Music has always held a prominent place in religious worship, but the ancient Hebrews seem to have used it as a much more vital part of their service than do the churches of the later days. The study of the musical terms and of the different kinds of instruments which were used is a most fascinating one, as is also the study of the uses of music in their sacred services.

The Book of Psalms is the hymn book of the Bible, and was used as such by the early church. The words were sung to melodies common in that day, and the names of some of these melodies we have now; such as, "The Lilies," "The Hind of the Morning," etc. But we have no record of the music of these songs.

The Pslams were written mostly by David, but some were written by the sons of Korah, one by Moses, two by Solomon, twelve by Asaph and several by other leaders in music. They all have a title but thirty-four and these are called the orphan psalms. The titles are usually given with musical terms, which denote the way the hymn is to be sung. Ex.: Psalm 67-Neginoth is a term denoting that the hymn is to be accompanied by musical instruments the term Selah is used frequently in the psalms and its exact meaning is not known, but possibly signified a pause in the vocal music, while an instrumental interlude or finale was rendered.

swer or two choirs might sing one answering the other. The parallelism in most of the psalms form the exact kind of formula in which one congregation could effectively respond to another, thus: "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof. The world and they that dwell therein. For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his holy place?"

David's first psalm was sung when the ark was placed at Jerusalem. We may infer from second chapter 29:27 that chanting of the song began with the burnt offering and was continued throughout while the sons of Aaron blew their silver trumpets near the offering until the sacrifice was finished. This Psalm is well suited for such an occasion for it calls first upon Israel to celebrate God's wonderous works; then tells of the way God had led his people and later on goes into a nobler strain in telling of the future triumphs of the Lord when his salvation should reach to the ends of the earth.

The inventor of musical instruments like the first poet and forger of metals was a Cainite. According to Genesis 4 chapter, Jubal son of Lamech was "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ." That is of all players upon string and wind instruments. Silver trumpets made by metal workers were used to direct movements of the camp as we read in Numbers 10:1-10.

Most of the instruments used by the early Jews were evidently of the same type as those used by the Egypt

ians, the pictures of which are cut in the stone of the pyramids. Rhythm must have been a predominating predominating point in their music judging by their many percussion instruments and also by the great liking they had for dancing. Josephus was the historian of that time and he says Solomon had made for the dedication of the temple two hundred thousand trumpets and forty thousand other instruments in gold and silver to accompany the psalms of David. This seems a great exaggeration, but it shows that music in those days formed a large part of their worship.

The ark of the covenant was the most sacred possession of the people, and wherever it traveled a regular service of music accompanied it. In First Chronicles 15th chapter, we read that while bringing the ark "David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries, and harps and cymbals sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy, and the 16th chapter tells of the rejoicing and the music given when the ark was placed in the tent which was prepared for it.

The references on music and its influence are so numerous in the Bible that it would be hard to enumerate them all. The story of David's playing for Saul and driving away the evil spirit is familiar to us all. Joshua 6th chapter tells the story of the walls of Jericho falling at the sound of the trumpets. Daniel 5:4 10 is an interesting story of how Nebuchadnezzar raised an image and commanded that all people should bow down to it, saying, "that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up." The people all obeyed but

three men who would not forsake the living God. So they were bound and thrown into the furnace, but the Lord was with them, and they came out unharmed. This opened the eyes of the ruler and he realized what he had done and commanded the image to be destroyed and blessed the name of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, the three men who had been delivered. Other references which are interesting are: Music for the bridal processions, Jer. 7:3-4; music at banquets, Luke 15:25; Triumphal processions, Ex. 15:1-20; Judges 6; First Sam. 18:6; The Grape Gatherer's Song, Is. 16:10.

The Song of Solomon is a nuptial song. It is an allegory descriptive of the love that exists between Christ the heavenly bridegroom, and his church, which is the bride, the Lamb's wife.

The music of the temple of Solomon is the best example of music of that time forming a school of music of its own, and we can trace an influence from that music to this day. The oldest melody now in existence is the Plain Song, which is used in the Catholic church and has been handed down from the original temple service.

In I Chronicles 15:16-25 we read of the organization of the Levitical chorus and orchestra. David appointed Asaph and Jeduthun as chief conductors and their sons later succeeded them. Seven Levites played nebels, harps of a high pitch; while six accompanied on kinnors whose description is uncertain, and with the great numbers of trumpets, ram's horns, bugles, and other instruments they made music for every occasion. The twenty-fifth chapter of First Chronicles tells of the arrangement and offices of the singers. were twenty-four main divisions with expert leaders over each group. Four

There

thousand were in the largest orchestra and there were two hundred and eighty-eight leaders for temple choirs. Even the names of the directors are given, which shows what a prominent place music held and how essential they considered expert leadership.

After idolatrus kings had occupied the throne Hezekiah and Josiah made it a duty to restore, as far as possible the instruments and songs of David's time. They called upon the families of the earlier leaders and many of the descendants of the great Levitical choristers returned to take part in consecrating the foundations of the second temple and the walls of Jerusalem. In Nehemiah we are also told that they revived the temple song service which David instituted and the psalms were sung by the choirs supported by the people with the same answering of the voices.

offspring of God," also, "I have said The Scriptures say, "Ye are the ye are Gods, and all of you are children of the Most High."

When we consider this seriously, it does not seem such a strange doctrine and surely not blasphemousto believe that men at last shall rise to the dignity of their Father; for surely it can not be contrary to law to believe that the offspring may ultimately become what the parent is. Indeed how can any man, conscious self dare to question this as a gloof the amazing powers within himrious object of faith?

Just think what progress a man makes within the narrow limits of this life! Out of a newborn babe may arise a master mind; one that shall, perchance, build and guide a powerful nation through times of

trouble and distress and leave it anchored safe at last in the harbor of peace, prosperity, and liberty.

If all this may be done-and it has been done by a man within the span of one short life, what may we not conceive possible of one of these God-men, if given an eternity of time? Just remove from his pathway the incident of death, or consider him raised from the dead, then give to him, in the splendor of manhood's estate, immortality, endless existence, and see what he will accomplish! Are there any limits that can be placed as a boundary of his development?

Grant to man immortality and with God for his guide there is nothing in the way of intellectual, moral, or spiritual achievement that he will not aspire to. If there are, in this mortal life men who rise from infancy and become such complete masters of the elements of the earth that they may be said to rule them as gods, what may not these same men do in the space of thousands of years, or in an eternity? Can you place a limit to the heights of power and glory to which they may ascend?

No! For was not God once as we are now? This question is answered by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who testified:

"What sort of being was God in the beginning? Open your ears, all ye ends of the earth-God himself was once as we are now and is an Exalted Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens."

John also said this of Christ:

"And I, John, saw that He received not the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; and thus He was called the

Son of God, because He received not of the fulness at the first."

What a glorious thought is awakened in our hearts when we read such passages, and learn that even Christ Himself was not perfect at first, but received grace for grace and continued to gain more and more until He became perfect! May not this also happen with the other children of God?

Have we

Is any man perfect? reached a point wherein we may receive the fulness of God, that is to say, the fulness of His glory and intelligence? No! And yet if Jesus, our Elder Brother, received not a fulness at the first, but increased in faith, knowledge, understanding, and grace until He attained perfection, is it not possible for His brethren to do the same?

There is no reason why they cannot progress as He has done and be exalted with Him in the presence of the Father. Christ, Himself, has said as much in the Book of Mormon. Here is the passage:

"And for this cause ye shall have a fulness of joy; and ye shall sit in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father, and the Father and I are one."

What hope this gives us for the future! What a goal to be attained! Where is the person who would not work with zeal, if some day he m attain the exaltation of his Father in heaven? What higher goal could man aspire to? There is none; and that is why our Church has done such a wonderful thing in giving this beautiful message to the world.

VII

ZION

The Mutual president thought Lael wanted to go to Salt Lake so she could attend the Convention. The girls in the chorus thought it was because she wanted them to win. Cosma thought it was because she dared not trust her alone with the emotions and memories of the city. And Aunt Mary said to her as soon as they were established at a hotel, "Please Lael, stick around with the girls as much as you can. They're so excited they're perfectly wild, and I need somebody to help hold them steady. And you always seem to make people feel like acting sane and decent no matter how excited they get."

"How true that was," Cosma exclaimed, "It seems like you just radiate a spirit of peace."

"Do I?" Lael answered thoughtfully, "I think I'd rather be stimulating like Aunt Mary is."

"If you were, I'd never have gone to the farm with you, and I'd not be back here so soon. Why, it's only three weeks since I left with you, and I resolved then never to come back and suffer the tortures of remember ing what the city did to me."

They were alone in their room now and could talk freely.

"I've often wondered," Lael said, "just what Salt Lake did to you. Of course, to me, just the fact that it is a city with its noise and hurry and crowds makes it disagreeable and lonely. But you weren't raised in the country, so it must not be that."

"No, it wasn't that," Cosma answered thoughtfully, "I think perhaps it was not the real Salt Lake that

hurt me, but the dream city mother always talked of the City of the Saints the city she had in mind when she named me Zion."

"How could that hurt you?" Lael asked puzzled.

"By not existing. Zion was the city where the temple of God stood, where the great conferences of the Saints were held, where the prophets lived, and the righteous gathered from out the world. It was to have wide streets and beautiful homes and grand mountains around it and the great lake near by. Oh, the dream city was a wonderful place."

"But Salt Lake City does have wide streets and the temple and conferences and the homes of the prophets and the mountains and lake and so on."

"Yes, but it has other things that mother and the homesick elders never included in the picture. It has theatres that stay open on Sunday. and places of crime, and instead of the center of joy and virtue and a place to work in the service of God I found it the place where my sorrows centered and where I had to drudge just to keep myself alive. And when I went to church everyore seemed to take their religion as an everyday affair of no great concern instead of a flaming, joyous blessing to live and sacrifice and die for. I couldn't see the spirit we had in our little branch out in the world. I gave up everything to come to Zion and in Zion I found loneliness and indif ference and hard work."

"What work were you doing?" Lael asked curiously.

"I was chambermaid in a hotel. That was how I finally met Taylor