#45 "Lead Me into Life Eternal"

I love the story behind this hymn. I read about it in "Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages", by Karen Lynn Davidson. (I've been reading about each hymn as I've been playing and blogging each day.) The original title was 'Father! Lead Me Out of Darkness". The author was approached by Alexander Schreiner (the composer) about changing the title, but he (Elder John A. Widtsoe) said, "You don't understand, Brother Schreiner. It is being sung by a nonmember. I don't want anybody to change the words. Nonmembers are in darkness." After Bro. Schreiner said, "When you go to a stake conference and give an inspirational and enlightening message to the Saints, how would you feel if the stake president announced that the closing hymn would be "Father! Lead Me Out of Darkness"'? Elder Widtsoe could then see the point of giving the hymn a positive title, with only the rearrangement of a few words. The new title, "Lead Me into Life Eternal" gave a much more positive message, and the hymn became a favorite.

#44 "Beautiful Zion, Built Above"

The author of this text was not LDS. This was a surprising fact to learn about this hymn. I had to chuckle at the line that reads, "He who was slain on Calvary opens those pearly gates to me." The reference to "pearly gates" should have been a clue to me that the author was not LDS. This is an easy hymn to play and has a nice tune. I don't have any special memories associated with it, but it is yet another hymn that is not widely sung in our sacrament meetings.

#43 "Zion Stands with Hills Surrounded"

It is interesting to note that the author of the text wasn't even a member of the LDS church, yet the words to this hymn are perfect! This hymn is familiar to me, but another one that is not widely sung in our sacrament meetings. It is amazing how many times I have been typing that lately!

#42 "Hail to the Brightness of Zion's Glad Morning!"

I like this hymn, but the tune always makes me think of a vocal warm-up because the first four notes are "do-mi-so-do". It's another hymn that just isn't sung much.

#41 "Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise"

This hymn was familiar to me, but I don't know where I'd sung it before. There is a footnote that it was included in the first LDS hymnbook in 1835. I like the tune from this hymn.

#40 "Arise, O Glorious Zion"

Our Oak Hills Ward choir sang this back in 1997. (I know this because I write in pencil in my personal hymnbook the dates of choir performances.) The original hymn had eight verses!

#39 "O Saints of Zion"

This is another new hymn to me. I must be in the "sealed portion" of the hymnbook because all these unfamiliar hymns seem to be clumped together. In researching this hymn, I found that the original title was "O Sons of Zion" in the 1948 edition of the hymnbook. Because of the title, it was thought to be a priesthood hymn, and was not utilized much. The 1985 hymnbook committee approved the title change to "O SAINTS of Zion". I know that it is a hymn that I have never sung in sacrament meeting before!