Family Songbook
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
teaching & admonishing one another in
psalms & hymns & spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(Colossians 3:16)
. . . praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing,
and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
(Doctrine and Covenants 136:28)
Always Cheerful
Lyrics: Fanny Crosby
Let our hearts be always cheerful;
Why should murm’ring enter there,
When our kind and loving Father
Makes us children of His care?
Refrain:
Always cheerful always cheerful,
Sunshine all around we see;
Full of beauty is the path of duty,
Cheerful we may always be.
With His gentle hand to lead us,
Should the pow’rs of sin assail,
He has promised grace to help us;
Never can His promise fail.
[Refrain]
When we turn aside from duty,
Comes the pain of doing wrong;
And a shadow, creeping o’er us,
Checks the rapture of our song.
[Refrain]
Oh! the good are always happy,
And their path is ever bright;
Let us heed the blessed counsel,
Shun the wrong and love the right.
[Refrain]
Alone Yet Not Alone
I’m alone, yet not alone.
God’s the light that will guide me home.
With His love and tenderness,
Leading through the wilderness,
And wherever I may roam,
I’m alone, yet not alone.
I will not be bent in fear.
He’s the refuge I know is near.
In His strength I find my own.
By His faithful mercies shown.
That so mighty is His shield
All His love is now revealed.
When my steps are lost.
And desperate for a guide,
I can feel his touch,
A soothing presence by my side.
Alone, yet not alone.
Not forsaken when on my own.
I can lean upon His arm,
And be lifted up from harm.
If I stumble, or if I’m thrown,
I’m alone, yet not alone.
When my steps are lost.
And desperate for a guide,
I can feel his touch,
A soothing presence by my side
By my side!
He has bound me with His love,
Watchful angels look from above.
Every evil can be braved,
For I know I will be saved.
Never frightened on my own,
I’m alone, yet not alone.
I’m alone, yet not alone
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Lyrics: Martin Luther
Music: “Ein feste Burg” by Martin Luther
Original lyrics:
A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
ord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever more.
Adaption printed in Latter-day Saint Hymnal:
A mighty fortress is our God,
A tower of strength ne’er failing.
A helper mighty is our God,
O’er ills of life prevailing.
He overcometh all.
He saveth from the Fall.
His might and pow’r are great.
He all things did create.
And he shall reign for evermore.
Adam-Ondi-Ahman or This Earth Was Once a Garden Place
Written By: W. W. Phelps
Music: Anon. Southern Harmony 1835
This earth was once a garden place,
With all her glories common;
And men did live a holy race,
And worship Jesus face to face,
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
We read that Enoch walk[e]d with God,
Above the pow[e]r of Mammon:
While Zion spread herself abroad,
And saints and angels sung aloud
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Her land was good and greatly blest,
Beyond old Israel’s Canaan: (Changed to “All Israel’s Canaan” in current Latter-day Saint hymnal.)
Her fame was known from east to west;
Her peace was great, and pure the rest
Of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Hosanna to such days to come—
The Savior’s second comin[g]—
When all the earth in glorious bloom,
Affords the saints a holy home
Like Adam-ondi-Ahman.
“And did those feet in ancient times” or Jerusalem
Lyrics: William Blake
And did those feet in ancient time,
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!
And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?
Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!
I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land.
Be Thou My Vision
Lyrics: Irish Hymn – 8th Century
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Bring Him Home
Lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg
God on high, hear my prayer
In my need, you have always been there
He is young, he’s afraid
Let him rest, heaven blessed
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home
He’s like the son I might have known
If God had granted me a son
The summers die, one by one
How soon they fly, on and on
And I am old and will be gone
Bring him peace, bring him joy
He is young, he is only a boy
You can take, you can give
Let him be, let him live
If I die, let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home
Brother James’ Air
Lyrics: James Leith Macbeth
The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
the quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own Name’s sake.
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own Name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through shadows death,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me; and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
Thy rod and staff they comfort still
They comfort still.
My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head with oil thou dost anoint,
And my cup overflows.
My head with oil Thou dost anoint,
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my days
Will surely follow me;
And in my father’s house alway
My dwelling place shall be.
And in Thy house forevermore,
My dwelling place shall be.
