“Mensaje de paz” by Joel Morales is notable as being the song that was sung when Elder Melvin J. Ballard and then-ambassador J. Reuben Clark, Jr. visited with the Latter-day Saints in Mexico in 1932. Morales is also the author of “La Proclamación” and “Final.”
Note: This is a part of an ongoing series, the Mexico Mission Hymns Project.
Mensaje de paz
Joel Morales
Songs of Zion No 197
(Lo! The Gentile Chain Is Broken)
8.7.8.7
Hymn Text:
Table 1. Variations in text of “Mensaje de paz” over the course of Church publications.
| 1912 | 1942 |
| Vienen ya los mensajeros, Que nos dan divina paz; Guiales el Rey del cielo, En la tierra con solaz. | Vienen ya los mensajeros, Que nos dan divina paz; Guiales el Rey del cielo, En la tierra con solaz. |
| El da salvación de gracia, Nos enseña la verdad, Le sirvamos con constancia, Y con firme voluntad. | El da salvación de gracia, Nos enseña la verdad, Si servimos con constancia, Y con firme voluntad. |
| Su eterno Evangelio, Que por siglos ocultó, Otra vez lo da al pueblo Con amor, en plenitud. | Su eterno evangelio, Que por siglos ocultó; Otra vez lo da al pueblo, Con amor, en plenitud. |
| Desde monte y llanura, Sin cesar se oye voz, Que nos llama con ternura, Y con el amor de Dios. | Desde monte y llanura, Sin cesar se oye voz; Que nos llama con ternura, Con el gran amor de Dios. |
Table 2. English translation of “Mensaje de paz.”
| 1912 Spanish | English Prose | English Poetic |
| Vienen ya los mensajeros, Que nos dan divina paz; Guiales el Rey del cielo, En la tierra con solaz. | The messengers are coming That give us divine peace; Guided by the King of heaven, On earth with solace. | The Lord’s messengers are coming, They give heav’nly peace and mirth; Guides sent by our King in heaven, Bringing solace to the earth. |
| El da salvación de gracia, Nos enseña la verdad, Le sirvamos con constancia, Y con firme voluntad. | He gives salvation by grace, He teaches us the truth, We serve you with constancy, And with a strong will. | God gives grace unto salvation, And He teaches us the truth. We serve God with dedication And a fervent will, forsooth. |
| Su eterno Evangelio, Que por siglos ocultó, Otra vez lo da al pueblo Con amor, en plenitud. | The eternal Gospel of him, That for centuries he hid, He again he gives it to the people With love, fully. | His eternal, glorious Gospel, Which was hidden long above, He again gives to all people With the fullness of His love. |
| Desde monte y llanura, Sin cesar se oye voz, Que nos llama con ternura, Y con el amor de Dios. | From mountain and plain, Without ceasing voice is heard, That he calls us with tenderness, And with the love of God. | From the mountain, from the flatland, Ceaselessly His voice is heard, Calling tenderly to all here With His love and with His word. |
Published Music
The hymn text was intended to be sung to the tune used in the Songs of Zion for “Lo! The Gentile Chain Is Broken.”
Here is the hymn with the English translation and the original tune:
New Music
Here is the 1912 Spanish lyrics with my original hymn music:
And here it is with the English translation:
I don’t know that my tune is a huge improvement over the original hymn, but it is an original work and I thought the history with this one warranted me doing something for it.