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.
O My Father
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav'ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I've a mother there.
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I've completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you
The song "O My Father" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir speaks of the longing of the human soul to be reunited with the divine. The lyrics begin with a question asking when the singer will be able to regain God's presence and see His face once again. The next stanza reflects on the possibility of having lived with God before being on this Earth, and how that may have shaped the singer's current life. The third stanza speaks to the idea that God has placed us on Earth and erased our memories of our previous existence, but sometimes we feel a longing or a sense of not quite belonging here on Earth.
The next stanza talks about how the singer received knowledge of their previous existence through God's Spirit, and the realization that they have a mother in heaven. The final stanza expresses the desire to be reunited with both the father and mother in heaven after completing their earthly mission. The lyrics of the song paint a picture of the human soul's search for meaning and purpose in life, and the longing for a sense of belonging and reconnection with the divine.
Line by Line Meaning
In the high and glorious place,
In the majestic and holy realm of God above,
When shall I regain thy presence
When will the time come for me to return to your sacred presence
And again behold thy face?
And once more have the privilege of seeing your glorious countenance?
In thy holy habitation,
In your sacred dwelling place,
Did my spirit once reside?
Was my spirit once present and living there?
In my first primeval childhood
When I was first created and brought into being,
Was I nurtured near thy side?
Did you care for me and raise me closely to you?
Thou hast placed me here on earth
You have placed me on this earthly planet,
And withheld the recollection
And prevented me from remembering
Of my former friends and birth;
My previous acquaintances and birthplace;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
However, on many occasions a mysterious feeling
Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"
Told me, "You're not from around here,"
And I felt that I had wandered
And I had a sense that I had strayed away
From a more exalted sphere.
From a much higher and more honorable place.
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
Through your divine and sacred Spirit from above,
But, until the key of knowledge
However, until the door of understanding was unlocked
Was restored, I knew not why.
I did not understand why this was the case.
In the heav'ns are parents single?
Are parents in heaven only one in number?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
No, this thought is so astounding that it challenges all logic!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
The true nature of reality is rational and everlasting,
Tells me I've a mother there.
Revealing to me that I have a mother present in that realm above.
When I lay this mortal by,
When I pass from this mortal existence,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
May I have the privilege of seeing you, Father and Mother,
In your royal courts on high?
In the majestic and divine courts of heaven above?
Then, at length, when I've completed
After all is said and done, and I have fulfilled
All you sent me forth to do,
Everything that you sent me here on this earth to accomplish,
With your mutual approbation
With your mutual approval and endorsement
Let me come and dwell with you
Allow me to come and reside with you in that sacred and holy realm.
Contributed by Lily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
M Daley
1. O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?
2. For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.
3. I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav'ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I've a mother there.
4. When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I've completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.
Tabea Kalimeris
Lyrics
O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?
For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.
I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav'ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I've a mother there.
When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I've completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.
Brady
I may not be a Mormon... but I feel the devotion in this hymn... It makes me tear up every time, and I consider it part of my personal requiem, my personal penitential hymn... the most beautiful non-Catholic hymn in my book, and it always lulls me to this beautiful place of rest and respite- I feel the love of God, and feel almost as though the Father is here to tend to my aching wounds spiritual and physical. I feel the Savior’s mercy... I feel the Holy Spirit relighting the fire in my heart. If the Heavenly Mother indeed exists, then I feel her too.
Dan Cranston
Beautiful comment...you certainly don't need to be LDS to feel the spirit in this beautiful hymn! But u already know that!
Betty Wise
Yes we are children of Heavenly Parents. I know deep down my heart we have a Heavenly Mother and feel so much love for her. I pray i live worthy to return home to my Heavenly Parents and elder brother and saviour Jesus Christ🙏❤
Dusty Grant
I can personally testify of the existance and 💘 of our Heavenly Parents!!!!!!!😊😁😌
Gordon Laurie
Whenever has there been a child without a mother?
Aurora Kirkham
This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.
Les Paskett
Since my beautiful wife of nearly 56 years passed, I sing this song most nights before I sleep. Thank God, or father for his comfort. He is really in the heavens watching over us.
Antonella D'angelo
She is in heaven with her celestial father xx
Oliver M
My parents sang in the Tabernacle Choir in the 1950s. In those days the choir had assigned seats. I sang in the choir in 50 years later and they moved our assigned seats around month to month. To my great delight, shortly after joining the choir, I was assigned the very chair my father always sat in and on Father's Day we sang "O My Father" that day. This was one of heaven's sublime mercies as my father had been gone a few years earlier. And on the cover on the music was a picture of the choir in the 1950s... my dad sitting in the chair I now was assigned for this exceptional day!
Kris Barnes
Oliver M a tender mercy, certainly! God bless you!