The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published 11 more additions to “Hymns — For Home and Church” on Thursday, June 12. The growing catalog has now reached 48 new songs that may be sung at home, in Church meetings and in other settings.
These songs are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, with other languages to come. They can be found in the Music Library of ChurchofJesusChrist.org, the Sacred Music app and the Gospel Library app.
“Hymns — For Home and Church” is for members to use as part of their worship and gospel study, Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently explained.
“Families and congregations around the world should begin using these hymns right away. Many wards and branches have done this in exemplary ways. Please continue to do so,” Elder Renlund said.
Some of the new songs may already be familiar. “Oh, How Great Is Our Joy” (“Placentero Nos Es Trabajar”) is a well-known hymn in the Spanish hymnal and beloved among Spanish-speaking Latter-day Saints. Now it will be offered in all languages.
“I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” is a children’s song that was featured in the November 2022 Friend to Friend broadcast. The African American spiritual is sung by members of other Christian faiths and is in the style of “This Little Light of Mine,” which was added to the new hymnbook on Feb. 13.
“Still, Still, Still” is a Christmas song that has been sung by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. The Tabernacle Choir has sung others on the new list as well, while some of the new songs have been previously published in Church magazines or entered into Church music festivals.
Elder Renlund said that because of the importance of sacred music in the Church, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have been involved in every aspect of the new hymnbook.
“Each hymn has been approved by the First Presidency and the Twelve, and these approvals have not been taken lightly,” he said.
More languages and practicing the hymns
Nine songs from the second batch of new hymns that were released in September 2024 have now been published in German, Korean and Tagalog.
As hymns are added to the online collection, they have a number in the 1,000s. But when the print version is released, those numbers will change, explained the Church’s Hymnbook Committee chair, Steve Schank. Songs will have the same number in every language, to unify members in singing the same body of music throughout the Church.
“The hymns and the children’s songs will be printed side by side in the collection,” Schank said on the Church News podcast. This is intentional so that families and adults sing more children’s songs and that children will sing more hymns “that we’ll all own all of the sacred music of the Church.”
The print version is expected to be ready in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French by mid-2027. Other language translations will follow.
The songs are being released in small batches so wards, individuals and families can learn, practice and sing them.
Bishop Michael K. Shelton, bishop of the Jan Ree Ward in the Keizer Oregon Stake, said his ward has folders with the words and music of each new hymn so all can see them. As soon as new hymns are released, the ward choir begins singing them.
“The new hymns appear to bring a renewed enthusiasm for singing. Their messages and tone help to bring the Spirit to our sacrament services,” Bishop Shelton said.
Jennifer Richins, the Primary president in the Mountain Home 5th Ward, Mountain Home Idaho Stake, said the ward music coordinator introduces the new songs by sharing more about them and then playing through them.
“I’ve really enjoyed how our ward has incorporated the new music, and it’s given our music coordinator the chance to educate everyone about the song she’s chosen, what it’s about or what scriptures it relates to, and then we all get to learn together like one big choir,” Richins said. “I think it’s been a really fun way to bring the new music into our ward.”
Bishop Jossuelomar Rivera, bishop of the Carolina Ward in the San Juan Puerto Rico Stake, said in a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org that the songs have a clear, simple message that children can sing without difficulty.
“I’ve seen this with my daughter,” Bishop Rivera said. “She wakes up wanting to sing, sings in the car on the way to school, and even if it’s just one phrase or word, it’s beautiful. She’s taught us the importance of singing hymns at home, and as a family, we’ve come to enjoy the beautiful messages they bring.”
