The Church has asked for comment as they prepare to revise the hymnbook. You can comment here.
I offered the following:
Please honor our pioneer and Utah heritage. Don’t be ashamed of those who came before. Keep those songs please (e.g., Our Mountain Home So Dear)
Please emphasize our Christianity by having well-known Christian hymns of the Christian heritage
Keep some arrangements for men’s voices and women’s voices
Don’t be ashamed to be patriotic.
It goes without saying, but please avoid political correctness and feminism. Church hymns should be a refuge from the world. We want to praise God, not the very narrow values of 2019.
Please do not strip the hymns of their masculine and feminine language. Men and women are important to God’s plan, while the world seeks to blend them and erase differences.
Please do not strip the hymns of their militant or warlike imagery. The scriptures and the modern prophets are clear that we are in an eternal spiritual war and such hymns help us gird up our loins. See here–http://www.jrganymede.com/2015/08/31/the-military-mental-model-of-mormonism/
Please keep all the rousing hymns, and give us more of them! Enthusiasm is much more important than updating our beloved hymns into blandness.
Please keep all our beloved old hymns. Avoid excess modernization, as with the Logan Temple modernization. Once a tradition is broken, it is difficult or impossible to revive. New hymns about genealogy and family history don’t have half the impact as singing the good ol’ hymns that our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents sang back many generations. When we sing those, our hearts are truly turned to our forebearers.
The great majority of excluded hymns should be recent ones that have not caught fire.
When combining the hymns with the primary songs, please remember that most primary songs are not very good. They are puerile. I would not wish to sing much more primary songs during our services than we do already (e.g., I am a Child of God, Families can be Forever).
I also submitted a list of favorite hymns:
#2 Spirit of God
#3 Now Let Us Rejoice
#5 High on the Mountain Top
#6 Redeemer of Israel
#7 Israel, Israel, God is Calling
#13 An Angel from on High
#14 Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings
#15 I Saw a Mighty Angel Fly (beautiful tune)
#19 We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
#21 Come, Listen, to a Prophet’s Voice
#23 We Ever Pray for Thee
#26 Joseph Smith’s First Prayer
#27 Praise to the Man
#29 A Poor Wayfaring Men of Grief
#30 Come, Come, Ye Saints
#34 O Ye Mountains High
#35 For the Strength of the Hills
#36 They, the Builders of the Nation
#37 The Wintry Day, Descending to its Close
#41 Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise
#42 Hail to the Brightness of Zion’s Glad Morning
#45 Lead Me into Life Eternal
#46 Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken
#49 Adam-ondi-Ahman
#51 Sonsof Michael, He Approaches
#52 The Day Dawn is Breaking
#55 Lo, the Mighty God Appearing
#58 Come, Ye Children of the Lord
#59 Come, O Thou King of Kings
#60 Battle Hymn of the Republic
#62 All Creatures of Our God and King
#64 On This Day of Joy and Gladness
#66 Rejoice, the Lord is King!
#67 Glory to God on High
#68 A Mighty Fortress is Our God
#69 All Glory, Laud, and Honor
#70 Sing Praise to Him
#72 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
#77 Great is the Lord
#78 God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand
#80 God of Our Fathers, Known of Old (needs a better tune)
#81 Press Forward, Saints
#82 For All the Saints
#83 Guide Us, O thou Great Jehovah
#84 Faith of Our Fathers
#85 How Firm a Foundation
#86 How Great Thou Art (this can be a bit tedious in its current form)
#87 God is Love
#89 the Lord is My Light
#92 For the Beauty of the Earth
#93 Prayer of Thanksgiving
#94 Come, Ye Thankful People
#95 Now Thank We All Our God
#96 Dearest Children, God is Near You
#97 Lead, Kindly Light
#98 I Need The Every Hour
#100 Nearer, My God, to Thee
#102 Jesus, Lover of My Soul (this was the last hymn we sang before my daughter died)
#103 Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer
#104 Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me
#105 Master, the Tempest is Raging
#106 God Speed the Right
#108 The Lord is My Shepherd
#110 Cast Thy Burden upon the Lord
#111 Rock of Ages (one of my non-musical father’s favorites)
#116 Come, Follow Me
#117 Come unto Jesus
#118 Ye Simple Souls who Stray
#124 Be Still, My Soul
#125 How Gentle God’s Commands
#129 Where Can I Turn for Peace
#130 Be Thou Humble
#131 More Holiness Give Me
#133 Father in Heaven
#134 I Believe in Christ (in the current arrangement, this is a tedious and plodding song. It needs a judicious shortening of the lyrics or a better tune or both)
#136 I Know that my Redeemer Lives
#137 Testimony
#140 Did You Think to Pray
#141 Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee
#142 Sweet Hour of Prayer
#144 Secret Prayer
#146 Gently Raise the Sacred Strain
#147 Sweet is the Work
#152 God Be with You Till We Meet Again
#156 Sing We Now at Parting
#157 They Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls
#159 Now the Day is Over
#163 Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
#165 Abide with Me; ‘Tis Eventide
#166 Abide with Me!
#169 As Now We Take the Sacrament
#170 God, Our Father, Hear Us Pray
#172 In Humility, Our Savior
#174 While of These Emblems We Partake
#175 O God, the Eternal Father
#177 Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love
#180 Father in Heaven, We Do Believe
#181 Jesus of Nazareth, Savior and King
#182 We’ll Sing All Hail to Jesus’ Name
#184 Upon the Cross of Calvary
#185 Reverently and Meekly Now
#187 God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son
#190 In Memory of the Crucified
#191 Behold the Great Redeemer Die
#192 He Died! The Great Redeemer Died
#193 I Stand All Amazed
#194 There Is a Green Hill Far Away
#195 How Great the Wisdom and the Love
#196 Jesus, Once of Humble Birth (what a fantastic hymn)
#197 O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown
#198 That Easter Morn
#199 He is Risen!
#200 Christ the Lord is Risen Today
#201 Joy to the World
#202 Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful
#203 Angels We Have Heard on High
#204 Silent Night
#205 Once in Royal David’s City
#207 It Came upon the Midnight Clear
#208 O Little Town of Bethlehem
#209 Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
#210 With Wondering Awe
#211 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
#212 Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains
#213 The First Noel
#215 Ring Out, Wild Bells
#216 We are Sowing
#217 Come, Let Us Anew
#219 Because I have been Given Much (needs a new tune, pretty plodding)
#220 Lord, I would Follow Thee
#221 Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd
#223 Have I Done Any Good?
#225 We are Marching on to Glory
#226 Improve the Shining Moments
#227 There is Sunshine in My Soul Today
#228 You Can Make the Pathway Bright
#229 Today, While the Sun Shines
#230 Scatter Sunshine
#232 Left Us Oft Speak Kind Words
#237 Do What is Right
#239 Choose the Right
#240 Know This, That Every Soul is Free
#241 Count Your Blessings
#242 Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow (a historic hymn)
#243 Let Us All Press On
#246 Onward, Christian Soldiers (one of the true greats)
#247 We Love Thy House, O God
#248 Up, Awake, Ye Defenders of Zion (what a rousing hymn)
#249 Called to Serve
#250 We Are all Enlisted
#251 Behold! A Royal Army
#252 Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel (a real favorite)
#254 Shall the Youth of Zion Falter
#255 Carry On
#256 As Zion’s Youth in Latter Days
#258 O Thou Rock of Our Salvation
#259 Hope of Israel (rousing)
#260 Who’s on the Lord’s Side
#263 Go Forth with Faith to Tell the Lord
#264 Hard, All Ye Nations!
#265 Arise, O God, and Shine
#266 The Time is Far Spent (a gem)
#267 How Wondrous and Great
#270 I’ll Go Where You Want me to Go
#272 Oh Say, What is Truth? (moving)
#273 Truth Reflects upon Our Senses
#274 The Iron Rod
#277 As I search the Holy Scriptures
#280 Welcome, Welcome Sabbath Morning
#284 If You Could Hie to Kolob (what a beautiful song, don’t change a word or a note. The usual suspects complain about ‘race,’ but Saints of color actually prefer the idea that their own unique heritage is eternally part of who they are)
#285 God Moves in a Mysterious Way
#286 Oh, What Songs of the Heart
#288 How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord
#291 Turn Your Hearts
#292 O My Father
#293 Each Life that Touches Ours for Good
#294 Love at Home
#297 From Homes of Saints Glad Songs Arise
#298 Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth
#300 Familes Can Be Together Forever
#301 I Am a Child of God
#302 I Know My Father Lives
#303 Keep the Commandments
#304 Teach Me to Walk in the Light
#305 the Light Divine
#306 God’s Daily Care
#307 In Our Lovely Deseret
#308 Love One Another
#319 Ye Elders of Israel (what a hymn!)
#322 Come, All Ye Sons of God (what a hymn!)
#324 Rise Up, O Men of God
#336 School thy Feelings
#339 My Country, ‘Tis of Thee
#340 the Star-Spangled Banner
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