Top 10 hymns and general conference traditions among Latter-day Saints

In March 2023, the Deseret News and Church News conducted an online survey asking our followers their favorite hymns and general conference traditions. We received over 3,600 responses spread among four questions, and here are the top 10 answers for each.

Question 1: What is your favorite hymn?

939 responses

1. “How Firm a Foundation” — 66 (7.03%)
2. “The Spirit of God” — 56 (5.96%)
3. “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” — 50 (5.32%)
4. “I Stand All Amazed” — 43 (4.58%)
5. “How Great Thou Art” — 42 (4.47%)
6. “Be Still, My Soul” — 37 (3.94%)
7. “I Believe in Christ” — 33 (3.51%)
8. “Let Us All Press On” — 32 (3.41%)
9. “Abide with Me!” — 27 (2.88%)
10. “If You Could Hie to Kolob” — 27 (2.88%)

Six out of these 10 favorite hymns were sung in general conference at least once throughout the past five years. “How Firm a Foundation,” chosen by the most survey participants, was also one of the top four most-sung hymns in conference over the last five years.

Four out of these 10 hymns fall under the hymnbook’s category “Prayer and Supplication,” and two more fall under the category “Praise and Thanksgiving.” The hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” was chosen by 53 participants (5.64%), but since it is not included in the 1985 edition of “Hymns,” it was omitted from the chart above.

Question 2: What is your favorite Primary song?

925 responses

1. “A Child’s Prayer” — 162 (17.51%)
2. “I Am a Child of God” — 106 (11.46%)
3. “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” — 83 (8.97%)
4. “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” — 42 (4.54%)
5. “I Love to See the Temple” — 40 (4.32%)
6. “I Feel My Savior’s Love” — 34 (3.68%)
7. “We’ll Bring the World His Truth (Army of Helaman)” — 28 (3.03%)
8. “Popcorn Popping” — 26 (2.81%)
9. “He Sent His Son” — 25 (2.70%)
10. “When He Comes Again” — 23 (2.49%)

Seven out of the 10 most-chosen Primary songs center around the characteristics of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The top three songs identified by participants gathered a combined 37.95% of survey results, totaling more than the last seven songs combined.

The songs “If the Savior Stood Beside Me” and “Gethsemane” were identified by 29 participants (3.14%) and 26 participants (2.81%) respectively, but neither is included in the “Children’s Songbook.”

Question 3: What is your favorite general conference tradition?

883 responses

1. Gathering with loved ones — 160 (18.12%)
2. Special breakfast/brunch — 79 (8.95%)
3. Watching in pajamas — 60 (6.80%)
4. After-conference meal/treat — 57 (6.46%)
5. Conference bingo — 55 (6.23%)
6. Snacking — 48 (5.44%)
7. Cooking/baking — 34 (3.85%)
8. Taking notes — 33 (3.74%)
9. Relaxing — 30 (3.40%)
10. Building a tent or pillow fort — 26 (2.94%)

Almost one in five survey participants said gathering with friends or family members to listen to general conference is their favorite conference tradition. Many parents in the survey did activities to keep their children engaged with the speakers, such as by printing out the General Conference Notebook or playing bingo with gospel terms.

Other common conference traditions, the survey found, included doing crafts or puzzles, watching conference in a chapel, snuggling together on the couch, visiting Temple Square, discussing talks afterward and engaging in outdoor activities between sessions.

Question 4: What is your favorite general conference breakfast food?

916 responses

1. Cinnamon rolls — 289 (31.55%)
2. Crepes — 63 (6.88%)
3. Pancakes — 58 (6.33%)
4. Eggs — 54 (5.90%)
5. Waffles — 50 (5.46%)
6. French toast — 40 (4.37%)
7. German pancakes — 32 (3.49%)
8. Don’t eat breakfast — 26 (2.84%)
9. Monkey bread — 22 (2.40%)
10. Breakfast casserole — 21 (2.29%)

Around one in every three participants in the survey celebrates general conference with a breakfast of cinnamon rolls. Seven out of the top 10 conference breakfast items are sugary or topped with fruit, with eggs and breakfast casseroles being healthy alternatives.

Some participants not residing in Mountain Daylight Time chose lunch or dinner items, like pizza or steak, as their answer. Other common breakfast foods for general conference included cereal, donuts, orange rolls, oatmeal, muffins, and biscuits and gravy.