OPENING EXERCISES.
It will be observed that no suggestions are made in the lessons in relation to opening exercises. It was thought unnecessary to make any since that can be easily managed as each quorum deems proper. We do suggest, however, that singing be made part of such exercise; both on account of its being a very beautiful and appropriate exercise for such meetings as we propose our quorum class meetings to become, and also for the reason that singing is a training that our Elders very much need to equip them for their mission work. All, therefore, should be induced to participate in this exercise to the extent of their abilities. Occasionally ten or fifteen minutes could be devoted to practice in singing—right good earnest work, until each quorum builds up a repertoire of suitable hymns and spiritual songs. It is quite possible, too, for nearly every quorum to have a fine quartette or male chorus, and occasionally these could render special pieces to enliven the meetings and make glad the hearts of the brethren, but not to the displacement of congregational or quorum singing.
And in the selection of hymns and songs, and choruses, appropriateness should be carefully considered. Let the strong, stalwart hymns of the present dispensation be practiced in the quorums, and not the namby, pamby, childish hymns that sometimes find their way into the repertoire of songs sung by our Elders in the mission field. Let us have such hymns as,
"The morning breaks, the shadows flee;
Lo! Zion's standard is unfurled!
The dawning of a brighter day
Majestic rises on the world."
A trumpet blast within itself. Such hymns as,
"An angel from on high,
The long, long silence broke," etc.
Also,
"Israel, Israel, God is calling,
Calling thee from lands of woe," etc.
Also,
"If you could hie to Kolob.
In the twinkling of an eye," etc.
Also,
"O say, what is Truth? 'Tis the fairest gem," etc.
Also,
"Israel, awake from your long silent slumber!
Shake off the fetters that bound thee so long," etc.
These few indicate a class of our hymns that are peculiarly ours—peculiarly Mormon hymns that are vibrant with the spirit of the latter-day work because it produced them—inspired them, and they are more appropriate, at least for Seventies, for missionaries, than the half sectarian songs many of our youth are learning to cultivate a taste for. Let us learn to sing Mormonism as well as to preach it. Every Elder who can sing at all should carefully select a set of hymns that have the missionary spirit in them and learn to sing them.