Living Christ

A series of six songs, written by Carrie Maxwell Wrigley, setting the text of The Living Christ to music, to assist with memorizing, understanding, and retaining in memory this sacred text.

Download it on this page above, free of charge.

The music is available 1) as a recording, in mp3 format (piano-vocal, piano accompaniment, and guitar-piano); and 2) as sheet music, in pdf format (piano-vocal, and vocal-only.)

In teaching the material to a local group of Young Women, it was found that dividing the text into six separate sections made it easier to memorize, and lended itself to more musical interest and meaningful expression of the words.

The material was created originally for a group of Young Women to memorize as a Personal Progress activity, then to perform for their Young Women in Excellence night and various sacrament meeting programs.  

This material is also currently being used for 1)  Young Women’s Camps;  2)  Relief Society Conferences;  3) Church meeting performances; and 3) personal and family study and memorization of the Living Christ text.

The text of The Living Christ, first published on January 1, 2000,  was created by the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

The full title for the text is “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.” 

Currently, this material is available in Vocal-Piano and Vocal-Only  PDF sheet music formats, for unison voices.  (The Vocal-Only version is useful to copy for singers, as it contains fewer pages and is easier for singers to focus on.)

Also, a Vocal-Piano demo recording of this material is available, as well as an accompaniment-track recording, and a guitar-piano instrumental recording.

Upon request, it could also be arranged by the composer with harmonies or orchestration (SATB, SSAA, SA, etc.) to meet additional user needs for various contexts. Contact us for further information.

First, the songs make it very easy to memorize the text of the Living Christ.  For example, in the original group, one of the leaders, called shortly before the first performance, learned the whole sequence in just two weeks.  All of the girls learned the piece and performed it from memory.  The division of the text into six songs makes it easier to learn, and easier to retain in memory over time.   

Also, memorizing these words with the music gives deep doctrinal understanding of the concepts mentioned in the text, with spiritual and emotional power that brings those sacred concepts powerfully home to the hearts of both the singers, and of those who hear them.

It allows each singer to stand as a witness of the Savior, together with the 15 inspired men who originally penned the words. These words give strength in trial, conviction in testimony, and joy in the Savior.  Set to music, these words are written on the heart, easy to call up and remember in a moment of need, encouraging a more powerful and personal relationship with the Living Christ, who is the focus of this effort.