The Lord invites us to express our joy through music. Moroni included singing on a list of worship activities. Unlike preaching, prayer, and supplication, hymn-singing allows the entire congregation to engage in a collective expression of praise and joy.
Psalms and Hymns
In August 2022, I wrote a series of blog posts connecting passages from the book of Psalms with Book of Mormon passages and with pieces of sacred music. Here is that collection of posts.
Songs of Everlasting Joy
Isaiah associated singing with joy. For example: "Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob" (Isaiah 48:20, 1 Nephi 20:20). "Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth;...and break forth into singing, O mountains;... for... Continue Reading →
“With the Voice Together Shall They Sing”
The Book of Mormon opens with music. In the opening scene, Lehi sees in a vision: God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.1 Nephi 1:8 The prophet Isaiah associated singing with expressions of joy and gratitude. For example: "Sing, O heavens; and... Continue Reading →
What Is the Role of Music in the Gospel?
In his description of church meetings, Moroni listed a number of activities which leaders were inspired to include: "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 6:9). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has urged... Continue Reading →