An Updated Sacred Music Collection
In June 2018, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a revision of the hymnbook and Children’s Songbook to meet the needs of a global church. That announcement also included a request for member feedback about sacred music and a call for member submissions of original hymns, songs, and texts.
September 2023 Updates
While the review and approval of music is ongoing, several key details about the new sacred music collection have been cleared for announcement, including:
- The hymns and children’s songs collections will be consolidated into a single book titled Hymns—for Home and Church. Joining these books together will emphasize the centrality of the home in our gospel experiences and will also invite more engagement from children during sacrament meeting and other Church gatherings.
- The collection will include the same song list and numbering across all languages in print and digital channels, with a total of 450 to 500 hymns and songs.
- The full unified collection is currently anticipated to be released in print and digital formats by the end of 2026 in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. A total of 50 languages are planned to release by the end of 2030. These dates are the best estimates available, and they are subject to change as production work continues.
- Small batches of newly selected music, which can supplement our current hymns and songs, will be published in digital channels every few months, expected to start as early as May 2024 in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Other languages will also receive these small batches leading up to their full hymnbook release. Members are encouraged to use the new music alongside the current hymns and children’s songs.
- Additional local and language-specific hymns, such as patriotic anthems, will be available in digital formats only.
- To help members become familiar with new and updated music, audio versions of each hymn or song will be included in digital channels with every new release. The audio version is expected to include recordings of piano accompaniment, guitar accompaniment, a melody-only vocal, and a four-part vocal.
Status Report
Song review and approvals
- Review and proposal of our existing collection is nearing completion.
- The vetting of 17,000 submissions is complete, with recommended songs being delivered to the committees for review and proposal. All who submitted a new song for consideration will be informed of the status of their submission as the decisions about the collection are finalized.
- Review and proposal of music borrowed from other faiths is underway.
Translation
- The translation team has expanded significantly to increase the capacity for the huge amount of sacred poetic texts involved in this project and needed at an accelerated pace.
- Translation projects have begun in some of the most widely spoken languages in the Church.
Music Licenses
- Preparations are underway to secure music licenses for every song that is ultimately selected for the collection.
Digital Channels
- The Sacred Music app has undergone major updates in preparation for the digital-only early release of new music.
- The Church Music website is being redeveloped, with an update coming in the near future.
A Global Effort
Submission Quick Stats
- Nearly 50,000 members responded with feedback regarding our current sacred music and suggested selections from other faiths.
- More than 17,000 original music submissions were received from members in 66 countries.
- Over 150 volunteer reviewers around the world assessed new submissions in two tiers of quadruple blind reviews.
With oversight from General Authorities and General Officers, committees were called to review:
- Songs currently in our hymnbook and children’s songbook across all languages.
- Christian music from other denominations.
- The top several hundred selections of new member-submitted music.
The hymnbook and children’s songbook committees’ central task is to recommend to the senior leaders of the Church songs for inclusion. The committees also recommend text and music revisions to ensure that all the music is fully aligned with criteria approved by the First Presidency. These criteria guide the review, editing, and leader approval process for every piece all the way up to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency.
Music included in the new hymnbook and children’s songbook should:
- Increase faith in and worship of God the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost.
- Teach the core doctrine of the gospel with power and clarity.
- Invite joyful singing at home and at church.
- Comfort the weary and inspire members to endure in faith.
- Unify members throughout the Church.
The project is enormous. The Church leaders and committees involved in the project are grateful for all those who have made contributions, expressed interest, or offered prayers on behalf of those working on the hymnbook.