The Cricket and Seagull Fireside Chat

For centuries they lay hidden in clay jars in remote cliff-side caves near the Dead Sea, but now you and your family can see the Dead Sea Scrolls in 10 US cities, including at The Leonardo in Salt Lake City right now through April 2014. And even if you can't go in person, you'll find amazing ways to be involved from wherever you are at the website (TheLeonardo.org ) with podcasts of lectures, book clubs, and picture books.

In this audio interview , Bryton Sampson, communications specialist at The Leonardo, takes us on a quick tour of the possibilities and what you'll experience at the exhibit. From a 3-ton stone from Jerusalem's Western Wall of the Temple Mount to everyday objects and sections of the actual Dead Sea Scrolls, you'll find plenty to pique your interest.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

What was temple worship like in Old and New Testament times? What ancient symbolism might be enlightening to us as we worship in our Latter-day temples? The 2013 Sidney B. Sperry Symposium taking place this Saturday on the BYU Provo campus addresses these and many other aspects of "The Mountain of the Lord" in ancient times. And if you can't attend in person, the book containing nearly all of the presentations has just been published.

In this audio interview , Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick of the BYU Jerusalem Center and the department of Religious Education at BYU shares the history and purpose of the symposium, gives some passionate advice to Gospel Doctrine teachers everywhere, and lays out a preview of his own presentation at the upcoming gathering -- "The Great Jerusalem Temple Prophecy." The symposium begins at 9:00 am in the Joseph Smith building on the Provo campus and it's completely free. Click Here for symposium details online .

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

So here’s a question; if you could visit Israel and go to all the places you’ve read about and dreamed of experiencing, using every sense but sight--meaning you wouldn't see a thing--would you still want to go? Would it be worth it?

Kyle Woodruff has been blind since birth, but on a recent tour of the Holy Land with a choir, he “saw” the land of Israel and the places Jesus walked and taught, in very different ways than everyone else in the group--and came up with some amazing and surprising insights.

That’s this week on The Cricket and Seagull

Motivating and inspiring young people to do their best is always a good thing, but how to do it? In the case of the members of the Lyceum Philharmonic Orchestra , director Kayson Brown seems to have found just the right formula for inspiring excellence.

In this interview he talks about high expections, love, and an over-riding sense of purpose; traits which apply to much more than music, although we’ll be sure to hear lots of great music along the way.

That’s this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

What if you wanted to paint the being you worship? You might worry that you don’t have the skill, but what about an even more basic consideration; is it right to even try?

If you do try, then what kind of representation should you use? Classical, realistic, or abstract? You’ll find all these questions and a lot more to think about and see in this excerpt from J. Kirk Richards ’ recent keynote address at the 2013 conference of The Association for Mormon Letters , titled, “Seek Ye the Face of Christ: Considerations in Depicting the Savior.”

And, because it’s such a visual presentation, we’ve made this a video podcast. Click here to view the presention .

That’s this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

The word “banquet” conjures up the image of a feast; delicious food and lots of it, but for the past 22 years, students at BYU have hosted a Hunger Banquet – a banquet where the goodies are not doled out equally. In fact, most of the attendees go away hungry, at least physically, but filled with a very tangible vision of the scope of global poverty.

This event is truly “thinking globally while acting locally,” not only by raising awareness, but also by benefitting a local organization which helps international refugees in Northern Utah.

Click Here to listen! That’s this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

It’s the middle of winter here in North America – the time for snow and freezing temperatures, and the time when nothing grows in the garden. At least that’s what most of us have come to think.

But you might be surprised to know just how much you can grow all winter long. In fact, the skills of winter gardening were common knowledge and even common practice up until just 50 or so years ago.

This week we’ll talk to an expert on Winter Gardening – a man who manages to feed his entire family from his garden all winter long. In this interview you’ll learn how a winter garden works, and you’ll also learn a simple secret to always having a garden no matter where you live.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

There’s nothing like a hometown Christmas — a Christmas when you were together with family, when the high school choir set the mood for the season with their concerts, and when you saw and waved to your neighbors as they scurried among the downtown shops seeking treasures for their loved ones.
A hometown Christmas is a bit harder to find these days — strip malls and canned holiday music which starts around Halloween have seen to that, but they still do happen. In this case we’ll listen in on a few numbers from a hometown Christmas concert by Utah singer-songwriter Cori Connors , herself one of just two recipients of this year’s Governor’s Mansion Artist Awards for artistic contributions to the state and her community. We’ll hear a Christmas story or two, a tribute to a real-life hometown hero, a song about the reason for the season, and finally, a sing-along “Silent Night” with all the people crammed into the Farmington Arts Center to celebrate the season. I hope you’ll sing along.
Here’s to a hometown Christmas — that's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

The "Arab Spring” has swept across the Middle East this year, bringing new freedoms to people in a number of nations, but in Syria, the winter approaches and hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled the fighting by crossing into Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan – nearly half a million and growing in number – are finding life more difficult than ever.

In one of the many refugee camps, you’ll find Jim and Karyn Anderson, two Utahns who have been serving as humanitarian workers for LDS Charities in Lebanon and now in Jordan, trying to bring relief and encouragement to the fathers and mothers who have made their way from Syria over the Jordanian border by night, often through gunfire with their children, seeking any kind of safe haven.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

It used to be that if you wanted hear music, you had to make it yourself, or find someone else who could make it. Nowadays we can carry thousands of the greatest recordings ever made right in our pocket. That part has changed. What hasn't changed is what music does to us; what it makes us feel and remember.

Come do a little time-traveling and musical exploration with the hosts of Classical 89, BYU's music station, now streaming worldwide at Classical89.org .

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

When Calee Reed lets go with her big, hearty, infectious laugh, you can't help but laugh along. And when she sings of joy or of holding on through heartbreak, it's hard not to feel that you know exactly what she means. I guess that's the beauty of "The Waiting Place," the new album of songs that marks Reed's recording debut.

With imaginative pairings of familiar hymns and lots of originals, Calee Reed hits the mark nearly every time. Her runaway success of a music video (which you can see here ) shows a gift for finding the divine in the mundane and the everyday; the perspective that suddenly snaps everything trivial into it's proper proportion when something really important is suddenly at stake.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Playlist:

Give My Heart Your Peace
Better Than a Hallelujah
Called to Serve
Closer to You
Time for Love
Trust in God
The Waiting Place
Where Can I Turn for Peace?/Be Still, My Soul
She Put the Music in Me
Come, Thou Fount/I Am a Child of God

"Next year in Jerusalem!" The Jews have said it for centuries. For all who love the scriptures, visiting the Holy Land fills your heart and mind with feelings and images which rush back every time you open those sacred pages.

And some of the most moving memories come from singing the hymns at the very places they speak of; the little town of Bethlehem, a green hill far away, and not-so-far-far away on Judea's plains. To lift your voice in "He Is Risen!" at the Garden Tomb, to sing "I Stand All Amazed" among the ancient olive trees of the Garden of Gethsemane; these truly are sacred moments.

In this audio interview, renowned choral director Brady Allred invites experienced choral singers to combine voices and form a choir for a 10-day tour of Israel, including exchange performances with the Kolot Hasadeh Choir at the Harduf kibbutz, and at the acoustically gorgeous Scottish Church in Jerusalem with one of Shimon Levtov's accomplished choirs.

Along with the choral events, our experienced guides will make sure we still explore all of the important historical and religious sites which can make a visit to the Holy Land a life-changing spiritual experience in 2013 — "Next year in Jerusalem!"

Click Here for dates and details , including a full day-by-day itinerary. If you’d like to join us, please act quickly, the tour has already begun to fill.

For decades Clive Romney has been a solid session player, writer, producer, recording engineer, arranger and performer on the Utah music scene, but it wasn't until a change of heart in his 50's that he found what he describes as his true calling in life.

In this audio interview Clive tells both personal and universal stories that show the richness a connection with our ancestors can add to our lives. And, like most good guys in westerns, you can always pick out Clive in a crowd; he's the one wearing the white hat.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Summer is a busy season in Nauvoo, Illinois, especially if you are in charge of letting everyone know about the various events and shows happening every day.

In this audio interview, Elder Verl Doman talks about the work he and his wife, Sister Sue Doman, do every day as public affairs missionaries in Nauvoo, and how the church reaches out in friendship to Latter-day Saints and other people alike in the area. Also discussed, is why the growth of the church in Nauvoo puts the LDS Church is a position similar to the 1840's when the influx of saints began to affect the balance in government and politics in the area.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Recently retired BYU theater professor Eric Samuelsen has always connected spirituality with art, but he finds that connection in a lot of places where most people wouldn't think to look—like a ballgame or a rap song, or even zombie movies.

In this audio interview Samuelsen talks about his background in the arts and shares some eye-opening ideas about what expressions of the human soul can mean to someone with the gospel in their lives and the willingness to take a second look.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

You've heard his songs for nearly two decades, but maybe you didn't know that songwriter, arranger, and producer Tyler Castleton was the man behind the music.

This new 17-track collection album includes some of Tyler’s most requested songs, as well as a few brand-new offerings, performed by Tyler himself. With performances from the likes of Gladys Knight, Hilary Weeks, Jericho Road, Jenny Phillips, Kenneth Cope, Cherie Call and many others, "When I Can't Speak," features music that closes the gap between heaven and earth.

Playlist:

When I Sing (Tyler Castleton)
When I Can't Speak (Julie Yardley)
Love Will Find You There (John McVey)
Again (April Meservy)
Just Like a Father Would (Mercy River)
I Will Not Be Still (Kenneth Cope)
Blessed Be His Name (Jenny Phillips)
Sometimes He Lets It Rain (Katherine Nelson)
For the Love Of a Woman (Jericho Road)
You Can Change (Julie Yardley)
You Give (Hilary Weeks)
Walk With Me (Tyler Castleton)
I Just Knew (Cherie Call)
Sisters In Christ (Gladys Knight)
Let Him Heal Your Heart (Dave Kimball)
In the Meantime (Jessie Clark Funk)
Shine On (David Osmond)

LDS pianist William Joseph is known for being a protegé of super producer David Foster, and his first two albums have wowed listeners and audiences alike with virtuosic performances. Now his new release, "Be Still," features an entirely different approach.

Filled with thoughtful, liquid-sounding piano and joined at times by cello and violin, "Be Still," is a collection of reverent interpretations of favorite hymns with a two original pieces which match the mood of the project. In this audio interview you'll hear samples of the music and William's thoughts on choosing and arranging the pieces.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Whether you're finding an apartment for someone newly homeless, explaining to a foreign refugee what a flush toilet is, or connecting addicts with resources for recovery, the Inner City Project has something nearly anyone can do to fulfill Christ's call to serve "the least of these" right when it matters the most.

Mike and Allene Ross—Elder and Sister Ross right now—are assistant directors for this innovative program which is changing the lives of both recipients and those who serve in downtown Salt Lake City. In this audio interview they share amazing stories about this program which lets you serve for a number of hours each week while still living at home, sleeping in your own bed, and even before you retire.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

She's been writing music for decades, but never loses her enthusiasm for writing for children. Ever wonder what her favorite song is from her catalog? How she combines research and relaxing to create?

In this audio interview about her new album "As a Child of God," Janice Kapp Perry talks about writing for kids, the song that came in a day, balancing life and writing, and answers questions from Facebook fans.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull!

What would you do if you were the only Latter-day Saint you knew in your entire country and the only way to attend sacrament meeting was to get over, around, or through a massive wall meant to keep you and your people out? And how would you make peace with your situation and learn to forgive?

Sahar Qumsiyeh, a Palestinian from the West Bank town of Bethlehem, found unorthodox ways to attend her meetings for 12 years until a job at a UN agency allowed her to pass through the checkpoints freely. As Relief Society President in the Jerusalem District, she shares the same responsibilities as her counterparts throughout the world, but with an added challenge of a wall which prevents many of those in her care from ever meeting. Through it all, she has learned to trust the inspiration and peace of the Holy Ghost, giving her the peace Jesus promised; a peace not of this world.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull—be sure and Click Here to listen.

The popular all-mom trio, Mercy River, is back with a mix of well-known inspirational music and originals that reflect their own life experiences.

In this audio interview Soni, Brooke, and Whitney talk about the usefulness of onstage humiliation, the good things about surrendering and letting go, plus introduce the LDS market to some of the best contemporary Christian songwriting from recent years.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull, be sure and take a listen!

Playlist:
Beautiful Life
Better Than A Hallelujah
It Might Be Hope
With Him We Can
Change In the Making
Love Never Fails
Let Go
Blessings
Beautiful For Me
Surrender
Just Like A Father Would

Rita R. Wright, Curator of Art and Artifacts at the Church History Museum walks us through the new exhibit featuring nearly 200 different works in a variety of genres. Her enthusiasm for art and the gospel is infectious and you'll be glad for a guide who helps you see more deeply into these amazing paintings, sculptures, and yes, even a flannel board story.

In this audio interview you'll hear what kind of support the Church gives to the arts, how learning to understand art an be helpful in understanding the scriptures, and I think you'll especially enjoy hearing Rita Wright get on her soapbox for a moment on the power of art and how it blesses our spirits.

Click here to see a video version of this edition with photos of the exhibits. And be sure to click here to visit the exhibit page itself and cast your vote for the Visitors Choice award.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Utah State Democratic Party Chairman Jim Debakis was delighted with the soaring numbers of LDS Utahns who turned out for the Democratic Party's caucus meetings last Tuesday, and Craig Janis, head of outreach for the newly launched LDS Dems Caucus, talked about the increased interest in the organization just this week.

With The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expressing concern over a lack of political participation in the state and amid worries over the ways an increasingly one-party system of government in the state can be harmful to all citizens, Mormon or not, LDS Democrats were impressed to hear the following read over the pulpit in church meetings in a letter from the First Presidency of the Church in recent weeks:

"Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in the platforms of the various political parties. We encourage members to attend their precinct caucus meetings."

In addition, the LDS Church directed local congregations to cancel activities on March 13 and 15, allowing church members to attend their Democratic and Republican caucus meetings held those evenings, respectively. The result? Record participation.

That's this week on the Cricket and Seagull.

This new album features masterworks, sacred anthems, a folk hymn, a song from the Broadway stage, and selections from some of the most eminent film composers of our day. Included are jubilant renditions of “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Ennio Morricone’s “Nella Fantasia” from The Mission, and one of the choir's most frequently requested anthems, “The Holy City.”

In this audio interview director Mack Wilberg tells about the music choices, Tenor soloist Stanford Olsen, relates the most humbling aspect of working with the choir, and describes the joy of performing and recording some of the world's most enduring (and difficult!) works for choir and orchestra.

That’s this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

For some deaf recipients of Cochlear Implants, it can take up to ten years to learn to distinguish sounds and to speak. But for Emily Thomas , from Oklahoma, it was a miraculously short period of less than two years; years which coincided with her finding the Gospel and deciding that God’s gift of words to her was a sacred trust.

In this audio interview with Emily Thomas, a professional counselor deaf since birth, you’ll learn three things deaf church members wish hearing members understood about them, hear a remarkable story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ bringing a family together after a decade, and generally bask in the glow of someone full of the light of the Lord.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Cody Reese and and Brandon Larson look like any other athletes until they slide up their pant legs to show off the high-tech prosthetic legs that keep them in the mobile mainstream of society. What's not mainstream is their penchant for zooming down mountainsides at 70 mph.

In this audio interview bobsledders Reese and Larson and their coach Jeremy Holm talk about the spiritual lessons learned from challenging yourself to do difficult things, whether able-bodied or otherwise, and why they do what they do.

(Find them online here and on Facebook here .)

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Positive music can inspire, heal, uplift, and enlighten. That's what Craig Clifford and Aaron Edson have always believed and now they've released “My Rules,” a new album of 14 original pop, rock, and hip-hop songs that intend to prove it.

In this audio interview Craig and Aaron talk about creating an album of modern music that encourages kids to live more hopefully, purposefully, and honorably, while enjoying the styles and beats they love. You'll hear their philosophy of music and don't miss my favorite of the bunch, "Something Sacred," which, as Craig says, "I can't believe has never been written before."

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

You might not know it from listening, but some of Jason Tonioli's hymn arrangements and piano pieces have come to him at unusual times and places; like while he was white-water kayaking or boarding a bus to leave a little town in Argentina he'd come to love. In every case though, they are heartfelt expressions of his life and what he feels.

In this audio interview you'll hear what convinced him to keep practicing piano as a reluctant teenager (moms take note!) in Hooper, Utah, and why he posts many of his arrangements for free online. It's a preview of two albums in one program.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Mixing classical influences with sacred hymns, James Conlee sings new interpretations of beloved melodies from both worlds. At times he combines actual pieces as with "Abide With Me" and "Pachelbel's Canon," "I Often Go Walking" with "Claire De Lune," and others.

James has performed with the Broadway touring company of "Miss Saigon" and is a former BYU Young Ambassador. In this audio interview you'll hear about the hymns and arrangement process, how recording with the City of Prague Philharmonic provided a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience, and why several of these hymns have a personal connection to a loved one.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Bobbi Hansen has always loved working with kids and music, but she was a bit daunted when she first felt the vision of a new musical project for kids coming into her mind and occupying her thoughts and feelings. Luckily for kids everywhere, she was willing to be brave and step forward in faith and dream big.

In producing "We Are Amazing!" she teamed with veteran children's writers Roger & Melanie Hoffman, Marvin Payne, and Steven Kapp Perry to write and record a program that embodies the concepts she felt every child should know about themselves and their world. Take a listen as she shares the music and the results of performing the songs live with 2nd and 3rd grade choirs.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

A visiting legislator once asked Joseph Smith Jr. how he governed so many people with such order. Joseph replied, "I teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves." Joseph Smith was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois at the time and was later a candidate for President of the United States. Now, over a hundred years later, another Latter-day Saint espouses much of the same principle-based philosophy of decentralized governance, only his name is Yeah Samake , he is currently the mayor of Ouelessebougou, and he is a candidate for President in the African country of Mali.

In this audio interview, BYU graduate Yeah Samake shares the story of his father's vision for education which raised an entire family from hunger to prominence. We'll hear how his actions eliminating corruption as Mayor of a small town brought him to the attention of national leaders in Mali, and what he hopes to accomplish if elected President of Mali in April of 2012. You'll also learn what it's like for brother and sister Samake and their children to be the only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their country.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

If you can picture a jalopy crammed full of thrift-store-clothing-clad carolers singing and playing hymns with acoustic instruments as they bounce merrily along through the snow under a winter moon, maybe you can imagine the sound of The Lower Lights on their cheerful new Christmas album without even taking a listen. But do take a listen, you'll be glad you did.

Producer Scott Wiley provides the quirky recording space where all the magic happens at June Audio, in Provo, Utah. In a room filled with instruments and mics at the ready and looking like it's decorated for A Beatles Christmas all year long, he collected faithful friends and musicians to spontaneously arrange and record the holiday songs they love best over a joyful five-day period. In this week's audio interview, Scott talks about the group dynamics, the surprising reaction to unexpected fans from young to old, and ultimately why The Lower Lights do what they do. Like I said before, take a listen, you'll be glad you did.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

From tender to triumphant, you'll find all the moods of the Christmas season in this beautifully produced new holiday album from Tricia Storey . It's the kind of heart-felt work of art from a skillful and experienced artist you rarely hear any more in these days of glossy arrangements, one-song downloads and whatever-will-sell retail dynamics.

Turn on the Christmas lights, sit down with a cup of hot cocoa and put on this new recording for a feast of favorites and rare finds that feel instantly like old friends. Perfect simplicity in instrumental arrangements and harmonies make this my favorite intimate holiday recording of the last several years at least. You're in good hands with Tricia Storey and you'll love hearing her insights and stories of the songs in this week's interview. She calls Christmas songs "the last socially acceptable way to bear testimony of Christ," and you'll hear plenty of joyful and inspiring music doing just that on "Christmas."

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Playlist
O Come All Ye Faithful • I Saw Three Ships • Rise Up Shepherd and Follow • Good Christian Men Rejoice (harp interlude) • Who Comes This Night • Away in a Manger • What Child Is This (harp interlude) • The Holly Berry • Christmas for Cowboys • Some Children See Him • O Come O Come Emmanuel • Lo How a Rose (harp interlude) • We Will Rock You • what Songs Were Sung • Angels We Have Heard On High (harp interlude) • Christmas is a Comin' • I'll Be Home for Christmas • Silent Night • Merry Christmas Round

One of the most surprising things about Christmas is that the earliest Christians didn't celebrate it at all—it was just too pagan. Not long thereafter though, the human propensity to observe important events began to assemble a celebration like none other.

In his new book on the advent, Eric D. Huntsman creates a near-perfect mix of history, facts, doctrine, stories and illustrations to engage readers of every age and intellectual bent. Along the way, you'll encounter wisemen, shepherds, angels, Joseph and Mary, and all the familiar elements of Christmas cast in a revealing new light. You'll also enjoy a heart-felt chapter on "Christmas with Autism," which shows one family's discovery of ways to fill the season with joy for every family member.

Click Here to follow the Huntsman's celebration of Christmas in Jerusalem this year at their blog at http://www.huntsmansintheholyland.blogspot.com

Happy Advent, from The Cricket and Seagull!

Renowned painter Lee Udall Bennion has been partners in life and art with her husband, potter Joe Bennion, for 35 years. This Fall the Bennions and their family open their pottery shop and painting studio for visitors and shoppers on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving for a special sale in Spring City, Utah.

In this second of a two-part series, Lee talks about painting, becoming aware of her "style," and why her work focuses more on color, form, and feeling, than on photographic accuracy. She shares the serendipitous story of meeting her mentor, Ella Peacock, soon after moving to Spring City. In addition to everything else she's accomplished in her life, Lee Bennion may also be the only woman alive with her own combination art studio, print-making shop, and horse stable.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

For over thirty years Joe and Lee Bennion have been husband/wife, potter/painter, river runner/camp cook and any number of other partnerships together. Every Fall the Bennions open their pottery shop and painting studio for visitors and shoppers on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving for a special sale.

In this part one of two articles, I interviewed renowned potter Joe Bennion while he worked at the wheel at Horseshoe Mountain Pottery on Main Street in Spring City, Utah. Against the quiet creak of his foot-driven potter's wheel, you'll hear about his creative philosophy, how even pottery can honor the Lord, and how clay pieces are like people. You'll also learn about two artists who made a life for themselves in the place they love, doing what they love, and blessing the world.

(Watch for part two featuring the visual art of Lee Bennion next week.)

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

This native of Osaka, Japan, had never sung in public until he joined the LDS church and was serving as a missionary in Fukuoka. In the 20 years since, he's sung and written music with artists like Janice Kapp Perry, Afterglow, Kenneth Cope, Jericho Road and other, all in Japanese.

This weekend Nobu is giving a concert in his home ward in Osaka and has released "I Will Sing!" This new CD includes many of his favorite inspirational songs sung in Japanese with the artists who created them, and he includes several meaningful originals.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

PLAYLIST
I Will Sing!
Let Me Be a Light
When Love Leads the Way
Duty to God
He Brought Me Light (w/Daniel Beck)
Like a Lighthouse
My Single Heart
Hold On, the Light Will Come
Big Tree
Never a Better Hero (w/Kenneth Cope)
Sukiyaki (w/Jericho Road)
I Believe in Christ
Arigato Okaasan
Nearer, My God, to Thee (w/Bless4)
My Friend, My Brother
Extending Light
I Will Sing! (English version)

Thousands of LDS teenagers hear and sing his vocal arrangements every summer at Especially for Youth camps, but on this new album, composer and arranger Michael R. Hicks lets the instruments do the work.

Hymn Creations runs the gamut of styles, featuring big celebratory arrangements like "Rejoice the Lord is King," and more contemplative performances like "I Need Thee Every Hour." In this interview Mike talks about his personal—and sometimes surprising—connection to the hymns he's chosen, about doing his best writing away from the piano, and why he thinks hymns are to music what the scriptures are to literature.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Playlist
Come Ye Children of the Lord
How Gentle God's Commands
Come Thou Fount
Jesus the Very Thought of Thee
Amazing Grace
Dearest Children God is Near You
Green Hill
We Thank Thee
Come Follow Me
Rejoice the Lord is King
I Need Thee Every Hour
I Know that My Redeemer LIves

From the hundreds of song submissions they receive, the producers of each year's Especially for Youth album winnow out the best for recording and sharing with the tens of thousands of youth who attend the annual summer camp.

Producer Russ Dixon talks about the process of creating this year's album, "Believe. Hope. Endure." He's found some new diamonds-in-the-rough like "The One," plus Stephanie Mabey's "He Knows Me Better," the contemporary Christian hit "What Faith Can do," and more.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

In this remarkable DVD shot on location in the Holy Land, beloved LDS scholar and educator Ann Madsen uses the land itself to introduce us to the images and poetry of Isaiah like few others could. The cinematography is often breathtaking and the computer-generated visit to Solomon's temple and the description of Isaiah's call to prophesy are worth having all by themselves.

Her decades of teaching the subject at BYU and in Jerusalem have prepared Ann Madsen in a rare way to start us on our own journey into Isaiah knowing what to look for to discover for ourselves why Christ himself said, "Great are the words of Isaiah." Indeed, it is Christ himself and his atonement we will find revealed in powerful ways in the words of this prophet among prophets.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Whether it's a monumental heartbreak or child with a mouthful of Mac 'n Cheese, songwriter Hilary Weeks seems to take her inspiration from every part of her life.

On this new album recorded in Nashville, TN, you'll hear ten new songs from tender to jubilant -- like "Living Proof" and "Past the Point," and a bonus remake of one of her classics, "All My Days."

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

It began with one simple hymn lyric by Bonnie Hart Murray and then became an entire album once she was paired with LDS composer Janice Kapp Perry.

Bonnie and Janice tell about choosing the Book of Mormon people and events to feature in this new musical fireside and how they created the songs, including "Two Thousand Stripling Warrios," which is featured in the October Ensign and Liahona magazines.

Also, visit JaniceKappPerry.com to find out how you can get two "pass-along download cards" to share the album with family and friends for a limited time.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

It begins like other 9/11 commemorations we’ve seen in the past, and on this day 10 years after the events of 9/11 the sounds of salutes and taps and the readings of the names is familiar.

Except these names are from a different 9/11 altogether—September 11th of 1857, one-hundred and fifty-four years ago today.

It really was September 11th, that day when a California-bound wagon train crossing Southwestern Utah was attacked by Mormon militiamen, killing approximately 120 men, women, and children, most from Arkansas. Many of the details are here in excerpts from a ceremony held on September 11, 2011 on the same site, marking the designation of this burial spot as a National Historic Landmark.

A century and a half later, signs of healing and reconciliation between the descendants of the perpetrators as well as descendants of the 17 young survivors, is an encouraging work in progress. In the commemoration ceremony conducted by Assistant Church Historian and Recorder Richard E. Turley, Jr, there are remarks from Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the First Quorum of the Seventy, himself the Church Historian, and representatives of the three groups of survivor descendants.

You'll also hear about a remarkable set of quilts which have literally brought both cloth squares and people together representing all the stakeholders, making a hands-on memorial of remembrance and forgiveness.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

In his new book, author and journalist Caleb Warnock is likely to surprise you with the obvious — I mean, the pioneers did eat all winter, right? So what did they do differently than we do with our brief three-month garden season? Could we do it their way today? And why is cooking with "pioneer yeast" so much healthier and easier on the digestive system than today's quick-rise yeast?

In this podcast, you'll get an interesting earful of useful and practical ways of living that were basic life skills until just the last 75 years or so. Did you know carrots weren't even orange until a couple hundred years ago and that they taste best if you leave them in the ground all winter? You do now!

That's just the beginning of this week's journey into self-sufficiency.

Fans of Daniel Beck's gorgeous voice will sit back and breathe a happy sigh when they hear "Abide With Me," his new album of hymns and hymn-like songs. It's just what they've been waiting for—and that includes me.

Whether it's an ear-opening blend of familiar lyrics with unexpected old hymn tunes or the tender, soaring high notes on "Gentle Savior," this is an album that speaks the longing we have for closeness and dependence on the Lord, and sings praises for his mercy. You'll enjoy hearing Beck and producer Tyler Castleton talk about the song choices and the arrangements, and why this is more than just a collection of songs for them.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

When I heard Chieko Okazaki had passed away earlier this month, my first glance was to my bookshelf where I saw the two origami cranes she made out of gold foil paper and presented to me during the one interview I had with her. When you hear what the symbolism of those cranes is you'll know why I've kept them and why they are so meaningful to me.

The moment she walked in the door I felt not only the unexpected power of her presence, but also a clear feeling that she was not alone; that she walked and talked with her Savior. It was something I have rarely experienced to that degree and a feeling I will never forget. In the few short joyful moments I had to interview her about her final book "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (a book whose title could sum up her life) she gave me several gifts; two golden cranes, one cryptic little wooden sign I treasure, and an increased desire to know Jesus in the way she did and now, surely, does.

I can think of no better way to thank her for those gifts than to let you hear her tell about that relationship in her own voice.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

At the upcoming Book of Mormon Archeological Foundation conference in Salt Lake City, Dr. Joseph Allen and his wife Rhoda will receive the "Father Lehi" and "Mother Sariah" awards, recognizing those who have pioneered and expanded exploration of the Book of Mormon.

While the exact geographical setting for the Book of Mormon is still an open question, Dr. Allen was one of the pioneers in researching and publishing on the possible settings beginning with his dissertation on the legendary white god, Quetzalcoatl in 1970. In this rebroadcast of an audio interview recorded several years ago, Dr. Allen talks about why he became interested in the subject and how a knowledge of Book of Mormon culture and place as drawn from the scripture itself can bless us spiritually.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

It may be the third in their series of tribute albums, but this follow-up to "Joseph" and "The Trek" has the same strong sense of mission—in fact, it's all about missions, missionaries, their parents and families, and the people they find and teach.

Nashville songwriter and producer Jason Deere shares the music and stories behind these songs, an unexpected collaboration with Michael McLean, and the goal of the Nashville Tribute Band members on this album; to help anyone of any faith understand the motivation and sacrifice of the missionaries they see on the streets around the world.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Happy Pioneer Day!

Music has been a part of the Mormon tradition from the very beginning. Whether it was hymns or folk songs, it seems there was music created to mark most important occasions. For instance, we have the dedication of the Kirtland, Ohio, temple in 1836 to thank for the hymn "The Spirit of God" appearing in our hymnals today.

The wagon company of 1847 was hardly under way before William Clayton came up with his new version of "All is Well" which we know as "Come, Come Ye Saints." And it was just over 150 years ago when the first of many handcart companies set out for the Rocky Mountains, pushing and pulling their way across a continent to the tune of "The Handcart Song." Plus there were the humorous songs about the railroad and the bad influence it was bound to bring to the territory.

This week in celebration of Pioneer Day on July 24th—a state holiday in Utah—we feature Mormon folk songs from the Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture. These examples were recorded in 1946 and 1947 by Austin Fife and his wife Alta on a trip covering Utah, gathering songs passed on in the folk tradition—either learned firsthand from the writer or passed down in families and communities through the generations.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

With over 40 years of research and accreditations to his name, James Petty is the perfect guide to the ins and outs of using professional family research services.

The great uncle who supposedly died as a child, but turned out to have lived and had two families (unbeknownst to each other); the elusive grandfather who drifted from state to state leaving no trace of where he died and was buried; these are just two of the recent mysteries professional researcher James Petty has been called upon to solve.

With a treasure-trove of stories and experience, the founder of Heirlines.com gives us an overview of his upcoming presentations at the BYU Conference for Family History & Genealogy (July 26-29, 2011) and gives candid advice about finding the right person with the right qualifications when you need some extra help finding important family information. It's informative and entertaining.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Now in it's 43rd year, BYU's annual Conference on Family History & Genealogy has learned to respond to its attendees and provide the most useful information in the most usable way. With separate tracks over the four-day conference you can choose general knowledge ("How do I turn this computer on?") up to detailed specifics ("How do I keep these Norwegian names straight?").

John Best of BYU's Conferences and Workshops gives us an in-depth preview of the conference beginning on July 26, 2011, and points out how it can even bless those who can't attend through the yearly publication of the detailed syllabus which includes notes from every single presenter. Here's an interview you'll want to forward to your favorite family history buff.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Aaron Ashton is one of those rare instrumental musicians equally at home with classical, folk, and jazz, and he mixes it all together on "Split the Difference," his new album of eclectic and electric tunes for fiddle and violin.

You'll hear about musical influences, mixing genres, playing in church, and mostly about the fun a bunch of talented musicians can have while pushing boundaries and just plain making music.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Most Latter-day Saints know him for his acoustic guitar work on the "Twenty-Five Beloved Hymns" series, but guitarist Michael Dowdle's first and continuing love has always been the electric guitar.

On this pedal-to-the-metal album of instrumental power trio music you'll hear why he's a favorite on YouTube with his playing videos, hear Michael's philosophy of rock and roll, and learn why this new album was sparked by a scripture in the New Testament (hint; it has to do with a candle and a bushel) and a listener from Holland. You might even develop a whole new appreciation of guitar virtuosity.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square combine their talents to create this one-of-a-kind collection of exquisite music that bears witness of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Choir director Dr. Mack Wilberg gives us an audio tour of the new album, featuring songs never before recorded by the Choir, as well as familiar favorites. From start to finish, this inspiring and contemplative album is completely focused on the love of our Savior and his role as our Redeemer.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Most Latter-day Saints could tell you a fact or two about the handcart companies of 1856, but few could give you the names, the humorous incidents, the brutal facts, and especially the innumerable miracles which accompanied their every step.

With the premier of "17 Miracles" only weeks away, film maker T.C. Christensen sat down with one of the actresses and a producer of the movie to share some of these stories, and why he ended up retelling a story which has been told many times before.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In a surprising juxtaposition of two familiar genres, award-winning LDS pianist Josh Wright blends sacred and classical favorites in a satisfying new album for piano and orchestra. In this interview, Josh describes how a mission to South Dakota turned out not to be a detour from his musical journey, but part of the path, and how he feels about dedicating so much of his time to music.

On this new recording you'll hear occasional hints of Jazz and New-Age piano, but more than anything, a respect for classical technique and repertoire played thoughtfully and at times powerfully.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

While the Eyre's are internationally-known and respected family and relationship experts, they often have to hold back from sharing all they could depending on the audience and the situation, but not here. In this new book which Stephen R. Covey says "every LDS parent" should read, you'll find a wealth of reminders of all the amazing resources our Father has given us for raising his children the way he raises us.

Whether it's sibling rivalry or chores, disrespect or worries about worldly influences, nearly every challenge parents face in this all-too-physical world has simple spiritual solutions. I think you'll feast on what they Eyre's have to share, including one of my favorite-ever interview quotes, "Well, we may as well have a testimony meeting as just sit around fighting..."

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Since the day of the Western celebration of Easter changes from year to year, it's the holiday that often finds itself overshadowed in the Latter-day Saint world by General Conference, Stake Conference, or Fast Sunday observances. But Easter can come alive for you and your family through this excellent new book by BYU Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture, Eric Huntsman. As you'll hear in the interview, it's the work of years of study and thought.

"God So Loved the World" is a fascinating scriptural, visual, and doctrinal walk through the people, places and events of the amazing final week of the life of Jesus Christ. Whether you're a knowledgable scriptorian or a youngster learning from paintings and pictures, your celebration of the atonement and resurrection will be enriched by this new book, written in part by a desire on the part of the author to communicate these important events to his own family.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

In spite of outward smiles, many people go through the motions attending church, giving service, and nurturing families, while feeling empty, broken, doubtful, and even guilty inside. They tell themselves if they only work harder, they'd somehow earn the blessings of peace, security, and unconditional love they hunger for.

Using the scriptures, words of prophets, insightful analogies, and stories drawn from poignant personal experiences, best-selling author Toni Sorenson explains that simply by the virtue of being a child of God, each of us is already loved beyond comprehension, without boundaries or conditions. No matter what our disappointment or failure or loss may be, allowing ourselves to be defined by Christ will lift us out of the darkness and into His light.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Composer Rob Gardner has never been less than ambitious in telling the story of the Restoration and the scriptures in music. With "Lamb of God," he fulfills a lifelong dream in focusing on the week of the Atonement and the many individuals from the Apostles to Pilate to the mother of Christ—those who interacted with Jesus personally and lived the despair and new-found hope of that most important week.

In this audio interview Rob talks about the writing process, recording with the London Symphony, and the thousand choices a composer makes in writing a sacred work, including deciding whether you're ready to tackle the most important subject that ever lived.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull.

Diana Turnbow, Curator of Photography at the BYU Museum of Art, takes us on an audio tour of this fascinating exhibit shot by well-known photographer Dorothea Lange, which appeared in LIFE magazine in 1953.

Besides exploring small-town life in the rural towns of Gunlock, Toquerville, and St. George, the photographer and her essayist son comment on the beauty created even in isolated communities, happiness in spite of hardship, and the deep respect they share with many historians on the strength and character of these Mormon women from a time that is disappearing from living memory.

Explore the exhibit's website while you listen at 3mormontowns.byu.edu

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

After living for more than three decades with a congenital heart defect, award-winning LDS pianist Paul Cardall received a miracle. His life was saved by a last-minute heart transplant. In New Life, Paul’s newfound gratitude and humility for life pours through his fingers into inspiring new compositions perfect for meditation, contemplation, or even casual listening.

In this audio interview Paul remembers waking up after the transplant and beginning to write again for New Life, which reached number one on the Billboard New Age charts.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In this audio interview BYU Religion Professor and former LDS mission president Brent Top joins his wife Wendy in sharing their years of research into near-death experiences from people of all faiths—drawing from them fascinating gospel insights.

The Tops have created much more than just a collection of interesting accounts; this is a book rich with scripture and commentary from Latter-day prophets which creates a doctrinal lens through which to interpret the variety of experiences shared from people around the world. From the amazing characteristics of our Spirit bodies to the incredible love and learning which are the hallmarks of "life on the other side," you'll find encouragement and peace concerning that next step which we all will eventually take.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Besides being a rock-solid fixture in the LDS music industry, composer Greg Hansen has teamed with his tech-savvy son Jade on an innovative delivery system for music and now a free daily scripture delivery system.

The Hansens tell how you can choose which book of scriptures and how many verses you'd like to receive daily, plus muse on the future of LDS music in the day of rapid technological change.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Dr. Kirk Belnap was with Egyptian friends at a conference in the Middle East during the recent revolution centered in Tahrir Square in Cairo. In this audio interview he shares the note he sent to friends about the joy of the moment and dismisses many of the fears of American political pundits.

You'll hear behind-the-scenes stories of BYU's Arabic language study in countries as diverse as Israel, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, and how he believes bridges of mutual respect can be and are being built between Mormons and Muslims.

It's history in the making, on The Cricket and Seagull...

When your task is as daunting as interpreting the life of Jesus Christ through music, it's nice to have support from fellow artists throughout the centuries. Taking inspiration from the religious paintings of Carl Bloch and drawing from the melodies of timeless hymns, LDS composer Marshall McDonald uses his gifts with piano and orchestra to create a moving and meditative narration of the life of the Master in "This is the Christ."

In this interview you'll hear Marshall describe how he tells a story through music, whether or not he thinks the young people of today "get" the hymns, and why he didn't feel ready to tackle some moments in the life of Christ without benefit of the timeless melodies found in the hymns.

Dean Hughes may be best known to readers as the author of historical fiction and teen adventure books, but this first movie version of one of his novels is based on "Midway to Heaven," a romantic story with heavenly overtones.

In this audio interview he talks about his writing habits, watching the process of "Midway to Heaven" being turned into a screenplay, and more.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

The objects and settings of the New Testament parables are simple, everyday items and places from the past; candlesticks, bushels, fields, and seeds—and the cast of characters is nearly as familiar; travelers, herders, rich men and poor, but the storyteller himself, the one who spun these tales which are both simple and deep, well, He was one-of-a-kind.

In this book, inspired by a visit to the Holy Land, author and speaker John Bytheway digs into the who, what, where, and why of the parables of Jesus, revealing additional meaning and application to these deceptively simple stories which have been teaching and blessing those willing to look below the surface, for centuries.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

While it might seem strange that cutting the Tabernacle Choir in half would result in a number-one album on the Billboard Classical charts in its first week of release, that's exactly what happened.

In this audio tour of the album, you'll hear the choir's director, Dr. Mack Wilberg, talk about the decision to make the album, the rich tradition of men's choral music, and why they chose this particular balance of classical and contemporary songs, which has struck a chord with so many listeners.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Playlist:
1. Brethren, We Have Met to Worship
2. Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy
3. The Morning Trumpet
4. Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might
5. Evening (Aftonen)
6. Land-Sighting (Landkjenning)
7. Dance a Cachuca, Fandango, Bolero (Finale from The Gondoliers)
8. Alleluia
9. Pilgrim's Chorus from Tannhäuser
10. Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
11. Hush, Little Baby
12. You Raise Me Up
13. Beautiful Savior
14. There Is a Balm in Gilead
15. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

She may be in her 70's now, but Janice Kapp Perry is still writing and going strong with her series of hymns for choir and now "He Brought Me Light," her first album release in two years. Janice is embracing change with the inclusion of instrumental versions of the songs included in the package along with a printable .pdf version of the sheet music, and is publishing what one fellow composer called "her best song yet."

In this audio interview you'll hear excerpts of the songs, why they were created, plus details of the writing habits of this most prolific LDS composer.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

It was Brigham Young himself who said, "The Mormon Battalion will be held in honorable remembrance to the latest generation," and the newly refurbished and renamed Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Old Town San Diego is bound to keep that remembering alive for years to come.

Elder Evans, the current site Director, gives us an overview of the miracles of the Mormon Battalion and how the new site has become an integral part of historic Old Town for area 4th graders, and Sister Evans shows us the activites children and adults will experience when they visit this new state-of-the-art mixture of history and technology; talking pictures, movies, panning for gold, and feeling the earth shake during a stampede are just some of the exciting elements. While you listen, why not Click Here to visit the website at http://historicmormonbattalion.net and explore?

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

A Musical Christmas Card for 2010

The story this week isn't breaking news even though it's good news. In fact, old or new don't really apply--it's timeless. I hope you'll have a quiet moment to relax and listen to The Christmas Story read from the New Testament, interwoven with timeless Christmas music.

It's read by my neighbor, Myron Hassard, affectionately known as "Haz" by all the people in our ward, who think of him as our ward Grandpa.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In this engaging new book, author and historian Paul Thomas Smith has created my Christmas pick of the year--a text that is comfortingly familiar, yet filled with the bits of history and insight a life-long scholar can add to the narrative to make it vivid and alive in our minds and hearts; a book families and students of the scriptures can enjoy for years to come. And the illustrations drawn from the religious paintings of Carl Bloch are the perfect accompaniment to the text throughout.

Why were shepherds despised in New Testament times? Was there really no rooster that crowed three times for Peter? Was Luke wrong about the census? Listen as the author discusses all of this and more.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

It's been years in the making, but Dawn Pheysey, Curator of Religious Art for the BYU Museum of Art, can still hardly believe they are all displayed here together for the first time in history; five of the eight huge Carl Bloch masterpieces which have graced churches across Denmark and Sweden for over a hundred years.

In this walk-through of the exhibit we'll hear the history of the pieces, learn about the other Bloch paintings and etchings in the show which have been beloved by Latter-day Saints for half a century, and try to answer the question Danish priests have asked for years, "What is it the Utah Mormons see in these paintings?"

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

If you've ever had a New Year's Eve where all you wanted to do was warm up some enchiladas for dinner and then go to bed, then you can relate to Beth, the protagonist of "Promise Me." After a year when tragedy seems to have moved in as a permanent companion, an unusual meeting at a 7-Eleven starts a whole new relationship that will change everything in her life and present her with a choice she never could have imagined.

With 16 books in a row on the New York Times Best Seller lists, you could either play it safe and stick to a formula, or you could do what author Richard Paul Evans has done and take the risk of giving your readers something new and unexpected. The fact that "Promise Me" is currently number four on the Best-seller list seems to show it was a risk worth taking.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Singer and entertainer Alex Boyé takes you back to your childhood (if you're old enough to remember music on vinyl) with crooner-style Christmas standards, plus puts his own stamp on "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and the original title track.

You'll love his smooth take on holiday favorites like "Christmas Time is Here" from the Charlie Brown Christmas special and the interview features the added bonus of Christmas remembrances and testimonies, including a remarkable "Christmas of Two-Hundred Haircuts."

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In this interview, recorded in Jerusalem, Asher Ashkenazi talks about the country he loves, why he became a tour guide, and why he thinks it's important for people of all faiths to visit the Holy Land.

You'll discover right away why most LDS groups he works with quickly name themselves "The Tribe of Asher" as they come to love Israel, and you might be surprised to hear him quote Nephi and Orson Hyde about the fulfillment of prophecy that has gathered a people and made the desert "blossom as a rose." Plus if you live in Utah, jot down the details of how you can meet Asher in person this coming January at the annual Travel Expo.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

You've got a choir, you've got an orchestra, you've got inspiring live speakers and film segments to touch any feeling heart; sounds like a celebration, and it is!

Shipley Munson, the Global Marketing Director for the LDS Church's Family History Department, shares stories from this new DVD and how it can be used in many different settings. In addition, I hope you'll listen to his final comments on the 5 main reasons people of all faiths get involved in family history research; what do you think they are?

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Blair Van Dyke, one of the authors of "Holy Lands," shares some of the inspiring events and key moments in the amazing, but mostly unknown history of the church in the lands at the center of human and religious history.

From dedicatory prayers to missionaries sent across the miles to reach a single person, we just begin to scratch the surface of the stories which show the hand of the Lord moving powerfully in modern times in these ancient places still so relevant to our lives today, and to the future of the whole human race.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

This fourth in a series of moving, meditative hymns by violinist April Moriarty and pianist Todd McCabe completes the arc of the Savior's life begun with their previous albums "Bethlehem," "Galilee," and "Calvary."

Todd & April talk about their hymn choices, why they feel this "Gethsemane" is hopeful, rather than sorrowful, and about the amazing gift of communicating through instrumental music in general.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

In this 8th annual Book of Mormon Lands Conference in Salt Lake City, to be held Saturday, Oct 23, 2010, scholars and researchers will discuss topics from DNA, the "Heartland Model" vs. the "Mesoamerica Model," and comparisons between the Olmecs and the Jaredites.

See the full day's schedule online at BMAF.org and listen to hear Dr. Stephen Carr discuss the various presentations and the presenters, including keynote speaker Richard Bushman on "The Gold Plates in Mormon thought and Culture," and DNA expert Ugo Perego.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Their live performances and previous recordings have made them best know for their dancing and boy-band harmonies, but Abe, Justin, Bret, and Dave--the guys of Jericho Road--have always felt there was a missing album in their discography; a collection of hymns.

With "Day of Rest," you'll hear more solo pieces than usual, learn how a college performing group set them on their current path as a group, find out who has the best/worst golf swing, and most importantly, discover why every song chosen for this new CD is a testimony of Jesus.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

John Yves Bizimana may have been one of thousands who graduated from BYU this year, but his story of survival through genocide in Rwanda, through refugee camps and orphanages in Zaire and Zimbabwe, adoption to Belgium, and finally fulfilling his dream of going to the US, is unquestionably unique.

Even through the unthinkable extremes of violence and loss of his parents, John Bizimana's story is one to inspire readers to trust the all-knowing love of God, even through discouragement and apparent loss of dreams, to work for the good of each of his children.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

We know you couldn't all just hop in the car and head over to the recent Sam Payne/Cherie Call concert, so we decided to record it live and bring you some excerpts of the stories and songs, no matter where you live!

While they've recorded and performed on their own to great success through the years, there is a little extra something good in this concert where instead of trading off numbers, they played and sang together on nearly every song. Take a listen, you'll be glad you did.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Written from real-life experience both painful and joyful, this new book by husband and wife writing team Colleen and Phil Harrison fills a gaping need as a resource for spouses and other loved ones of those dealing with sexual addiction. In a frank and conversational style, the authors write together and then separately from their differing perspectives as man and woman, husband and wife, addict and spouse.

In chapters ranging from "What Is Addiction" and "I Didn't Ask for This!" to "Rebuilding," spouses will find spiritual advice on how to turn to the only one who can heal their hearts, how not to take on responsibility that isn't theirs, and how to know if the addict is moving forward in recovery. It's a book full of hope for those who may be feeling both helpless and hopeless.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

It only launched in November of 2008, but yourLDSradio.com has been shooting up the ratings charts for online stations since the day it went live, including reaching it's one-millionth stream.

And that's not the only surprising thing about the station; the Lord must move in mysterious ways--that's the only way production manager David Dalley can explain how a choral conducting degree, a stint as a producer for Glenn Beck, and a case of ADD all coalesced into the perfect job for him behind the scenes at yourLDSradio.com

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Ever wondered how St. George, Utah, got its name? Heard the story of the "stumpy steeple" and wondered if Brother Brigham really used lightning to get his way? And just how did they use a cannon of mysterious origin to help build the temple?

You'll get the scoop on all of these stories and more, including a remarkable vision of the US founding fathers and a revelation on tithing, from historian, author, storyteller, and former Dixie College president Doug Alder.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

While he's sung everything from boy band to musical theater and pop since he first became the lead singer of The Osmond Boys at age four, this is David Osmond's first inspirational album release. And what's more, it's full of contemporary Christian songs he's co-written from his own life experience.

In this interview you'll hear the background of the songs, some of the hymns from the 5-song bonus CD included in the new release, and some lessons learned from a difficult period after a diagnosis of MS seemed like it would sideline his musical plans. Plus, there's a cameo vocal appearance on one of the tracks by David's father, Alan, on a remake of a favorite Osmond song David grew up hearing.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

LDS Twelve-Step Conference to be Held at UVU in Orem, UT, Next Week

What is addiction? What are the Twelve Steps? How do they fit together with the gospel?

As authors of books on using the Twelve-Step process to receive healing and recovery through the atonement of Jesus Christ, and as recovering addicts themselves, Phil and Colleen Harrison are the perfect guides to share the hope available to sufferers of addiction everywhere. In a candid and informative interview, you'll learn about the free Twelve-Step Conference to be held at UVU on August 13th and 14th of this year, plus find out about ongoing resources at Heart-t-Heart.org. That's where you can for a .pdf flier of the conference schedule and topics.

Whether you're interested for yourself or a loved one, whether you struggle with an addiction or compulsion or not, there is much here to learn about humility, about how closely the Lord walks with us in our weaknesses, and what it really means to have "weak things become strong," as the Lord promises in the book of Ether.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Looking at the world-wide reach of Meridian Magazine today, it's hard to imagine that the publishers were initially disappointed to be an online rather than a print publication, but "the times, they are a changin'" and today they couldn't be happier to be a premier online source for news and inspiration for Latter-day Saints around the globe.

From more space devoted to photography, new mini-blogs, to sections and author pages, the new Meridian has a way to be more useful and appealing to you than ever. You'll hear the excitement in their voices as Scot and Maurine Proctor unveil the new features and share their passion for posting pictures and stories from Saints around the world in all cultures and walks of life, helping us all feel that we are united in a cause greater than ourselves and our own little worlds.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Some called him a Guardian Angel, others (mostly those who'd looked down the barrel of his gun) called him The Angel of Death. He was blessed by the prophet that he'd never be killed by bullet or blade and as a token of that promise he was told never to cut his hair. Word of that promise made him a Western legend, and plenty of outlaws put it to the test, but none successfully.

In the annals of LDS church history, perhaps no one but Joseph Smith himself has been cause for so much speculation and so many fascinating stories, but authors Jerry Borrowman and John W. Rockwell (Porter's great-great-grandson) sift through the legends for the facts—which even without embellishment somehow still leave us scratching our heads wondering who this boyhood friend of Joseph's, from the neighboring farm in Palmyra, really was.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

BYU Church History professor John Livingstone had long had a vision of sharing the history and sites of the Restoration with people everywhere on the globe, and when videographer John Starrs moved into his ward it seemed that both the right people and the right technologies were coming together to make it happen.

Along with their well-known co-writers Jeffrey Marsh, Lloyd Newell, Craig James Ostler, and David Whitchurch, they've now released "Salt Lake City, Ensign to the Nations" in book form, on DVD, have a walking-tour guidebook for Salt Lake City, and perhaps most far-reaching, the new BYU Virtual Tours website with new information added each week. You can even go online and visit http://virtualtours.byu.edu while you hear our guests explain the origins and challenges of the project, tell of the prestigious award their creation recently won, and, most importantly, talk about the church history we are each called to be part of today.

That's the week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Richard G. Oman's enthusiasm for and understanding of Arnold Friberg's now-iconic Book of Mormon paintings makes him the perfect person to walk us through these larger-than-life images most of us have grown up with. They are now on permanent display in the LDS Church Conference Center in Salt Lake City, meaning you can see them for free year 'round and even line up your own little stripling warriors for a photo op in front of Captain Moroni--at least that's what one family was doing the morning I visited the gallery.

In addition, brother Oman speaks about how art can teach us through our eyes, what Friberg was trying to say with the moments he chose to illustrate, the impact these dozen-or-so images have had around the world since being published in many versions of the Book of Mormon, and why, in spite of his other acclaim, these might be Friberg's most lasting legacy.

Click Here to view the images as you listen. Please be reminded that they are owned by the LDS Church, appear here as a courtesy, and may only be used for non-commerical, personal purposes.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

​ Lots of folks who want to get started on their family history have the same hold up; how do they choose between computer software options they've never tried? Now Bruce Buzbee, President of RootsMagic, has made it easy to discover--for free--if their family history program is right for you.

Bruce tells how you can download RootsMagic Essentials for free. After that, you can use it for an unlimited time, it has unlimited space for names and information, and there are free blogs, user groups, and podcasts to help get you going and get you unstuck when you think you've hit one of those unsolvable family history mysteries.

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In 1 Thessalonians 5, the same chapter where Paul calls us to be "children of the light," he tells us to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." For many in today's stressful, get-it-all-done Western society, the practice of Yoga is proving to be a good thing.

LeAnne Tolley, a Latter-day Saint and Certified Yoga Teacher, talks about the benefits of developing the mind-body-spirit connection, why many modern girls and women are taught hatred of their bodies, and how the practice of Yoga can be compatible with the principles of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Though he didn't begin his biblical works until the last 10 years of his life, French painter James Tissot managed to complete more than 700 paintings of the New Testament and the Old Testament--a project he was still engaged in at the time of his death.

Rita Wright from the BYU Museum of Art is passionate about these paintings and points out highlights from the New Testament collection opening today at the Museum and running through January 9, 2011, sprinkling in observations about Tissot's life, way of working, details of the paintings themselves, and the surprising reaction to their Paris premiere among both the clergy and the elite. Plus, an unexpected "prophetic" connection to an edition of Tissot's illustrated bible used by two different LDS Church presidents.

Don't forget to Click Here to view the paintings discussed!

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It works now for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, but soon users of many different mobile devices will have Gospel Library, an official application from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in their pocket and at their finger tips; letting them choose and download their own library of gospel resources as well as mark and annotate them.

Joel Dehlin, the Chief Information Officer of the LDS Church and John Edwards, over Emerging Technologies and Social Networking for the Church, talk about the new features in this study app, the new LDS.org website (which you can try online now), and Mobile Member--a new application coming out very soon. Plus, finding the proper place for technology in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how best to serve the needs of church members world-wide.

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Whether he's toured with "Les Mis" or his current gig in "Phantom of the Opera," Dallyn Bayles always seems to find a connection with redemption in his characters. It isn't much of a stretch at all though to find the themes of love and redemption in the life of the Savior, or in this album celebrating his atonement and the effect he has on each of us personally.

On a paternity break from "Phantom," (he and his wife Rachel just welcomed their fourth child) Dallyn talks about new versions of traditional favorites like "Come Thou Fount" and "Amazing Grace," and the more contemporary pieces he's sprinkled in, like "He'll Find a Way" and "Come Harvest Time." It's great listening for fans of rich orchestration and a trained voice.

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The idea for this show began over 40 years ago when Don Oscarson (writer of the original Nauvoo Pageant) was driving through Cajun country in Louisiana listening to the blues, and it finally made it onstage when he matched it up with writers Marvin Payne and Steven Kapp Perry.

This engaging, new retelling of the timeless parable of the Prodigal Son is set in Kentucky coal country and features an imaginative staging of the classic tale featuring 6 show-stopping performers who seamlessly trade off roles and instruments like they were born to do it. "Take The Mountain Down" premiered live at BYU Education Week two years ago which led to a recent taping by BYU Broadcasting. Don't miss it on BYU-TV Tues, May 25th, at 8 PM Mountain Time, and the following Saturday, the 29th, at 9 PM. Also available now on CD and DVD at MarvinPayne.com

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Because the gospel is a constant in so many of our lives, we may hear certain words and concepts mentioned so frequently that we think we "get them," or have a complete understanding. One of the beauties of "Light in the Wilderness, Explorations in the Spiritual Life" is the way it strips away that "veil of familiarity" and beckons us to new dimensions of enlightenment concerning even the most basic concepts of God, nature, and what we are made of.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Catherine Thomas invites fellow seekers to search behind familiar gospel words and concepts to find the spiritual realities they represent. From sacrifice to joy, this is a journey of increasing peace and faith in the God who made us and invites us to expand our minds and spirits and become like him.

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"Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" in 5/4 time? Yes, and it works. Originals, hymns, and even a primary song all mixed together? yes, and it works. What really works is the 3-part of blend of the voices and personalities of Soni, Brooke, and Whitney, the three young mothers who make up Mercy River.

Coming into their own on their second album release, you'll hear about choosing songs, the impact of meeting LDS sisters at Time Out for Women events around the country, and why this particular kind of music feels just right for Mercy River.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

From folk to love song, from praise of nature to praise of the God who made it, "Wondrous Love," the first album release by the BYU Women's Chorus is full of delights and surprises. There's a bit of Irish, a bit of Americana, and several beautiful hymn arrangements, including some familiar religious lyrics set to the tune of a very recognizable folk song.

In this edition, Jean Applonie, BYU music professor and the director of the group, talks about choosing voices, choosing the music, and the mission of the BYU Women's Chorus.

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Over the past 25 years, Julie de Azevedo has written, produced, and performed some of the most popular songs in the LDS music industry. Masterpiece, her new best-of collection, features the favorites which have connected with people around the world, plus a couple of new tunes, including "God's Signature," which are sure to bring a smile to anyone who has some life experience under their belt.

In this edition Julie talks about integrating and finding balance between the different parts of her life, why she writes what she does, and the common theme she's discovered between being a wife, a mother, a musician, a therapist, and how she's finally bringing it all together.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...

Like lots of the people on the planet, Latter-day Saints find themselves swimming in more and more new technology every year. Just consider whether you send hand-written letters or use email these days? Do you post family pictures on Picasa or Flickr and send links to your family? Do you update your Facebook or MySpace page when someone gets a mission call, has a new baby, or just wants to post video of little Hannah's first violin recital?

Twenty years ago if someone had talked to me about Podcasting, Blogging, and YouTube, I might have thought they were talking about farming, bodily functions, and my own personal cryogenic chamber. These days, those words have not only become a daily part of how many of us communicate, get our news and entertainment and share what we think is important, they've also shown up in addresses by General Authorities. And of course there are also some technologies useful to the Saints in particular; like the new Gospel Library app for iPhone, the FamilySearch website, and streaming General Conference on-demand, when it's most convenient for us to listen.

In this edition, we're asking about the technologies YOU use and HOW you use them. In the future we'll be delving deeper into how these can both help us and hurt us, and where to draw the line. For today though, please just take a listen, think about the new technologies which have become part of your everyday life, then send us an email to help direct where this podcast (there's one of those words again) starts exploring. Or, just leave a comment right here on this blog.

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Truman Madsen knew the scriptural history of the Holy Land as few knew it, and for his final visit before his death in 2009, he stood in the places he loved and taught from his heart, sharing a lifetime of scholarship and testimony. Now released on DVD, this series of 8 lectures on 4 DVDs is a spiritual marvel, giving a wider audience access to his invaluable and intimate teaching.

In this edition, Truman's wife Ann--herself a lecturer on Isaiah and other subjects at BYU--tells of creating this new resource for teachers and families everywhere, of favorite moments in places both sacred and secular, and of Truman's powerful final testimony of Jesus Christ, permeating every moment of this lecture series of a lifetime.

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"The Atonement of Jesus Christ is not only a gift for our last breath or the last day of our lives, it is also for every day of our lives, and breath of our lives." So says author and former LDS bishop David Vandagriff.

With vivid examples and specific experiences, the writer tells of learning to apply the Atonement not only to the effects of sin, but to undeserved suffering, prayer, despair, and ev
en the good times in life.

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She got her Masters at Juilliard and has played everything from the classics as first violinist with the National Symphony to her impressive solo recordings of great movie themes, but Jenny Oaks Baker feels closest to her Heavenly Father when performing and listening to sacred music.

While on a concert visit to Salt Lake City, this virtuoso violinist talks about her new collaboration with Emmy Award-winning composer Sam Cardon, and her search for both the peaceful and the epic in timeless themes and hymns like "How Great Thou Art," "All Creatures of Our God and King," and "Finlandia."

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As a mother of seven, DeAnne Flynn knows well the challenge of staying balanced in a world where busier seems to be equated with better. In her book, The Time-Starved Family, Helping Overloaded Families Focus on What Matters Most, the author shares 16 practical ideas for breaking out of the hectic, stressful, over-scheduled way of living.

From dumping the guilt and comparing to learning when to say "no," DeAnne shares ways to increase and improve the time your family has together by focusing on what's most important.

That's this week on The Cricket and Seagull...