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More LDS Music by Doug Walker

Stones in the River

Album: Stones in the River, 2001

This song was born from a little song journal I had started keeping with notes and titles. Sometimes I would review book titles to see if they gave me any ideas I could use for song titles. I found the book “Stones From the River” by Ursula Hegi and thought that it would make a great title. The great thing about keeping titles and ideas in a book is that you can draw from them when you need them down the road. Several years later, we were up at the Little Cottonwood Canyon nature trail and “Temple Quarry,” and I was looking at the stones there in the river. I realized that we were all like those little rocks, traveling down the river of life, bumping into this experience or that trial, and hopefully becoming more refined in the process. I also noticed that the stones out of the water were as rough and jagged as ever. We're here to be those stones in the river, not the stones on the bank. Now that was a song! Well, with a title and general direction for the song, Sherry and I went to work on writing. The subject of Trials is deeply personal to each of us, and we wanted the song to reflect that. For that reason, each of the experiences in the verses comes from people we know. The 4-year-old boy whose daddy left is me, the teenage boy is a friend of ours, the family whose house burned down is a family I used to home teach, and the widow is also a family member. I think people have really related to this song because we all have experienced those trials which really tempt and try us, but we know that these are the very experiences that help us to become what God intended for us to become.

Some very wonderful people have shared their own personal experiences with us of how the simple truths of this song have helped them get through difficult times in their lives. For example, soon after we moved to North Idaho, a sister shared that the message of this song was influential in helping her come back to the church. WOW! What a blessing it has been for us to have been simple tools in the Lord’s hands to help someone else along the way. What I hope you realize is that each of us has that power to make a difference in the life of someone else: it may be through writing a song, but just as importantly, it may be through giving meaningful service, sharing the gospel through missionary work, or just by reaching out through the miraculous power of friendship.

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Love is a Journey

Album: Stones in the River, 2001;  Album: Love is a Journey: Reflections on Marriage, 2003

This title came from the popular poster that says “Success is a Journey.” I took it a slightly different direction with "Love is a Journey." It is in the trip that love is made. It isn’t a destination you finally arrive at after just waiting to get there. Love isn't something you look for and hope you find as much as it is something you create each day. I think that sentiment applies not only to marital relationships, but it also applies to our relationships with our children. Elder Ballard’s talk from April 2008 General Conference has really hit home with me, particularly the quote by Anna Quindlen. She said, “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.” Wow, that is powerful. Love really is created and enjoyed in those little moments along the way.

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The Mountain of the Lord

Album: Women of Destiny, 2002

After finding out which song topics were left to be written for the upcoming Women of Destiny CD, I decided to take on the topic of the Temple. One Saturday afternoon in a rarely quiet and empty house, I sat down at the piano with the Hymn “Be Still My Soul” on my mind, and within 45 minutes, “The Mountain of the Lord,” was born. It usually takes me months and months to get a song right, but somehow, that time it really just flowed. That was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had in writing a song. I was touched that this song went on to win the Pearl Award in 2002 for “Sacred Song of the Year.” We hope to do a piano/vocal arrangement of it and post it to the website soon.

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The Things I Know

Album: Whatever it Takes: Music to Inspire and Strengthen the Youth, 2004

This song started with just the beginning of the guitar part for the verse. I just kept working on this one and it seemed to flow and come together. I had a wonderful experience with this song at a Deseret Book release concert for the album. After I sang the number at the concert a woman came up to me and told me how her son had recently taken his own life and how this song had been a comfort to her. That touched me so deeply. My heart went out to her, but I feel confident that she has shared this burden with the Lord and trusted him to help her go on with her life. We don't know why some things in this life happen, but if we reach inside to our most basic faith that God lives and Jesus Christ is his son, both there as our Father and elder brother we can receive comfort and strength to carry on. Sometimes it takes moving forward in the dark until the light comes. Lehi traveled "for the space of many hours" in the dark and dreary wilderness until he came to the tree and was able to partake of the fruit. If we "hold on, the light will come," to steal a phrase from Michael McLean. The Lord according to the "multitude of His "tender mercies" will bless us.

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Cottonwood Lane

Album: Whatever it Takes: Music to Inspire and Strengthen the Youth, 2004

In college Sherry, my roomates, and I started visiting a widow named Eileen. For a time we would visit each week and talk with her, pray with her, and sing to her. She never said much, but we could tell that we were bringing light into her life. So many times with our busy schedules we don't take time to get outside ourselves and spend time meeting the needs of others. Many times I have to remind myself to find "Cottonwood Lane" again. This song is based on that experience we had with Eileen.

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Days Gone By

Album: Stones in the River, 2001

This song is for all those who might have a hard time forgiving themselves once they have moved on from their mistakes. The power of the Atonement is real and can help us not only overcome our weaknesses, but help us to forget them and forgive ourselves. Like the Lord said "...I the Lord remember them no more."

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The Woman I Was Before

Album: Women of Destiny 2, 2003

This song was inspired by Sheri Dew’s talk from Women’s Conference 2001 titled “Understanding Who We Are and Who We’ve Always Been.” Of all the gospel truths that resonate deep in our souls this one seems to have the most power in our lives. If we can understand the person we were before coming to this earth, that person who shouted for joy at the presentation of the plan of salvation and the opportunity to come to earth, that person who chose to follow Christ before and was a valiant spirit and if we can hold on to that that and truly believe it I believe the Spirit will confirm this continually to our hearts that we were indeed among the noble and great ones and have an eternal destiny to fulfill.

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Christmas Prayer

Album: A Shadow Mountain Christmas, 2004

I think this was one my favorite songs to write. I love the Christmas season and I wanted to reflect a feeling of reverence for the Savior and a desire to give a worthy offering that He will accept when he comes again. I like the reference to shining as the Star of David to bring others to him just as the Star did. I don’t know if that is original or not, I’m sure someone else has thought of it, but it struck me and touches me to think of the star in this way. My hope is that this song can help others feel some of these same things. I had always hoped I could get Amy Grant to sing this one, but Katherine Nelson did every bit as good and maybe better!

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The Truth About Me

Album: Stones in the River, 2001

I believe that one of greatest weapons the adversary uses against us is trying to steer us away from the understanding of how valuable and amazing each of us really is. If he can obscure the knowledge that there is Divine power and potential within us and make us feel that we are not worthy or not good enough he will have success. When we feel this way it is very hard to improve ourselves or overcome our difficulties. We just don’t feel we have the energy or we just don’t feel we can. The truth is we are far greater than we even realize. We have the power to unlock incredible things from within us if we will just trust in the Lord. No, it isn’t easy, but little by little we can become what Heavenly Father desires us to become as we remember that we are children of the most powerful, wonderful, being in the universe.

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Just Passing By

Album: Stones in the River, 2001

It wasn’t by design that so many of the songs on my album, Stones in the River, had to do with divine identity. I suppose I have wrestled with trying to remember who I am so I tend to favor songs that remind me of that truth. This earth life is so short and when you think about it, there isn’t anything down here that is worth having or doing in exchange for an eternity of happiness with loved ones. You’d think for such a glorious prize at the end we’d have to endure 80 straight years of pain and misery with no relief at all. Instead, we are able to enjoy many happy moments and many peaceful times here on earth. Life is definitely like the weather, some days are sunny and some are miserable, but in the end we will be eternally grateful that we chose to follow Christ while we were passing by this earth life.

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Mirage

Album: Stones in the River, 2001

2 Nephi 28 is one of the greatest sermons on the tactics that Satan uses to lure us away from what is important and what will bring us happiness. It describes how the adversary will “carefully lead us” and “lure us”. He knows exactly how to customize his lures too. In the end though, I don’t think will find a soul on earth that will ever tell you how glad they were that they strayed from the gospel path. It brings nothing, but misery. If that is the case, then what is the point of taking the bait and getting a sharp hook in the mouth only to be reeled in and made captive? We can choose not be manipulated by evil and realize that real happiness comes from walking away from evil rather than giving in to it and getting nothing in return, except of course, misery.

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Jesus Would

Album: Stones in the River, 2001;  Album: His Love (Volume II), 2004

This song was written for Sherry, two of her sisters, Anna and Kristina, and a few of their friends as a song to sing in Sacrament meeting. It was originally a piano/vocal number and we changed it to a guitar/vocal for the album. I have so many examples around me of what Jesus would do in family, friends, and others. It really does help to stop and ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” Sometimes we know what He would do and then we have to wrestle with our natural self to then make the choice to do what He would do. Every time we choose to act as the Savior would act we are letting go of our will and submitting to God’s. I believe Eternal life is a tapestry made of the thread of small righteous choices spun over a lifetime.

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The Day of Our Peace

Album: Stones in the River, 2001

The prophet Brigham Young was worried that the saints would lose their faith not because of their trials, but because of their prosperity. It is so easy to become distracted by leisure or just a busy schedule full of good pursuits that may be off the mark. When things are generally peaceful and good we can sometimes forget by what power we arrived at good times and lose our “edge” so to speak. We become “at ease in Zion” and feel that “all is well”. There is no need to stretch ourselves or put in more than the minimum. We become OK with mediocre discipleship and it sometimes takes a trial to bring us back to our knees in humility. Far better to be voluntarily humble and diligent than to be compelled to be humble! This song comes from the scripture in D&C 101:8: “In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me.”

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Closer

Album: Stones in the River, 2001

Sometimes it is really hard to see any progress in your life! Most of us tend to go back and forth, inching our way towards becoming more like the Savior. Thankfully, we know that “incremental improvement is…the order of the day,” as Elder Neal A. Maxwell put it. “Line upon line, precept upon precept,” is a beautiful doctrine. What a merciful Savior that patiently leads us and guides us. If we can just get a little closer a little bit at a time, we can feel good about our direction and our position. Of course, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t push ourselves to make big strides, but it does mean that when we have worked hard and tried to improve and change, but have only moved a few inches we can feel good about!

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Only One

Album: Stones in the River, 2001;  Album: His Love (Volume II), 2004

When all is said and done and when the facades are all taken down we see that there is only one path to joy and contentment. It is through Jesus Christ, there is no other way. We try to find peace through other means and it always fails. Satan knows this and works so hard to convince us to seek happiness somewhere other than in Jesus and his teachings. May we all remember the Savior’s sufferings and remember that He alone has the power to lift us and bring us at last to His arms to live forever in happiness.

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