Life from Dust and Breath
I remember singing this hymn, new to the LDS Mormon hymnal in 1985, with my dad and little brother. We sometimes sang it as a round. It's a tune that brings lots of feelings, but I recently have found the words less meaningful to me. So I set out to modify a few of the words, but it kept coming out wrong. I couldn't keep the feel of the verse. The language shifted period, came across as forced, rhymed badly, or was just dumb.
Then all my attempts turned into my own new hymn. I hope you enjoy. I'm pleased with it.
Music from “Saints, Behold How Great Jehovah” by A. Laurence Lyon © 1985 LDS
Lyrics and Performance by Jonathan Gunnell Cannon CC-BY 2024
Mother Earth and Father Heaven Made us life from dust and breath, Raised our intellect and wisdom, Gave their children power of death.
Tend, attend signs in the Heavens, Lightly on the Earth we stand, Honor and preserve their bounties, that Life live long upon the land.
Turn, turn, turn, each season passing, Tend the garden—new life’s nest. Turn, turn, turn, our time flows forward, Bursting life leads vital rest.