In 1994, Church President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, traveled to the Brazilian Highlands in the capital city of Brasília and gathered with a group of Latter-day Saints for a regional conference.
President Oaks did not speak Portuguese. “But when their beautiful choir began to sing, the music crossed all barriers of language and spoke to my soul,” President Oaks recalled. Through sacred music, “the Spirit of the Lord descended upon us, and we were made ready for gospel instruction and worship.”
Singing hymns is one of the best ways to become in tune with the Spirit of the Lord, he taught. “I wonder if we are making enough use of this heaven-sent resource in our meetings, in our classes and in our homes.”
It’s been eight years since the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the intent to publish a new hymnbook.
Here’s a look at the progress, process and power of this ongoing, sacred project to update “this heaven-sent resource” for the worldwide Church.
Why a new hymnbook?
The last time the Church updated its music collections was in 1985 for the hymnbook and in 1989 for the “Children’s Songbook.”
“We recognize the power that sacred music has to unify the members of the Church throughout the world,” said Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the announcement to update the hymnbook in 2018. “We desire to offer a consistent core collection of hymns and songs in every language that reflects the diverse needs of the global Church in our day.”
The Church’s music webpage explains that the revision helps to:
- Fill doctrinal gaps.
- Resolve copyright issues from foreign translation restrictions.
- Improve the quality of translations.
- Provide more consistent digital access.
- Resolve inconsistency in music offerings across languages spoken by members of the Church.
- Fix culturally insensitive language and limited cultural representation of the global Church.
- Retire hymns that have fallen into disuse.
- Simplify or discontinue hymns that many members find are too difficult to sing or play.
An ongoing process
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called the new hymnbook project both ambitious and complex.
“Because of the importance of sacred music in the Church, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve have been intimately involved in every aspect of the new hymnbook, including the selection of hymns to be included in the print and digital versions,” he assured.
Elder Renlund explained that what has been considered for inclusion in the new hymnbook are selections from the English 1985 “Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” the 1989 “Children’s Songbook,” hymns and songs from the current non-English Church hymnbooks, previously published hymns by Latter-day Saint authors, existing hymns from other Christian traditions and over 17,000 original submissions.
Because the Church could not print a hymnbook with thousands of hymns, only hymns that met the following criteria were included:
- Does the hymn increase faith in and worship of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ?
- Does the hymn teach the core doctrine of the gospel with power and clarity?
- Does the hymn invite joyful singing at home and at church?
- Does the hymn comfort the weary and inspire members to endure in faith?
- Does the hymn unify members throughout the Church?
Steve Schank, the Church’s Hymnbook Committee chair, said in the Church News podcast that these criteria “are the outcomes that the First Presidency hopes that sacred music will achieve, both in our congregations and in our homes and in our personal lives. These are the blessings that the Lord will respond with as we worship Him in song.”
The printed version of the new “Hymns for Home and Church” is expected to be ready in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French by late 2027, with other language translations to follow.
In the meantime, beginning in 2024, the Church has released batches of new hymns every few months. As of September 2026, 82 new songs have been released in those four languages, with several songs also available in other languages such as Armenian, Malagasy, Cebuano, Indonesian, Italian, Samoan, Tongan, German, Korean, Tagalog and more.
Each song has been made available digitally, including sheet music and audio recordings. The audio files include piano accompaniment, guitar accompaniment and vocal with piano.
Additional sets of songs are expected to be released later this year as well as next year.
The Church anticipates publishing about 375 songs in a single “Hymns for Home and Church” printed volume that will include music for all ages, including Primary children.
When the first 13 hymns were released in May 2024, Elder Isaac K. Morrison, a General Authority Seventy then serving on the hymnbook committee, commented on how help seemed to come every time it was needed during the rigorous selection process. “We have seen miracles in this project — it is a miracle,” he said.
Power of sacred music
President Oaks has taught that singing hymns “is one of the best ways to learn the doctrine of the restored gospel” as well as “a glorious way to worship.”
He noted that the meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the temple each week begins with the singing of a hymn. “Picture the spiritual impact of a handful of the Lord’s servants singing ... before praying for His guidance in fulfilling their mighty responsibilities,” he said.
In the announcement for the new hymnbook in 2018, Elder Rasband taught that — along with prayer and the scriptures — “hymns invite the Spirit into our hearts and strengthen our testimonies of Jesus Christ and His gospel. As parents sing together with their children in their homes and in our congregations, the doctrines of the gospel will sink deep into their hearts and they will have increased power to keep on the covenant path as encouraged by our prophet.”
In 2025, when Elder Renlund was interviewed regarding the new hymnbook project, he also testified that “music is a language of the Spirit and can deepen your love and appreciation for God and His Divine Son and the Restoration of the Lord’s Church in these latter days.”
When asked what he has learned from working on this multiyear project, Schank told the Church News: “There’s something about music that takes the gospel and sinks it into our hearts and our minds in a way that it cannot be forgotten. Sacred music teaches the gospel in a way that’s not threatening. It is easy to understand.”
Sacred music, he said, has a way of finding the cracks in the walls individuals build around their hearts and seeping through. “It’s a way to connect with the divine. It’s a way for me to bring an offering to the Lord, and the Lord will be pleased, and He will answer with a blessing upon my head. Music is not filler. It’s worship.”
In his 2025 interview, Elder Renlund said, “I hope you take advantage of the opportunity that has been provided to enjoy these new hymns.”
A variety of music
The Church News has spotlighted many of the songs, both new and familiar, as they have been released. To learn more about many of the new hymns and their composers, here’s a list with links to those articles:
- New hymn ‘Peace, Peace, Be Still’ brings hope through the Savior to face life’s storms
- New hymn ‘What God Calls Us To’ draws from Sermon on the Mount
- New hymn ‘Speak to Us, Lord’ turns one man’s heart to his grandfather
- New hymn ‘The Miracle’ teaches children about Christ’s miracles
- Renowned poet Fanny Crosby’s ‘To God Be the Glory’ part of recent hymnbook addition
- New hymn ‘Welcome Home’ inspired by a ward greeters loving embrace
- Written in Sweden, new hymn ‘My Covenants’ celebrates baptism and covenant path
- Meanings behind music and lyrics of ‘Elijah and the Still, Small Voice’
- New hymn, written in a small inn far from home, teaches ‘The Power of the Holy Ghost’
- Personal experiences inspire the new hymn ‘Jesus Is My Shepherd’
- New hymn ‘Joyfully Bound’ shows happiness of covenant relationship with God and Jesus Christ
- Song ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ teaches ‘bite-sized’ truths for young gospel learners
- New hymn ‘As Bread Is Broken’ began during a sacrament meeting reflection
- ‘Star Bright’: A hymn of hope and looking to the Savior
- Song ‘When I Am Baptized’ receives updated lyrics
- Author of new song ‘I’m a Pioneer Too’ wants children to connect with their ‘spiritual ancestors,’ see themselves as pioneers
- Author of new hymn ‘Because’ sees ‘miracles in every song’
- New Christmas hymn invites all to worship the Christ child
- New hymn ‘This Day Is a Good Day, Lord’ inspired by psalm and everyday blessings
- ‘Jesus Is the Way’: What the new hymnbook’s Tongan hymn means to Tongan Latter-day Saints
- ‘This Is the Christ’ hymn began with an Apostle and is now in the global hymnbook
- Author and composer of new song ‘He Cares for Me’ shares testimony of God’s love for His children individually
- New song ‘How Did the Savior Minister?’ helps children learn about ministering
- Almost 30-year journey of new hymn ‘Help Us Remember’ surprises author
- What led Annette Dickman to compose the hymn ‘Bread of Life, Living Water’
- Learn the background to writing the new hymn ‘Look Unto Christ’
- Learning to let the Lord refine the process: The story behind the new hymn ‘Holy Places’
- ‘When the Savior Comes Again’: New hymn rejoices in preparation for His Second Coming
- The story behind ‘I Will Walk With Jesus’
- A dying mother’s inspiration behind one of the Church’s new hymns
- ‘How great is our joy’: What the new hymnbook’s Spanish song means to Latin American Saints
- Learn the new hymns from other Christian traditions, part 2 — as sung by the Tabernacle Choir
- Learn about the new hymns from other Christian traditions, part 1
