It doesn’t take long to feel LDS Artist Kenneth Cope’s center. He speaks of Christ; he writes of Christ; he desires to make Christ’s glory visible and to eclipse himself in the process.
Having sat in his presence with an eminent colleague, listened to him speak and sing in his own home, we can tell you that he mirrors what he believes. In his words, I decided a long time ago that I was going to devote my energy and my talents to making the name of Jesus Christ greater on the earth,” Kenneth says. “And that is what I am about. It propels every choice, every decision. I hope to create new ways for people to see Jesus Christ – to offer a new vantage point and open eyes; to show how He is in everything. I am passionate about Him, and I want that passion to flow out of everything I do. Motivated by such passion, Kenneth Cope, Mormon musician, has had an intense and profound impact on the Mountain West and national religious listeners.
Composer, producer, performer, songwriter and singer, Kenneth was born in Salt Lake City, the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Mormons). Kenneth was the third of six children. He grew up mostly in Houston, Texas, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, one of the three nationally known fine art high schools for up and coming artistic talent. Kenneth later accepted the call from a living prophet, to serve as a Mormon missionary, or authorized ambassador of Jesus Christ, an LDS mission to Switzerland and France. Those two years helped shape him as an individual, and solidified his stance in the gospel of Jesus Christ, settling and establishing his faith in the restored gospel forever. During those years, Kenneth taught the principles of salvation–including eternal families, a premortal life, salvation through Jesus Christ’s atonement and resurrection, and the restoration of the Lord’s true church on the earth through modern prophets.
Kenneth married his equally gifted bride, Kathy. They live with their three daughters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Cope began his singing/songwriting career by recording the 1986 Especially For Youth (EFY) theme song. EFY is an international annual gathering of youth who wish to increase their discipleship and strengthen one another in the faith, while enjoying the chance to make new friends in a wholesome social setting. From the EFY theme song, Kenneth has gone on to compose more than 25 songs for the EFY Program. His first solo album, Heaven—Don’t Miss It For The World (1988), was focused towards the youth and was followed by the best-selling and critically acclaimed concept album, Greater Than Us All (1989). Other albums include: My Servant Joseph (1993), Women at the Well (1995), Stories From Eden’s Garden (1998), A Prayer Unto Thee (1999), Hear My Praise (2002), (combining original works with some of the best-loved songs of other Christian artists), Face to Face—the Kenneth Cope Collection (2005), and All About You (2008).
Kenneth has also ventured into the world of film scoring. In 2000 he wrote and produced an original score for Joseph Smith, The Seer, an interactive CD-ROM that explores and examines the life of the prophet. Currently, Kenneth is creating a musical for the stage about the life of Christ, titled Son of Man. The renderings are exquisite. In his own words: I strongly believe that if we are doing with our lives those things God wants us to do, He will open the way for us to continue in our path and consistently bring about more good. Recognizing Kenneth’s achievements, the Faith Centered Music Association (FCMA) has awarded him numerous PEARL Awards over the years including Male vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Album of the Year. His stories from Eden’s Garden garnered Kenneth an Indie nomination for Contemporary Christian Album of the Year from the Association for Independent Music.
