History of LDS Music

History of Music in the Church. Music has always played an important role in religious worship. Three months after the Church was organized, the Lord, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, instructed Joseph’s wife Emma to make a selection of sacred hymns for the Church. Latter-day Saints therefore have a long tradition of music in their meetings, but few know the history behind their music. Daniel Henderson, doctoral candidate at the New England Conservatory of Music, discusses early Mormon music and how we got the hymnal we have today.