August 14th, 2025, 6:44pm MDT
Pleasant Grove, Utah – Nights at the Manwill Family House were filled with music throughout Sherryman Wilbollen’s childhood from the 1980s to the 90s. The author/composer of “The Holy Land,” one of the songs contained in “Hymns,” cherishes these childhood memories in her Taylorsville, Utah home in a new global hymn from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“We were able to return to this sense of unity, even if there were other conflicts during the day,” Boren recalls, explaining how she came to recognize this as one of her sacred sites.
Holy Land
Boren was about nine years old when he first heard the Biblical accusation that he “stands in the holy land, not moving” (Doctrine and Covenant 87:8).
When Jesus Christ returned, standing in the holy ground, she imagined herself in the “Chakka and Temple: Peaceful and Wonderful Holy Land.” However, there was a problem. What if she had to go to school, to the store, or somewhere?
“I can’t just stay there and hide in a dedicated building,” she recalls thinking. Her questions led to a quest to understand what the Lord meant by “holy places.” The concept of sacred sites became clearer as Boren recognized the location, activities and circumstances in which the spirit resided.
When the church invited members to submit original music, which was considered part of “hymns – for the home and for the church,” Boren quickly felt that one of the songs she should write could help people understand what the sacred place is and how she is intentionally there. Her feelings were clear, but she struggled to put together the phrases and melody. So she decided to put it aside to work on other music.
After several months, she couldn’t work on the song. Then, at 4am, a week before the submission deadline, Boren woke up, and her mind composed words and music from fragments she had written down a few months ago.
“It was like the Lord took some small ideas… and put them together for me,” she recalled, adding that she quickly rose to her feet and went to the piano and started writing it down. By the time the sunrise, the first draft was completed. A few days later she submitted it.
The sacredness of refinement
In January 2024, the church’s music committee contacted her. They wanted to move the song forward, but there was a change. There were some adjustments to the lyrics.
The second poem about the house being a sacred place reflects Boren’s experiences growing up. The music department has proposed several changes to make it more widely applicable.
Boren said he valued the committee’s insights. She offered the hope that change could broaden the scope of the poem and that people in all circumstances could apply that principle to make their home a sacred place.
The proposed text changes made sense to her and were very easy to make. But the music changed more difficult. During a brainstorming session with committee members, Boren resisted the revision. They ended the session and decided to revisit together in a few days.
Looking back at the struggle, Boren said she didn’t understand why she felt inspirational in writing had to change it until she saw the committee’s early notes on digital copies of her original submissions.
“We really like the text, but… the music is a bit weak. If we can’t enhance the music, we suggest rewriting the music,” Memo said.
Boren said reading notes was painful, but it helped her realize that the message didn’t invalidate what the Lord had given her five years ago.
Over the next few days she prayed, worked, and let go of her original melody. The new version with different contours and harmonies was “very good at communicating the spirit of words,” she said. “It wasn’t bad before. It wasn’t something that was needed for everyone.”
Listen to the song “Sacred Place” here.
Holy Land
1. The temple is a sacred place
Where heaven touches the earth –
Rev’rent’s place, sacred space,
Where the Savior works.
(Chorus) I am standing in a sacred place
With a firm, truthful heart,
Until Christ returns to make all the world holy, clean and new.
2. The house can become a sacred place
To learn about the above God –
A place of prayer to find his face,
A place where we grow with faith and love.
I’m standing in the sacred place
With a firm, truthful heart,
Until Christ returns to make all the world holy, clean and new.
3. My heart can be a sacred place
When the surroundings are dim –
A peaceful place of hope and grace,
Where the spirit shines.
I’m standing in the sacred place
With a firm, truthful heart,
Until Christ returns to make all the world holy, clean and new.
“If we become more sacred.”
Boren said the refining process taught her that the revelation could be a starting point rather than a final form.
“The Lord can take small pieces of us… and weaves them together into beautiful things,” she said. “But there is also this process that we all need to go through as we become more sacred.”
