Editor’s note: To support personal and family gospel learning, the Church News is publishing articles on messages from October 2025 general conference. It is recommended to listen to or read the full address in addition to reviewing these resources.
About this talk
- “Tune Your Heart to Jesus Christ: The Sacred Gift of Primary Music”
- Sister Tracy Y. Browning | Second counselor in the Primary general presidency
- Saturday morning session of October 2025 general conference.
- Theme: Primary songs testify of Jesus Christ and His gospel.
Read the full message here.
Read a summary of Sister Browning’s message here.
Outline
- Although she did not grow up in Primary, Sister Browning says the Spirit has quickly taught her the sacredness of its songs.
- Primary is one of God’s tools for planting seeds of testimony in children. Parents, leaders and teachers give nourishment to that seed as they share their testimonies and invite the testimonies of children.
- Primary songs can become a child’s first spiritual language, with the power to stay with children for a lifetime in their discipleship.
Teaching the doctrine of Jesus Christ through song
- Primary songs can be powerful doctrinal teaching tools, telling stories of the Savior’s life and ministry, teaching of His attributes and testifying of His Atonement.
- These songs can provide a reservoir of faith-filled sermons, invite the Holy Spirit to confirm eternal truths and invite others to follow Christ.
Imprinting truth on the heart
- Songs learned at a young age have “the power to stay with us — and can return decades later.”
- Even adult members turn to Primary songs for continued conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- The Spirit can use music to engrave eternal truths on children’s hearts, and in time they can choose to tune and turn their hearts and lives toward Jesus Christ.
Remembering our covenants and preparing for ordinances
- Music can link the Savior’s doctrine to a child’s memory and that memory to discipleship.
- Primary music can be taught with joy, doctrinal understanding and the Spirit, including helping children recognize the feelings of the Holy Ghost. These can prepare them for sacred ordinances.
Closing testimony
- Primary songs teach eternal truths and doctrine that lead all to Jesus Christ and His gospel.
- These eternal truths include: God is Heavenly Father, He sent His Son to earth to provide a way home, and the Lord’s holy temples are His house here on earth.
- Sacred music has the power to “shine the Light of Christ on the hearer” and “pour it into the heart of the singer.”
Reflection questions
“How can Primary songs learned in childhood become the spiritual language children use to testify for the rest of their lives?”
“How does singing gospel truths help children remember the Lord as part of their covenant and prepare them for His ordinances?”
“How can Primary songs help write God’s law upon the hearts of these youngest disciples?”
What’s a favorite Primary song you have? What eternal truths does it teach?
In what ways can you involve Primary songs more in your life or the life of a loved one?
Speaker quotes
- “Primary songs can become a child’s first spiritual language because their simple, memorable melodies give voice to gospel truths. These songs hold the power to stay with children for a lifetime, becoming part of their discipleship and a natural and normal way for them to testify of the Savior.”
- “These songs can provide a reservoir of faith-filled sermons that point children to the Savior and help them develop devotion to His gospel.”
- “Through singing sacred music, congregations of God’s children are given an opportunity to prepare their hearts for that sacred ordinance to take upon themselves His name, to always remember Him and to keep His commandments.”
Reference scriptures
- “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”
- “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
- “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
Invitations and promises
- “I invite you to consider what foundational truths have been written into your hearts through the simple teachings of these songs and to testify of those truths to the Savior’s youngest disciples as you teach them the good news of the gospel through song.”
- “I testify that the efforts we make to teach and sing these Primary songs to our children are not simply a nice part of our religious tradition. They are sermons for disciples of Jesus Christ, testimonies to the truthfulness of the restored gospel, and prayers set to music.”
- “Sacred music can shine the Light of Christ on the hearer and can pour it into the heart of the singer.”
Stories
- A woman credits Primary music with accelerating her continued conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ after 20 years.
- A man testified that Primary music planted a seed of faith when he was young and was the reason he came back to the Church in his 30s.
From the footnotes
- 16. “Although the ordinance of the sacrament is for members of the Church, nothing should be done to prevent others from partaking of it” (General Handbook, 18.9.3). In particular, it is appropriate for little children to partake of the sacrament before they reach the age of accountability so they can develop greater appreciation for Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and prepare to enter into sacred covenants with God in the future.
Additional resources
- Related image: “Children With Christ” by Phyllis Luch
- Related video: “Keep Singing Songs That Teach Doctrine, Says President Nelson”
- Related hymn: No. 1006, “Think a Sacred Song”
Recent conference talks on music
- President Jeffrey R. Holland: “Songs Sung and Unsung” (April 2017)
- Elder Peter F. Meurs: “The Sacrament Can Help Us Become Holy” (October 2016)
- Elder Donald L. Hallstrom: “I Am a Child of God” (April 2016)
Who is Sister Browning?
- Sister Tracy Y. Browning has served as second counselor in the Primary general presidency since Aug. 1, 2022. She is the first Black woman to serve in one of the Church’s general presidencies. Born in New York, Sister Browning lived in Jamaica until she was 11 years old, then lived in New Jersey and New York.
