One Man Mormon Blues Band: Music

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I Nephi 18:23 ". . . after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land . . . ."

By the time Lehi arrived at the land he had been promised, he was getting old and feeble. We know that he was elderly and powerless on the voyage during the rebellion. He had to know that his time was ending, and that this new land was to be a great blessing, not to him, but to his posterity. In his earlier visions the values and purpose of this land had been made clear to him.

So I tried to imagine what an emotional event the sighting of land must have been for him. The first sight of HIS promised land, a land of freedom and new beginning. This was literally the goal of his entire life.

Because so many people have written so eloquently concerning this continent, I chose to use some of their words to express Lehi's feelings: "Oh say can you see", "By the dawns early light", "I'm tired and I am poor", "Oh beautiful for spacious skies", and "Purple mountains majesty".

I conclude the song with a reference to the Holy nature of the new world.

Oh say can you see
The land where we will be
See the mountain against the sky
The land wherein I'll die
By the dawns early light
And afternoon so bright
I have followed God's command
To seek this Holy Land

On the shore dimly seen
The land of freedoms dream
Just as promised Abraham
Lehi's promised land
Through the mists of the deep
The sight just makes me weep
I have followed God's command
To Seek this Holy Land

Here stands my family band
Free upon the sand
For all who shun iniquity
Pledged to liberty
To travel now no more
I'm tired and I am poor
I have followed God's command
To seek this Holy Land

Oh beautiful for spacious skies
A site to greet my eyes
Purple mountain majesties
My children will live to see
Other nations God will bring
This land and offering
I have done all I can

From Holy Land to Holy Land.