Download “Jesus the Very Thought of Thee,” Sheet Music or Free MP3

Thoughts have power. They shape our character. They shape our existence. They shape the nature of our being. No wonder we’re encouraged to watch our thoughts, guard them, and direct them for good.

We sometimes picture our minds as being storage spaces, and that we’re constantly sifting through files, gathering, grouping, and organizing information into something that will benefit us in a practical way.

I don’t see thoughts that way at all. Thoughts have no boundaries. They’re not limited by space, time, or possibility. They are like an energy cloud of infinite space and potential. They can create, reform, and change the course of universes. They influence everything, because everything we see is from the paradigm of our thoughts. And we, in physical form, effect the things we see.

But, some may argue, you can’t effect someone on the other side of the world just by thinking about them.

I disagree. You most certainly can. Think about that person enough, with real depth, and you’ll reach a point where you can’t not act out physically on your thoughts. Those thoughts leak out in your actions, words, and eyes, and in your interactions with other people. You are the embodiment of your thoughts. You can change yourself by your thoughts. You can change the world with your thoughts. The more you think on a thing, the more that thing comes into being. Eventually, things happen to effect that one person on the other side of the world. That’s the power of thought. Thoughts determine choices, and choices change the world.
Given enough time and attention, a single thought can alter the course of the world.

How much more effective then, is your thought of the creator of everything you’ve ever seen.

Jesus Christ is a man—a perfect, resurrected, omnipotent, and powerful man, but He is a man. He has thoughts, and His thoughts govern the universe.

And if you, also a human being, think on that eternal being, and connect with Him, your influence over the universe expands beyond anything you might think on your own. The very thought of the Savior, who both created and bought the universe, empowers you to do so much more than you could otherwise do.

You may long for his presence. You may picture His face, the very embodiment of eternity. You may think of His life, His choices, His sacrifice. You may think of His perfection, atonement, and His eternal glory. You may think of your own experiences with Him. You may think of Him daily. But whatever you do, think of Him. The very thought of the Savior has power to shape the universe, for you, for your loved ones, and for the whole human race, now and forever.

Were this the only state of existence—even life itself, filled with such vibrance as it is, would be a tragedy.

But our true selves, the essence of our nature, the spirit that invigorates our flesh, was born of eternal matter, to parents more lasting than the universe itself.

We live on.

We sometimes call death a passing. If death is a passing, it’s like passing a friend in the hallway. First he comes into view, and we acknowledge him, then he passes. He isn’t gone. He doesn’t cease to exist because he is no longer before us. He passes, walks on, lives on.

We sometimes call death a journey. If death is a journey, it’s like a journey from one room into the next. The friend isn’t far simply because she is in the next room. She is still close enough to hear and see, except for a thin wall; a wall that sometimes better resembles glass than concrete.

Some call death a separation. If death is a separation, it’s like stepping back from an embrace. Without physical contact, we may experience loneliness. But even eye contact, one of the most powerful connections, can be maintained at a short, if temporary distance.

Perhaps we’re uncomfortable with goodbyes because deep down, we know there is no such thing. Were it not for the Savior Jesus Christ, all goodbyes would be final. But because of Him, they no longer exist. And for those who choose His path, the reunions will be glorious.

Sheet music and MP3 available on my website.

I love the Book of Mormon. And I love audio books. The first time I listened to the Book of Mormon on cassette tape (yeah, I’m that old), it was a life changing experience.

It totally opened my eyes to the scriptures and helped me develop a love for the Lord like I’d never experienced before. The characters, places, and stories came to life, and I could see and hear them in my mind vividly.

What’s Wrong?

So you can imagine my disappointment when I pop in the Book of Mormon CD for my kids, and they lose interest within seconds. I mean, okay, so they’re all under seven years old, and I was like fourteen when I first listened—but still.

My wife, Jenni, and I have audio scriptures playing in our house all the time, but one day I was reading the scriptures out loud to my kids the way I sometimes do secretly: Loud, with animated narration and passion, as if I was in a Shakespeare competition.

By the time I finished an entire chapter, they were still sitting there, listening. That had never happened before. Then they started asking questions and talking about the story. That had only ever happened in my pre-child-raising imagination.

That got me really thinking. Aren’t there any audio scriptures out there for kids that read like that? I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find any.

I was also writing my book at the time, called Scripture Study Made Awesome, where I discuss all kinds of unique methods of studying the scriptures. I even wrote a bunch of ideas for using audio scriptures in personal and family study.

But something kept bugging me. There aren’t any audio scriptures for kids. Sure, there are scripture readers, where they summarize the stories, and even talk about the principles taught in the scriptures. But I didn’t want my kids to just hear the summarized stories. I wanted them to love the scriptures as they were written in the book. I wanted them to love the language of the scriptures, and hone in on the individual words and phrases that give the stories and principles real depth and power.

Of course, being as young as they are, it’s hard for kids to keep attention for very long—especially when the words in the scriptures aren’t in modern language. But my experience reading with my kids in the animated tone made me realize that it’s not so much the words and phrases that are the problem, but mostly it’s the tone used.

Have you ever heard Goldilocks and the Three Bears read with the same drab tone we sometimes use for reading the scriptures? And without having the pictures?

Yeah, they’d bore of that, too.

The Solution

So I decided to make an audio Book of Mormon for kids. I wouldn’t change a single word or phrase—just straight through, word-for-word audio scriptures, but in an animated, excited voice, with music and sound effects, doing all I could to keep it awesome and fun.

So I made 1 Nephi 1 using the audio equipment I use to do my professional music recordings. Then, when it was ready, I plugged my computer into the living room stereo, pressed play, and stepped away to see what would happen.

Over the next thirty seconds, the kids, one after another, moseyed into the room to hear what was going on. Within a minute, they were crowded around my computer’s blank screen, listening intently to the scriptures. I’d never seen anything like it—except when we put in Finding Nemo.

As chapter 1 came to a close, my five-year-old son said, “Daddy, can we do another one?”

I laughed out loud, I was so excited. My kids were begging for MORE scriptures! My only disappointment was that I didn’t already have the next one ready. So the next morning I got to work, and over the next several days, created chapter 2. They loved it again, so I got to work and created chapter 3, and they were laughing and listening, and asking questions—like, really good questions, the kind I’d imagined kids asking in my pre-child-raising naivety.

I shared the chapters I’d made on the Internet, with a phenomenal response from others who had similar experiences with their kids, and many even suggested that the adults in their families were enjoying them every bit as much as the kids.

So I made chapter 4, with the same result—except that this time I found myself getting some fresh insights. The scriptures were becoming even more alive for me, too.

I only had one major problem. Making these was hard work. They took a lot of time, and as a self-employed musician and author, I don’t have much of it.

I tried to think of some way I could do this that wouldn’t take years and years to finish the Book of Mormon.

The Plan

Then someone suggested I do Kickstarter. I researched, and found that it was probably the best solution possible. So here’s the plan:

My desire is to make the Audio Book of Mormon Made Awesome available to everyone for free. I’ve been too blessed by the scriptures to offer it back only to those who have the money and can afford to pay. I want it available to everyone.

If I can get funded, I’ll use half of my working day creating the Audio Book of Mormon Made Awesome. The funding I’ve suggested should be enough to get me through 1st and 2nd Nephi in about two months—about one chapter a day, Monday through Friday. Plus I’ll make some fun activities and coloring pages for kids to do while they listen.

That will complete this project. 1st and 2nd Nephi is a lot to do, and if we can do this, your kids will be enjoying the Isaiah chapters before they can even read!

If this project funds, we’ll do another to complete the next chunk of the Book of Mormon. (I should be able to do the whole Book of Mormon in 5 projects.)

If we can’t get it funded, it’s going to take a dreadfully long time to complete the Book of Mormon. Your kids might be grown before it’s even available. How sad would that be?

We only have until the end of May, so pop on over to the Audio Book of Mormon for Kids Kickstarter project, and let’s get it funded!

You can get the sheet music or free MP3 of this music on my website.

From Joseph’s 1832 account of the first vision:

“At about the age of twelve years my mind became seriously impressed with regard to the all-important concerns for the welfare of my immortal soul, which led me to searching the scriptures, believing, as I was taught, that they contained the word of God. Thus, applying myself to them and my intimate acquaintance with those of different denominations led me to marvel exceedingly, for I discovered that they did not adorn their profession by a holy walk and godly conversation agreeable to what I found contained in that sacred depository.

“This was a grief to my soul. Thus from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the situation of the world of mankind, the contentions and divisions, the wickedness and abominations, and the darkness which pervaded the minds of mankind. My mind became exceedingly distressed, for I became convinced of my sins, and by searching the scriptures I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatized from the true and living faith. And there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament. And I felt to mourn for my own sins and for the sins of the world, for I learned in the scriptures that God was the same yesterday, today, and forever, that he was no respecter of persons, for he was God.

“For I looked upon the sun—the glorious luminary of the earth—and also the moon, rolling in their majesty through the heavens, and also the stars shining in their courses, and the earth also upon which I stood, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven and the fish of the waters, and also man walking forth upon the face of the earth in majesty and in the strength of beauty. . . . And when I considered upon these things, my heart exclaimed, ‘Well hath the wise man said it is a fool that saith in his heart there is no God.’

“My heart exclaimed, ‘All these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotent and omnipresent power, a being who maketh laws and decreeth and bindeth all things in their bounds, who filleth eternity, who was and is and will be from all eternity to eternity.’ And when I considered all these things and that that being seeketh such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth, therefore I cried unto the Lord for mercy, for there was none else to whom I could go and obtain mercy.

And the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord, in the [15th] year of my age, a pillar of firelight above the brightness of the sun at noon day came down from above and rested upon me, and I was filled with the spirit of God. And the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord.

And he spake unto me saying, ‘Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Go thy way, walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments. Behold, I am the Lord of glory. I was crucified for the world that all those who believe on my name may have eternal life. Behold, the world lieth in sin at this time, and none doeth good, no not one. They have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my commandments. They draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me. And mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them according to this ungodliness and to bring to pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and apostles. Behold and lo, I come quickly, as is written of me, in the cloud, clothed in the glory of my Father.’

And my soul was filled with love, and for many days I could rejoice with great joy, and the Lord was with me, but could find none that would believe the heavenly vision.”