Five Stories that Demonstrate God’s Power to Save
I love stories, and I love finding those little known stories from the scriptures and our prophets that teach us remarkable truths that we may otherwise miss. There are so many stories to choose from that teach so many lessons, but the five stories I want to share today are stories that profoundly teach the power that music has to heal, to protect and to save.
- The story of David
David was chosen by King Saul because he had the ability to play his harp and cast out evil spirits. Saul’s servant called him “A man of war” but David was not a warrior, he was a shepherd and a musician. I believe they called him a man of war because he knew how to fight the darkness with music. In Ephesians, we are told, “Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual darkness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12).
It is said that David was Saul’s armourbearer. (1 Samuel 16:21) David would stand before Saul every time he had an evil spirit about him, and he would play his harp, and the spirit would depart. Saul’s armor of God was music.
If music cast out evil spirits in David’s day, then we can be confident that music will do the same for us today. There are people devoted to music therapy, who study the power and effects music have on the mind and they have seen remarkable results. Alzheimer patients have been brought back to themselves, depression has eased, and hearts have been lifted.
Music is filled with light and light will always cast out darkness. Elder Packer said, “For while virtue, by choice, will not associate with filth, evil cannot tolerate the presence of light.” (Inspiring Music, Worthy Thoughts).
David’s music cast out Saul’s darkness. Likewise, divinely inspired music will cast out our darkness. I have seen this time and time again in my own home. When my daughter struggles to sleep because of nightmares, singing “Love One Another” soothes her. When my children are fighting and contention is high, turning on the hymns changes the dynamics of the home. When I am discouraged, the “sunshine” songs bring more light to my spirit and “Abide with Me” is soothing to my soul. Next time you feel darkness surround you, sing a hymn. It will make all the difference.
- The story of King Jehoshaphat
In 2 Chronicles 20, three very large armies were marching toward King Jehoshaphat and his people. King Jehoshaphat was a righteous king, and told his people to fast and pray so that they could receive God’s help. “And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” The Spirit came upon the prophet Jahaziel, and he prophesied of Judah’s deliverance. He told them that it was not their battle to fight, that it was God’s battle, and if they just had the courage to face the armies, God would deliver them.
Speaking of the experience, the Old Testament Gospel Doctrine Manual says this, “Remembering the prophet Jahaziel’s assurance that the battle was God’s, Jehoshaphat appointed singers to praise the Lord rather than fight. When they began to sing, the Lord protected them by causing their attackers to war among themselves and destroy one another.” It was their singing that called down the powers of heaven to assist them.
The singing of Judah called down the powers of heaven to not only protect themselves, but to fight their battle for them. Three armies were defeated when they sang. If God is willing to demonstrate this power in the time of King Jehoshaphat, we can have confidence in knowing that our singing can do the same for us today. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and if we truly believe that, we can see miracles happen, just like the people of Judah.
A popular hymn states, “Hell’s foundations quiver at the sound of praise.” (Onward Christian Soldier, 246). Let’s start singing praises and see those foundations of darkness crumble.
- The story of the wall of Jericho
When the children of Israel came to Jericho, which was supposed to be their promised land, the city was closed to them and surrounded by a wall. The city was filled with wicked people, and the army of the Israelites could not overcome them with their own strength. The Lord told Joshua to send seven priests with seven trumpets to circle the city with the arc of the covenant once a day for six days, blowing their trumpets. On the seventh day, the priests were to circle the city seven times blowing their trumpets, and on the seventh time, the Israelites were to give one loud shout, and the wall would crumble to the Earth and the city would be delivered to them.
President Howard W. Hunter said this, “Jehovah has a better plan. Jericho would fall, but in the Lord’s way. Instead of being armed with swords and spears, they were armed with rams’ horns. Instead of taking a battering ram, they were to take the sacred ark. They were led not by generals, but by priests; they wore not armor, but priestly garments. And in place of a battle cry, there was perhaps a hosanna shout.”
It was through trumpets, and a hosanna shout that the wall came crumbling down, and the city was delivered to them. We sing the Hosanna Shout today. It can be found in the hymn, “The Spirit of God”. If music is what brought the wall of Jericho to the ground, then it is possible that music can open up doors for all of us, and bring us into places of safety, or out of places that can be harmful. The scriptures are filled with verses that talk about singing in Zion. Maybe, just maybe, it is singing that gets us through the gate and into the city of Zion.
The story of Emma Smith and the first Hymnbook
The Lord told Emma, “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:12). What a beautiful description of song. Divinely inspired songs are simply prayers put to music. And the beauty of these songs is that they will be answered with a blessing on our heads. This means that every hymn we sing has a blessing that we can receive from singing it. Of course, we have to be in the proper Spirit when we sing it, because it must be a song of the heart. If we sing from our heart, which means we sing with real intent, just as we do when we pray with real intent, our songs, and prayers are answered.
Because hymns are prayers put to music, they will bring with them protection from the Adversary. We are told over 50 times in scripture some form of “pray always” that we may overcome the darkness of the last days. For example, here is a revelation given to Joseph Smith, “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.” (Doctrine and Covenants 10:5)
Here is another warning that Christ gave to his apostles, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36)
Prayer is our protection, and music is prayer put to music. As we sing praises to our Father, He will protect us from the darkness that is to come.
- A story of a miraculous healing
The following story was shared by President George Albert Smith in a General Conference of the Church. “Some time ago I received a request from a fine Catholic man in Northern California who was injured in the World War. He said, “I wish you would have the Tabernacle Choir sing something for me on a certain Sunday.” He explained that he had to go on the operating table the next day to have his leg taken off, and wanted to have the Tabernacle Choir sing for him. He mentioned the song he desired to have sung. I telephoned to the Choir leader and asked if it were possible, “No, the program is already prepared, but say to the good man if he will listen in we will sing something that will be pleasing to him.”
I wrote him that they were going to sing something he would enjoy. He asked the hospital attendant if he could have the privilege of bringing a radio into his room, but was told that radios were not allowed in that hospital. He was greatly disappointed. Then he sent for the superintendent and finally convinced him that he was entitled to a radio. He told him he was going to lose his leg, that he was an ex-soldier in a government hospital and that the radio would not bother anybody else.
And so he gained permission to have the radio in his room. Then he sent for his folks who lived sixty or seventy miles north. They came down and sat around his bed and enjoyed the music.
When this great Choir was singing he listened with genuine satisfaction, the result of which was that next morning when the doctor examined him, he said: “There is no necessity of taking you into the operating room, your leg is getting all right. We will not take it off.”
In a few days my friend wrote to me and said: “I wonder if other people would think what I think,” inferring that he had been healed by hearing the hymns of praise that the Lord loves to hear.
I want to say to this Tabernacle Choir that this is only one of the many blessings that we could trace to them if we had time, for others have come to my attention.” (Conference Report, October 1941, pp. 98-99) George Albert Smith
How remarkable is it that music healed this man, and saved him from losing his leg, as explained by the prophet George Albert Smith. If music healed this soldier nearly 100 years ago, then it has the same profound effect to heal us today. Next time you hear the Tabernacle Choir sing, join in the praise, and ask God for a blessing yourself.
As President Eyering said, “You can pray as the choir is about to sing. The choir director, the organists, and the choir members have prayed and practiced with a prayer in their hearts and with faith that the music and the words will soften hearts and magnify their power to build others’ faith. They will perform for the Lord as if they were before Him, and they will know that our Heavenly Father hears them as surely as He hears their personal prayers. Together they have labored with love to make the promise of the Savior to Emma Smith come true: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads”. If you not only listen but also pray as they sing, your prayer and their prayers will be answered with a blessing upon your head as well as theirs. You will feel the blessing of the Savior’s love and approval. All who join in that praise will feel their love for Him grow.”
Music is both a gift and a blessing. We have been told time and time again that we are in the last days. There is a world of darkness around us and storm clouds on the horizon, but we have no need to fear. As demonstrated in the story of Jehoshaphat, the battle is not our battle to fight, it is God’s battle, and He is ready to fight it. All we have to do is have the courage to face our foes and lift our voices to Heaven in songs of praise and gladness. As demonstrated through these stories, music is powerful and when it’s sung with intent, music will be a shield, a protection, and a strength for all of us. Music is light. If you want to overcome the darkness, if you want to surround yourself with light, sing hymns and sing them from your heart.
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