The following broadcast, written and announced by Richard L. Evans, and originating with Station KSL, Salt Lake City, Utah was presented from 9:35 to 10:00 a.m. Sunday, April 9, 1961, through the courtesy of Columbia Broadcasting System’s network, throughout the United States, parts of Canada, and through other facilities to several points overseas. The broadcast was as follows:
(The organ played, “As the Dew From Heaven Distilling,” and on signal the Choir and organ broke into the hymn, “Gently Raise the Sacred Strain,” singing the words to the end of the second line, and humming to end of verse for announcer’s background.)
Announcer: Once more we welcome you within these walls with music and the spoken word from the Crossroads of the West.
The CBS Radio Network and its affiliated stations bring you at this hour another presentation from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, with Richard P. Condie conducting the Tabernacle Choir, Frank Asper, Tabernacle Organist, and the spoken word by Richard Evans.
We hear first an earnest pleading hymn of a prayerful heart, with words and music by Philip Paul Bliss: “More holiness give me. More striving within; More patience in suffering, More sorrow for sin; More faith in my Saviour; More sense of his care; More joy in his service, More purpose in prayer.”
(The Choir sang: “More Holiness Give Me.”— Bliss.)
Announcer: From the music of Ralph Kinder, Frank Asper recalls a mood of light and loveliness, of the beauty and hope of the peace and repentance that come with the world’s reawakening: “In Springtime.”
(Organ Selection: “In Springtime.”—Kinder.)
Announcer: The Tabernacle Choir sings Charles Gounod’s music with words taken from two Old Testament texts: “Lovely Appear Over the Mountains, the feet of them that preach, and bring good news of peace. Ye mountains, ye perpetual hills, bow ye down. Over the barren wastes shall flowers now have possession.”
(The Choir sang: “Lovely Appear.”—Gounod.)
Announcer: In one of his writings, Dostoevsky recalled the poignant remark of a young man who knew he had only a little left of mortal life to live: “… It’s natural to believe,” he said, “that everyone else thinks too little of life and is apt to waste it too cheaply, and to use it too lazily, too shamelessly, … It’s life that matters, nothing but life—the process of discovering, the everlasting and perpetual process. … If he’s alive he has everything in his power! Whose fault is it he doesn’t understand that?” [Fyodor Dostoevsky, from “The Idiot”]. If he’s alive he has everything! It must follow then that he who is not alive has nothing. And he who has only mortal life, only limited life, has too little—because every day he lives brings him ever nearer to the end of all that means much of anything at all. It is as Ruskin remarked: “There is no Wealth but Life” [John Ruskin, “Unto This Last,” sect. 77]—therefore, the impact of this passage: “Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.” 3 This brings us again to the importance of beliefs, briefly mentioned last week— the importance of perspective, the importance of putting important and unimportant things in proper place—for what we believe about ourselves, about others, about God, about life is of incalculable consequence, for what a man believes, or knows, or thinks he is, or thinks life’s purpose is, determines largely how he lives, and how he lives determines largely what he’s like—including the accumulations that represent his efforts and his interests. Not to work for the good we believe would be a waste of life. And we well would look to what we do, to what we make, to what causes we serve, to all our choices, to the commandments we keep, to the love and respect of family and friends, and to the reality of our relationship to Him who made us in His image and who keeps creation in its course, and from whom we have the assurance that people and personality are eternally perpetuated, and that hereafter, even as here, we shall know and recognize, in literal reality, our family and friends—and always be our separate selves. Time is short—but eternity is endlessly long, and “It’s life that matters, … the everlasting perpetual process. … He [who is alive] … has everything… . Whose fault is it if he doesn’t understand that?”
Announcer: And now the Tabernacle Choir sings a 16th Century melody by Louis Bourgeois with words paraphrased from the 100th Psalm: “All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice … Come ye before Him and rejoice.”
(The Choir sang: “All People That On Earth Do Dwell.”—Bourgeois.)
Announcer: Frank Asper turns to a hymn melody by George Careless: “Softly Beams The Sacred Dawning.”
(Organ Selection: “Softly Beams The Sacred Dawning.”—Careless.)
Announcer: With Albert Fallows as soloist, the Tabernacle Choir sings James MacDermid’s setting for this comforting, reassuring New Testament text: “In My Father’s House Are Many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you.”
(The Choir sang: “In My Father’s House.”—MacDermid.)
Announcer: With the music of Evan Stephens, we hear the Tabernacle Choir recall in closing the words of Eliza R. Snow: “Awake, Ye Saints of God, Awake; call on the Lord in mighty prayer… .”
(The Choir sang: “Awake, Ye Saints of God.”— Stephens.)
Announcer: Again we leave you within the shadows of the everlasting hills. May peace be with you, this day—and always.
This concludes the sixteen hundred fifty first presentation, continuing the 32nd year of this traditional broadcast from the Mormon Tabernacle on Temple Square, brought to you by CBS Radio and its affiliated stations, originating with Radio Station KSL in Salt Lake City.
Richard P. Condie conducted the Tabernacle Choir. Frank Asper was at the organ. The spoken word by Richard Evans.
In another seven days, at this same hour, music and the spoken word will be heard again from the Crossroads of the West.