Book of Mormon: Day 235: We’ll Bring the World His Truth

Today’s Reading:  Alma 57

20 And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted.

21 Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.

One of my favorite Primary songs is “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” by Janice Kapp Perry.  I love this song for several reasons.  I love how it draws from the bravery, strength, obedience and faithfulness of the Army of Helaman as an example for the youth of today.

1. We have been born, as Nephi of old,
To goodly parents who love the Lord.
We have been taught, and we understand,
That we must do as the Lord commands.

2. We have been saved for these latter days
To build the kingdom in righteous ways.
We hear the words our prophet declares:
“Let each who’s worthy go forth and share.”

3. We know his plan, and we will prepare,
Increase our knowledge through study and prayer.
Daily we’ll learn until we are called
To take the gospel to all the world.

We are as the army of Helaman.
We have been taught in our youth.
And we will be the Lord’s missionaries
To bring the world his truth.

When my father was serving as a mission president in England, he would have his missionaries sing this song in their meetings and zone conferences.

One day as he sat in a zone conference at a stake center in Chester, England, he listened to his missionaries singing the words, “we will be the Lord’s missionaries” and the thought came to him that they needed to change the words and sing “we ARE NOW the Lord’s missionaries” because that was exactly what they were at that very time.

Being an acquaintance of Sister Janice Kapp Perry, the writer and composer of “We’ll Bring the World His Truth”, he called her and told her that he had his missionaries change the words of her song and explained why.  He felt that if they were going to make that change, that she should be aware of it and give permission for them to do so.  She granted that permission willingly and so my father continued to have the missionaries sing it this way throughout the remainder of his time as mission president.

Later, when he and my mom returned home from their mission, my father was called into the Quorum of the Seventy.  He continued meeting and training missionaries all over the world.

On assignments to speak at devotionals or other meetings for missionaries in the Provo Missionary Training Center, my father would have the missionaries sing this new version of “We’ll Bring the World His Truth”.  The vision caught on and to this day at the MTC, the missionaries continue to sing this in their meetings.  It has become a tradition and missionary anthem.

In my research for this blog post, I came across the blog of a sister missionary who shared her experience singing it in the MTC.  (I don’t know her so I hope she won’t mind that I’m sharing!)  She said,

“This first week in the MTC has been a blur, it is amazing how fast everything moves here! Well the first day in the MTC happened so quickly, when my family dropped me off at the curb, reality did not sink in. It didn’t even sink in when I moved my entire life into the dorm room. It wasn’t until the MTC presidency was welcoming us and going over orientation business with us and we were singing the closing hymn, ‘We’ll Bring the World His Truth,’ and started singing the chorus, “We are as the armies of Helaman, we have been taught in our youth, and We Are Now The Lord’s Missionaries, To Bring The World His Truth!” these simple lyrics really hit home and made me realize throughout all my youth I have been taught these gospel principles and the beauty and blessing this gospel is and now I am a missionary of the Lord, the spirit was so strong as we sang this and it gave me great confidence that we are on the Lord’s errand. It feels amazing to be surrounded by others who are all striving to achieve the same goals and be apart of something greater than ourselves!”  (source)

Three years ago this summer, I sat in the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University listening to my father speak to the missionaries from the Provo MTC.  At the end of the meeting,  he once again, had the missionaries stand and sing: “We are as the army of Helaman, we have been taught in our youth, and we ARE NOW the Lord’s missionaries, to bring the world his truth.”  Those of us attending the meeting and sitting towards the front, stood and faced these Elders and Sisters, a modern day army of Stripling Warriors, as they sang.  It is an experience I will never forget.  The Spirit was powerful and bore witness to me of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the divinity of missionary work, and of the sacred and important calling of a missionary.

As the Army of Helaman in ancient times, these modern day missionary Striplng Warriors are “firm and undaunted” in their cause.  They are the Lord’s army fighing the battle for souls as they take the gospel to all the world bringing it His light and truth.

I think my father was inspired that day in Chester, England by changing a few simple, yet significant, words in a Primary song!

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