LDS Hymn #41

Hymn #41 - Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise

I always thought this was a fairly well--known hymn. But a few years ago I had a friend who seemed surprised to see it in our hymnal, thinking it was from some other Church-related event and not knowing it had been in the very first LDS hymnal written by the first Bishop of the Latter-day church). I was decently familiar with it. Then I remember in college the boy I had a crush on singing it as a duet at Ward Prayer. Kind of permanently stuck in my mind after that. ;-) I very much love the hymn, for its own sake and not my memory's.

The tune is joyous and excited--perfect for the words about the Gospel being restored and shared throughout the world, and especially praising our King, whose Gospel it is. The third verse sings of the Millennium, and the glorious experience we shall have to be there with our Savior. My favorite lines in the whole hymn are the last two:

A thousand years, oh, glorious day! Dear Lord, prepare my heart To stand with thee on Zion's mount And nevermore depart.

From the history book
There were originally 7 verses. First and second verses are the same; verses 3, 4, and 5 have been omitted because they focused mostly on the frightening events preceding the Second Coming. I am OK with that change. As much as it is good to know what those events will be, I don't really want to sing about them. Especially with such a joyous tune (which didn't actually get paired with this text until the current hymnal). The original 6th verse is not the 3rd and final verse in our hymn. But the original 7th continued with after the Millennium, fighting the adversary one more time before we spend eternity in the celestial world. Yes, I am very happy with the hymn as it is today and the German tune they picked for it.

Lyrics

1. 1. Let Zion in her beauty rise;
   Her light begins to shine.
   Ere long her King will rend the skies,
   Majestic and divine,
   The gospel spreading thru the land,
   A people to prepare
   To meet the Lord and Enoch's band
   Triumphant in the air.
2. 2. Ye heralds, sound the golden trump
   To earth's remotest bound.
   Go spread the news from pole to pole
   In all the nations round:
   That Jesus in the clouds above,
   With hosts of angels too,
   Will soon appear, his Saints to save,
   His enemies subdue.
3. 3. That glorious rest will then commence
   Which prophets did foretell,
   When Saints will reign with Christ on earth,
   And in his presence dwell
   A thousand years, oh, glorious day!
   Dear Lord, prepare my heart
   To stand with thee on Zion's mount
   And nevermore to part.
4. Text: Edward Partridge, 1793-1840. Included in the first LDS hymnbook, 1835.
   Music: Anon., Württemberg, Germany, ca. 1784