June 10, 2025
Here is the best thing I heard (What?), saw (Eye.), and read (Read.) this week, as well as the best idea (💡) I developed.
What?
- [Steve Schank] “The First Presidency has told us the importance of sacred music, and they’ve given us five strategic goals. … These are the goals, and they govern every decision that’s made regarding the hymnbook, including what hymns and songs will be included in the collection. So the goals are these: First, increase faith in and worship of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Second, to teach the core doctrine of the gospel with power and clarity. Third, to invite joy, to invite joyful singing, at home and at church. It’s interesting that the name of the new collection is ‘Hymns — For Home and Church,’ in that order. Fourth, to comfort the weary and inspire members to endure in faith. And fifth, to unify the members across a worldwide Church.
“So, these are the outcomes that the First Presidency hopes that sacred music will achieve, both in our congregations and in our homes and in our personal lives. These are the blessings that the Lord will respond with as we worship Him in song. The Lord and His servants want us to be thinking about worshipping Him not just on Sunday, but on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, in our individual lives. As we turn our hearts and our souls and our voices to Him, He’ll bless us throughout the week. - [Steve Schank] “It’s really true that the senior leaders of the Church are intimately involved in all of the decisions being made. … I think people might be interested in understanding the life cycle, or the approval cycle, of an individual hymn. It starts with the Hymnbook Committee, who looks at this and they run it through the filter of those five sacred music goals that I described. ‘How well does this hymn do these things?’ If it does to a sufficient level, it may move on to the next step. If it is close or feels like with some tweaking, maybe the lyrics could be refined, maybe the music could be updated, and so editorial teams have been created to help with the music and the text and so forth.
“Once the Hymnbook Committee is satisfied that we think this would be a good part of the collection, it goes to our advisers. And our current advisers happen to be Elder Renlund, along with Elder Matthew L. Carpenter of the Seventy and Sister Susan H. Porter of the Primary presidency. We’ve had other Apostles, other General Authority Seventies and other members of the organizations who have been advisers to our project as well. When they’re satisfied that this should move forward, it goes to the Priesthood and Family Department executive directors, which includes several other general authorities and all of the general organization presidents. …
“When that council is satisfied, it then goes on to the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, which is currently led by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, together with Elder Renlund; Bishop Gérald Caussé, the presiding bishop; President Camille Johnson of the Relief Society; and members of the Presidency of the Seventy. They give feedback, and oftentimes it will go back to the Hymnbook Committee.
“When that group is finally satisfied with the new hymns, then it goes to the full Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and they give vigorous feedback and discussions. And when they’re satisfied, it goes to the First Presidency. President Russell M. Nelson, as many know, is a musician. He plays through the hymns. Sometimes, something will go all the way to the First Presidency and be approved, and then we get feedback to change or remove something or to move forward from the First Presidency. …
“We get feedback on every level. Nothing happens in a corner or in a vacuum. The leaders of the Church are very involved in this process. We make recommendations. They make decisions.” - [Steve Schank] “If you go in the [Sacred Music] app and click on the lyrics view, at the bottom of the page there’s a link that says ‘About this hymn.’ If you follow that link, it brings up a story of the background of the hymn, together with additional scriptures, some doctrinal points to ponder, and some study resources.”
Eye.
Footprints of Faith: A Talent of Testimony (a KSL special on my maternal grandfather, Grant Romney Clawson, that originally ran on October 3, 2010):
- “President [Boyd K.] Packer had this to say about Clawson’s contributions: ‘What we are in terms of faith and dedication shows in our music and art. That is conveyed in Brother Clawson’s work. Brother Clawson was determined early on to show his dedication to the Lord by using his talents to produce paintings that could adorn our temples and other church buildings.'”
- “I’ve always had a testimony. I don’t remember when I didn’t have a testimony,’ Clawson says. ‘I think people should know my great belief in the truth of the Church because of my paintings. I would hope someone looks at my paintings and is able to sense that, to feel that. They’ve got to be able to say, ‘This man, he has a great testimony of the Church and of the Savior.’ That’s what I hope my legacy is.'”
- See more paintings by my Grandpa here
Read.
“Yes, You Should Stand Up Straight—for All Sorts of Reasons: Slouching is bad for both your physical and emotional health. It’s never too late to start paying attention.” | The Wall Street Journal | Kate Murphy | May 26, 2025:
- “Beyond basic aesthetics, good posture—an erect, balanced bearing—determines the ease and efficiency with which you move your body. Less well-known is that good posture is also essential for optimal circulation, respiration, digestion and bladder function. Increasing evidence suggests it also improves cognitive ability and enhances your mood.
“Moreover, when you hold yourself upright such that no bony or soft tissue is catching, compressing or straining, it sets you up to maintain your physical fitness, freedom of movement and independence as you age. Physical therapists and geriatricians agree that a stooping posture doesn’t have to be the inevitable consequence of getting old.
“‘There are a lot of people who are in their 90s and 100s who have beautiful posture,’ says Dr. Deborah Kado, a geriatrics researcher and professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The difference is these elders pay attention to their posture, which most people don’t. If you don’t believe me, grab a window seat at your favorite coffee shop and watch the parade of posturally challenged pedestrians—heads down, shoulders rounded, butts curved under.” - “Healthy Posture: Head level, earlobes in line with shoulders. Shoulders down and back. Core engaged. Hips and spine neutral. Weight balanced evenly on feet.”
- “Laurie Johnson, a physical therapist in Houston, says another great way to self-assess and self-correct is to stand with head, shoulders and buttocks held against a wall. Your heels should also be touching or no more than a few inches away. ‘The wall is your friend,’ says Johnson. ‘The wall shows you what it feels like to be aligned.’
“It may not be comfortable. In fact, you might not even be able to do it. But by repeatedly putting yourself in that position, to the best of your ability, two or three times a day, you will begin to retrain and re-educate your body. Tip: It helps if you imagine a string pulling you upward from the top of your head during your wall sessions.
“Also keep in mind that your head is about as heavy as a bowling ball. Even when your head is in a straight-up, neutral position it exerts 10 to 12 pounds of pressure on your cervical spine. But at a 15-degree forward tilt, the force increases to 27 pounds. At 45 degrees, the angle at which most people bend to look at their cellphones, the force is 49 pounds.
“‘It’s why dancers are trained not to look at the floor,’ says the Philadelphia Ballet’s [Shelly] Power. ‘If you look at the floor, your head bends down and you’re out of your balance.’ It’s also why you want to actually rest the back of your head on headrests—in cars, airplanes, movie theaters, etc.—so you can remain levelheaded, as it were, while seated.”
💡
Rather than adding links to all of my new content in my newsletter on Mailchimp, simply include standard links to the podcast, both websites, and both social medias. This will be more efficient and will help me to not miss a week of sending out my newsletter.
Additional Content
Next Newsletter (June 17, 2025 – Newsletter Subtitle)