President Gordon B. Hinckley's name is now part of a song in the Children's Songbook that helps youngsters learn the names and sequence of the presidents of the Church.
"Latter-day Prophets," updated with President Hinckley's name in the last line, is found in the newest printing of the Children's Songbook, said Michael F. Moody, chairman of the General Music Committee of the Church.The song was originally published in 1980, with words by Cynthia Lord Pace and music by Vanja Y. Watkins. It was revised in 1986 to include the name of President Ezra Taft Benson, and again earlier this year to include President Howard W. Hunter. (See Feb. 25, 1995, Church News.)
An asterisk on the last line refers to this footnote at the bottom of the page: "Succeeding presidents' names may be substituted on this line."
Here are the words to the song with its most recent revision:
Latter-day prophets are: number one,
Joseph Smith; then Brigham Young;
John Taylor came third, we know,
Then Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow;
Joseph F. Smith, remember the F;
Heber J. Grant and George Albert Smith;
David O. McKay was followed by Joseph Fielding Smith,
Then Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball,
Ezra Taft Benson, Howard W. Hunter.
Gordon B. Hinckley shows the way.
We hear and follow his words today.
