"The Testimony is Sealed"

[ZealouslyStriving]

This is a song/anthem I wrote on June 27th, 2023 as I sat pondering the martyrdom and reading D&C 135:

 

"The Testimony is Sealed" (triumphantly)

 

Like a lamb to the slaughter

Went the prophet of the Lord

And left a name and fame

That can ne'er be slain!

 

Chorus: 

It is sealed!

It is sealed !

The testimony is sealed!

By the best blood of that generation

the testimony is sealed!

 

Ever faithful his dear brother

Went with him to certain death

And on that fateful June day

Breathed his final breath!

 

(Chorus)

 

In life they weren't divided

And in death not seperated

The two brothers e'er united

Shed their martyr's blood!

 

(Chorus)

 

[Pyreaux]

I used to have a thought that Joseph's martyrdom could actually be a blood sacrifice for mending the Everlasting Covenant (the Testament) that was broken since the Apostasy. It makes sense to me, reforge the broken oath with blood, but Jesus was to be the last blood sacrifice. So, it its might be poetic symmetry of ancient times when the High Priests offered their own blood.

Edited March 2, 2024 by Pyreaux

[Calm]

4 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

Jesus was to be the last blood sacrifice

And his Atonement is infinite.

Other sacrifices were types, foreshadows; they did not mend anything.  Only Christ was able to men being the only divine and sinless sacrifice.

Symbolic symmetry or being about something besides the Atonement if not purely symbolic makes more sense to me.

Edited March 1, 2024 by Calm

[Stargazer]

On 2/28/2024 at 10:19 PM, ZealouslyStriving said:

This is a song/anthem I wrote on June 27th, 2023 as I sat pondering the martyrdom and reading D&C 135:

 

"The Testimony is Sealed" (triumphantly)

 

Like a lamb to the slaughter

Went the prophet of the Lord

And left a name and fame

That can ne'er be slain!

 

Chorus: 

It is sealed!

It is sealed !

The testimony is sealed!

By the best blood of that generation

the testimony is sealed!

 

Ever faithful his dear brother

Went with him to certain death

And on that fateful June day

Breathed his final breath!

 

(Chorus)

 

In life they weren't divided

And in death not seperated

The two brothers e'er united

Shed their martyr's blood!

 

(Chorus)

 

What's the tune?

[ZealouslyStriving]

On 3/2/2024 at 2:52 AM, Stargazer said:

What's the tune?

The stanzas (?) are vaguely reminiscent of "Joseph Smith's First Prayer". The chorus is all it's own. I don't read or write music, I need someone to help me with that. Maybe there's an app?

[Alch]

I really like this! There are a few things I wonder about, though.

In the first verse, the words start sorrowful, but then reach more positive at the end. No problems with that, it's a good progression of ideas.

However, the second verse goes from noble, which can work with sorrowful, but then goes darker, which would be really hard to work with the positive note of the first verse.

The third verse takes the triumphant theme to it's climax. That works with the nobility that was in the second verse, but not as well with the first. Now the second half jumps from positive, to negative, to positive. It would be a challenge to create voicings which could communicate all this.

More likely I'm reading into the more crude interpretations of some phrases, and you probably have a much better idea of the emotion that you want each one to be enveloped in.

[ZealouslyStriving]

On 3/4/2024 at 9:43 AM, Alch said:

However, the second verse goes from noble, which can work with sorrowful, but then goes darker, which would be really hard to work with the positive note of the first verse.

It is meant to be triumphant throughout. No somber notes. It celebrates the faith and courage of Hyrum to go with his brother to the inevitable.