The Art of Poetry for Worship

Guest: Karen Lynn Davidson, PhD, Former English Professor at BYU, Former Member of LDS General Music Committee, and Author of “O Savior Thou Who Wearest a Crown” and “Each Life That Touches Ours for Good” Sunday worship for many Americans includes hymn singing. What makes a good hymn? And how is writing a hymn different from just writing a poem? Karen Lynn Davidson is a scholar of the hymn writing process and a writer of hymns herself. Two of hers are included in the hymnal used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – a collection she helped develop, in fact. This week, the LDS Church announced plans to revise the current hymnal in the next few years “to unify members and reflect the needs of members around the world.”