Using the Hymnbook

Chastmier O., Nigeria

Music has always played an important role in my life. I enjoyed music as a child, listening to all sorts of music without even necessarily paying attention to the lyrics. As I have grown in the gospel, I have come to realize the sacred nature of the hymnbook.

The hymns found in the hymnbook have brought me peace many times and have helped me draw closer to my Heavenly Father. Whenever I am faced with a troubling situation, I sing a hymn. If friends lose a loved one, sometimes I sing to them or refer them to a hymn. As I conduct hymns in sacrament meeting, I feel reverent, and the Spirit reminds me of my baptismal covenants and my desire to honor them.

I also like to ponder the words of the hymns. My scriptures are filled with marked verses of quotations found in these wonderful hymns. When I give a talk or prepare a lesson, I quote a hymn. When people ask me to refer them to a particular quote from the talk, I often tell them it is from my Church hymnbook. Some of these instances have led to opportunities to share the gospel.

Most important, the hymns have helped me and my family grow stronger in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lyrics have given me hope, strengthened my faith in the gospel, and helped me “feast upon the words of Christ” (2 Nephi 32:3) for the past 18 years. Our wonderful hymnbook is indeed special to me, and it always will be, because I know that we can sing these hymns as a prayer of the righteous unto our Father in Heaven (see D&C 25:12).