New hymn ‘Welcome Home’ inspired by a ward greeter’s loving embrace

Andrea Brett, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Missouri, arrived at a sacrament meeting in 2017.

On a snowy Sunday morning while visiting family in Spokane, Washington, Brett was greeted by Demetrius O’Neal, a recent convert to the Church serving as a ward greeter. Brett recalls his outstretched hands, open arms and broad smile that unexpectedly met her before she entered the meetinghouse.

She still remembers O’Neal’s greeting: “Welcome. Welcome home. Welcome to the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Welcome home.”

O’Neal’s words, said Brett, brought the “enthusiasm of his faith and cultural traditions to the front door.” She said it was both refreshing and beautiful.

As she sat in the pew that day, she knew she had just found the title of her hymn.

“I will never forget that warm and gracious greeting from Demetrius and how welcome it made me feel,” said Brett, describing the hymn’s background on her website. “That’s how I would love everyone to feel when they come to our houses of worship.”

Sharing testimony through a hymn

“Welcome Home” is Brett’s first hymn to be published in the Hymns for Home and Church hymn book.

Brett’s love of music began in childhood and deepened through years of Church music callings. She came to view hymns as a form of scripture, appreciating both their doctrine and their ability to teach faith through music.

“As someone who deeply connects with both words and music, I’ve always had a strong appreciation for the lyrics and the doctrines they teach,” she said.

When the Church announced a new hymn book in 2018, Brett finally had the opportunity she had long hoped for. Each member could submit a total of 10 hymns — five hymns and five children’s songs.

“This is my chance,” Brett said. “I am going for it. I am in. I am in for this.”

Brett submitted 10 pieces. Of them, “Welcome Home” was the only hymn she had written before the Church announced the new hymn book.

“It was definitely a prayerful process all the way through,” she said. “When I was done, I felt a sort of emptiness because it did require me to really dig deep into the doctrine and study the scriptures on all of the related topics. It was really a spiritual experience, and I felt the hand of the Lord many times through that entire year when I was writing all of that music.”

Brett said she carefully paired doctrine, lyrics and music to reinforce each hymn’s message.

“Each piece was written as an expression of my own testimony,” she said. “I wanted this to be music that I could sing and that reflected my personal faith.”

Several years later, she received a highly anticipated email informing her that “Welcome Home” was being considered for publication.

“It’s difficult to express how I felt at that moment,” Brett said. “I wanted to cry, dance, and leap for joy. Even though this was not an assurance that my hymn would be one of the final selections, I now knew there was still that chance.”

On Feb. 12, 2025, Brett received a call informing her that “Welcome Home” would be published the following day as part of the next batch of new hymns.

Brett quickly called her friends and family to let them know of the news. After nearly eight years without contact, Brett called O’Neal, the man whose greeting had inspired the hymn, creating a full-circle moment.

A full-circle moment

“I told him that I had written a hymn inspired by his warm, wintry welcome, and that it had been selected to be part of the new hymn book,” she said. “His name was on it as part of the tune name. It took a minute for him to take all of that in and grasp what I was saying. When he did, he was so excited, overwhelmed and grateful. It was one of the great pleasures of my life to make that phone call.”

Another experience Brett says she will never forget came when she heard the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square sing her hymn during the Sunday morning session of April 2025 general conference.

Sitting near O’Neal in the Conference Center, Brett listened as the Tabernacle Choir performed her hymn. Choir members from around the world were singing words that reflected her testimony.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,” she said. “It was just really, really a very special experience, and to have Demetrius there was the coolest thing. … That was pretty special when the Tabernacle Choir is singing the piece you wrote.”

Brett is constantly amazed when she hears “Welcome Home” sung in other languages and by cultures all over the world.

“People all over the world are singing this,” she said. “That is so unifying that we will all be singing the same music.”

Brett believes that “every writer has an intention and a dream when writing a song.”

“My hope and dream for ‘Welcome Home’ is to send the message that every single person in the Church would be a ‘welcome home person,’” she said. “I would love for every chapel to have a Demetrius standing at the door saying, ‘Welcome home.’”