A great emphasis has been placed upon good music and the singing of hymns in our Latter-day Saint congregations. In fact, it was a only a short time after the organization of the restored church that the Lord gave a commandment to Emma Smith, through the prophet Joseph Smith, to make a sacred selection of hymns. The First Presidency has described the importance of this music in great detail:
Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.
Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.
We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.
Latter-day Saints have a long tradition of choir singing. Every ward and branch in the Church should have a choir that performs regularly. We encourage choirs to use the hymnbook as their basic resource.
Music in Our Homes
Music has boundless powers for moving families toward greater spirituality and devotion to the gospel. Latter-day Saints should fill their homes with the sound of worthy music.
Ours is a hymnbook for the home as well as for the meetinghouse. We hope the hymnbook will take a prominent place among the scriptures and other religious books in our homes. The hymns can bring families a spirit of beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity among family members.
Teach your children to love the hymns. Sing them on the Sabbath, in home evening, during scripture study, at prayer time. Sing as you work, as you play, and as you travel together. Sing hymns as lullabies to build faith and testimony in your young ones.
Music in Our Personal Lives
In addition to blessing us as Church and family members, the hymns can greatly benefit us as individuals. Hymns can lift our spirits, give us courage, and move us to righteous action. They can fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a spirit of peace.
Hymns can also help us withstand the temptations of the adversary. We encourage you to memorize your favorite hymns and study the scriptures that relate to them. Then, if unworthy thoughts enter your mind, sing a hymn to yourself, crowding out the evil with the good.
Brothers and sisters, let us use the hymns to invite the Spirit of the Lord into our congregations, our homes, and our personal lives. Let us memorize and ponder them, recite and sing them, and partake of their spiritual nourishment. Know that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father in Heaven, “and it shall be answered with a blessing upon [your] heads.”
The First Presidency
Many of us sing these hymns without putting much thought into the content or the message of each piece of music. After making this observation, I took it upon myself to dig through the hymnbook in order to find any songs that deal with the principles of liberty. I was quite pleased with what I found! Below, I have listed several of the hymns that stood out to me. I hope that you will also be able to read these hymns and see how important our freedom is in Heavenly Father’s plan.
#240 – Know This, That Every Soul is Free
1. Know this, that ev’ry soul is free
To choose his life and what he’ll be;
For this eternal truth is giv’n:
That God will force no man to heav’n.
2. He’ll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love, and light,
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.
3. Freedom and reason make us men;
Take these away, what are we then?
Mere animals, and just as well
The beasts may think of heav’n or hell.
4. May we no more our pow’rs abuse,
But ways of truth and goodness choose;
Our God is pleased when we improve
His grace and seek his perfect love.
What Stood Out to Me
I had to list this hymn first because it covers so many of the principles of liberty. The first verse tells us that every soul is free to choose his or her own course, and that it is an eternal truth that God will not force his children to choose return to Him. This is essential to Heavenly Father’s plan…it is what we fought for in the Council in Heaven.
The second verse clarifies. God will call, persuade, and direct…he will even bless us when we do right. But in no way will He ever “force the human mind”. So many people in the world today believe that God is a hateful, vengeful god who considers us mere playthings. But we who have been blessed with the restored Gospel know that our Heavenly Father loves us and gave us our agency so that we could take part in His Plan and return to Him.
The final two verses are a call to action. If our freedom and reason are what separates us from God’s other creations, then we must not abuse our power, but instead choose righteousness, grace and love as we persuade our brothers and sisters to choose righteousness as well. This principle applies to so many of today’s most complicated issues. It also ties in with the Lord’s commandment to refrain from using unrighteous dominion to influence others.
#244 – Come Along, Come Along
1. “Come along, come along” is the call that will win,
To lead us to virtue and keep us from sin;
Most men can be led, but few can be driv’n
In shunning perdition and striving for heav’n.
[Chorus]
“Come along, come along” is the call that will win
In leading to virtue and keeping from sin;
“Come along, come along” is the call that will win
In leading to virtue and keeping from sin.
2. “Come to me, come to me” sweetly falls on the ear,
The word of the Lord full of comfort and cheer,
To bind up the broken, the captive set free,
In the good time that’s coming, we hope soon to see.
3. Let us govern by kindness and never by force,
All cheering and bright, like the sun in its course;
Obedience will spring from each heart with a bound,
And brotherhood flourish the wide world around.
What Stood Out to Me
The statement “most men can be led, but few can be driv’n in shunning perdition and striving for heav’n” declares that we should always make it our goal to persuade our brothers and sisters to do what is right, not to drive them or use force against them when attempting to bring them to Christ. Instead of saying “do this” or “do that”, the Savior’s message was “come along” – in other words, “follow me”. As the hymn states, the Savior’s message can “bind up the broken” and set the captive free. The third verse eloquently reaffirms the message by stating, “Let us govern by kindness and never by force”, and the blessings that will follow such governance are obedience and brotherhood amongst the citizens of all nations. What a fantastic message of freedom!
#237 – Do What Is Right
1. Do what is right; the day-dawn is breaking,
Hailing a future of freedom and light.
Angels above us are silent notes taking
Of ev’ry action; then do what is right!
[Chorus]
Do what is right; let the consequence follow.
Battle for freedom in spirit and might;
And with stout hearts look ye forth till tomorrow.
God will protect you; then do what is right!
2. Do what is right; the shackles are falling.
Chains of the bondsmen no longer are bright;
Lightened by hope, soon they’ll cease to be galling.
Truth goeth onward; then do what is right!
3. Do what is right; be faithful and fearless.
Onward, press onward, the goal is in sight.
Eyes that are wet now, ere long will be tearless.
Blessings await you in doing what’s right!
What Stood Out to Me
This hymn pleads with us to do what is right, and it lays out some specific blessings that flow from righteous activity. Namely, we are promised:
1. A future of freedom and light.
2. God’s protection.
3. An end to bondage – “the shackles are falling”.
4. Increased joy – “eyes that are wet now, ere long will be tearless”.
Of course, we have the Book of Mormon as a record and a warning to heed the Lord’s commandment to do what is right. We have been promised that we will dwell on this blessed land as a free people only as long as we are a righteous people.
#84 – Faith of Our Fathers
1. Faith of our fathers, living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious word.
[Chorus]
Faith of our fathers, holy faith,
We will be true to thee till death!
2. Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee,
And thru the truth that comes from God,
Mankind shall then be truly free.
3. Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how,
By kindly words and virtuous life.
What Stood Out to Me
The second and third verses contain evidence of the principles of liberty. Verse two states that we will strive to “win all nations unto thee”. Likening this unto ourselves, we can see how the Lord would have us spread his Word. Perhaps there are some out there who are of the opinion that America must “spread Democracy to the world” or defend all those who are in bondage by overthrowing despotic governments. This hymn stands as a witness that our current strategy is counterproductive. It is only “thru the truth that comes from God” that men can become truly free. Verse three goes on to include the Lord’s commandment that we are to love both friend and foe in all of our strife and that we are to spread freedom by “kindly words and virtuous life” instead of by force. We are to love our brothers and sisters in foreign lands, forgive them when they do wrong, and share the gospel to them through missionary work – not with guns and bombs and crooked politics.
#80 – God of Our Fathers, Known of Old
1. God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine:
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.
2. The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart.
Still stands thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.
3. Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire.
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget.
What Stood Out to Me
I was particularly impressed by the words of this hymn. The common refrain, “Lest we forget, lest we forget” calls us to remember our God and his great power in protecting us as we do battle with those who would seek to overthrow Heavenly Father’s plan and our agency. Nations have risen and fallen – “the captains and the kings depart” – but still stands the Atonement. Even our navies and all of the pomp and power that our country exhibits will someday go the way of Nineveh and Tyre. Verse three pleads for our nation’s salvation – “Judge of the nations, spare us yet”. We should all remember that we will be held accountable for our actions in relation to government. To me, this hymn pleads with us to remember that we should be more concerned with our real mission – to peacefully spread the Savior’s message to all the world – and that we should be less concerned with our man-made mission of spreading American ideals and forms of government through the use of force.
#264 – Hark, All Ye Nations!
1. Hark, all ye nations!
Hear heaven’s voice
Thru ev’ry land that all may rejoice!
Angels of glory shout the refrain:
Truth is restored again!
[Chorus]
Oh, how glorious from the throne above
Shines the gospel light of truth and love!
Bright as the sun, this heavenly ray
Lights ev’ry land today.
2. Searching in darkness, nations have wept;
Watching for dawn, their vigil they’ve kept.
All now rejoice; the long night is o’er.
Truth is on earth once more!
3. Chosen by God to serve him below,
To ev’ry land and people we’ll go,
Standing for truth with fervent accord,
Teaching his holy word.
What Stood Out to Me
Verse three is another great example of how we should be spreading our ideals. The hymn states, “to ev’ry land and people we’ll go, standing for truth with fervent accord, teaching his holy word.” Nowhere in the hymns or any other scriptures are God’s children commanded to spread the Lord’s gospel with armies, bombs, swords, or any other use of force. I consider this an indictment of our current solutions. Yes, the people in far off lands are waiting for us to bring the truth to them, but we should do so with love and with the light of the restored Gospel.
#114 – Come Unto Him
1. I wander through the still of night,
When solitude is ev’rywhere—
Alone, beneath the starry light,
And yet I know that God is there.
I kneel upon the grass and pray;
An answer comes without a voice.
It takes my burden all away
And makes my aching heart rejoice.
2. When I am filled with strong desire
And ask a boon of him, I see
No miracle of living fire,
But what I ask flows into me.
And when the tempest rages high
I feel no arm around me thrust,
But ev’ry storm goes rolling by
When I repose in him my trust.
3. It matters not what may befall,
What threat’ning hand hangs over me;
He is my rampart through it all,
My refuge from mine enemy.
Come unto him all ye depressed,
Ye erring souls whose eyes are dim,
Ye weary ones who long for rest.
Come unto him! Come unto him!
What Stood Out to Me
This hymn reminds me of the inscription upon our own Statue of Liberty:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
Christ’s call to those in need is “come unto me”. He welcomes all those who are depressed, whose eyes are dim, who long for rest. He asks us to share our burdens with him so that he can make them light. And at one point in our nation’s history, we did the same for all those who sought refuge from the oppression in their own lands. But today we are faced with protectionism, nationalism, and xenophobia that lead to rage and anger against anyone who crosses our country’s borders. What would the Lord do? He would say “come unto me”. We should follow His example.
#74 – Praise Ye The Lord
1. Praise ye the Lord! My heart shall join
In work so pleasant, so divine,
Now, while the flesh is my abode,
And when my soul ascends to God.
2. Praise shall employ my noblest pow’rs
While immortality endures;
My days of praise shall ne’er be past
While life and thought and being last.
3. Why should I make a man my trust?
Princes must die and turn to dust.
Their breath departs; their pomp and pow’r
And thoughts all vanish in an hour.
4. Happy the man whose hopes rely
On Israel’s God! He made the sky
And earth and seas with all their train,
And none shall find his promise vain.
5. His truth forever stands secure.
He saves th’oppressed; he feeds the poor;
He sends the troubled conscience peace
And grants the captive sweet release.
6. The Lord gives eyesight to the blind;
The Lord supports the sinking mind.
He helps the stranger in distress,
The widow, and the fatherless.
7. He loves the Saints—he knows them well—
But turns the wicked down to hell.
Thy God, O Zion, ever reigns;
Praise him in everlasting strains.
What Stood Out to Me
This hymn stands out for its oft-repeated message to trust in the Lord and not in man. The third verse asks us, “Why should I make a man my trust?”, for princes die and their pomp and power goes with them. The fourth verse states that, “Happy the man whose hopes rely on Israel’s God!” This is the example we should follow. It is the Lord who saves the oppressed, feeds the poor, gives peace to those who are troubled and frees those who are captive. No prince – no government – can do these things. We need to be charitable and help the needy without using our government to force people to be charitable.
#260 – Who’s On the Lord’s Side?
1. Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Now is the time to show.
We ask it fearlessly:
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
We wage no common war,
Cope with no common foe.
The enemy’s awake;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
[Chorus]
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Now is the time to show.
We ask it fearlessly:
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
2. We serve the living God,
And want his foes to know
That, if but few, we’re great;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
We’re going on to win;
No fear must blanch the brow.
The Lord of Hosts is ours;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
3. The stone cut without hands
To fill the earth must grow.
Who’ll help to roll it on?
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Our ensign to the world
Is floating proudly now.
No coward bears our flag;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
4. The pow’rs of earth and hell
In rage direct the blow
That’s aimed to crush the work;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
Truth, life, and liberty,
Freedom from death and woe,
Are stakes we’re fighting for;
Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?
What Stood Out to Me
I’ll wrap up with a question posed by this hymn – who is on the Lord’s side? In these latter days we must make our decision. Now, as the hymn states, is the time to show.
We wage an uncommon war with an uncommon foe, a war that has been waged since our preexistence. There may be few of us, but we are fearless and we serve the living God who will defend us as we act righteously.
The powers of earth and hell conspire against us and our work, but we who stand for truth, life and liberty will emerge victorious. This much has been promised to us.
Conclusion
These hymns speak volumes regarding our role here in this life. Prophets throughout the ages have given us their witnesses regarding the principles of liberty, and every Sunday we gather together in our congregations and sing hymns that echo the prophets’ messages. I testify to you that all men are free, and that now is the time to stand fearlessly for our agency.
This list is certainly not complete, so feel free to add your own favorite hymns in the comments section below.
