15 New Hymns for the Hymn Book

These are in addition to others added last year. I think this is the third (?) installment. An earlier one included the favorite “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessings.”

I think of note in this one are a personal favorite of mine “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling.” Also “This Little Light of Mine,” which seems to be a bit more “upbeat” than many of the others we’re used to. I’m sure some of our more stodgy organists will still be able to make it sound like more of a funeral dirge.

I have generally liked the additions. I could live without “Faith in Every Footstep” but only because it’s too pioneer/Utah centric for my liking. I don’t dislike it as much as some other very Utah/Mormon/pioneer centric songs. And I still hold out hope for one of my favorite non-church ones “Here I Am Lord.”

I’m not sure how other wards or areas do this or if they do anything at all, but my ward now has little binders in the hymnbook slots where they’ve printed off the new hymns so they can easily be used in meetings. I like the idea, but I’m not sure it’s widespread.

I like nearly all of the new hymns, partly because none of them so far sound like some of the old hymns.

I love more than I expected to love.

Maybe the correlation department didn’t like that first line? “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,”

Maybe they didn’t like the idea of grace inspiring fear? It’s impossible to guess at the reasons.

I speculate that it was “how precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.” From what I read, it sounds like LDS treat grace and atonement like synonyms and I assume that some individuals would be bothered by the idea that someone can benefit from the atonement by just believing. There are steps to repentance after all. I think we LDS are similarly uncomfortable with the guy being crucified and Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” We tend to identify with the brother of the prodigal son that was not thrilled when his brother returned from his riotous living and was welcomed with open arms.

Yeah, despite making some progress on the grace front of late, the majority of the leadership (hence the membership) isn’t there yet. Small steps. I think it’s hard for people to look at something differently when they have been taught the same thing for decades and/or their whole lives

I’m really not sure if grace and works are another of those things that gets posed as “either/or” when it’s really “and”. The doctrine/teachings allude to the idea some (grace after works). I believe it’s very possible some of us will get way more grace for very little work (perhaps only believing). I believe and hope we each get the measure of what we need, not what we might deserve (or others think we might deserve).

I am coming to the conclusion that “Grace” and “Works” actually function like “Oil” and “Water” – they don’t really mingle except with a lot of vigorous blending. To me, “Grace” is associated with “Accommodation”, “Mercy”, “Generosity”, and “Adaptation”. “Works” is associated with “Action”, and “Tasks”.

One of my favorites among the new hymns is “It Is Well with My Soul,” which also appears in many Protestant hymnals. The third verse “My sin–Oh, the bliss of this glorious thought–My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more …” also marks a shift that others here have mentioned in connection with “Amazing Grace.” I’m sure that church committees a generation ago would not have approved. I see this kind of musical ecumenism as a welcome change.