- Bruce Forbes on Hymns Officially Rejected: “Thank you for the article. I submitted quite a few hymns, and I have yet to receive my rejection letter, so I’m enjoying what those who have received their letters have to say. Hopefully mine will come soon. It’s getting to be a harder wait than waiting for a mission call letter. :-)” May 22, 10:49
- on Hymns Officially Rejected: “Mike, thanks for sharing these insights and lyrics. Daniel Carter and I wrote “Long Ago, Within a Garden” in 1999. We published it and thought we could not submit it, but someone submitted it for us. Maybe our hymn would be one of the 50 new submissions.” May 22, 09:53
- on Hymns Officially Rejected: “Many of the new hymns released in the electronic batches are hymns that go back generations inside and outside the Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints. For example, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” was in the 1948 hymn book. “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling” has been sung by the Tabernacle Choir for years. “Gethsemane” has been sung in primary for many years. In addition, “Amazing Grace”, “This Little Light of Mine”, and “Go Tell it on the Mountain” have traditions in Protestant churches or are African American spirituals. So many of these “new” hymns are not newly composed by members. I think of the approx. 17,000 submissions, the 50 or so that were selected are brand new submissions that have not been found in any other setting with many others favorite spiritual songs from other traditions or sung elsewhere in our faiths (e.g., primary songs, past hymn books, the Tabernacle choir,, etc.). Thus, resulting in much more than 50 new hymns. I have attended the BYU organ workshop in the last couple of years and the brethren among those responsible for overseeing this efforts said that a number of hymns in the 1985 hymn book that just are not sung will likely be removed with the final product being about 375 hymns in the new printed book. Bottomline–with the 50 new hymns from member submissions and hymns and songs sung for years from other settings and faiths will result in a hymn book with many selections that we currently do not have in the “green” book which will be much more than 50 new hymns.” May 22, 09:32
- on History from the Middle: The Enchanted World of the Man Who Baptized Wilford Woodruff: “Gonna buy it.” May 22, 09:16
- on Ex-Member Anecdotes and Motivated Memories: “@REC911: Very well said. And it’s something that I have often pondered about. Why does God send us to places where he knows we’re not going to fit? For most of my life I’ve been lucky enough to have a very good fit for the church culture, though there have been places that have chafed. But at the same time I know many who haven’t been a fit, some have struggled to stay, some have left as soon as the fit wasn’t so good anymore. I’m still not entirely sure what lesson one should learn. But many thanks for sharing.” May 22, 08:16
- on Hymns Officially Rejected: “I really appreciated this post and the glimpses you gave us of the process. How would you feel about me sharing lyrics with my ward music people? I would love to bring these to my ward to expand our hearts as we sing familiar tunes with new lyrics. Thanks for sharing. I was uplifted as I sang them in my mind.” May 22, 02:15
- on Ex-Member Anecdotes and Motivated Memories: “REC911, I appreciate your separation of the church from the culture–I think that’s an important distinction that we need to remember. And also, while I agree that some folks have been treated unfairly by local leaders, I think these little quips by Neal A. Maxwell are a good reminder that sometimes we are too easily provoked: “If one has a chip on his or her shoulder, you can’t make it through the foyer, so to speak, without getting it knocked off.” “By the way, let us not, as some do, mistake the chips we have placed on our own shoulders for crosses!” And ironically: “Do not, if you have been offended, recall that while you may have been bumped by an ecclesiastical elbow, the chip was on your shoulder long before the elbow appeared.”” May 21, 21:20
- on Hymns Officially Rejected: “Thanks for sharing this thoughtful and charitable assessment of an arduous process. I had no idea of its complexity, and so your insights are most welcome. I like your hymn lyrics, and I hope you find another venue through which to share them.” May 21, 17:24
