This year, the Church released 22 new hymns digitally in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Leaders have encouraged us to begin incorporating these songs into our worship services and personal study, but what does that look like in practice?
To give you some ideas, here are easy ways you can use the new hymns at church and at home. And remember, these are just suggestions—each ward and family should feel empowered to seek revelation and do what is best for them.
For Music Leaders
Plan and Communicate
- Share links to audio recordings for the new hymns via your ward email, group chat, or social media page.
For example, the week before introducing a new hymn in sacrament meeting, a music committee member can post an audio link to the Sacred Music app or online Music Library in the ward’s WhatsApp group.
This simple step takes only seconds and provides a resource that ward members can listen to throughout the week, involving the whole congregation and helping those who can’t read music still learn the hymn.
Right before singing the new hymn with the congregation for the first time, consider sharing a spiritual thought over the pulpit about the song’s topic or history. For examples, check out the articles below:
▶ The tragic story behind the beautiful hymn ‘It Is Well With My Soul’
Update the hymn numbers for meetings in Gospel Library using the Sacrament Meeting Hymns tool.
Rather than scrolling through the digital hymnal searching for the right number during sacrament meetings, users can simply tap the linked hymn on the app’s homepage when it’s time to sing.
Since not everyone has a mobile device or prefers to sing from a small screen, print out the hymns to hand out before the meeting, or create a shared binder or booklet for the pews.
Marshall McDonald, music coordinator for the Church Educational System and a stake music coordinator, says the family wards in his stake have focused on making the hymns accessible in creative ways.
“Each of our music chairs felt it was important to show ward members that this is a new season of Church music,” he says. “So, whether it’s a binder or a printed copy or a packet where those hymns are accessible, we have done that in our stake. I smile every time I see just a little bit of a different offering by our ward music leaders.”
Prepare Their “Ears to Hear”
Invite accompanists to start including the new hymns in prelude music. This subtly helps the congregation listen to the melody and feel more familiar with it when they eventually sing it.
“There is a huge responsibility for people within the music committee to help their ward learn the new hymns,” says Verónica Zayas, who serves as the accompanist in her young single adult congregation in Salt Lake City, Utah. “The pianist needs to know the new hymns and be prayerful about how or when to use them.”
- Play through new hymns once on the organ or piano before the congregation joins in. You might also assign a soloist to sing the first verse.
Keep Things Simple (and Fun!)
- Add no more than one new hymn a week.
- Incorporate different instruments (some of the new hymns include guitar accompaniment!).
Involve the Entire Ward
- Hold group “practice sessions” before or after church where ward members can learn the melodies and harmonies in a group setting.
- Organize a devotional or sacrament meeting centered on the new hymns.
- Encourage Primary children and leaders to learn the new hymns during singing time and prepare a musical number for sacrament meeting or the Primary program.
Invite families or the ward choir to prepare new hymns as special musical numbers. “In the Church, a musical number shouldn’t be a performance—it’s an offering we give to the Lord and to others to help them worship the Savior,” Marshall says. “Every individual can participate in music and help worship the Savior, offering our hearts and our souls to Him.”
In Marshall’s ward, the music coordinator recently invited a family to sing “Think a Sacred Song” as a special musical number. Even though one of the family members was nervous because he doesn’t often sing, he decided to participate in the number anyway.
“I think they all have talent and ability, but to watch a family sing a number together and worship the Savior was so much more powerful than bringing The Tabernacle Choir into our ward might have been,” Marshall says. “I really believe that kind of musical number is just as amazing.”
For Everyone
Seek Personal Revelation
- Pray about how the Lord would like you to learn from and use the new hymns.
- Listen to the new hymns often. You might play audio from the Sacred Music app when you’re driving or getting ready for church, or you could share a song during home evenings and Come, Follow Me discussions.
- Read the lyrics and scripture footnotes during your personal and family gospel study. For one study idea, check out our article on the Book of Mormon verses listed with “Amazing Grace.”
- Study the attributes of Jesus Christ mentioned in the new hymns.
- Focus on looking for familiar gospel principles while the hymn lyrics still feel unfamiliar.
This is an exciting time in the history of Church music, and we all can use this momentum to come closer to Christ—regardless of our callings, musical abilities, or backgrounds.
For those who might feel overwhelmed or not know where to start, Marshall suggests:
“If we’ll prayerfully ask the Lord what can we do to introduce these hymns and help ward members feel more connected to Jesus Christ—and watch for Him to show us what to do—I know the Lord will help. … Don’t just wait for a couple of years until 2026, when they print [the hymnbook] in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, to do something with it.
“Let’s start doing something now and watch the hand of the Lord touch our efforts and enlighten our way into a bright future of Church music.”
For more ideas, watch the Church’s training videos about how to get the most out of the new hymns at home and church.
You might also enjoy the articles below.
▶ 3 interesting facts about ‘Come, Thou Fount’ (including the author’s touching backstory)
▶ Exciting, inspiring aspects of the new hymnbook you won’t want to overlook
▶ 3 ways to help children feel sacrament meeting is for them—not just Mom and Dad
▶ An unforgettable moment from the children’s choir everyone is talking about
