On September 12, 2024, the Church announced nine new songs to be added to the hymnbook, including “Amazing Grace.” This isn’t the first time the beloved Christian song has been in a Latter-day Saint hymnbook; it was also in the 1841 edition compiled by Emma Smith.
The Book of Mormon Verse
In the new sheet music provided by the Church, two scriptures are listed at the top.
First, from the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 12:9–10:
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
And from the Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:32–33:
Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
The Third, Additional Scripture
All songs in the hymnbook have at least one scripture reference to verses throughout the standard works. Interestingly, “Amazing Grace” includes an additional scripture verse at the bottom. The text on the page says, “This beloved hymn reminds us of Nephi’s anguished cry: “O wretched man that I am!” Then, remembering the Lord’s mercy, Nephi added, “My soul will rejoice in thee, my God” (2 Nephi 4:17, 30).
Deepen Your Understanding of Grace
Amazing Grace was sung for the first time at general conference in April 2024.
For further study on grace, we recommend Original Grace by Adam Miller, Emily Belle Freeman’s trilogy on grace, and Amazed by Grace by Sheri Dew.
Enjoy quicker reads on grace in the links below:
▶ Your job isn’t to be perfect. It’s to stay close to the One who can perfect you
▶ From ‘not enough’ to ‘too much’: What we can learn from the Old Testament about God’s grace
▶Grace that glitters down vs. grace that lifts up
Original Grace: An Experiment in Restoration Thinking
Available now in Deseret Book stores and at deseretbook.com.
