Hymns and History (4.26.2025)

Dave and I spent the afternoon and evening of April 26, 2025, at a symposium on LDS hymns, sponsored by the Sons of Utah Pioneers. I am captain of the North Hills Camp of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, through which I learned about this event.  It was educational, inspiring, and lots of fun.
 

Vanya Watakins was the composer and Marvin Gardner the lyricist of the popular LDS hymn, "Press Forward, Saints." Vanya Watkins was also the creator of "Families Can Be Together Forever," another iconic LDS hymn.  Vanya and Marvin spoke at the symposium, including telling us about the spiritual inspiration they felt in creating "Press Forward, Saints."  As Vanya was sitting at a dinner at a medical conference with her husband, she heard the first line of the song in her mind, and it stayed with her until she had completely absorbed it.  Then, the second line of music entered her mind and then the third and the fourth.  When she got home, she wrote down the song.  At the end of their presentation, Vanya and Marvin played "Press Forward, Saints" and led the audience in singing it.  They told about the thrill of hearing their song sung in General Conference right before President Nelson was confirmed as the new president of the Church.

The daughter of Janice Kapp Perry was also a speaker at the event.  She explained how her mother had created such beloved LDS hymns as "I Am a Child of God."  The after-dinner speaker talked about the history of LDS hymns and hymn books.  He passed out music to several of the early hymns, including "The Spirit of God," sung at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple with a different tune than we now use.  Together, we sang one hymn out of each of the four or five hymn books published since 1830.

As we attended the symposium, we thought of Dave's father, Cliff Spendlove, who was an active member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers for many years.

Dave's dad's contribution, as a club member, was to prepare monuments for various Utah historical sites.  Many years ago, Dave and I attended the unveiling of the monument at the pioneer era Pine Valley Chapel near St. George.  Dave's dad stood proudly by.

Dave's dad also prepared the monument for the huge arrow, on a hill near St. George, that helped guide pilots during the 1920s from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City.  Pilots of those early airplanes followed one arrow after another from one destination to another.