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.
Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Joy of Heav′n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in Heav'n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Amen.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir's hymn "Love Divine All Loves Excelling" is a powerful call for the divine presence of Jesus to fill the hearts of believers. The opening stanza invokes the heavenly joy and love that Christ brings to Earth, asking for His presence to dwell humbly within all who believe. The second stanza pleads for the Holy Spirit to enter the hearts of believers and lead them to a place of rest, away from the sinful nature of the world. The final stanza closes with a request for deliverance unto eternal life and perfect love with Christ in heaven.
The lyrics of this hymn embody the essence of Christian faith: a longing for the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in one's life. The hymn is a prayer for a radical transformation of the human heart, through which it is freed from all earthly desires and sins and restored to a perfect union with God. The title of the hymn reflects the idea that God's love is the greatest of all loves, the "alpha and omega" that sets all hearts free.
Overall, the hymn "Love Divine All Loves Excelling" is a powerful expression of Christian devotion, seeking divine help in living a meaningful and joyful life in Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Love that is absolutely superior and beyond measure, that encompasses all other forms of love,
Joy of Heav'n to earth come down;
The happiness and delight of Heaven brought down to Earth,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
Make your humble abode within us and stay there permanently,
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Grant all of your faithful mercy and goodness to us,
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Jesus, you are completely full of compassion and empathy,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
You are made entirely of pure love that does not have any limits or boundaries,
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Bring us your salvation and deliverance,
Enter every trembling heart.
Come into every heart that is shaking or trembling,
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Create a spirit of your love within us,
Into every troubled breast!
In each troubled and worried heart, soothe with your spirit of love,
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us all inherit and possess everything in you,
Let us find that second rest.
Enable us to experience the peaceful rest that we seek,
Take away our bent to sinning;
Remove our inclination and tendency towards sin,
Alpha and Omega be;
Be the absolute beginning and end of everything,
End of faith, as its beginning,
Be both faith's origin and ultimate goal,
Set our hearts at liberty.
Free our hearts from bondage and give us freedom,
Come, Almighty to deliver,
Come to save us with your great power,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Help us to receive your life and become alive in you,
Suddenly return, and never,
Return to us unexpectedly and remain with us forever,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Never leave the places where you dwell among us,
Thee we would be always blessing,
We desire to continuously bless and honor you,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Serve you just as the hosts of Heaven above do,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Pray and give you continuous praise without stopping,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
Rejoice and find glory in your love that is complete and perfect,
Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Complete and perfect everything in your new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be;
Make us clean and spotless in every way,
Let us see Thy great salvation
Allow us to fully see your wonderful salvation,
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Fully restored in you in every way,
Changed from glory into glory,
Transformed from one degree of glory to another,
Till in Heav'n we take our place,
Until we take our place in Heaven,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Until we throw our crowns at your feet,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Overwhelmed with feelings of awe, love, and praise.
Amen.
So be it.
Writer(s): Charles Wesley, Fred Bock, John Zundel
Contributed by Avery J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@melindawilson284
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of Heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find your promised rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in Heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
@KaznCurtR
There aren't too many things more beautiful than hymns praising our Lord!
@johne7345
The hymnals are indeed a fabulous music resource.
@Prof.AlexandeMagnoRomero
The MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR IS THE FINEST of ALL THE CHOIRS IN THE WORLD, AND THE LORD'S CHOIR REALLY!.Thank you Dr. Mack Wilberg.
@zambeeffourteen3771
If human beings can sing like this, what more shall they going to sing in that glorious city of God. I love this it really prepares my soul
@abigailm3756
This is what heaven sounds like to me. I always feel the Spirit when I listen to this song of praise the MOST.
@j0o235
Salvation is in the lord jesus. I am the door to eternal life thoses who so ever believeth in me will never die .
@CFLsurfr
This is my faith and love wrapped in one glorious, beautiful, and perfect hymn. Thank you Dr. Wilburg, MTC, and the Anglican tradition for giving us this masterpiece.
@ianglenn5905
Little did these ladies and gentlemen know the joy and comfort their voices would bring me and, I’m sure, many others in the depths of a coronavirus pandemic. I thank you, and pray for your safety.
@photo3642u
Thank you for your comment Ian, it makes me think about my American friends, how they are managing & all the performers in this wonderful hymn, performed with grace & sincerity. Our Govt. here in the UK ducks & dives, it changes tack so often, in trying to balance health v economics. Stay Safe, our prayers are with you all. God Bless!
@mikeolson5228
@@photo3642u God bless you, too! Good luck in your circumstances!