On Thursday, February 26, 12 more songs were added to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Hymns for Home and Church in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Several of the songs include lyrics and related scriptures based on the Old Testament, which is the subject of this year’s Come, Follow Me study.
And “When I Am Baptized” is included on the release with updated lyrics. In preparing a new global hymnbook, church leaders carefully considered the lyrics to ensure they clearly and powerfully communicated the doctrine of Christ. When the complete hymnbook is released, members can expect many familiar hymns to be updated to more closely align with scripture and be more effective in building faith.
This is the sixth batch of songs published, creating 72 new songs in a growing catalog that may be sung in homes, church meetings, and other settings.
In addition to “When I Am Baptized,” some songs are already familiar to parishioners, while others are new submissions.
For example, “Let Us Build an Ark” and “Jesus Is My Shepherd” have been published in Friends magazine and have already been sung by Primary children.
The Tabernacle Choir has sung “My Song in the Night” and “This Is My Father’s World,” both of which come from other Christian faith traditions.
Meanwhile, these titles include “Elijah and the Still Small Voice,” “Long Ago, In the Garden,” “Lord, Accept Our Humble Fast,” and “My Covenant,” as well as hymn lyrics and related scriptures based on the Old Testament, making them appropriate and useful songs to include in church lessons and home studies.
Sunday School General President Paul V. Johnson said it was exciting to have these songs released.
“We think it will be a blessing to people who study the Bible,” he said. “We study (the Old Testament) at home and we study it at church. Hymns help teach gospel doctrines and principles with power and clarity.”
In a February 26 news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, President Johnson shared how to use these new hymns:
Memorize the lyrics. I listen to recorded songs throughout the day. Sing enthusiastically in church. Invite someone to play or sing as part of a lesson at church.
“I encourage you to do whatever you can to incorporate these new hymns into your life,” President Johnson said.
Utilize Doctrine and Songs Throughout Your Life
Anjanette Broderick, Primary music leader for the West Bountiful 6th Ward in the West Bountiful Utah Stake, loves the new music in Hymns for Home and Church and tries to incorporate it frequently.
“I feel like the kids can handle it better,” she said. “I feel like they’re getting stronger. They just have bigger questions and are willing to talk about difficult things.”
Broderick said she is excited to have more Old Testament songs to teach and learn during song time.
“They can carry that doctrine and song with them for the rest of their lives. If you give them pure doctrine through music, they will stay with them forever,” she said.
Reference Bibles are linked at the bottom of the same page as the music for each song in the Gospel Library app and ChurchofJesusChrist.org’s music library.
In About Hymns in the Gospel Library, each new hymn and song is introduced in a chapter that includes the hymn story, study tips, and linked resources. People can learn more about the hymn author, read the bibliography, and use gospel study guides related to the new hymn.
Two more hymns will be published this year, after which print versions of the new hymnbook will be completed in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French by mid-2027. Translations into other languages will follow.
Songs are released little by little for districts, individuals, and families to learn, practice, and sing. Thirteen new hymns were released in May 2024, followed by nine hymns in September 2024, followed by 15 new hymns in February 2025, 11 new hymns in June 2025, and 12 new hymns in September 2025.
The 72 songs are written in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Today, 11 hymns will be released in German, Korean, and Tagalog.
And for the first time, 13 new hymns will be released in eight languages: Cebuano, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Samoan, Tongan, and Vietnamese.
