Since yesterday's hymn and today's hymn have the same text, the only thing to comment on is the tune. Hymn #174 is more familiar to me. The ward in which I grew up (Monterey Park) would use the tune "Aeolian" by Alexander Schreiner, so I probably would say that I like #174 better than #173.
Here's the story I promised to tell you about hymn #174:
When I was the music director for the old Baldy Mesa Branch (1986-89) I had scheduled this number for the sacrament hymn. Our branch president, President Randy Wilkerson, hadn't come into the meeting yet and one of his counselors conducted the first part of the meeting--the opening hymn, opening prayer, and branch business. Right then, President Wilkerson came in and then proceeded to conduct the next item--the announcing of the sacrament hymn. Instead of saying, "While of These Emblems We Partake", he read it like this: "While of These Problems We Partake". No one seemed to notice except me, but that is what he said! I will never forget that incident--every time I sing this hymn, I think of that time when President Wilkerson rushed into sacrament meeting after counseling with a troubled branch member about their problems and announced "While of These Problems We Partake" as the sacrament hymn.
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