This is a collection of songs that have either been completed or are nearly completed for the forthcoming concept album on the Life of the Prophet Joseph Smith

Brother Joseph Sandbox

From the musical "Brother Joseph".  This song introduces Sidney Rigdon.  We find him singing to a congregation of Christian Believers prior to learning of Joseph Smith and joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

ACT I - Song 06 - Praise, Praise Jesus

On January 16th, 1839, Joseph Smith wrote a letter to Brigham Young from Liberty Jail.  In that letter, Joseph instructed Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball to relocate the Saints as quickly as practical to western Illinois.  He also paraphrased the Savior, writing, "Let your hearts and the hearts of all the saints be comforted with you and let them rejoice exceedingly for great is our reward in heaven for so persecuted the wicked the prophets which were before us."

Buoyed up by Joseph's letter, Brigham addressed the impoverished and persecuted Saints.  In the show he does this by singing the Beatitudes to them.  His song is quickly picked up by some sisters, then some brethren, and then more Saints...eventually all the Saints join in as they prepare themselves and their families for the long trek to Western Illinois in the middle of winter.

ACT III - Song 01 - The Beatitudes

By the end of March 1830, the first copies of the Book of Mormon appeared ushering in the dispensation of the fullness of times.  This song begins with that event and carries us through the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830 and the expansion of the church over the summer of 1830.  Through the song we experience the joy of baptism ("Thou flowing water pure and clear, make music for thy Lord to hear!"); bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost ("Thou fire so masterful and bright, that gives to men both warmth and light!"); the advent of missionaries proselytizing two by two without purse or scrip ("Dear mother earth who day by day, unfolds her blessings on our way!"); and the joy of sharing the news of the restored gospel with others ("Thou flowers and fruits that in thee grow, let them His glory also show!").  Finally, the song culminates with the entire ensemble singing praises to Jesus Christ and sharing the desire that the whole world should hear the good news of the restoration ("Thou rushing wind that art so strong, let all creation hear thy song! / Thou rising Son, we praise, rejoice!  For all the world will one day hear Thy voice!")

ACT I - Song 10 - All Creatures Of Our God And King

From the musical "Brother Joseph".  This song features Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge.  It begins in December 1830 after the two men meet Joseph Smith.  They are extraordinarily excited.  It ends in the spring of 1831 as the saints leave their homes in Canada and the Northeastern USA and begin to gather in Kirtland Ohio.

ACT I - Song 14 - Oh, My! Oh, My!

By early 1838, violent mobs had succeeded in driving the "Mormons" out of Kirtland, Ohio, and Independence, Missouri.  The new gathering place for the Saints was Far West, Missouri on the Western edge of the United States.  However, the persecutors of the Saints were relentless in their abuses and continued their violent molestations of the followers of Joseph Smith.  By July 4th of that year, Sidney Rigdon had had enough.  In the town square that day he delivered what came to be known as "The Fourth of July Oration" (see Joseph Smith Papers for the text of the complete oration: Appendix 3: Discourse, circa 4 July 1838," p. [1], https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-3-discourse-circa-4-july-1838/1).

In many respects it is a beautiful speech of love and devotion to country and to the principles upon which it was founded.  But in the last six paragraphs, Sidney breathes fire and delivered the most bloodthirsty words I have yet to encounter in the history of the church.  He said, "...that mob that comes upon us to disturb us; it shall be between us and them a war of extermination, for we will follow them, till the last drop of their blood is spilled, or else they will have to exterminate us: for we will carry the seat of war to their own houses, and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed."

This oration marks the beginning of the Missouri Mormon War; a series of roughly six engagements including the massacre at Haun's Mill.  It culminated in the siege of Far West, and the imprisonment of Joseph Smith and other leaders in Liberty Jail.

This song attempts to convey the emotion of Sidney's 4th of July Oration.  All the spoken words are taken directly from his speech with the exception of the last sentence; and the lyrics are all inspired by Sidney's words.

This is the second to last song in ACT II.

ACT II - Song 08 - Our Fathers Fought

From the musical "Brother Joseph". 

On December 1, 1838, Missouri authorities imprisoned Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, and Alexander McRae in a Dungeon in Liberty, Missouri, for crimes allegedly committed against other Missourians over the summer and fall of 1838.  Four months later, on March 20th, Joseph Smith petitioned the Lord on behalf of all the saints for help and for increased understanding.  In response, the Lord delivered what we now know as D&C 121, 122 and 123.  

This latest song, “Where Art Thou?” attempts to represent this prayer, the Lord’s response and Joseph & Company’s escape from Liberty jail a month later on April 15th.

The song contains three main sections: 
1.	Joseph’s prayer
2.	The Lord’s response
3.	The prisoners’ release 

Section 1: 
This section begins quietly with three bare and lonely chords.  The song continues with words inspired from D&C 121 & 122. 

Oh Lord, where art thou?
More than ever, Lord, I really need thee now!
Oh, please show me how,
How much longer must we
Suffer for thee 
Now.

God almighty 
Maker of heaven and earth, all things that are!
I pray ye will soon stretch forth thine hand.
Let ye thine ear incline; 
Thine heart soften t’ward us; 
Remove thy hiding place from before us!

Oh Lord, where art thou?!
Trembling on my knees I plead before thee now!
To thy suf’ring saints, oh God, attend!
Feel their faith, their love, their pain, oh Lord, 
Their end.

Section 2: 
When Joseph finishes singing, you can “hear” the light of the Lord begin to enter the prison through a musical theme first introduced during Joseph’s first vision.  Once the light has sufficiently filled the room we hear the Lord’s response to Joseph.  These words are taken directly from D&C 121 & 122 although clearly just a very small fragment of the entire revelation has found its way into the song.  

Section 3: 
On stage, I imagine that once the voiceover from the Lord is finished, the audience will see Joseph respond with great emotion and excitement.  He will grab Alexander McRae and through pantomime proceed to dictate what the Lord has just revealed to him as Alexander scribes.  

Now we hear a third melody.  This melody is from a song called “I Will Be With You” which appears earlier in the show.  It is first sung between Emma and Joseph; but later Hyrum sings it to Joseph.  No one sings it in this scene – we only hear it instrumentally.  It is my hope that by the time we experience this scene, the audience will be so familiar with the words that they will not need to be sung to communicate what is being said.  If done right, it should feel like the Lord is singing the words to all of us as a reminder that he is always with us.  The words are:

When you need me
I’ll be there to comfort you
and when you’re lonely
I will be with you
And when you’re weary
I’ll be there to carry you
I’ll always be with you

As this music continues, the prison guards appear and escort the men out of the prison where they remove their shackles, provide them with provisions and direct them to be on their way - again through pantomime.  As the former prisoners exit the stage the music comes to a close.

ACT III - Song 03 - Where Art Thou?

On July 20, 1831, Joseph Smith received D&C 57.  A revelation that identified the city of Independence in Jackson county, Missouri as the location of the New Jerusalem, the City of Zion: the city from which Christ would reign during the millennium.  Almost immediately, the saints began to relocate to Missouri to begin the process of building Christ’s millennial kingdom.

By the summer of 1833, there were roughly 1,200 saints in Jackson County – more than double the population of the saints in Kirtland, Ohio.  The older settlers in Missouri felt threatened by the political and economic power of these new immigrants, a fear exacerbated by rumors that the saints favored abolitionism (Missouri was a slave state).

Forming militia groups, the "old settlers" as they were called, organized attacks against the saints during the summer of 1833 going as far as to tar and feather church leaders Bishop Edward Partridge and Charles Allen.  A revelation received by the Prophet in August 1833 discouraged immediate retaliation but permitted the saints to retaliate after the fourth act of aggression (D&C 98:23-31).  

The saints initially attempted to regain their lands through political and legal means, enlisting four Missouri attorneys to communicate with the courts and the Missouri government.  However, when the “old settlers” attacked the fourth time, the saints fought back as allowed by Joseph’s revelation.  Nevertheless by the end of 1833, the Missouri mobs had destroyed their homes and the church's print shop.  Nearly all the saints fled Jackson County. The saints were now refugees and were scattered throughout the neighboring counties.

In February 1834 Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight, arrived in Kirkland from Missouri (a 900 mile journey) to counsel with the Prophet as they had exhausted all legal avenues and severe persecutions continued in Missouri.  Joseph appealed to the Lord again for guidance. On February 24, he received the revelation recorded in D&C 103.  This revelation instructed Joseph to lead a group of Saints from Ohio to Missouri to help his fellow saints “who have been scattered on the land of Zion” (D&C 103:1).

This group of some 230 men, women and children was initially called “The Camp of Israel” but which is more commonly known today as “Zion’s Camp”.  

This song begins with Joseph inquiring of the Lord on February 24, 1834 and organizing The Camp of Israel.

ACT II - Song 05 - Fighting For Zion!

Religious revival song in a late 1950's style.

ACT I - Song 03 - Rockin' Revival

In this song, Ezra Booth has just received word of “The Vision” (D&C 76 – Three degrees of Glory).  Many Christians saw this doctrine as high heresy.  It is hard for us today to imagine the negative reaction many people had to this vision of the heavens with its generous terms of salvation for all but the most hardened sinners.  Afterwards, Brigham Young would write, “It was a new doctrine to this generation, and many stumbled at it.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 292).  Even Joseph Young, Brigham Young’s older brother and long-time general authority of the church was troubled by the new doctrine.  He wrote, “When I came to read the visions of the different glories of the eternal world, and of the sufferings of the wicked, I could not believe it at first. . . . Why the Lord was going to save everybody!” (Joseph Young, “Discourse,” Deseret News, March 18, 1857, 11)

Though many members stumbled, the apostates and non-believers were outright incensed.  The song begins with Ezra trying to decide what else he can do to bring the church down.  He decides it’s time to tar and feather the Prophet.  There is a bit of dialogue which is intended to overlay some of the instrumental passages in the song, but I have left those out for now, so you will need to use your imagination.  The action begins two and a half minutes into the song with the mob creeping up to Joseph’s house.  When you hear the explosion at 2:48 the mob kick-in the door and the struggle beings - the prophet is pulled from his home, beaten, tarred, and feathered, etc.  I imagine this whole sequence will be relayed through modern dance.

ACT II - Song 02 - Make The Prophet Bleed

This song takes place from February-March 1839.  The Saints sing this song dreaming of their hope for the future as they pick up what little they have left and begin to leave Far West.  With renewed faith, optimism and belief in the vision implanted within them by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, they begin the 500 mile trek for Illinois in the dead of winter.

ACT III - Song 02 - When The Savior Comes

This musical number takes place in June, 1838, in Far West, Missouri.

BACKSTORY
By this time many Saints had either been excommunicated or had removed themselves from the church as a result of the turmoil created by the collapse of the Kirtland Safety Society the previous year, and/or due to the brutal persecution endured by the Saints both in Jackson County, Missouri, and Kirtland Ohio.  Of this time Brigham Young would later write, “This was a crisis when earth and hell seemed leagued to overthrow the Prophet and Church of God. The knees of many of the strongest men in the Church faltered.” (see Brigham Young, in Historian’s Office, Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1844–46, vol. 1, p. 16, Church Archives).  Many of those who left the church also turned against the church and joined in the persecution of their former Brethren, causing Joseph to one day lament, “They can leave the church, but they can’t leave it alone”.

Sidney Rigdon believed that the Saint’s policy of painfully enduring the mob by constantly being on the defensive, had not improved their situation with their enemies.  He believed that the Saints needed to adopt a more pre-emptive strategy by taking the battle to the very homes of their adversaries.  He unsuccessfully made this case before Joseph.  

THE SONG: “ZION’S GUARD” 
In the show, once this argument concludes, Joseph exits the stage and the music for “Zion’s Guard” begins.  The song starts with Sidney imaging a future with a flourishing Zion “…full of temples, families, honest and loving, humble…”.  He sings the words sung by Joseph earlier in the act.  As the song progresses, Sidney begins to convince himself of the righteousness of his position and decides to move forward with his plan of aggression despite the Prophet’s direction to the contrary.  On June 17, Rigdon preaches a vitriolic sermon (historically referred to as “The Salt Sermon”) based on the theme of salt losing its savor and being cast out and trodden underfoot.  Rigdon uses this as a metaphor to describe how the dissenting and excommunicated members of the church should be treated.

Then, with the help of Sampson Avard, Sidney forms the Danites - a private militia reporting to Sidney Rigdon alone.  The oaths the members take in the song are quoted directly from the writings of John Corrill (Joseph’s secretary at the time) and Reed Peck, a Mormon of no particular consequence other than he took the time to record his recollections in a 35-page document entitled, “The Reed Peck Manuscript”.  Reed left the church in 1839 – the year after these events.   

The song ends with Sidney giving very specific direction to the Danites as to the action they are to take against Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer.  David would never forgive the Saints for this.  Some 10 years later, Oliver would forgive the Saints and return into activity to be counted once again among the Saints.  

EPILOGUE
In the show, the next song is Sidney’s bloody Fourth of July Oration (“Our Father’s Fought”) a song which I published on SoundCloud a few months ago.  That song is then followed by Joseph’s song, “The Gospel is so Simple” which I expect to publish in the next week or so.   These three songs are intended to be sung back-to-back without interruption at the close of Act II.

ACT II - Song 07 - Zion's Guard

Ezra Booth and John Johnson have just seen Elsa Johnson's lame arm miraculously healed by Joseph Smith.  In this song they come to grips with what has just transpired as they marvel at their shared experience.  They sing with joy about their commitment to the Lord and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

ACT I - Song 15 - I Love The Lord!

ACT II - Song 09 - The Gospel Is So Simple

Joseph Smith's first vision of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as told by both his younger and older selves.

ACT I - Song 05 - I Want To Know Him

This song depicts the excitement during the early days of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It begins with Luke & Lyman Johnson explaining the restoration to their parents and Ezra Booth (a family friend and well-regarded Methodist minister).  As the song develops we encounter others who have heard of the restoration, then finally we catch up with Parley P. Pratt.  Parley has just returned home from a long journey during which he encountered the Book of Mormon and was baptized into the church.  With much excitement he explains his conversion to his wife who also believes and is converted.

ACT I - Song 12 - Have You Heard?

The assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail.  This is the opening number in the show "Brother Joseph".

ACT I - Song 01 - June 27, 1844

This is the first song of the second Act of the show.  It features Ezra Booth's fall into apostasy.  

In the song, Ezra sings directly to the audience as he attempts to convince himself (and the audience) of the righteousness of his position regarding the restored Church of Jesus Christ.  Most of the words, spoken and sung, are taken directly from letters he published in the Ohio Star.

In the show, we move pretty directly from this song to Ezra's last song, "Make the Prophet Bleed"

ACT II - Song 01 - Dangerous Game

This song takes place in the spring of 1818.  Joseph Smith is 12 years old.  He and Hyrum (15 years old) are rushing to join their family at a religious revival meeting in Palmyra.  On the way they bump into Martin Harris (35) and his wife Lucy (26).  The song attempts to relate the atmosphere described by Joseph Smith in verse 1:5 of his history: "...there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion."  With some double-meaning in the lyrics, the song is sung by young Hyrum simultaneously to Joseph and to the audience preparing Joseph for the revival meeting, and the audience for the show they are about to see.

ACT I - Song 02 - In Palmyra!

Emma and Oliver Cowdery describe the process of translating the Book of Mormon in their own words.

ACT I - Song 09 - A Marvelous Work And A Wonder

A fun 19th century women's suffrage song of sorts used to introduce Emma Hale (eventually Emma Smith) to the show.  In the song Emma and her sisters make fun of a popular 19th century Lady’s magazine called “Godey’s Lady’s Book”.  Through the song we are reminded of the social order of 19th century America and begin to develop an understanding that Emma is a strong, independent woman, and a progressive thinker for her day (attributes she would later share with her husband, Joseph).

ACT I - Song 07 - Mr. Godey's Lady's Book

Composer of songs about Jesus Christ and the restoration of His Gospel

Brother Joseph Sandbox

Gunnar Michael Andersen