The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a new, consolidated collection of sacred music, which will begin rolling out in print and digital formats in the first half of 2024.
The full print hymnbook, “Hymns – for Home and Church” will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French by the end of 2026, Church News reported.
The smaller collection and full hymnbook will include both hymns and children’s songs in an effort to help children “feel that they belong in sacrament meeting,” Primary General President Susan H. Porter said in the release.
“Hymns – for Home and Church” boasts an anthology of 450-500 hymns and children’s songs. Some have carried over from the 1985 edition of the hymnbook currently in use with edits to make their messages modern and universal.
“Updates will clarify doctrine, replace outdated language where meanings have changed over time, and ensure that lyrics and musical styles are more universally inclusive,” the release said.
Sophomore Sage Giguiere from Mesa, Arizona shared that she is looking forward to the updates. Some of the songs in the current hymnbook feel outdated, she said.
“I feel like there’s a lot of hymns that we never sing, and those ones are always awkward,” she said.
Other songs will be new to Church members, including music borrowed from other faiths and selected from the 17,000 sacred songs written and submitted by members.
“More than 150 reviewers worldwide have provided detailed evaluations of the 17,000 new song submissions,” the release said. “The hymnbook committee is now giving special consideration to the top several hundred submissions as they finalize their recommendations to Church leaders.”
Tanner Hoops, a freshman from Spokane, Washington, is uniquely interested in the new hymnbook because he plays the piano.
“I’m excited to see what else they add,” Hoops said. “I just hope they don’t take out all the classic Christmas ones.”
“Hymns – for Home and Church” will be available in up to 50 languages by 2030, the release reported. Additional languages will receive a 60 song anthology called “Selected Hymns” as soon as reasonably possible.
Church music staff will contact applicants about the status of their submission once the selection process is complete, according to the news release.
The multi-year project, begun in 2018, has a ways to go before completion. For more information about the process and timeline, click here.
