There is great power in music, especially if used to express our gratitude to the Lord for His many blessings in our lives. Sacred music, in particular, allows us to worship the Lord by singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to Him. "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving" (Psalm 147:7) is the counsel of the psalmist to each of us, especially at this time of the year when our thoughts are focused on the birth and mission of our Savior. We also have opportunity to reflect on countless blessings the Lord has given us throughout the year.
In the dark days of Winter Quarters, the Lord revealed His will to Brigham Young that the camp of Israel should "praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving" (14 January 1847; see Doctrine and Covenants 136:28). Why? Because the Lord knew that members of the Church would be weary and discouraged and that this counsel would lift their spirits and help them overcome discouragement along the way. Our pioneer ancestors followed the Lord's directive. After camp was made for the night, frequently someone with a violin furnished music for dancing and singing the favorite hymns and melodies familiar to the group. Thus the spirits of the pioneers were lifted.
Our sacred hymns are one of the most effective forms of worship. More than 50 hymns in our current hymnbook teach us to praise the Lord and express gratitude and thanks for His bounteous blessings. Consider these words from two of our hymns:
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Count you many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. (No. 241, Hymns, 1985).
With songs of praise and gratitude we worship God above,
In words and music give our thanks for His redeeming love.
The Lord has said a heartfelt song by righteous ones is prayer;
A hymn unites us and invites the Spirit to be there.
(No. 71, Hymns, 1985).
Both ancient and modern prophets have admonished us to use sacred music to praise and thank the Lord. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has counseled that "sacred music has a unique capacity to communicate our feelings of love for the Lord.... Many have difficulty expressing worshipful feelings in words, but all can join in communicating such feelings through the inspired words of our hymns" (October 1994 general conference; "Worship through Music," Ensign, November 1994, p. 9).
Such communication of our spiritual feelings also benefits us, for, as President Heber J. Grant has taught, "the singing of our sacred hymns, written by the servants of God, has a powerful effect in converting people to the principles of the gospel, and in promoting peace and spiritual growth" ("Songs of the Heart," Improvement Era, September 1940, 522). Singing as a form of prayer or worship (see Doctrine and Covenants 25:12) "is an essential part of our church meetings," explains the First Presidency preface to our hymnbook. "The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, (and) unify us as members" (Preface, Hymns, 1985).
As we unite in musical expressions of our gratitude to the Lord, we are following the counsel of the Apostle Paul, who taught the Ephesian saints to "be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things" (Ephesians 5:18-20).
Modern prophets echo Paul's counsel. In April 1992 general conference, President James E. Faust, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, declared, "singing our beautiful, worshipful hymns is food for our souls. We become of one heart and one mind when we sing praises to the Lord."
These prophetic teachings about the power of music as an expression of gratitude are but a few of the many found in scripture and general conferences. For example, in the most recent conferences in 2007, sacred music was referenced 26 times, and 24 hymns were quoted.
With Latter-day Saints throughout the world, I am thankful to the Lord for giving us sacred music —"hymns and spiritual songs" — by which we can express our appreciation for the many blessings He bestows upon us. May we take frequent opportunity to raise our voices in gratitude for His bounteous blessings in our lives.
— W. Herbert Klopfer is the former president of the Salt Lake City Eagle Gate Stake and served as a member of the 1985 Hymnbook Committee and the General Music Committee. His current assignments include coordinating music at Church headquarters and providing music support for regional stake conference and worldwide training broadcasts.
