Can anyone doubt that good music is godly or that there can be something of the essence of heaven in great art?— President Gordon B. Hinckley, October 1985 general conference.

In 1862, fully 15 years after the pioneers settled into the Salt Lake Valley, the largest building in town was a brand new theater. The Saints had already begun work on the temple, which wouldn't be completed for decades to come, and they had places to hold their church services. But they wanted something more, something for the arts.

In fact, the Salt Lake Theatre was an incredible achievement for the early settlers. It seated about 1,500 people — a tenth of those living in the city itself. Almost every family had a hand in constructing it, whether building the bricks from straw and clay, scavengering the prairies for iron to make nails, or whittling wooden pegs to hold the ceiling beams together. It endured for 66 years, attracted some of the greatest names in the theater to its stage, and was regarded as one of the three or four best in the country.

It was built for a purpose. At its dedication, President Brigham Young prayed that those who performed in it would "be just as virtuous, truthful and humble before God and each other as though they were on a mission to preach the gospel." (Deseret News, March 12, 1862. )

The blending of art and religion has ancient roots, perhaps because the purpose of good art is to sharpen our understanding and elevate our sensibilities, just as it is for religion. The Bible, for example, speaks admiringly of fine craftsmanship of the temples and of the singing of angels to announce the arrival of Christ.

Whether they work in literature, architecture, the performing arts or the visual arts, artists bring their creative gifts and unique vision to the world we live in. We live in a time when the role of art is often misunderstood and even cheapened. Some who work in these fields do not share the same values that we do, and we constantly read of yet another self-indulgent expression of personal taste that offends more people than it inspires.

But no such ambiguity should exist about the role of great art in our own lives. The 13th Article of Faith says, "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." "And I might add, beautiful," said President Gordon B. Hinckley when he dedicated the new Museum of Art at Brigham Young University.

President Hinckley said at the dedication, "What is displayed here will nourish our finer instincts and cause us more frequently to ponder on the wonder of Him who is our God and our Creator, the author of all that is truly beautiful. . . . Art provides a patina, a glow to the underlying dull surfaces of life. Without it we lack a certain wholeness, a certain balance, a certain refinement." (Deseret News, Oct. 23, 1993).

Throughout the history of the Church its prophets taught that the arts have an important place in society and the Church. President Heber J. Grant, in his 70th birthday pamphlet, said, "I rejoice in the advancement in art, in literature, and in science, and in everything that tends to the progress and accomplishment of our people." (November, 1926: 16). President Ezra Taft Benson urged members to "encourage good music and art and literature in your homes. Homes that have a spirit of refinement and beauty will bless the lives of children forever." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 512.)

So, given the welter of artists of all kinds vying for our attention, how are we to know what is good and what is better left alone? It's true that each age has its own appreciation for its artists. Many of our most highly valued artists today were shunned or overlooked in their own time, a fact that is both a consolation and a challenge if you are an artist yourself.

But great art has its own way of surviving. The fine sculpture of Greece, the detailed paintings from the Renaissance and the ground-breaking literature of the 19th Century move us still. Beyond that, we are each given the gift of discernment by the Holy Ghost, if we will listen to it.

Brigham Young, who guided the construction of the Salt Lake Theatre at a time when resources were scarce, knew where he stood. The late Maestro Maurice Abravanel of the Utah Symphony related that when musicians played without pay, President Young undertook the responsibility for guaranteeing them a wage — and the $3 they received per performance was good money. (Deseret News, May 7, 1984.)