There is
great power in music, especially if used to express our gratitude to the
Lord for His many blessings in our lives. Sacred music, in particular,
allows us to worship the Lord by singing songs of praise and
thanksgiving to Him. "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving" (Psalm
147:7) is the counsel of the psalmist to each of us, especially at this
time of the year when our thoughts are focused on the birth and mission
of our Savior. We also have opportunity to reflect on countless
blessings the Lord has given us throughout the year.
In the
dark days of Winter Quarters, the Lord revealed His will to Brigham
Young that the camp of Israel should "praise the Lord with singing, with
music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving" (14
January 1847; see Doctrine and Covenants 136:28). Why? Because the Lord
knew that members of the Church would be weary and discouraged and that
this counsel would lift their spirits and help them overcome
discouragement along the way. Our pioneer ancestors followed the Lord's
directive. After camp was made for the night, frequently someone with a
violin furnished music for dancing and singing the favorite hymns and
melodies familiar to the group. Thus the spirits of the pioneers were
lifted.
Our
sacred hymns are one of the most effective forms of worship. More than
50 hymns in our current hymnbook teach us to praise the Lord and express
gratitude and thanks for His bounteous blessings. Consider these words
from two of our hymns:
Count your many
blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Count you many blessings, ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. (No. 241, Hymns, 1985).
With songs of praise and
gratitude we worship God above,
In words and music give our thanks for His redeeming love.
The Lord has said a heartfelt song by righteous ones is prayer;
A hymn unites us and invites the Spirit to be there.
(No. 71, Hymns, 1985).
Both ancient and modern
prophets have admonished us to use sacred music to praise and thank the
Lord. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has counseled that "sacred music has a unique
capacity to communicate our feelings of love for the Lord.... Many have
difficulty expressing worshipful feelings in words, but all can join in
communicating such feelings through the inspired words of our hymns"
(October 1994 general conference;
"Worship Through Music,"
Ensign, November 1994, p. 9).
Such communication of our
spiritual feelings also benefits us, for, as President Heber J. Grant
has taught, "the singing of our sacred hymns, written by the servants of
God, has a powerful effect in converting people to the principles of the
gospel, and in promoting peace and spiritual growth" ("Songs of the
Heart," Improvement Era, September 1940, 522). Singing as a form
of prayer or worship (see Doctrine and Covenants 25:12) "is an essential
part of our church meetings," explains the First Presidency preface to
our hymnbook. "The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling
of reverence, (and) unify us as members" (Preface, Hymns, 1985).
As we unite in musical
expressions of our gratitude to the Lord, we are following the counsel
of the Apostle Paul, who taught the Ephesian saints to "be filled with
the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving
thanks always for all things" (Ephesians 5:18-20).
Modern prophets echo Paul's
counsel. In April 1992 general conference, President James E. Faust,
then of the Quorum of the Twelve, declared, "singing our beautiful,
worshipful hymns is food for our souls. We become of one heart and one
mind when we sing praises to the Lord."
These prophetic teachings about
the power of music as an expression of gratitude are but a few of the
many found in scripture and general conferences. For example, in the
most recent conferences in 2007, sacred music was referenced 26 times,
and 24 hymns were quoted.
With Latter-day Saints
throughout the world, I am thankful to the Lord for giving us sacred
music —"hymns and spiritual songs" — by which we can express our
appreciation for the many blessings He bestows upon us. May we take
frequent opportunity to raise our voices in gratitude for His bounteous
blessings in our lives.
W. Herbert
Klopfer served as a member of the 1985 Hymnbook Committee and the
General Music Committee. His current assignments include coordinating
music at Church headquarters and providing music support for regional
stake conference and worldwide training broadcasts.
