The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of some 360 men and women, all of whom are volunteers. There are many husband-wife combinations and many families have participated in the choir for generations. Choir members are currently limited to twenty years of participation, allowing new members to join the choir on a regular basis.
The choir was founded in August 1847, one month after the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. The choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to support their organization. Choir members are not paid for their participation or performances.
Although the choir has traditionally been recognized for its sound quality, the most recent director, Craig Jessop, a student of Robert Shaw, has made changes designed to improve the overall quality of the choir. Jessop's efforts to add vitality to the choir's sound include the formation of The Orchestra at Temple Square, the 2005 addition of The Bells on Temple Square (a hand bell choir), and continual refinement of the choir's tone, enunciation, and repetoire. The minimum age for participation has been reduced from 30 to 25. In addition, new choir members participate in The Temple Square Chorale training choir, a combination music theory/performance school led by associate director and composer/arranger Mack Wilberg.
Faith of Our Fathers
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty
In all the starry band
Of shining worlds
In splendor through the skies
Our grateful songs
Before thy throne arise
Thy love divine
Hath led us in the past
In this free land
By thee our lot is cast
Be thou our Ruler
Guardian, Guide, and Stay
Thy word our law
Thy paths our chosen way
From war's alarms
From deadly pestilence
Be thy strong arm
Our ever sure defense
Thy true religion
In our heart increase
Thy bounteous goodness
Nourish us in peace
The lyrics of the song "God of Our Fathers" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a hymn of gratitude and supplication to God. It begins by acknowledging God as the Almighty Creator who has led us through the stars in celestial beauty. The song continues by recognizing that God's love has guided us thus far and blessed us with the freedom of this land. The lyrics then move on to request God to continue to guide and protect us as our Ruler, Guardian, and Stay, and to let His word and path be our guide.
The song also acknowledges the vulnerability of humankind, especially during times of war and deadly diseases, and thus asks God for His strong arm to be our defense. Lastly, the lyrics express a desire for true religion to increase in people's hearts and for God's goodness to nourish us all in peace. This hymn is a reminder of how the American nation was founded on faith in God and how, even in uncertain times, we can trust that God will always guide and protect us.
Line by Line Meaning
God of our fathers
We sing this song in praise of the God that our ancestors worshipped
Whose almighty hand
The God we worship has all-encompassing power
Leads forth in beauty
God's power is shown in the beautiful creations that we see around us
In all the starry band
God is responsible for the beautiful stars and galaxies in the sky
Of shining worlds
God has created many beautiful worlds
In splendor through the skies
All of God's creations are magnificent and awe-inspiring
Our grateful songs
We show our appreciation to God through the songs we sing
Before thy throne arise
We offer our songs of gratitude to God, who is always listening
Thy love divine
We recognize God's love for us, which is pure and perfect
Hath led us in the past
God has guided us in the past to where we are today
In this free land
We are grateful to God for the freedom we have in this land
By thee our lot is cast
We acknowledge that our fate is in God's hands
Be thou our Ruler
We ask God to be our leader and guide
Guardian, Guide, and Stay
We look to God as our protector, advisor, and support
Thy word our law
We will follow God's teachings as our moral code
Thy paths our chosen way
We have chosen to follow God's path in life
From war's alarms
We pray to God to protect us from the devastation of war
From deadly pestilence
We ask God to protect us from deadly diseases
Be thy strong arm
We ask God to be our source of strength and support
Our ever sure defense
We believe that God is our unwavering protector
Thy true religion
We seek to follow God's true teachings and principles
In our heart increase
We hope that our faith and devotion to God will grow stronger
Thy bounteous goodness
We thank God for his generous and abundant blessings
Nourish us in peace
We ask God to provide us with inner peace and contentment
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Dp, Daniel C. Roberts, Riet Tekst Lodder, G. W. Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nanik Dasani
Faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword.
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious word!
Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
2 Faith of our fathers! we will strive
To win all nations unto thee.
And through the truth that comes from God
We all shall then be truly free: [Refrain]
3 Faith of our fathers! We will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life: [Refrain
The Lord's Army
Faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword.
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious word!
Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
2 Faith of our fathers! we will strive
To win all nations unto thee.
And through the truth that comes from God
We all shall then be truly free: [Refrain]
3 Faith of our fathers! We will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life: [Refrain
AY-O
I don't joke with hymns. Solemnly inspiring and heavenly touching. When your spirit is down just get the hymns ,it works like magic
Heidi's Here & There
Not magic, but through the Holy Spirit. 😘🕊️💐
He is Risen!
GIGRoundNPound
WELL SAID!!! As a Christian, I find that there is simply NO SUBSTITUTE for the old hymns. I find myself somehow connected whenever singing them, knowing that my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ have raised their voices singing the same hymns for HUNDREDS of years! Nothing compares to an organ which you can feel reverberate against your chest!
Nauticaaa Fash
U absolutely right
Renee Hartley
Lovely
Sandy Shamiso Rufu
My Grandfather passed away this year in January cause of the virus (covid-19) 😢. He loved this hymn so much, now that he is late I've paid deep attention to the hymn and love it as I love him. I miss him, and when he passed I was not prepared for any loss but the gospel has been my comfort. He was my councilor and teacher, taught in love with so much love. He loved the gospel and loved to read. He taught me about the importance of self reliance and so many many other things. He wanted me to be happy 😊 and assumed me that true happiness is in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He lived and loved.
To anyone who lost a loved one I hope you are okay, Heavenly Father loves you
Love from Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
Mmaduabuchi Ugbaja
It's well with his soul
Papa Benoit
God will care for him sister. Do not worry.
Laurie Coburn
The first time I ever sang a solo was on Memorial Day in 1947 at Green Hill Cemetery in our little town of Wallingford, VT, where we always gathered at the end of our parade. I will never forget it. Many years later, we went “home” for Memorial Day. In that same cemetery, we told my father we didn’t support the Viet Nam war. He was so upset! Now he and my mother and grandparents are all buried there in the family plot, right next to where I sang “Faith of our Fathers” as a six-year-old. Now I’m 81, and I still miss those Memorial Day celebrations in Wallingford.
peter burgess
The singing, predictably, is perfection. But I see no comments on the organist. Does he modulate through six keys, or seven, in the space of one line? The man is a genius.