Hymns: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1948/1950)

In 1948, a new hymnbook that replaced both the Latter-day Saint Hymns (1927) and the Deseret Sunday School Songs was published under the title Hymns: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served as the official hymnbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1948 to 1985. The 1948 edition included 387 hymns.

Background and Development

With the deaths of Evan Stephens and George Careless in the early 1930s, the pioneer-era musicians that had dominated LDS hymnody had died, leaving the torch to a new generation of LDS musicians, such as Tracy Y. Cannon. Whereas the previous generation had heavily emphasized homespun music and they were often heavily influenced by operatic composers like Arthur Sullivan, the new generation largely turned to more classical Protestant sources for inspiration. The music committee even specifically noted that many of the finest and favorite hymns in the Mormon tradition were adopted from Protestant sources rather than Mormon ones, and suggested that they seek out more hymns from the Protestant tradition.Harold B. Lee et al. to First Presidency, 25 October 1944, CMC Files 1939-49. They were also influenced by the research and writings of Sterling Wheelwright, who felt that LDS hymnals were losing their relevance through focusing on upbeat but trivial hymns rather than intimate and meditative ones.See Michael Hicks, Mormonism and Music: A History (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1989), 135 Overall, they sought to publish a hymnbook with a "better standard of musical expression" than previous LDS hymnals.Tracy Cannon to G. W. Richards, 19 October 1945, CMD General Files, HDC. Still, Church leaders weren't entirely trusting of leaving Mormon musicians to their own devices to select hymns and they created an executive committee of four apostles to oversee their work.

The music committee, now proceeding with direct apostolic oversight, sponsored an ongoing hymn contest for Mormons and set about collecting Protestant hymns. The latter were often slightly edited to conform to LDS theology. Frank I. Kooyman provided several of the new Mormon hymn texts that the committee favored, such as “Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls” and “When in the Wondrous Realms Above.” New musical compositions were encouraged to be dignified, singable, and similar to older styles of hymns (particularly the Johann Sebastian Bach chorales),Church Music Committee (CMC) to "Dear Friend," 1 August 1945, CMD Circular Letters, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, UT perhaps best exemplified by Temple Square organist Alexander Schreiner’s neo-Bachian settings for hymns.Church Music Committee Minutes, 7 December 1944 The world-renowned classical composer Leroy Robertson also submitted music that was deemed suitable for many of the texts that were accepted by the committee. It was acknowledged, however, that the general membership of the Church might prefer the lighter hymns the committee was seeking to eliminate over the “better standard of musical expression” they were pushing for. Thus, committee head Tracy Y. Cannon suggested that the transition be performed gradually.Cannon to G. W. Richards, 19 October 1945, CMD General Files, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, UT

Publication The resulting hymnbook dropped many of the Evan Stephens hymns that were prominent in previous hymnbooks and incorporated less hymns by committee members than the previous hymnbook had. Leroy Robertson had twelve, Alexander Schreiner eleven, and Tracy Cannon only had five. Protestant hymns formed approximately half of the 387 hymns selected for inclusion.Hymns: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1948)

1950 Edition Despite the involvement of apostles, some Church leaders questioned the hymns chosen by the committee after publication, and members tended to complain about the size and poor binding of the book. Due to this lackluster response, the music committee yielded and revised the hymnbook, releasing a modified second edition in 1950. This second edition dropped some of the well-respected Protestant hymns in favor of some popular hymns included in previous LDS hymnbooks that they had deleted. This change, in turn, set a precedent for the waning control of the music committee and their ability to push for what they deemed to be properly ascetic over lighter popular music in the Church's hymnbooks.

The differences between the 1948 and 1950 editions were as follows:

1948 Hymns No. 1950 Hymns No. Angels from the Realms of Glory 5 As swiftly my days go out on the wing 5 Cease, ye fond parents, cease to weep 9 In hymns of praise 9 Come, O thou King of kings 19 Come along, come along 19 Come, labor on 20 Come, O thou King of kings 20 From all that dwell below the skies 38 Each cooing dove 38 Father of light 39 The First Noel 39 Good Christian men, rejoice 52 From all that dwell below the skies 52 Hail to the brightness of Zion's glad morning 57 Guide us, O Thou great Jehovah 57 Hark! The evening hymn is stealing 58 Have I done any good in the world today 58 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day 72 There is a land whose sunny vales 72 I Need Thee Every Hour 78 Beautiful Zion, built above 78 Mid pleasures and palaces 107 For our devotions, Father 107 Mine eyes have seen the glory 109 Precious Savior, dear Redeemer 109 Lead me into life eternal 110 Choose the right 110 O Lord responsive to thy call 138 O my Father, thou that dwellest 138 There is beauty all around 170 Dearest children, God is near you 170 I wander through the stilly night 171 Now to heaven our prayer 171 We Gather Together 182 Hail to the brightness of Zion's glad morning 182 Though in the outward Church below 183 Awake! O ye people, the Savior is coming 183 Rejoice, ye pure in heart 185 Mid pleasures and palaces 185 Sometime we'll understand 267 Not now, but in the coming years 267 Proud? yes, of our home 278 Rest, rest for the weary soul 278 Sometime, somewhere 286 Unanswered yet? the prayer 286 Thou dost not weep, to weep alone 294 I wander through the stilly night 294 Ye simple souls who stray 298 The Lord imparted from above 298 Sometime we'll understand 334 Not now, but in the coming years 334 Rock of Ages 338 Come, lay his books and papers by 338 Who are these arrayed in white 343 Reverently and meekly now 343

In 1960, two more hymns were added to the hymnal:

FIRST LINE HYMN NUMBER Who's On the Lord's Side? 388 This Earth Was Once a Garden Place 389

Organization The hymnal as published in 1948

1–50 Number Hymn Words Music Notes 1 Abide With Me! Fast Falls with Eventide Henry F. Lyte William Henry Monk 2 Abide with Me, 'Tis Eventide M. Lowrie Hofford Harrison Millard 3 Behold Thy Sons and Daughters, Lord Parley P. Pratt Alexander Schreiner 4 All Creatures of Our God and King Francis of Assisi From Cologn 5 Angels, From the Realms of Glory James Montgomery Henry Smart 6 Beautiful Zion for Me Charles W. Penrose J. R. Thomas Arr. by Evan Stephens 7 Behold! A Royal Army Fanny J. Crosby Adam Geibel 8 God, Our Father, Hear Us Pray Annie Malin Arr. from Louis M. Gottschalk 9 Cease, Ye Fond Parents, Cease to Weep Eliza R. Snow Franz Josef Haydn 10 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today Charles Wesley Henry Carey 11 Come All Ye Saints and Sing His Praise Lorin F. Wheelwright Lorin F. Wheelwright 12 Come, All Ye Saints Who Dwell on Earth William W. Phelps Old Tune 13 Come, Come, Ye Saints William Clayton Old English Tune 14 Come, Follow Me John Nicholson S. McBurney 15 Come, Go With Me, Beyond the Sea Cyrus H. Wheelock Arr. by Thomas C. Griggs 16 Come Hail the Cause of Zion's Youth Bertha A. Kleinman 17 Come, Let Us Anew Charles Wesley James Lucas 18 Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice Joseph J. Daynes 19 Come, O Thou King of Kings Parley P. Pratt 20 Come, Labor On Jane Borthwick Alexander Schreiner 21 Come Unto Jesus Orson Pratt Huish Orson Pratt Huish 22 Come, We That Love the Lord Isaac Watts Aaron Williams 23 Come, Ye Children of the Lord James H. Wallis 24 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Robert Robinson John Wyeth 25 Come, Ye Disconsolate Thomas Moore Alt. by Thomas HastingsArr. From Samuel Webbe 26 Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd Mary B. Wingate William J. Kirkpatrick 27 Do What is RightE. Kaillmark 28 Down by the River's Verdant Side 29 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come Henry Alford (theologian)George Elvey 30 Earth, With Her Ten Thousand Flowers W. W. Phelps (Mormon) Thomas C. Griggs 31 Ere You Left Your Room This Morning 32 Come, Sing to the Lord Gerrit de Jong Jr.Gerrit de Jong Jr.33 Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains John Menzies Macfarlane John Menzies Macfarlane 34 Farewell All Earthly Honors William Batchelder Bradbury 35 God of Power, God of Right Wallace F. Bennett Tracy Y. Cannon 36 Father in Heaven Angus S. Hibbard Friedrich F. Flemming 37 Father of Light William C. Doane J. Albert Jeffery 38 From All that Dwell Below the Skies Issac Watts John Hatton 39 The First Noel Traditional Traditional 40 Father in Heaven, We Do Believe Parley P. Pratt Jane Romney Crawford 41 From Greenland's Icy Mountains Reginald Heber Lowell Mason 42 Firm as the Mountains Around Us Ruth May Fox Alfred M. Durham 43 Father, They Children to Thee Now Raise Evan Stephens Evan Stephens 44 Glory to God on High James Boden Felice Giardini 45 The Glorious Gospel Light Has Shone Joel H. Johnson Leroy J. Robertson 46 God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son Edward P. Kimball Alexander Schreiner 47 God Be with You J. E. Rankin W. G. Tomer 48 God Moves in a Mysterious Way William Cowper 49 God of Our Fathers, Known of Old Rudyard Kipling Leroy J. Robertson 50 God of Our Fathers, We Come Unto Thee Charles W. Penrose Ebenezer Beesley

1–50 Number Hymn Words Music Notes 51 God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand Daniel C. Roberts G. W. Warren 52 Good Christian Men, Rejoice John Mason Neale Fourteenth Century Melody 53 Great King of Heaven, Our Hearts We Raise Carrie S. Thomas Leroy J. Robertson 54 God Save the King Henry Carey Henry Carey 55 Great God, to Thee My Evening Song M. M. Steel Edward P. Kimball 56 Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah Robert Robinson John Hughes 57 Hail to the Brightness of Zion's Glad Morning Thomas Hastings Edwin F. Parry 58 Hark! The Evening Hymn Is Stealing Thomas Moore Russian Air 59 Hear Thou Our Hymn, O Lord Frank W. Asper Frank W. Asper 60 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Charles Wesley Felix Mendelssohn 61 He is Risen Cecil Frances Alexander Joachim Neander 62 High on a Mountain Top John H. Johnson Ebenezer Beesley 63 Holy Temples on Mount Zion Archibald F. Bennett Alexander Schreiner 64 Hope of Israel R. B. Baird R. B. Baird 65 How Beautiful Thy Temples Lord Frank I. Kooyman Tracy Y. Cannon 85 How Firm a Foundation Robert Keen J. Ellis 67 How Gentle God's Commands Philip Doddridge H. G. Naegeli 68 How Great the Wisdom and the Love Eliza R. Snow Thomas McIntyre 69 How Long, O Lord, Most Holy and True John A. Widtsoe B. Cecil Gates 70 How Wonderous and Great Henry U. Onderdonk J. Michael Haydn 71 I Have Work Enough to Do Josephine Pollard William J. Kirkpatrick 72 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Henry W. Longfellow J. Baptiste Calkin 73 Improve the Shining Moments R. B. Baird R. B. Baird 74 In a World Where Sorrow Ever Will Be Known (Scatter Sunshine) Lanta Wilson Smith E. O. Excell 75 It May Not Be on the Mountain Height (I'll go where you want me to go) Mary M. Brown Carrie E. Rounsefell 76 God of our Fathers Rudyard Kipling Isaac B. Woodbury

See also List of English-language hymnals by denomination :Category:Latter Day Saint hymnals Hymns in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

References

External links Michael F. Moody, "Latter-day Saint Hymbooks, Then and Now", Ensign, September 1985 1948 Hymns at SingPraises.net 1950 Hymns at SingPraises.net