Since the first hymnbook was assembled by Emma Smith, Latter-day Saints have used hymns to “invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify [them] as members, and provide a way for [them] to offer praises to the Lord” (see “First Presidency Preface,” Hymns, ix). But at the official 1985 launch ceremony for the Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a new period of LDS music was ushered in.
During that event, Thomas S. Monson, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said, “My prayer is that we will learn once again in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to really sing. We simply must do something with our congregational singing to bring out the spirit of music in the heart and soul of every boy, every girl, every man, and every woman.”