LDS Hymn #48

Hymn #48 - Glorious Things Are Sung of Zion

Check out the video! When MoTab used to sit in Mixed Formation. And singing under the baton of the great Jerold Ottley. Straight from the hymnal, too. Which shows that this sung has likely not been sung much in General Conference in recent years as it is most certainly not sung enough in regular congregations.

This is another hymn I have played for many weeks in my organ lessons. Thankfully she did not ask me to do the pedal in the bass. Every part gets to wonderfully move all over in this hymn, and the bass on the pedal would have had me at this hymn for years. But removing the pedal, this is a challenging hymn that is rather fun once the playing of it is succeeded. Quite the fun to sing, too. I am not as familiar with the lyrics, and didn't pay as much attention beyond the first verse when I was learning to play this. But I do like the last half of the first verse, explaining what and who and how Zion is. Written by our talented Brother Phelps, the song seems to be written with an eye to the future, while also looking back on the one city that was righteous enough to be exalted--using them as our example of how we can try to create Zion in our lives.

Favorite lines:
*Love and virtue, faith and wisdom, Grace and gifts were all combined
*One continual feast of blessings
*Then their faith and words were perfect; Lo, they followed their great Head
*Then we'll surely be united
*Then we'll mingle with the angels, And the Lord will bless his own

From the history book
Phelps did focus on Zion, the city of Enoch in his hymn, as opposed to John Newton's Zion (a people and possibly future state of being) in Hymn #46. And Phelps quotes Latter-day scripture for the hymn as well. The 1950 hymnal used a different tune for this and was marked for choir use. So the current hymnal chose a tune that congregations would be able to learn and sing more easily. (Do they honestly think the moving parts songs are easier to sing? Because that has not been my experience in my 2 times as a ward choir director. :-) )

Lyrics

1. 1. Glorious things are sung of Zion,
   Enoch's city seen of old,
   Where the righteous, being perfect,
   Walked with God in streets of gold.
   Love and virtue, faith and wisdom,
   Grace and gifts were all combined.
   As himself each loved his neighbor;
   All were one in heart and mind.
2. 2. There they shunn'd the pow'r of Satan
   And observed celestial laws;
   For in Adam-ondi-Ahman
   Zion rose where Eden was.
   When beyond the pow'r of evil,
   So that none could covet wealth,
   One continual feast of blessings
   Crown'd their days with peace and health.
3. 3. Then the tow'rs of Zion glittered
   Like the sun in yonder skies,
   And the wicked stood and trembled,
   Filled with wonder and surprise.
   Then their faith and works were perfect;
   Lo, they followed their great Head!
   So the city went to heaven,
   And the world said, "Zion's fled!"
4. 4. When the Lord returns with Zion,
   And we hear the watchman cry,
   Then we'll surely be united,
   And we'll all see eye to eye.
   Then we'll mingle with the angels,
   And the Lord will bless his own.
   Then the earth will be as Eden,
   And we'll know as we are known.
5. Text: William W. Phelps, 1792-1872; Dutch melody, ca. 1710.