WHY ABINADI?

"HE IS THE LIGHT AND THE LIFE OF THE WORLD"

Composed 1989, original p1

Finale p1
Why Abinadi?

Since Childhood, I have been impressed with the martyrdom of Abinadi. Even while fire consumed his flesh, he still managed to preach about Christ. I knew if a song could capture those last moments of Abinadi's life, it would also capture the power of his prophecies, and could, perhaps, strengthen our beliefs in Christ today. I thought what a powerful song that would be!

Abinadi burns at the stake.

Abinadi is pictured here with the wicked King Noah.

In 1983 an ugly divorce split our family in two. I can remember seeing the children's eyes looking to their father and mother for help...innocent victims of society's cancerous creature. Unknown to me at the time, three of my six children would no longer be in my home to receive their mother's nurturing. To comfort my heart strings, I wrote a song when my first child left. She was my first-born, my heart. She was fifteen. I felt I would never recover from my pain.

Here I am, writing in my journal. I was overwhelmed with everything.

That "song of tears" sat in my piano bench for many years. I thought maybe I could resurrect it by using some of its melody and chordal structures for the Abinadi song. Surely it sounded sad enough to portray some of Abinadi's agony. That, coupled with some fiery piano runs, and I'd have a good start. It seemed difficult, though. I spent many hours in my first attempt, but couldn't get it off the ground. I decided to wait. Besides, I had too many other thing to do.

A few days later at 4:30 am, I half awoke, and in my "twilight sleep" I became aware that a particular melodic phrase kept interrupting my thoughts. After deciphering that the tune had not already been composed, I arose and jotted down the segment I had heard; I didn't want to lose it.

I questioned in my mind whether this melodic phrase was intended for the Abinadi song. I tried fitting it in, but it wouldn't fit. Besides, it was in a major key, it had a dance-like quality, and it sounded like a love song...hardly my concept of the Abinadi message! But there was a scriptual phrase within the Abinadi story that just fit its tune: "He is the light and the life of the world. He is endless." I thought, "Maybe, if I start all over and develop just that..." Musical puzzle pieces started fitting together; it became easy to write. The song was born!

Abinadi quotes Isaiah extensively. I hestitated quoting Isaiah in musical form because of my reverence for the already composed Handel's Messiah, but it came quickly, and I enjoyed doing it.

This is a love song. Abinadi's love for Christ was perfect. This is a song of pure joy. Because of Christ, we shall live! Somehow the angels in heaven wanted this music to emphasize Christ's love for us by using Abinadi's testimony as another witness for Christ.

Jesus Christ: He is the light and the life of the world. Abinadi's message of love.

My sad song has been neatly tucked into a my journal. The history of my sorrows belongs to me, and makes me who I am today. Listening, I now can hear music, joy, love. I didn't need to use one note of my "song of tears" because my sorrows have been swallowed up in the joy of Christ's mercy and love. He lives! And, listening, I can hear. This is my joy and my song.