Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may recognize the hymn “This Is the Christ” from the Church’s movie “Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd,” which was featured for more than five years in the Legacy Theater on Temple Square.
They also may have heard The Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square sing an arrangement of the song for performances during general conference, “Music & the Spoken Word” and in recorded albums.
Now the hymn is in the Church’s new global hymnbook, “Hymns — For Home and Church.” The words were written by the late President James E. Faust, with the help of Jan Pinborough, and music composed by Michael F. Moody.
President Faust died in August 2007. He had been serving as second counselor in the First Presidency since 1995, as an Apostle since 1978 and a general authority before that.
Moody told the Church News how the hymn came about, starting with the fact that President Faust is his first cousin, once removed.
“Because I was employed at Church headquarters, beginning in 1972, I saw him not infrequently,” Moody wrote. “Out of respect for his position, I always called him ‘Elder Faust,’ to which he replied, ‘Call me “Jim.”’”
For a number of years, then-Elder Faust told Moody that he wanted to write a song with him. “I was honored with the idea but didn’t do anything about it,” Moody said.
Each year for decades, Moody has composed an annual Christmas song with a writing partner to send out to family and friends. Finally, in 1995, he felt like it was time to take on a song with President Faust.
“When I inquired about the text, he responded by giving me a sheet of paper with some thoughts he wanted the song to express,” Moody said.
Since it was not written in the form of lyrics or poetry, Moody asked Pinborough, who was on the Church’s Music Committee at the time, if she could help create a text based on President Faust’s ideas. She came up with what became the title and verses for “This Is the Christ.”
When Moody took the text to President Faust, the latter read it and said, “I wouldn’t change a word.”
1. They heard a voice, a voice so mild.
It pierced them through and made their souls to quake.
They saw Him come, a man in white,
The Savior, who had suffered for their sake.
They felt the wounds in hands and side,
And each could testify: This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God—
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.
2. I read His words, the words He prayed
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane.
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?
With Saints of old in joyful cry
I too can testify: This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God—
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.
Listen to the song here.
Word grows
During that Christmas season of 1995, Moody’s family performed the song for President Faust and his wife, Sister Ruth Faust, at the Church Administration Building. The song was well-received by the Fausts and staff who were in the area, Moody said. Having done that, he thought this project was completed.
But the song gained attention and grew through being at the right place at the right time. For example, one night that same December, the Moodys were visiting family in Provo, Utah. A neighbor, Ron Staheli, came by caroling with the BYU Singers. Moody had just printed copies of his song to send out for Christmas.
“As the carolers were ready to leave, I took courage and passed out copies of the song, which they graciously sang. It turned out that it was incorporated into the BYU Singers’ repertoire, and in 1997, it was included in their album ‘We Sing of Christ,’” Moody said.
In the year 2000, when the Church made “The Testaments: One Fold and One Shepherd,” Merrill Jensen created a choir and orchestra arrangement for the film that was recorded by the Tabernacle Choir and sung after the end of the film as part of the presentation.
In 2003, Barlow Bradford created a new arrangement for the Tabernacle Choir to record, and in December 2006, the words and music were published in the Liahona in a number of languages.
On Aug. 14, 2007, Moody attended President Faust’s funeral, where the song was sung.
“As I listened to the Tabernacle Choir sing ‘The Is the Christ,’ I realized that his desire to create a song was to express his testimony, as a special witness of the Savior, with the added power of music,” he said.
The writing of the chorus
As Moody was composing the music for “This Is the Christ,” he felt that musically it needed a repeated chorus. His wife, Maria Moody, suggested that they look through Elder Faust’s general conference addresses and find some phrases about the Savior for the chorus.
Below are those phrases.
“Mine is the certain knowledge that Jesus is our divine Savior, Redeemer, and the Son of God the Father” (from “Heirs to the Kingdom of God,” April 1995 general conference).
“Jesus is the Christ, our Redeemer, and the Savior of the world. … I pray that our Savior will heal our souls … .” (from “The Supernal Gift of the Atonement,” October 1988 general conference).
“Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world and the Redeemer of mankind” (from “The Works of God,” October 1984 general conference).
“I now wish to conclude by testifying concerning Jesus as the Christ and the Divine Redeemer” (from “The Refiner’s Fire,” April 1979 general conference).
“I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (from “Response to the Call,” October 1978 general conference).
“I have a certain knowledge that Jesus of Nazareth is our divine Savior … . Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the divine Redeemer and the Son of God” (from “A Personal Relationship with the Savior,” October 1976 general conference).
