The Church recently released a new batch of hymns for the new Latter-day Saint hymnbook. I feel like some of my predictions are paying off with the new round of hymns. Back in 2018, I called it that “This is the Christ,” “Come, Lord Jesus, Come,” and “Amazing Grace,” would likely be added. (I could say the same for “Come, Thou Fount” with the last round, but that one was beyond obvious.) But, beyond those, there are some very excellent inclusions that I am excited about. Let’s go through each of the new hymns and I’ll share some thoughts and information (including some from the official press release):
- 1010. Amazing Grace
- This was probably the most highly anticipated hymn of this group. It was included in the 1841 Nauvoo hymnal, but has not been included since. I have heard many individuals express a desire to include “Amazing Grace” in the hymnbook over the years, and in early 2024, Ray Robinson said that the committee was planning on including “Come, Thou Fount” and “Amazing Grace” and expecting that they would be universal favorites. I’ll admit that I’m not overly excited about this one myself, but I am happy for those who have wanted it to be included over the years.
- 1011. Holding Hands Around the World
- This is an original Latter-day Saint children’s song by Janice Kapp Perry that was published multiple times in the “Friend” magazine. I didn’t recognize it, but my wife and some friends have said that it was a big part of their Primary program experiences growing up. Although I am not fond of militaristic imagery in hymns, I appreciate the message of global unity.
- 1012. Anytime, Anywhere
- This one is new, short and sweet. I like it as a children’s song.
- 1013. God’s Gracious Love
- I didn’t know this one before the release of this batch, but it has quickly become a favorite of mine. It is a 19th-century Swedish hymn that was in the church’s Swedish hymnal and has now migrated to the Church’s universal hymnody.
- A humorous side note with this one is that I’ve heard that a lot of folks with ties to Germany have commented that it reminds them of a folk-pop song. Rolf Zuckowski wrote a children’s song about “It’s so good that the Sun exists” (“Wie gut dass es die Sonne gibt”) that likely borrowed from the Swedish hymn’s melody. But, as Jonathan Green explained to me, Zuckowski “basically provided the soundtrack for German childhood for 30-40 years straight, starting around 1980, and everyone knows his songs,” so folks who grew up in Germany are more likely to know his work than the hymn.
- 1014. My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
- This might be the one I was most excited to see, partly because I hadn’t anticipated its inclusion. I have loved this one since I performed Mack Wilberg’s arrangement in a choir when I was a teenager. (And yes, I do plan on having my ward choir sing that arrangement in the next couple months.) The beautiful early American hymn tune combined with a Psalm 23 text created by Godfather of English Hymnody is beautiful and moving. I also loved that they kept it as 4-part harmony, which seems to be on the decline in the new hymn music.
- 1015. Oh, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
- This was a 19th-century English hymn with a new musical setting. It’s exciting to see a hymn tune that seems to have been written for the submissions to the hymnal.
- 1016. Behold the Wounds in Jesus’ Hands
- This one was submitted in 1998 for the annual Church Music Submission and published in the April 2009 Ensign. It may be familiar to some, since it was performed by a combined choir from Brigham Young University in the October 2021 general conference.
- 1017. This Is the Christ
- This hymn combined the talents of a member of the First Presidency (James E. Faust), established hymn writer Jan Underwood Pinborough, and the chairman of the committee that created the 1985 hymnal (Michael Finlinson Moody). It rose to fame in the Church with its use in The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd and has been recorded by artists like the Tabernacle Choir and Marshall McDonald. I love this one and was excited to see it included.
- 1018. Come, Lord Jesus
- This was a main theme in David Zabriskie’s Savior of the World musical that is performed on Temple Square each year around Christmas. It has previously been published in Church magazines. This was another one that I had hoped would be included. I am particularly excited to have it added as an Advent hymn.
As far as some general notes, I feel like we’re still not moving beyond Utah and the United States to a global and inclusive Church yet in the sense of content origin. “God’s Gracious Love” is the major exception in this group, since it comes from Sweden. Otherwise, however, the hymns and songs are either traditional American hymns or more recent compositions by Utahns. As far as inclusive language, they did pretty well, similar to the first batch of new hymns. The main failing in this group is in “This is the Christ,” which refers to Jesus as “Redeemer of mankind.” I recognize that mankind can be interpreted as the totality of humanity, but it can also mean men, as distinguished from women. There are more inclusive terms that could be used instead.
What are we still likely to see in upcoming waves? My short list, based on previous observations, would be the following:
Christmas:
- “Christmas Comes Anew”
- “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming”
- “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
- “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”
Latter-day Saint Hymns:
- “Placentero nos es trabajar” (“How Pleasant to Work with the Lord”)
- “Faith in Every Footstep”
- “What is This Thing that Man Calls Death?”
Primary Songs:
- “If the Savior Stood Beside Me”
- “Scripture Power”
Traditional Christian Hymns and Songs:
- “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
- “This Little Light of Mine”
- “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit”
- “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me”
- “Poor Wayfarin’ Stranger”
- “Take Time to Be Holy”
I was most excited about Come, Lord, Jesus. I have loved it ever since I heard the BYU Men’s Chorus recording of it. It is one of the hymns that I requested when I filled out the survey a few years ago for the new hymnal project. I had a soloist sing it in a Relief Society lesson last December because I love it so much. To me it’s an Advent hymn as well, and I’d really like to see more Advent hymns. I know we don’t formally observe Advent (though I do personally and have for many years). I love Advent music in general and find most such hymn texts extremely meaningful.
As far as traditional Christian hymns, I think Love Divine, All Loves Excelling is another one that is likely to be included, based on the fact that it’s been sung in GC fairly recently. I’m really really hoping for Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. (And a lot of others that I think are less likely to make the cut.)
My bishop is a good singer and has been actively involved in choral music his whole adult life, so we have sung one of these new hymns every week in sacrament meeting. A few weeks ago we sang My Shepherd Will Supply my Need, I thought it was a wonderful hymn and a great addition to our songbook. Several weeks ago, we sang Amazing Grace, and take this for what it’s worth from someone who’s not very musical, it is so common in our culture in non-devotional uses that it almost seemed like a cliche.
I can appreciate the reasoning behind putting all of the songs into one hymnbook, but I am not a big fan of primary songs in Sacrament meeting and I’m sure this will become more common because of this change. The first time we have to sing Scripture Power in sacrament meeting I think I may just have to walk out of the room.
I’m curious to see how the new hymnal is organized. Like KLC, I’m not going to sing Scripture Power in sacrament meeting. I’m also not going to suggest that we sing ‘A Wintry Day Descending to its Close’ in primary. (As if that one is going to survive in the new edition!) The new songs can clearly be divided into ‘kids’ and ‘adult’ categories. All of the adult songs are still in 4 parts except for ‘This is the Christ’ so I don’t see any real changes there. I expect that even if they are all in the same physical book, primary songs will be separate from the sacrament meeting songs.
I’ve noticed that so far all the songs still feel like traditional “Mormon” church music. Musically there’s nothing very different, despite their stated openness to broadening the musical styles. Also, I feel like the new additions are lacking in songs that are energetic. I want things that I can crank up on the organ a bit more. (Not that all the songs need to be upbeat anthems. We definitely need more sacrament hymns so we don’t have to cycle through the same 20 so frequently.)
DaveW, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come” is not a children’s song and it is not in four parts (though I think it could and should be).
I’m not crazy about singing a lot of primary songs in sacrament meeting, and some of the ones that have been included so far I would not be likely to choose… but I have to say that when our ward sang “I Will Walk with Jesus” about a month ago, it was one of the most profound musical experiences I have ever had in church. I was playing the organ, and hearing all the children in the congregation joining in moved me to tears before the end of the first verse. Several other people in our ward expressed having a similar reaction. So, I will carefully choose, but I will definitely include these Primary songs on a regular basis.
I sooo want to play/sing Star Bright in Sacrament Meeting this coming holiday season!
See if you can get the ward choir to sing Amazing Grace to the tune of House of the Rising Sun in 6/8 time. Not a cliche.
My Shepherd Will Supply My Need brought back an interesting memory.
Nearly 20 years ago, our ward choir director decided to sing that song in sacrament meeting. He asked whether anyone in our 15-person choir could play the oboe or the flute.
My wife is a flute player, and she volunteered for that part.
But we still needed an oboist.
So I volunteered! I had never even touched an oboe before. But I didn’t want to disappoint the choir, so I rented one from a music shop in Provo, and I spent the next six weeks learning to play on the oboe just the 5 or 6 notes that are included with the oboe part in the music accompaniment.
When I played the oboe in sacrament meeting, things went pretty well, but a double reed instrument is not the easiest thing for a beginner. When you hit the notes on the oboe, it sounds magical, but when you get tired and lose the abembouchure, an oboe sounds like someone is slaughtering a goose.
With you, I expect the inclusion of “Placentero . . .” which has been beloved of Spanish singers for generations. However, that tune is already closely aligned with “In the Sweet By and By”, a very common hymn among evangelicals. I don’t see a whole lot of Jesus or doctrine among the current lyrics of ItSBaB, so it might be more of a translation from the Spanish, or an entirely new text all together.
Similarly, while we’ve sung “Take Time to be Holy” recently in conference, to most of the Christian world, that tune has been “Be Thou my Vision” for centuries.
A member of my ward is on the hymn selection committee. He said that they very likely will be including at least one song from the Samoan/Tongan hymn books— he didn’t name a specific hymn title, but he said he thought that everybody would really love what was selected. A friend who attends a Tongan ward says she thinks it might be “Folofola Mai a Sisu,” which is very beloved and very fun to sing. I’m now in love with it, so I hope it is included.
That would be awesome, Other Marie
Extremely pleased it includes guitar sheet music and recorded accompaniments.
Earth-shattering to some of the old in their ways.
The problems with Church hymns start with the hymns being funeral dirges. Then, there’s the dreadful four parts nature of almost all of the hymns, which means the music itself is nothing but clunky chords. Primary music has actual good music. My ward’s choir did not become the best choir in the history of the church by singing us hymns from the hymnbook (shame that didn’t last). And we have the Church music people reflexively grasping for restoration hymns, when only some of them are worth singing. Indeed, a couple of weeks ago I skimmed through the hymnbook rapidly, counting hymns that could easily be removed and probably should be removed, and well over half of them should go. Horrifying but true: the existing hymnbooks themselves don’t allow using a pencil to make a picture on the program of the Tabernacle organ, like the blue ones did, and it doesn’t look as if we’ll get digital stickers in the Church music app to apply as digital watermarks. I met a Church music lady not long ago when visiting my daughter’s ward, and I said we should get some gospel music, and she said it might be interesting to have a “spiritual” in there. Oh my heck! How white can you get? A “spiritual?” Really, Sister Knight should be in charge of half of the new hymns selections. But the people who are, are oblivious, so we’ll almost certainly keep the utterly satanic “Because I Have Been Given Much,” and probably the better but not much “Jesus Said Love Everyone” So little hope for the future. Especially with so many of the Primary music being floated in Church magazines in recent years having melodies apparently composed at random, despite how good some of the lyrics are.
1001. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Astonishingly good choice! Solid, well loved hymn that somehow hadn’t made it into the book.
1002. When the Savior Comes Again
Huh?
1003. It Is Well with My Soul
Once of the best imaginable choices. Stunningly beautiful to hear when sung well.
1004. I Will Walk with Jesus
I wasn’t too sure about the music when it first came out, but it’s such a sweet song it won me over. Which reminds me: I want my job as Primary pianist back again!
1005. His Eye Is on the Sparrow
Soul crushing that it was this sparrow-related song instead of “Why We Sing.”
1006. Think a Sacred Song
OK; doubt it’ll distinguish itself.
1007. As Bread Is Broken
I guess lethargic, four parts music does have a place for sacrament hymns. And only sacrament hymns.
1008. Bread of Life, Living Water
Random melody in a hymn. Still, kind of nice.
1009. Gethsemane
It was probably inevitable that this thing would make it in. I don’t know if it’s wonderful or maudlin. I do know that the people who think Primary children can’t grasp complicated gospel concepts are nuts.
1010. Amazing Grace
The best choice. It’s about time. Very good indication that some people in Salt Lake get that there’s a broader religious message we should be incorporating. One of the best hymns in history, especially given it history, so nice to see in the list.
1011. Holding Hands Around the World
Yet another wandering melody, but I do have a soft spot for the lyrics. Heck, I have a soft spot for most anything Primary related. It’s where angel sing. Raucous, entertaining kids, but angels when they settle down and get into the music.
1012. Anytime, Anywhere
Are these melodies generated by first generation AI?
1013. God’s Gracious Love
OK. The Relief Society needs something to sing. This sounds aimed there.
1014. My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
Soporific.
1015. Oh, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
They’re just going to replace some old tired Christian hymn with this equivalent.
1016. Behold the Wounds in Jesus’ Hands
Painfully formulaic.
1017. This Is the Christ
It has been said that if you put a million monkeys in front of a million typewriters for a million years, sooner or later one of them would bang out the complete words of William Shakespeare. This sweet song was probably written by one monkey in one hour with a sheet of staff paper in front of it.
1018. Come, Lord Jesus
It’s song. We can say that.
Easter and Christmas
1201. Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise
Digging back to Charles Wesley. Wow. Someone shoot me. Speaking more generally, and admittedly not specifically about Christmas, if we’re going to go old, we should go to something like Palestrina or chant (that would be so incredibly amazing) or a Mozart mass or Rachmaninoff vespers. The best music of the West, not the best music of West Valley City.
1202. He Is Born, the Divine Christ Child
No one should be subjected to this.
1203. What Child Is This?
I can’t wrap my head around why this wasn’t already in the book. It’s one of the most beautiful, simple, ideal Christmas songs I can imagine. Superlative choice for an addition!
1204. Star Bright
When this came out in the late ’50s, “The Instructor” described it as having an “easy, flowing tempo.” Maybe “The Moldau” of something like that has an “easy, flowing tempo, but this is tango! It would be wild to see the bishop and his wife dancing down the aisle to this!
What do we not see on this list? Some delightful old protestant favorites (“The Old Rugged Cross,” “Precious Memories,” “Rock of Ages” (not the AC/DC version), “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder,” “Let Us Bread Bread Together On Our Knees,” “We’ll Understand It Better By and By,” “This Little Light of Mine,” “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”). We sure don’t see any Gospel (“Oh Happy Day,” “Center of My Joy,” “All Things,” “Wholly Holy,” “I Give Myself Away,” “My Life Is In Your Hands,” “You Are Good,” “Redeemer,” “Why We Sing,” “Closer/Wrap Me In Your Arms,” “Yes Jesus Loves Me.” “We Falll Down,” “In the Sanctuary,” “Redeemer,” “Holy is the Lamb.”) And we don’t see any of a variety of alt Mormon or Christian music. (Skillet’s “Stand,” Jeff Hinton’s “What Kind of Car?” Third Day’s “Born Again” or “Revelation,” The Saints Unified Voices version of “Jesu Me Kanaka Weiwei,” Julie de Azevedo’s “Mercy’s Arms,” Rob Gardner’s “My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee,” Rhett Walker Band’s “Brother” or “When Mercy Found Me,” Nancy Hanson’s “The Way to Emmaus,” Low’s “2-Step,” “Murderer,” or “Holy Ghost.”) Or, as noted earlier, the greatest music in the history of Christianity (which is, as it happens, going to be Catholic), as opposed to things that were church favorites centuries back.
Ouch! I completely forgot to mention “The Prayer.” It would be amazing if the Church could find some way to make that work in Church music, without four parting it. When Charlotte Church and Josh Groban sang that at the Olympics, with Renee Rocca and Gorsha Sur dancing on the ice, especially after not much national pain not far before the Olympics, it was exquisite!
Saint Marching,
Thanks for your thoughts, I enjoyed reading them and find them to be on point.
I think many of these new hymns are of a certain style that works as a solo but when sung as a group turn into something like a drinking song. It’s not just the absence of 4 part harmony, it’s something else. For example, “Gethsemane” (both maudlin and wonderful!) I think is in that category, as are some other primary songs.
“Behold the Wounds in Jesus’ Hands” OTOH is absolute schmaltz. “… takes you in his arms and quiets all your fears” ? Good grief.
I hope we start to see more music from places like Latin America, Africa, and the Philippines, where we have such a large and growing proportion of our membership, many of whom have remarkable musical cultures.
Sigh.
For some reason- I’ve not caught onto the new hymns.
Also- Amazing Grace should be a poem, a sermon, a movie, a well-known history, etc., not lyrics set to *that* particular folk tune. The word painting is utterly atrocious. And yet- you can’t change this historical bastion.
I love grace, but the musical execution is atrocious. All the important words are at the end of phrases (e.g. “grace”) or set as short passing tones. The most musically emphasized words (with the longest duration, the peak of phrases, or those with the most ornaments) are “but”, “a”, “that”, “was”.
“Buuuuuuuuuuuuut now am . . . ”
“wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhs lost . . . ”
“uhhhhhhhhhhhhh wretch . . . ”
“thaaaaaaaaaaaaaat saved . . . ”
Full-body cringe.
I hope it works out better in other languages.
Worst. word. painting. ever. Fingernails on a chalkboard.
When professional singers approach it- they end up slowing it down and putting more embellishments and emphases throughout and combining phrases – to not just balance things out- but frankly- to cover-up the musical problems.
I think growing up LDS at a time when this wasn’t part of our hymnody- I come to it as an outsider with fresh eyes. My evaluation is likely sacrilege to most protestants who see Amazing Grace as both unchangeable and off-limits to criticism or reform. But, after living through the Mormon moment and reading the bloggernacle for years- I’ve seen Mormonism utterly ravaged with such criticisms. Not one single artifact of Mormondom (even our most sacred beliefs, culture, etc.) has escaped this era’s academic scrutiny. It seems fair that the same untouchable and cherished things from other faiths be similarly dissected.
If Amazing Grace gets a pass due to it’s sentimentality, impact, history, quirky artistry, cultural impact, non-formulaic success, etc. Maybe we, the saints, ought to have a pass for a few of our ways too.
Amazing Grace is the Protestant analog to our I Believe in Christ. Great message, sincerely meant. Bad song.
PWS: Yeah, but “I Believe in Christ” is an eight verse song masquerading as a four verse song. That’s a sketchy sort of thing. And, “Amazing Grace” has the word “grace” in it. Also, it has that rich anti-slavery history. So yeah, it isn’t exactly a world changing tune, as Mortimer says, but it seems like what it says about a change in approach is pretty significant.