Hymns

We had a fabulous experience last night. We saw two free concerts put on by the BYU School of Music. The first was a graduate recital for a franch horn player, who played with piano and a string quartet. The second was a longer, more bodacious composition recital for a faculty organist. He composed pieces for the oboe, for 8 flutes, and for the piano and violin, but most impressive was that that he played himself on the organ. One of those sections was a series of choral preludes, variations on the arrangements of "Sabbath Day", "The Lord My Pasture Will Prepare", and "Come, Thou Glorious Day of Promise" after we sang as an audience the first verse from each. It was beautiful. Christian hymns abound with symbolism, praise and doctrinal teaching about the Savior and his Gospel.

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;

20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

This hymn is from Colossians 1:15-20. I didn't know until it was recently taught in my New Testament class that early Christian hymns are quoted in some sections of the New Testament. This one in particular speaks of Christ's qualities: in the spitting image of His Father, the first creation of the Father, the Head of His Church, the first resurrected, the Savior of the world through the shedding of His own blood on the cross for the redemption of all creation.

So much is taught in our hymns, so much good. Check out LDS hymns at www.lds.org/churchmusic/ . Check it out!