New Harmony: Sacrament hymns are a miracle

By Jerry Johnston
Deseret News
Published: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 12:14 a.m. MDT
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In 1859, Composer Charles Gounod took the Latin text of "Ave Maria" and fastened it to a version of Bach's "Prelude No. 1 in C Major." They went together like a plug going into an outlet. And the result was pure electricity. A masterpiece.

About that same time, more musical magic was afoot. Someone had the happy idea of taking a poem by LDS writer W.W. Phelps and wedding it to a melody by classical composer Felix Mendelssohn.

The result was a marriage made in heaven. The sacrament hymn "O God, the Eternal Father" is a miracle.

Read the full story at MormonTimes.com

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Recent comments

I, too, believe that hymns are a literal miracle.

TonyD | June 4, 2008 at 7:59 p.m.

Hymns are really boring. Putting GOD to sleep is what they are doing.

East Bay | June 4, 2008 at 6:02 p.m.

Never knew how that song came to be. But has always been and continues…

Gene Davis | June 4, 2008 at 3:24 p.m.