A Your Favorite Hymn All-Request Sacrament Meeting

 

AT the Author's Ward Sacrament meeting on September 14, 2025, an unusual thing happened ...

Looking up at the stand, there were NO speakers sitting there -- even no high council members, nothing, zero.

One suspects the worst -- is the Bishopric going to speak? Are ward members going to be asked to speak extemporaneously? Or, what?

Let's be blunt --  On one level, in recent decades, LDS Sacrament meetings are sometimes rather "boring" -- no guest speakers anymore; usually only ultra, basic assigned speaking subjects; speakers who haven't timed the length of their talks beforehand, or ones who lack any personal stories and just read scriptures, or General Conference talk excerpts.

The actual identity of the week's Sabbath "speakers" was both refreshing and surprising.

The Bishop, who was conducting the meeting, announced that he desired that Ward members came to the stand and requested the congregation sing one verse of whatever their favorite hymn was from either the new, or old hymn book -- and also briefly explain why that selection was your favorite.

The result was a very inspiring, uplifting and never boring, 30-minutes after the sacrament passing segment, that was unique.

About a dozen different ward members stood up, stated their favorite hymn -- and none took more than a minute at the pulpit -- and most of the hymns were not ones I would have expected.

The meeting proceeded in a very orderly fashion, little down time -- and no rush, until the last 6 minutes when multiple members started to walk up at the same time and the Bishop had to cut some off, citing time restraints.

From "I Am a Child of God," to several other Primary hymns, to "Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel," and some more obscure selections in between, the time rushed by and it was truly an inspiring and pleasant Sacrament meeting.

Where did the idea for this come from? Unknown, but the concept seems worth repeating once every year or so.

And, the Author's favorite hymn, "Master, The Tempest is Raging," was never mentioned, proving likely a wide variety of member favorites exists.

(Plus, you've got to credit the ward organist's great talents, for never having more than a few seconds notice on what she would need to play next.)

  UPDATE: My ward did another all-hymn request Sacrament meeting on Mother's Day, May 10, 2026. This one did not run as smoothly as the first, given a lot of toggling back-and-forth between the standard hymn book and the separate addition binder of hymns.

Also, some children made requests from the primary hymns and some kids were not able to speak for themselves, or know what the title of their favorite hymn actually was.

Notwithstanding, it was still a very inspiring meeting and such a meeting is worth having about once a year.....

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

It's "Nigh" unto Kolob, Not "Hie" unto Kolob

OK, my eyebrows raise when I see the title of a song in the LDS Hymn book, "Hie unto Kolob." (page 284).
Its title is simply NOT doctrinally correct.
(Some LDS artwork is not doctrinally correct either, so this should come as no real surprise.)
Based on the Book of Abraham 3:1-4, 9, the song takes an incorrect title.
"Hie" is not "Nigh."
"Hie" in Old English means "to quickly, hasten, hurry," according to Webster's Dictionary. "Hie" is NOT found in the Book of Abraham.
"Nigh" means "nearly, almost," according to Webster. "Nigh" is found in the Book of Abraham.
"And thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord's time; which Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest."  (Abraham 3:9).
That's what the scriptures states, "nigh" twice.

Brother Phelps may have aided the Prophet Joseph Smith in the translation of the Book of Abraham, but he indirectly helps to perpetuate an incorrect belief among LDS Church members today.
Phelp's song essentially says to hurry to Kolob, as if Kolob is the eternal goal of church members.
The problem is that I feel that most church members incorrectly believe Kolob is WHERE God actually dwells.
In fact, Kolob is simply the name of a great star that is NEAREST where God dwells (Abraham 3:3) and not actually the place where God dwells.
(We are given no specific name as to God's residence, except perhaps highest level of the Celestial Kingdom.)
I feel Abraham chapter 3 is more than an astronomy lesson.
The Lord is saying to draw near unto him, like Kolob is.
And, anyone who strives for eternal perfection -- required for becoming like God -- knows you can't hurry, or hasten that process. It take time and goes precept by precept.
Also, a man CAN'T be perfect in this life. (Jesus Christ was the only perfect person to have ever lived on Earth.) So, the Lord may also be implying to become as "nearly, almost" as perfect as you can in this life -- thus coming nigh unto Kolob.
That's my two cents on that subject.

--In another beef about an LDS hymn, a second song is "Come, Come, Ye Saints" (LDS Hymns Pages 30 and 326.)
A key phrase in that rousing Mormon pioneer rendition is "All is well, all is well."
Why is that particular phrase in that song?
Had the hymn's writer, William Clayton, not read the Book of Mormon enough or what?
"Wo be unto him that crieth All is well!" (2 Nephi 28:25).
Was Clayton oblivious to that verse or what?
Why did he have to use the phrase exactly as mentioned in the Book of Mormon in the hymn?
Clayton's original name for the hymn was actually "All is Well," later changed to "Come, Come, Ye Saints." So, at least that's one improvement in the song over the years and likely evidence that I'm NOT the only church member to have a problem with the "all is well" phrase.
Now I'm not saying for things NOT to well with the Mormon Pioneers, early church members,or even today's Saints.
Clayton COULD HAVE used a different word, instead of "well" in the song.
"All is clear"; "all is serene"; "all is great"; or "all is best" could have been possible substitutes.
Normally, as in "nigh unto Kolob," it may be best to quote scripture, but not when it is clearly a negative, as with 2 Nephi 28:25.
-Hymn No. 7, "Israel, Israel God is Calling" is another LDS Song that seems to have a problem. Clearly, the most key words in this rousing hymn are: "Come to Zion." That should be the song's title, not "Israel, Israel God is Calling."
--There is already a precedent for doctrinal changes in LDS Hymns. "I am a Child of God" had a one word change from "know" to "do," after a suggestion by then Apostle Spencer W. Kimball.
--I discussed doctrinal problems with the two hymns talked about above with a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He figures it was all in the smoother kind of wording as to why the songs came out the way they did. 

-And here's another hymn that has been altered:

An LDS Church committee changed some wording in the rousing hymn, “Praise to the Man,” in 1927.

Original verse:

“Long shall his blood, which was shed by assassins, Stain Illinois while the earth lauds his fame.”

Switched to: “Long shall his blood, which was shed by assassins, Plead unto heav’n, while the earth lauds his fame.”

 -In addition, the hymn "Praise to the Man" was originally written as a funeral eulogy and was, at first, NOT a rousing hymn at all. It was only years later when a Scottish tune was used, that it became an upbeat, marching hymn.

--UPDATE: After further thought and also after considering a reader's comments below, here's a clarification:

The LDS realm of arts, music and artwork, isn't always strictly doctrinally correct and may not have to be.
There's a "correct for its purpose" doctrine in the LDS Church and the arts probably fall under that umbrella.
While some hymns may not be strictly doctrinally correct, they can still elevate a congregation spiritually.
In the art realm, the Statues of the Angel Moroni commonly found may or may not be accurate likenesses of Moroni himself, but they still stand for much truth and are powerful symbols of the restoration of the Gospel.
The world of arts often takes certain liberties, it has to, to even be created.
Songs aren't necessarily written to be doctrinal essays and probably should not be analyzed as such. They are rousing musical renditions to honor God and evoke his Spirit. That is their purpose. Absolute correct doctrine in a hymn is a priority much further down the line of importance ...

NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.