“The Song of the Righteous Is a Prayer unto Me”
Doctrine and Covenants 25:11–12
11 And it shall be given thee, also, to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church.
12 For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.
President Dallin H. Oaks said:
“Modern revelation reaffirms the importance of sacred music. In one of the earliest revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord appointed Emma Smith ‘to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church.
“‘For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads’ (D&C 25:11–12).
“In a revelation given through another prophet a generation later, the Lord commanded His people to ‘praise the Lord with singing, [and] with music’ (D&C 136:28).”
(“Worship through Music,” Ensign, Nov. 1994, 10.)
