Today I read the following:
Sidney Rigdon, A Collection of Sacred
Hymns for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Pittsburgh: E.
Robinson, 1845)
The following are some parts of this hymnal
I found to be of interest:
The meaning and function
of “Faith” (cf. the Lectures on Faith)
HYMN 31.
C.M.
1 Mistaken souls that dream of heav’n,
And make their empty boast
Of inward joys and sins forgiv’n,
While they are slaves to lust!
2 Vain are our fancy’s airy flights,
If faith be cold and dead;
None but a living faith unites
To Christ the living head.
3 ‘Tis faith that changes all the heart;
‘Tis faith that works by love;
That bids all sinful joys depart,
And lifts the thoughts above.
4 ‘Tis faith that conquers earth and hell
By a celestial pow’r:
‘This is the grace that shall prevail
In the decisive hour.
5 [Faith must obey her Father’s will,
As well as trust his grace;
A pard’ning God is jealous still
For his own holiness.]
6 When from the curse he sets us free,
He makes our natures clean;
Nor would he send his Son to be
The minister of sin
[7 His Spirit purifies our frame,
And seals our peace with God:
Jesus and his salvation came
By water and by blood.]
HYMN 44.
L.M.
1 We read that faith the assurance is
Of things the Lord is pleased to give,
If saints will ask in Jesus’ name,
The blessings ask’d they may obtain.
2 By faith Jehovah fram’d the world,
And many wonders yet untold,
In ancient days, by faith were wrought,
By men who sought the law of God.
3 By faith an Enoch sought the Lord;
By faith obtain’d a just reward;
By faith beheld his maker’s face,
And triumph’d o’er the powers of death.
4 By faith Elijah raised the dead;
And for three years the prophet said
It should not rain in all the land;
‘Twas done by Jesus’ great command.
5 By faith a Joshua could say,
Stand still thou glorious king of day,
Thou splendid orb of night be still
Till I Jehovah’s word fulfil.
6 By Faith the walls of Jericho
Met with a dreadful overthrow;
For Israel trusted in the Lord,
Believed he would fulfil his word.
7 But time would fail, the scriptures saith,
To mention all who liv’d by faith.
Some quench’d the violence of fire,
And others waxed strong in war.
8 While some were mocked, scourg’d and
ston’d,
Some for the gospel lost their homes;
Others were in prison shut;
They kept the faith, denied it not.
9 And many wandered too and fro
As pilgrims on the earth below,
Knowing that they their Lord would see
On Zion’s mount from bondage free.
10 By faith proud Jordan’s wave was stay’d;
In years to come the Lord hath said,
He will roll back the mighty flood,
Israel pass through the sea dry shod.
11 Remember, saints, the scripture saith
The Lord doth work only by faith
Among the sons of men below,
By faith he doth his wonders show.
12 O then, ye saints of latter days,
Come, let us study wisdom’s ways,
Shake off the power of carnal sloth,
Obtain this glorious living faith.
13 Help us, O Lord, to fear thy name,
Help us this mighty faith to gain,
That we with ancient saints may stand,
When Christ shall reign on Zion’s land.
14 Then let our faith and works agree,
Until from all our sins we’re free;
O, may we practice peace and truth,
That we may dwell with Christ on earth.
Identification of
Jesus with “Jehovah”
HYMN 36.
L.M.
1 Jehovah speaks; let
Israel hear,
Let all the earth rejoice and fear,
While God’s anointed Son proclaims
His sov’reign honors and his names
Distinction between Jesus
and “Jehovah”
HYMN 147
4 The name of Jehovah is worthy of
praising,
And so is the Savior an excellent theme . . .
HYMN 149
3. Down in old Jordan’s rolling stream,
The prophet led the holy Lamb,
And there did him baptize:
Jehovah saw his darling Son,
And was well pleas’d in what he’d done,
And own’d him from the skies.
4. The op’ning heav’n now complies,
The Holy Ghost like lighning flies,
Down from the courts above:
And on the holy heav’nly Lamb,
The Spirit lights and does remain,
In shape like a fair dove.
5. This is my Son, Jehovah cries,
The echoing voice from glory flies;
O, children, hear ye him;
Hark! ‘tis his voice, behold he cries,
Repent, believe, and be baptiz’d,
And wash away your sin.
Jesus’ Intercessory
Work as Heavenly High Priest
HYMN 37
8 Jesus, my great High Priest, has died,
I seek no sacrifice beside;
His blood did once for all atone,
And now it pleads before the throne.
9 My Advocate appears on high;
The Father lays his anger by:
Not all that earth or hell can say
Shall turn my Father’s heart away.
HYMN 38
7 Jesus, my Great High Priest,
Offer’d his blood, and died;
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside.
His pow’rful blood did once atone;
And now it pleads before the throne.
Eucharistic Theology
HYMN 159.
C.M.
1 Here at thy table, Lord we meet,
To feed on food divine
Thy body is the bread we eat,
Thy precious blood and wine.
2 He, who prepares this rich repast,
Himself comes down and dies:
And then invites us to feast
Upon the sacrifice.
3 Here peace and pardon sweetly flow;
Oh what delightful food!
We eat the bread—and drink the wine—
But think on nobler good.
4 Deep was the suff’ring he endured
Upon the accursed tree—
For me—each welcome guest may say,
Twas all endured for me.
5 Sure there was never love so free—
Dear Savior—so divine!
Well thou mayest claim that heart of me
Which owes so much to thine.
HYMN 166.
L.M.
1 How pleasing to behold and see
The friends of Jesus all agree,
To sit around his sacred board,
As members of one common Lord.
2 Here we behold the dawn of bliss—
Here we behold the Savior’s grace—
Here we behold his precious blood,
Which sweetly pleads for us with God.
3 While here we sit we would implore
That love may spread from shore to shore
Till all the saints, like us combine,
To praise the Lord in songs divine.
4 To all we freely give our hand’
Who love the Lord in ev’ry land;
For all are one in Christ, our Head,
To whom be endless honors paid.
5 Here, by the bread and wine, we view
What boundless curses we our due;
but through th’ atonement of our Lord,
More than was lost is now restor’d.
6 Let wrath and strife, those seeds of
hell,
No more in Christian bosom dwell;
But love and union, by his blood,
Proves us the chosen heirs of God.
Sidney Rigdon
Affirming the Truth of the Restoration (in spite of his excommunication and doctrinal
differences with Joseph Smith in the 1830s, etc and the bogus claim he played a role in the production of the Book of Mormon, per the various Spalding theories of BOM origins)
HYMN 42. L.M.
1 When earth in bondage long had lain,
And darkness o’er the nations reigned
And all men’s precepts proved in vain,
A perfect system to obtain:
2 A voice commissioned from on high,
Hark, hark, it is the angel’s cry,
Descended from the throne of light,
His garments shining clear and white.
3 He comes the gospels to reveal
In fullness to the sons of men;
Lo! from Cumorah’s lonely hill,
There comes a record of God’s will!
4 Translated by the power of God,
His voice bears record to his word;
Again an angel did appear,
As witnesses do record bear.
5 Restored the priesthood, long since
lost,
In truth and power, as at the first;
Thus men commissioned from on high,
Came forth and did repentance cry.
6 Baptizing those who did believe,
That they the spirit might receive
In fullness as in days of old,
And have one shepherd and one fold.
7 Ye Gentile nations, cease your strife
And listen to the words of life;
Turn from your sins with one accord,
Prepare to meet your coming Lord.
8 Let Judah’s remnants far and near
The glorious proclamation hear,
For Israel and the Gentiles too,
The way to Zion shall pursue.
9 Their voices and their tongues employ
In songs of everlasting joy;
The mountains and the hills rejoice,
Let all creation hear his voice.
10 From north to south from east to west,
In thee all nations shall be blessed.
When Abram and his seed shall stand
Unnumber’d on the promised land;
HYMN 45.
L.M.
1 Embalmed records, plates of gold,
Glorious things to us unfold:
Though sealed up they long have been,
To give us light they now begin.
2 Long since to Daniel God did say,
Seal up the book and go thy way,
For many shall be purified,
By sacrifice they shall be tried.
3 A noble man of ancient birth,
Beheld the truth spring from the earth,
And many more in visions saw
The books which now contain the law.
4 Judah’s writing, and Joseph’s too,
Each testifies the other’s true.
They teach the same when searched through,
Believe them both we’re bound to do.
5 The Lord has said, I’ll make them one,
As I command, let it be done,
For a short work I now will make,
And Israel from the heathen take.
6 To their own lands on mountains high,
I’ll bring them with a watchful eye:
To them the kingdom I’ll restore,
And be their King forever more.
7 Revelations now coming forth,
Are sublime, are eternal truth;
in them Jehovah’s voice proclaims,
This is my church, enroll your names.
8 Word of wisdom is a sure guide
To all who do the same abide,
Its promises are very great
Through I the same need not relate.
9 Those things are true we testify,
And all who do with them comply;
Will in eternity rejoice,
That they have made so wise a choice.
HYMN 133
3 To every nation, and people and tongue
A late revelation from heaven hath come,
To all it is given, and all may behold
The purpose of heaven concerning the world.