''Hymns of the Saints'', published in

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

, Missouri by

Herald House Herald House or Herald Publishing House is the publishing division of Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri. It publishes books, periodicals and other materials at the direction of the First Presidency. Its history dates to the publicatio ...

in 1981, was the official English-language

hymnal A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chr ...

of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (which became the Community of Christ in 2001), until 2013. The hymnal contains 501 Christian

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

s representing a variety of musical styles. It was succeeded by ''Community of Christ Sings'', which was published in October 2013. Harold Neal served as chairman of the 1981 Hymnal Committee. Production of ''Hymns of the Saints'' was coordinated by Peter Judd of the Worship Office and Roger Revell of the Music Office. In the

preface __NOTOC__ A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often close ...

to the work, the committee acknowledged the influence of “changing theological concepts, the searching eye of historical research, shifting modes of expression, and increased sensitivity to the sanctity of personhood” in the preparation of the hymnal and the selection of hymns. Of the 501 hymns, 209 were added since ''The Hymnal'', which was published in 1956. The hymns are in four major sections: Praise and Thanksgiving (hymns 1–78); Contemplation and Renewal (hymns 79–185); God's Word for Us (186–368); and Commission and Commitment (hymns 369–501). In the hymnal, 127 lyrical contributions and 88 musical contributions were made by members of the denomination while the remainder are from earlier

Latter Day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by J ...

and Christian hymnists. Aside from six hymn texts drawn directly from the

psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

(Hymns 15, 66, 110, 125, 258, and 461), the earliest Christian text is attributed to Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, who lived from

A.D. The terms (AD) and before Christ (BC) are used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The term is Medieval Latin and means 'in the year of the Lord', but is often presented using "our Lord" instead of "the Lord", ...

348 to 413; he is credited as the original author of the text from which Hymn 220, "Of the Father’s Love Begotten", was translated by

John Mason Neale John Mason Neale (24 January 1818 – 6 August 1866) was an English Anglican priest, scholar and hymnwriter. He worked and wrote on a wide range of holy Christian texts, including obscure medieval hymns, both Western and Eastern. Among his most ...

and Henry W. Baker. Among the most prolific contributors to the texts of the hymns in the book are (number of contributions are noted in parentheses)

Roy Cheville Roy A. Cheville (October 2, 1897–April 6, 1986) was a religious leader, theologian and educator in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church), which became Community of Christ in 2001. Cheville graduated from ...

(13), Geoffrey Spencer (13),

Isaac Watts Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include "When I Survey the ...

(12),

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It Be", "Christ the Lord Is Risen T ...

(11), Allan Tyree (10), Fred Kaan (9), Evan A. Fry (9), Naomi Russell (7), and Barbara Howard (6). ''Hymns of the Saints'' was cited as a catalyst for inspiration by Community of Christ

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Stephen M. Veazey in his discussion of Doctrine and Covenants Section 163.

Notes

Latter Day Saint hymnals Community of Christ 1981 books 1981 in Christianity {{LDS-book-stub