When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published a new hymnbook in 1985, it began with a preface by the First Presidency articulating their hopes for the new volume: “The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members. . . . Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns.”1 In the Latter-day Saint tradition, hymns serve to instruct and reinforce doctrine.
Of all the doctrines contained in the hymnal, one most familiar to Latter-day Saints relates to the Savior's atonement.2 The hymns are often used to add insight to this key doctrine. President Russell M. Nelson recalled comforting a tearful missionary who asked, “Why did the Savior have to suffer so much?” In response, President Nelson opened a hymnbook and answered the question by quoting from a hymn:...
