As church members prepared for a difficult journey to a new home in the Rocky Mountains, the Lord gave them instructions about how to turn their hearts toward Him in different emotional states:
If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.
Doctrine and Covenants 136:28-29
Giving voice to our joy is every bit as important as pleading for comfort during times of sorrow. We amplify our positive emotions when we express them through music. Commenting on these verses, Elder Quentin L. Cook said, “Lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed” (“Be Peaceable Followers of Christ,” October 2023 general conference).
Moroni included music in his list of activities to include in worship services:
And their meetings were conducted by the church after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.
Moroni 6:6
Preaching, exhorting, prayer, and supplication are important forms of group worship that typically involve one person speaking while everyone else listens. Singing is unique on the list in that the entire congregation is actively participating. Elder Ulisses Soares has encouraged us to “faithfully participate in the Church’s worship service, including tuning our hearts to the Lord through our sincere singing of sacred hymns” (“Reverence for Sacred Things,” April 2025 general conference).
Today, as I participate in worship services, I will express my joy through music. I will take full advantage of the opportunity to worship God through hymn-singing.
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