Lessons from the Doctrine and Covenants 2021
Lesson No. Eleven
The Song of the Righteous is a Prayer Unto Me - D&C 25:12
The origin of our Hymn Book – In less than four months after the Church was organized on April 6, 1830 persecution had become intense. One of the ways the Lord provided to strengthen, encourage, and instruct the Saints was through music. Therefore, Lord assigned Emma Smith “to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church” (D&C 25:11). Emma’s compilation included the text of 90 hymns, 35 of which were written by Church members. Our current Hymnal contains 26 hymns that Emma first selected and is available in nearly 40 languages.
The First Presidency’s message about music in our church meetings – “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 singing 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” (Hymns, Preface).
Jesus participated in singing the first sacrament hymn – When Jesus introduced the ordinance of the sacrament to His apostles at the Last Supper they sang a hymn. (See Matthew 26:30) Certainly, everyone at that first sacrament meeting sang the hymn in a most sincere and heartfelt way. And we should do the same as we partake of the sacrament. As we prepare to partake of the sacrament everyone has an opportunity, through music and prayer, to give thanks to the Lord for His great sacrifice on our behalf. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained: “Sacramental hymns are…like prayers,…and everyone can give voice to a prayer” (This Do in Remembrance of Me, Ensign, Nov. 1995, 68).
The First Presidency’s message about 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 meeting house. We hope the hymnbook will take a prominent place among the scriptures and other religious books in our home. The hymns can bring families a spirit of beauty and peace and can inspire love and unity among family members” (Hymns, Preface).
Singing the hymns in our home is an enduring blessing of our family’s experience in the Kentucky Louisville Mission – When our family moved to the mission home in Louisville we took our Clavinova electronic piano. Not long after we arrived Elder David Dunbar, who is a gifted pianist, became ill so we brought him to the mission home to recover. During his recovery he was able to put both the Hymn Book and the Children’s Song Book on electronic discs, and he did it using the many capacities of our Clavinova. These disc quickly became a cherished treasure. At the various missionary meetings we held in the mission home I was able to play and lead our missionaries as we sang their favorite hymns and songs. The Holy Spirit was always there, and our children were touched. When we returned home we continued to sing as a family. My sweetest memories include singing hymns and uplifting songs with my children and grandchildren as we were accompanied by a player piano or the Clavinova.
The First Presidency’s message about music in our personal lives – “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” (Ibid).
The Prophet Joseph Smith, just before his martyrdom, was comforted and strengthened by a hymn – On June 27, 1844 Joseph was in the Carthage Jail with his brother Hyrum and two of the Twelve Apostles, John Taylor and Willard Richards. At 3:15 that afternoon Joseph asked John Taylor to sing all seven verses of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief, (Hymn 29). When Elder Taylor finished Joseph asked him to sing this hymn again, which he did. (See History of the Church 6:614-15) Two hours latter Joseph and Hyrum were martyred. If we take the time to occasionally read or sing each verse of this wonderful hymn, it will like it did to Joseph, lift our spirit, give us peace, and encourage us to be more like Jesus.
My prayers, spoken in the Hymns of the Church, have been answered with marvelous blessings – I love patriotic music, and I especially love singing, usually by myself, the hymns and songs of the Church accompanied by our Clavinova. Because of their poetic message I know by memory many of the words and tunes of our Hymns. They open the door for the Spirit of the Lord to speak to my spirit bringing me feelings of peace and happiness. Favorite hymns increase my gratitude to the Lord for His goodness to me and my family. I know that the Lord delights in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto Him, and He answers by bestowing marvelous blessing on those who love Him. (See D&C 25:12; see also Merrill J. Bateman, The Power of Hymns, Ensign, July 2001)