Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[Rainbow Light]

The multi-layered Pentecostal faith of Elvis' childhood certainly shaped his music. Not only did his rock'n'roll records borrow from the musical experiences of his church and the decisive rhythms of Southern religious music, but he also recorded gospel songs throughout his life. Jerry Schilling, one of the Memphis Mafia (Elvis' confidents), claims that Elvis enjoyed nothing more than escaping his mansion and going to the piano at his little gym. There he would sing gospel songs and old spirituals for hours on end. His recorded gospel songs proved remarkably popular, from “Peace in the Valley” and “Run On” in the 50s and 60s to “I Got Confidence” and “Amazing Grace” in the 70s. The record "How Great Thou Art" earned Elvis his first Grammy Award, and he would win two more Grammys for his gospel efforts. "I know practically every religious song that's ever been written," he once boasted.



Faith, however, was not merely a musical journey for Elvis. Elvis’s friends have claimed that he knew the Bible better than most ministers do, and in his periods of self-loathing he was said to rely upon the comfort and grace of the Scriptures. When away from his Bible, his friends recall that he would leave it open to Corinthians 13, St Paul's great ode to love. Likewise, prayer was central to his life. Before every concert he would insist that his band prayed with him, and then, during his 70's concerts in particular, he would interject thoughts of inspiration and passage readings from the Bible. His faith also inspired him in practical and humanitarian ways, as he spent time with friends who needed comfort and gave generously to charities. "He wasn't faking it, and people can tell that," notes Jason Freeman of the Legendary Sun Studio in Memphis. He was very spiritual and that attracted a lot of people to him."



By the mid-60's, Elvis concluded that he aimed to fulfill two desires during his lifetime. First, he wished to create music that brought happiness to people, and second, he aimed to perform service for God. This higher purpose, he later claimed, would be to show his fans the truth of Christianity, and the love and peace it brought to him. Certainly his own faith empowered him in many ways. "His religious faith told him 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,' to quote a popular Southern religious song," claims Charles R. Wilson of the University of Mississippi. "His faith gave him much inspiration." It is, therefore, certainly ironic that an Elvis-religion (called Elvism, the Presleyterian Church, or Preslevanity) is being alluded to by certain fans and social-critics alike. "Fan clubs are churches," notes Vernon Chadwick, "impersonators are priests, song lyrics are scripture, souvenirs are relics, sightings are Second Comings, and of course Graceland and Memphis are the holy land." This is surely a far cry from what Elvis himself would have wanted. After all, Elvis' friend and gospel superstar J.D. Sumner recalls an incident during a concert in Las Vegas. A woman approached the stage carrying a crown on a purple, velvet pillow. "It's for you," she said to Elvis, "You're the King." Without hesitation, Elvis took her by the hand and answered in his kind, drawling voice: "No, honey, I'm not the King. Christ is the King. I'm just a singer."

[Barbara Lea]

SUE I DO STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IF ELVIS LIVED LONGER HE WOULD HAVE BECAME, IF NOT A PREACHER. HE WOULD HAVE MOST CERTAINLY HAVE GOTTEN RID OF THE COLONIAL, AND EITHER WOULD HAVE FORMED HIS OWN GOSPEL GROUP OR HE WOULD HAVE JOINED ONE. BUT AS WE ALL KNOW IT WASN'T IN GODS PLANS, BUT I KNOW ELVIS IS STILL DOING THE LORDS WORK. THANKS FOR SHARING THESE THINGS ABOUT ELVIS'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. FOR THE LOVE OF ELVIS!! BARB!

[Lighthouseseeker]

well, I sometimes think about a similar thing too..I don't think he'd have done this in traditional ways and became a preacher .And I don't want to say exactly he would have started a new religion but ,he could have taught bigger crowds,to have faith in God and in good, without the fear factor, without being judgemental and without giving names to those beliefs and without dividing people in the name of different religions,he would have given individual's spirits a different and free angle to find a better way to reach the truth, a sense of unity which we lost long time ago even in our religious ways..he was and is,capable of doing this, he could reach anyone's heart in any culture or religion..so I guess,he could have been more succesfull than any other preacher, in uniting human kind and reminding them that,we all actually have the same goal,trying to reach the same God at the end and the same secrets and the truth..and in a way,he did this..otherwise ,how can we explain this growing love for the man..or our need of coming together here in this forum..

[Blue Moon]

I remember reading or hearing, I think it was from JD Sumner, that Elvis & JD were in the process of planning an all gospel concert, but Elvis died before it could come to fruition. That would have been something! Wish he had gotten the chance to that concert before departing this world.

[Barbara Lea]

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE WOULDN'T LAURIE? FOR THE LOVE OF ELVIS! BARB!

[Rainbow Light]

YES, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOVELY TO HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN, THE GOSPEL CONCERT AND A TRUE CHANCE FOR ELVIS TO HAVE HAD HIS SAY ABOUT HIS BELIEFS AND VIEWS: NOT JUST CHRISTIAN BUT ON VARIOUS RELIGIONS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND THOUGHTS TOO WITHOUT THE WORRY OF BEING PRE-JUDGED - ALL I THINK HE WOULD HAVE WANTED IS THE CHANCE TO HAVE DONE THAT!

BUT ELVIS IS DOING THE LORD'S WORK NOW WHERE HE IS AND WORKS/LIVES THROUGH OUR CONTINUING LOVE FOR HIM!

[Barbara Lea]

YES HE SURE IS, IF WE ONLY ALLOW HIM TO. I BET HIM AND CHARLIE, AND ALL THE REST ARE HAVING A TIME, AND I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I CAN JOIN THEM! BARB!

[Rainbow Light]

ALL IN THE NATURAL COURSE OF TIME, BUT AS THE SONG FROM "LOVING YOU" STATES:

"GOT A LOT O'LIVING TO DO" FIRST, YOU BETTER BELIEVE WE HAVE!

[Rainbow Light]

And I don't want to say exactly he would have started a new religion but ,he could have taught bigger crowds,to have faith in God and in good, without the fear factor, without being judgemental and without giving names to those beliefs and without dividing people in the name of different religions,he would have given individual's spirits a different and free angle to find a better way to reach the truth, a sense of unity which we lost long time ago even in our religious ways..he was and is,capable of doing this, he could reach anyone's heart in any culture or religion

Would like to bring this forward again (thanks again, Zey for posting! ) as speaks so true! Believe Elvis could have and wanted to (if he'd been able to have the opportunity) reach out to so many more spiritually. As it was he did not have that chance but did as much as he possibly could do during his lifetime and that maybe more than many others do in their anyway? but 30 years after when his beneficial influence reaches right across the world!!!

[Barbara Lea]

YES AND I SEE ELVIS'S INFLUENCE, STILL GOING STRONG 50 YEARS FROM NOW TO! THERE IS NEW ELVIS PEOPLE COMING ON BOARD EVERYDAY! BARB!

[Rainbow Light]

ALL TOO RIGHT, BARB! THAT INFLUENCE OF ELVIS' SO BENEFICIAL AND POSITIVE IS STILL GOING SO STRONG ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE - PHENOMENAL! SO GREAT TO KNOW AND BE INVOLVED IN SUCH A GREAT FORUM AND HAVE THE WEBSITE TOO!

[Barbara Lea]

YES IT SURE IS SUE! I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD CHECK ELC OUT, AND SEE JUST HOW GREAT IT IS HERE! FOR THE LOVE OF ELVIS! BARB!

[Rainbow Light]

I THINK AS LONG AS WE KNOW IN OUR HEARTS THAT WE ARE ALL DOING THE VERY BEST WE CAN TO DIRECT PEOPLE HERE IT IS ALL WE CAN DO - PEOPLE WHO WE THINK WILL BENEFIT FROM KNOWLEDGE, SEEKING, SPIRITUAL LOVE/FAITH AND THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ELVIS PRESLEY, THE MAN!

[Elvis'SweetSweetSpirit]

Hi there my name is Fran I just joined I am so very glad I did! ELC has really helped me spritiually and has helped me to know more about Elvis the man and his spritiual path!!! Thank you Sue for inviting me!!!

Fran

[Wanda June Hill]

Welcome to ELC Fran!!! We are so glad you joined up and that you have found peace and solace here! Hope you will have time to go through all the sites and read up on everything. There is a multitude of reading-lots of subjects and many posts-but all are beneficial and informative and hopefull will show the love and humanity that was in Elvis' heart and everything that he tried to do and be for his fans and family. His greatest wish was to bring happiness, love and a time of peace and laughter to the world's people. He's still doing it today. What better tribute to him than to have people tune in and turn on here at ELC! Thanks, will be looking for your posts now and then! Wanda June