As part of a project that started more than six years ago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released online 13 hymns to be added to the new Hymns—for Home and Church hymnbook. The printed hymnbook is scheduled to be released in multiple languages beginning in 2026.
Two of the hymns were performed at a media event in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on May 30.
Sophia Andrade sang 'When the Savior Comes Again' in Portuguese, accompanied by Kristen Bromley and Brady Bills on guitars.
The second song, 'Bread of Life, Living Water' was a four-part harmony performed by Lillian Wilkins, Andrew Wardle, David Ean and Jennifer Bate.
'When the Savior Comes Again' is originally a children's song. However, this new hymnbook will combine both children's songs and congregational hymns.
Primary general president Susan H. Porter expressed her hopes that children will have the opportunity to learn more songs and adults will remember just how simple the gospel is through the children's songs.
Along with the impact of simplifying the gospel, this new hymnbook will also help fully unite the church across the world.
'For the first time in the history of the Church we will now have one hymnbook that will be global across all counties,' Elder Isaac K. Morrison of the Seventy said.
Currently, the Church's hymnbooks are different depending on the language they are written in, so a Spanish hymnbook will have different page numbers for songs than an English hymnbook.
This new change will make it so each hymn book, no matter the language, will have the same page numbers for the same songs.
With more than 17,000 song submissions for the new hymnbook, leaders needed a way to narrow down the selection. Five criteria were put in place to help chose which songs would end up in the final cut:
1. Increase faith in and worship of our heavenly father and his son, Jesus Christ.
2. Teach the core doctrine of the gospel with power and clarity.
3. Invite joyful singing at home and at church.
4. Comfort the weary and inspire members to endure in faith.
5. Unify members throughout the church.
'Singing these songs builds faith and kind of goes straight to the heart. It also makes gospel principles easier to understand. It is often easier to memorize and learn from music,' said President Porter about the five criteria.
These 13 songs are available for anyone to access through church apps and other resources.
Congregations are encouraged to begin using these songs in their Sunday worship as of the release date, May 30.
The Church has plans to release more songs every few months as print copies are prepared to be released sometime in 2026.