Comments on: Does It Bother You Like It Bothers Me?

By: cheryl

cheryl — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:31:47 +0000

I don’t care what hymn we sing. Just as long as the organist and choristor keep the beat going. Nothing drives me more insane (okay, many things drive me more insane) than hymns sung at a snail’s pace.

By: lamonte

lamonte — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:45:37 +0000

Just a personal note about “I Beleive in Christ.” Eight years ago a good friend died suddenly of a heart attack while at Youth Conference. I was there with him and his wife when he collapsed and died. He was our YM President and I guess his love for the youth is what ultimately led to his death. He had just finished a pick-up basketball game with the boys and, as usual, he was running harder than anyone on the floor. A few minutes after the game he collapsed outside and died. He was 43 years old.

I was bishop at the time and conducted his funeral. One of the most touching moments of the funeral was when the young men of the ward stood together and sang “I Beleive in Christ.” Of all the things my friend would have wanted for the young men, their willingness to sing words proclaiming their belief in the risen Lord would have topped his list. Every time I hear or sing that song, my thoughts are turned to pleasant memories of my friend. For that reason only, I love that song.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:11:05 +0000

I wondered if there were something I’d written that qualified as “venom.” Then I realized that it was “no-man.” :-)

My relationship to the McConkie hymn was sort of like my relationship to dill pickles. Once when I was about 6 years old, I ate way too many and, basically overdosed. I didn’t touch another dill pickle for about 10 years.

There was a senior sister missionary serving in our branch a little over 10 years ago who absolutely loved the hymn. So, during half-time at every baptism (and we were having a lot back then), she’d request that it be sung. And then the next week, again, and then again.

My quota was filled. So, before I sing it again in a congregation there are a whole host of other wonderful hymns that I would like to sing.

By: Kullervo

Kullervo — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:07:49 +0000

Seriously? People are complaining about being distracted from hymn-singing? That’s pretty stupid, sorry. World hunger must really keep you up at night.

As to the question of lame hymns, I am a firm believer that the most important message in the universe should be conveyed by the best possible medium. “It has a good message” in no way redeems a bad piece of art, a bad poem, or a bad song, but actually makes it worse, because of the injustice being done to the subject.

By: John Mansfield

John Mansfield — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:13:48 +0000

The walk up during the hymn is something I like, but I could really do without metal chairs being folded at stake conference while the organist is still playing postlude.

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:42:09 +0000

“I Believe in Christ” was in the first edition of the 1985 hymnal. The copyright at the end of the hymn shows the poem was copyrighted in 1972, and the music in 1985. It’s possible that the music was written after his death, but since printed material is chosen and organized well before the publishing date, I would suppose that the music was written in 1984 or very early 1985, before McConkie’s death.

By: Dan Knudsen

Dan Knudsen — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:23:17 +0000

“…if the hymn had gone through normal church music committee reviews I’d be willing to bet they’d have asked for slight modifications to make it flow more naturally (why not, in verse 4, “I’ll gain from him my fondest dream”? no change in meter, no harm done).” I agree with your suggestion, but some things are overlooked in such a large undertaking. However, the hymn did go through the church committee before being put in the hymnal. Roger Miller was on the committee, and was in the choir during that time, and has written dialog for choir broadcasts for years. I don’t know if he still does, but look at the credits at the end and see if he’s still listed–if so, you could ask him about it. He also was on the music faculty at U of U.

Hymn #135 is rather unique in that its music was written by a Seventy.

There’s a wide variety so that everyone has a chance to find some they like. Because you don’t like a specific hymn is no reason to have it removed from the hymnal. Ask the bishop to let you choose hymns some time/s. Maybe he’d consider letting several people, who desire to do so, choose the hymns, and rotate through them. There are hymns I’m not in love with, but I don’t openly complain about them because others like them, and hymns I like cycle through.

The 1948 hymnal had a hymn I absolutely hated, until Mack Wilberg arranged it and now it’s my favorite, but only in his arrangement (“Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing”).

By: no-man

no-man — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:58:32 +0000

The poem originally was written in 1972; I understand that John Longhurst wrote the hymn arrangement as a tribute to McConkie after his death in 1985. I may be wrong.

By: Jacob F

Jacob F — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:02:58 +0000

re: 15

Was the music really written after E. McConkie’s April 1985 death?

By: Geoff J

Geoff J — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:51:59 +0000

Make that “over the top”