D&C 25:11 “And it shall be given thee, also, to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church.” — Joseph Smith revelation for wife Emma — Harmony, PA, July 1830
Today we’re taking a look at what members of the LDS Church have sung over the years. An essay in Dialogue Journal is a must read to understand how the Church has softened the blow of its true self. To read the article in full, see Changes in LDS Hymns: Implications and Opportunities Douglas Campbell.
For the sake of brevity I’ve only highlighted a few hymns, however, these examples are just a drop in the bucket of what they’ve done. Mr. Campbell investigated what, if any, changes had been made the Church’s hymn books since its inception in 1830, and admitted he was ‘surprised’ by his findings.
Long story short, 90 hymns were published in the first LDS hymnal. When they revised it in 1927, only 55 remained. With the next revision in 1948, they were down to 30 of the original 90 hymns, and the 1985 edition contained a mere 26 hymns. (more…)
