Encouragement found in new hymn ‘Love Will Bless Our Home’

Like many people, Marvin K. Gardner and his wife, Mary, sometimes feel discouraged about how things are going in their family.

“Even though we have been abundantly blessed over the years, there are moments when we need to be reminded that Heavenly Father is pleased with the efforts of ordinary people — like us — and of less-than-perfect families — like ours,” Gardner wrote to the Church News.

That is why he accepted the Hymnbook Committee’s invitation in 2021 to write lyrics for a possible new hymn about home and family. Gardner is on the committee’s text editorial team.

“The committee wanted something that would remind each of us that whatever our marital or family circumstances may be, Heavenly Father loves us and is eager to bless our home,” Gardner said.

The result was “Love Will Bless Our Home,” which was added in the February 2026 release of new hymns in “Hymns for Home and Church,” the new global hymnbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Gardner used “our home” instead of “our homes” so singers would feel they are singing about their own home and family. He said the hymn is written from the perspective of imperfect people who are doing their best but are not always seeing encouraging or immediate results.

“Sometimes, it might feel like the love we are trying to offer a family member isn’t reciprocated — or even acknowledged,” he said. “When we are honest with ourselves, we might even realize that we may be the source of some of the contention and difficulties in our family.”

Gardner hopes the hymn will encourage people to find small and simple ways to invite greater love into their home by seeking the Lord’s help and opening their hearts to one another.

“The message of the hymn is that each small success and every tiny hint of improvement can encourage us and give us hope,” Gardner said. “This message is summarized in the last verse: ‘When we’re trying to progress, / Finding hope in each success, / Knowing God delights to bless, / Love blesses our home.’”

A pattern in the text

The lyrics have a “When … then” format, Gardner explained.

“When we do X — speak kindly, listen, lift one another’s burdens, forgive each other and so on — then we are able to feel the Lord blessing our home with His love,” Gardner said. “I hope this format helps us feel like we want to keep trying rather than giving up.”

Gardner said the verb tenses in the hymn emphasize that having love in the home is a lifelong process that requires daily effort — such as giving, lifting and seeking in verse 1; letting go, helping and pressing forward in verse 2; and trying, finding and knowing in verse 3.

The present-tense verb “blesses” is used in the repeated phrase, “Love blesses our home.” But in the final phrase of each verse, blesses becomes “will bless,” showing how this will continue in the future.

Music by Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy, associate music director of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, composed the music for “Love Will Bless Our Home” in 2024.

In the Gospel Library resource “About the Hymns” for this hymn, Murphy said he chose the tune name LIEFDE (the Flemish word for “love”) to pay tribute to his mother’s Belgian heritage and to honor her decision to join the Church.

Murphy directed the Tabernacle Choir as they performed his arrangement of “Love Will Bless Our Home” in the Mother’s Day 2026 program of “Music and the Spoken Word ”and in the closing session of the October 2026 general conference.

Said Gardner: “I feel that Brother Murphy’s music beautifully captures the spirit of the text.”

Musical, writing and editing background

Gardner started taking piano lessons at 8 years old and served as a Primary pianist while still in Primary. He has often served as organist or choir director in his ward and stake and loves playing piano-and-violin duets with his wife.

For 28 years, he worked for the Church magazines, including 15 years as managing editor of the Liahona. He taught at Brigham Young University for 12 years and served a full-time mission with his wife as directors of digital communications for the Central America Area.

He served as a member of the 1985 Hymnbook Executive Committee and as text editor for the hymnbook. In 2020, he was called to serve on the text editing team for the new hymnbook.

Among other published hymns and songs Gardner has written are “Press Forward, Saints” (Hymns, no. 81) and “This Is My Beloved Son” (“Children’s Songbook,” p. 76), both with music by Vanja Y. Watkins, and “Thy Holy Word” (Hymns, no. 279), with music by Robert Cundick.