Church of Jesus Christ announces 10 hymns to be included in ‘Hymns for Home and Church’

SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released 10 new hymns that will be included in its new hymnbook on Thursday as part of a phased rollout of “Hymns for Home and Church.”

“Around the world, members are finding that these hymns — simple, Christ-centered, and worth learning — are strengthening faith and bringing the message of Jesus Christ more deeply into their homes and worship,” a church statement about the new songs said.

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The new hymns make a total of 82 songs in the “Hymns for Home and Church” songbook expected to be fully released next year, over one-fifth of what is expected to be around 375 songs.

• “Peace, Peace, Be Still” is a 2019 song with words written by Sally DeFord while she was recovering from hand surgery. The composer Katherine Wright said she wanted the music to sound like a “rising storm.”
• “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is a song written in 1923 by a Methodist minister Thomas Chisholm inspired by his personal testimony that God would provide for him.
• “Isaiah Said” was originally published in the “Friend” magazine in 1998. Its words were written by church member Penelope Moody Allen, and the church asked Kenneth Jones to write music for it.
• “Fight the Good Fight” comes from a poem written by poet and clergyman John Monsell; the music was written by Stephen Jones in 2024, a member of the church’s committee for the new hymnbook, who said he immediately heard music for one section of the poem as he read it.
• “It’s Joyful to Live the Gospel” was written by church member Matthew Neely in 2014. He wrote songs to teach his children what he had learned — including the joy he found from following the Savior’s gospel and serving others.
• “To God Be the Glory” was written in 1875 by Fanny Crosby, a blind poet who wrote over 8,000 hymns in her lifetime, and its music was composed by her friend William Doane.
• “Speak to Us, Lord” comes from a poem written by Gertrud M. Watson in England, and revised by James Miller after he found it in a 1912 church periodical. Miller’s grandson found the revised poem over 100 years after it was written and music was then added to the poem by Lex de Azevedo.
• “The Miracle” was written in 2011 by Shawna Edwards while she was serving as a Primary music leader in Utah and searching for a song to teach about Jesus’ miracles, and she later published it for others to use.
• “What God Calls Us To” was written in 2014 by Fred Voros Jr., a Utah judge and author. The music was composed by his high school classmate Cathrine Tibbitts after they connected at a 40-year reunion.
• “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is the oldest of this set of released songs. It was written by English minister Isaac Watts in 1707. The words have been put to multiple tunes over the years, but the church chose music written by American composer Lowell Mason in 1824.

Mateus Rangel, the music coordinator for a Portuguese ward in Provo said he has seen blessings from helping members engage with these new hymns as he has shared links to the hymns before they sing them at church.

“I can see the impact on my family, my kids, and my congregation. … People are more inspired to follow Jesus Christ as they learn (by) singing the new hymns,” Rangel said.

He said the “simple truths” in the new hymns help him teach his children, and he plays recordings with children’s voices for them.

“My kids just got familiarized with the new hymns because they have something to connect with, more than the lyrics and the melodies,” he said.

Rangel said each of the hymns are connected with Christ, supporting why members meet each Sunday.

Each of the songs in the new hymnbook is being released first in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese and then gradually in other languages. On Thursday, the church said it is releasing 22 songs in Armenian and Malagasy, nine in Cebuano, Indonesian, Italian, Samoan, and Tongan, and 12 in German, Korean, and Tagalog.