would have spoken; we are told that he remained speechless." James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1915, reissued 1974), 539–40.
[31]Smith, Teachings, 53.