My hymn collection “As Saints We Sing” is on sale for a limited time. Right now, if you order it directly from the Cedar Fort website, you can pick up the collection of 179 songs for only $5.99! (Usually $20.99).
They will only keep this price until the first printing is sold out, which is only about 100 books left, so now is a perfect time to pick one up, especially if you’d like to prepare a new Easter song for the coming season.
Also, if you purchase it and email your receipt to thecanticlekingdom@gmail.com, I’ll send you a digital collection with 100 additional songs free of charge.
This month, I want to highlight stories from my charity anthology! All proceeds go to another family to help with fertility treatments! You can also donate directly through Venmo:
This is my own story about the string of miracles that had to occur to bring our daughter, Maggie, into our lives. We had an incredibly generous donor pay for our fertility treatments, but then almost lost our daughter when my wife’s water broke 17 weeks early! Maggie defied all the odds and is now an incredible, happy, and healthy little girl!
Story 2: “A Medical Miracle” by Norma Pyper Mitchell
In this story, she explains about a summer that changed her life and the practice of medicine forever. Though sure endured a terrible series of medical struggles, she also became a pioneer of modern medicine in a way that has probably helped you and your family too! Come find out what it is by reading the whole story.
Story 3: “Tender Mercies” by Betsy Love
In this story, Betsy recounts the harrowing experience of a car smashing into her house in the middle of the day! The miracles come in because of who wasn’t where they were supposed to be in the house at the time. Come read all about it in her story!
Story 4: “A Pattern of Miracles” by Kyle and Chelsea Woodruff
This story features a husband and wife team and the incredible events surrounding a house fire and other disasters that might have ruined them, but did not, thanks to the intervention of others. They have overcome a lot together and are all the stronger for it!
Story 5: “The Miracle of Grace” by Sydney Hill
This story features a tender account of a beautiful little girl, named Grace, who only lived for a short time, but had a huge impact on the lives of her family members. It is a beautiful story of finding hope in tragedy and a testament to the fact that every life, no matter how brief, has meaning.
Story 6: “The PHP Fairytale” by Cami Shaskin
This story talks about the amazing way that Cami met her husband, and how their unusual fairy-tale romance had a lot to do with the programming language PHP. Many miracles large and small led to their happily-ever after.
Story 7: “Our Mortgage” by Cami Shaskin
This is another story from Cami Shaskin, continuing her story from the “PHP Fairytale”. She describes the incredible circumstances surrounding them finding their home together where she and her husband were able to grow their family.
Story 8: “My Real-Life Miracle” (Name Withheld)
This story tells the inspiring account of a person born with many physical and mental challenges who overcame them all, despite what the doctors told her. Though she was told she would never be able to succeed in school, she is set to graduate with a degree in computer science with honors.
Story 9: “Scarlet’s Miracle” by Brae Lee Bennion
Brae tells the story of her daughter, Scarlet, and a horrible freak accident at home that left her fighting for her life. This traumatic experience, however, leads Brae to profound insights about receiving divine help and her relationship to our loving Heavenly Father.
Story 10: “Jesse’s Story” by Douglas Allan
Douglas tells the inspiring story of his brother Jesse who found his life suddenly changed forever by an intense medical condition that left him almost completely paralyzed. Despite having all the odds stacked against him, Jesse defied death and lived a full and fulfilling life in which he moved mountains to bless others.
Story 11: “Hope Over Reason” by Bonni Mergenthaler
In this story, Bonni relates her tale of recovering from miscarriage, and then unexpectedly becoming pregnant with another baby amidst a scary medical diagnosis. She discusses all the ups and downs of this turbulent time in her life and how it drew her closer to God and how she was able to find hope while passing through turmoil.
Story 12: “Leaning on the Promise” by Marta O. Smith
After a surgery to repair her esophagus, things didn’t go as planned for Marta. Horrible pain and shortness of breath continued to plague her and even further medical attention didn’t help. She needed a miracle, and she found it through an unlikely source.
Story 13: “A Gift from the Past” by Madonna D. Christensen
This story is a faith-promotion story about a Catholic woman who was looking for a new rosary and then had one of special significance come into her life in an unexpected way.
Story 14: “A Heavenly Welcome” by Madonna D. Christensen
In this story, Madonna shares the account of her sister, Billie, who battled Alzheimer’s Disease and the remarkable comfort she received near the end of her life in a way that crossed generations.
Story 15: “A House and Four Miracles” by Linda Beauvais
Linda describes four remarkable events starting with the ability to buy back her previous house after finding herself on her own with four children to raise.
Since 2010, I’ve been blessed to sing in the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. My favorite part of each year is getting to sing the Christmas concert, which, during my time in the choir, has always been a big production.
The Conference Center on Temple Square was opened in 2001, which allowed the choir to move in there for their Christmas concerts. It is an amazing hall where you can do all sorts of amazing things! Some of them have to be seen to be believed!
One of my favorites was the year we invited Tom Brokaw and Gail Halverson to tell the story of the Berlin Candy Bomber. As part of the story, they actually dropped parachutes from the roof of the auditorium with candy attached to them! I actually met Col. Halverson when I was a teenager and I’ve loved his story ever since. Then I lived in Germany as a missionary, and have visited Berlin. Here’s a picture of Col. Halverson with my family. (I’m the one standing behind the couch.)
Watch this amazing story for yourself:
This collection includes 20 years of amazing stories told at Christmas concerts over the years by world-class narrators. I personally loved reliving all of these incredible stories and if you have never heard them, they will be an amazing addition to your holiday season.
Thanks to Havenlight, I have this beautiful new piece of art in my home. This Summer, we welcomed a new baby girl into our home after over a decade of trying to expand our family. The story of her birth is nothing short of miraculous, and after having two boys, the whole dynamic of our household has changed. This piece of art spoke to me as the progression of shoes chronicles the stages of life that a little girl might go through. Though she’s only wearing baby shoes now, she will soon progress and someday will have a family of her own. I found that this painting speaks for me by presenting a visual image of something that has been on my mind constantly in the last three months. I’m determined to cherish each one of these stages.
A havenlight giveaway
This week, the folks at Havenlight are running a giveaway for a $200 gift certificate! To enter, just follow this link:
Also, as a perk to my readers, you can use the promotional code “WRITERMIKE” to receive 20% off your Havenlight order.
About Dan wilson
“I want to paint images that speak to and uplift the viewer, pieces that remind them of the beauties of life, the reasons for living and loving existence. Vibrant colors and brush strokes working together with the disciplines of art to create beauty and emotion you can’t achieve in any other way.” — Dan Wilson
Dan Wilson is an award-winning fine artist from Lehi Utah. As a young boy Dan dove deep into art, always known as “that kid that doodles on everything”. After serving an LDS mission those artistic passions grew as he painted full time for his Major at UVU. After graduation he was taken under the wing of his mentor William Whitaker, who pushed him hard to improve his skills.
Dan Wilson paints and teaches out of his home art studio where he is supported by his beautiful wife and six children.
About Jenedy Paige
I am a realist in every sense of the word. I paint things as they exist, in the representational tradition, but also in the concepts behind my work. I am a truth teller. I love the classical approach to painting and its ability to so easily invite the viewer in. However, I also know the value abstraction, and the power it has to express things that realism cannot, and so I try to include both in my paintings. There is nothing I love more than a delicate and detailed figure on an expressive background.
My paintings begin in a journal. I record my frustrations, sorrows, joys, ambitions, hopes and then I transform those words into images. I guess you could say I very literally draw from life experience. I try to be as honest as I can in the telling, I don’t mince words. I then release the story to the canvas, and as I paint I am enabled to process the experience in a new way and to learn from it. I’m not fast, I take my time with the painting, and the lesson in it. Layer by layer I work, carefully revealing the wisdom inside.
When it comes to creating images I believe that simplicity is key. The more concise you can say something, the more powerful it is. So although my writing is usually lengthy, I look for symbols I can use, and try to condense my thoughts into a concise visual statement. I strive to find a shortcut right to the heart of the viewer, something that will strike them at first glance.
When I have taken the painting as far as I can, I return to writing. And just when I think I have dissected a particular idea, when I have learned all I could, writing usually takes it one step further. Words then become the final layer to the piece. The work and the text are then offered up together to others. I then find my experiences are not all that original, as the work strikes a familiar cord in the viewer. People often place themselves inside my work, and add their story to mine, and thus my heart and the heart of my audience connect over the canvas.
I will then send you a PDF copy of all three collections.
If you want access to these digital collections without purchasing “As Saints We Sing”, you can send me $10 through Venmo (Username: @mdybyu), and I will send you all three collections.
After many years of work, my hymn collection, “As Saints We Sing” is now available, starting September 14th! I’d like to thank all the many composers, lyricists, and other collaborators who made this collection a reality! I had the idea for it all the way back in 2015 while hearing a church choir sing in a church I was visiting. I started brainstorming on that day and I’ve been working hard on it ever since. I wanted to create a collection that focuses more on latter-day saint doctrines and also breathes new life into beloved texts that we have sung for years at church.
Here’s a little about the collection:
As Saints We Sing features the beautiful arrangements of 176 beloved hymns by various Latter-day Saint lyricists and composers that focus on the restoration of\nThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many are original works, appearing for the first time in print, and some are specifically for Easter and Christmas. These songs include all four parts (SATB) and highlight the Church’s unique doctrines. Some of the selections found within these pages are
• A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
• Dearest Children, God Is Near You
• Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
• God Be with You Till We Meet Again
• I Need Thee Every Hour
• O Holy Night
• The Spirit of God
• Nearer My God to Thee
Draw closer to God with this priceless collection of religious favorites. Enjoy the timeless melodies and inspired lyrics that are tender reminders of the Church’s sacred and sometimes poignant history. This outstanding book is an indispensable addition to any Latter-day Saint library.
The collection is spiral-bound for easier use on pianos and organs.
To order (or pre-order) the collection, please click here.
Book 2 of The Penultimate Dawn trilogy is finally here! The adventure started in “The Hunger” continues:
After the catastrophic events of the Wrath, Azil and his companions wake up to a world completely transformed. The monstrous Mals are acting strangely, driven even deeper into their madness by a new and terrible sensation called the Thirst. The different Aspects of Rahim are now at war with each other, some trying to unite the power of all the Aspects again, while others fight to keep them apart. For Azil and his companions, the keys to ending the conflict lie both in a long-forgotten city deep below the earth, and high in the heavens on the moons that hang over the Realm. Even with the help of his newfound powers and allies, Azil is not sure he can win this dangerous contest that threatens to destroy all hopes of a new dawn.
Thank you to all of you who came to my presentations at LDStorymakers this year. I always have a wonderful time presenting, especially when I have good audiences. For those of you who attended and wanted my notes, or who couldn’t attend and wanted to see them anyway, here you go! There first is about using music in your fiction, while the second is about creating your own audio books, much like I do for my work with BigWorldNetwork.com.
Like many of my books, the inspiration for my new series Fires of Invention came from the collision of two ideas. The first time the story occurred to me was while I was watching the musical Wicked with my wife. The moment I walked into the theater and saw the huge mechanical dragon above the stage, I thought, Wow! I have to write a story about that! A few weeks later, I was talking with my nephew, who is probably the most creative kid I know, but whose inventiveness often gets him into trouble, and I thought, What if a kid who had the talents of my nephew lived in a world where creativity was against the law? What if the kids were building . . . a steam-powered dragon? Bam! I had my story.
Powered by great feedback from my agent, Michael Bourret, my good friend and author James Dashner, my publisher, Chris Schoebinger, and the song “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons, I wrote the entire first draft of the first volume in the series, Mysteries of Cove in four weeks. This book is unlike anything I have ever written. There are elements of City of Ember, Dragon Riders, and Hugo in it all mashed up together in a world I fell in love with from the moment I started writing.
I think what’s most exciting to me about this book is that it’s about giving yourself the freedom to imagine. To take chances. Too often we limit ourselves by only trying things we’re confident we can succeed at when what we need to do is give ourselves permission to fail. Often it is when we attempt things with no idea of how we can possibly pull them off that we achieve our greatest successes.
Book Description:
STEAMPUNK! Plus Dragons!
Trenton Colman is a creative thirteen-year-old boy with a knack for all things mechanical. But his talents are viewed with suspicion in Cove, a steam-powered city built inside a mountain. In Cove, creativity is a crime and “invention” is a curse word. Kallista Babbage is a repair technician and daughter of the notorious Leo Babbage, whose father died in an explosion-an event the leaders of Cove point to as an example of the danger of creativity.
Working together, Trenton and Kallista learn that Leo Babbage was developing a secret project before he perished. Following clues he left behind, they begin to assemble a strange machine that is unlikely anything they’ve ever seen before. They soon discover that what they are building may threaten every truth their city is founded on-and quite possibly their very lives.
Author Bio:
Scott Savage is the author of the Farworld middle grade fantasy series and the Case File 13 middle grade monster series. He has been writing and publishing books for over ten years. He has visited over 400 elementary schools, dozens of writers conferences, and taught many writing classes. He has four children and lives with his wife Jennifer and their Border Collie, Pepper, in a windy valley of the Rocky Mountains.
These devotional reflections from the heart of Truman G. Madsen can help bring you face to face with yourself as you prepare to meet Christ at the sacrament table each week. There is a feast awaiting the honest guest who accepts the Lord’s invitation to bring to the altar a “broken heart and a contrite
spirit.” Alma promises it will “begin to be delicious” (Alma 32:28) and that “ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled” (Alma 32:42). Find new meaning in the sacrament and new resolve as you participate in this sacred ordinance. A perfect Easter gift for adult children.
Truman G. Madsen received graduate degrees in philosophy and the philosophy of religion from the University of Utah and Harvard. He served as the director of the Judeo-Christian Studies Center at BYU and as director of the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He is widely recognized as an expert
on the life and teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Brother Madsen, who passed away in the summer of 2009, was a prolific author who is also known for his memorable audio and video
presentations on a variety of gospel subjects.
Books by Michael D. Young 