Comments on: The Story Behind the Hymn “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/ Uplifting, edifying, and enriching reading by and for Latter-day Saint Women Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:40:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Michelle http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7397 Wed, 27 Dec 2006 04:08:52 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7397 Brad and Mary, thank you for your comments. I like the idea of exploring the hymns together...doing so has a lot of potential! Bradley, thanks for sharing your personal experiences with this hymn. I think there is a reason Pres. Hinckley quoted part of the hymn in his <a href="http://www.lds.org/broadcast/christmas/0,6609,4617-1-81-1101,00.html" rel="nofollow">Christmas devotional</a> message. Brad and Mary, thank you for your comments. I like the idea of exploring the hymns together…doing so has a lot of potential!

Bradley, thanks for sharing your personal experiences with this hymn. I think there is a reason Pres. Hinckley quoted part of the hymn in his Christmas devotional message.

]]> by: Bradley Ross http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7392 Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:31:47 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7392 Thanks for sharing this information. I didn't know it before. I came to appreciate this hymn when we sang it while I was living in Israel. The 2nd Intifadeh had just broken out and we students were very restricted in our movements. "For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men." We were tasting a small dose of the hatred among races that has fueled conflict in that region for years. The message of hope in this hymn is a welcome one in a world still filled with wars. Thanks for sharing this information. I didn’t know it before. I came to appreciate this hymn when we sang it while I was living in Israel. The 2nd Intifadeh had just broken out and we students were very restricted in our movements.

“For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.” We were tasting a small dose of the hatred among races that has fueled conflict in that region for years. The message of hope in this hymn is a welcome one in a world still filled with wars.

]]> by: Mary A http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7366 Fri, 22 Dec 2006 22:28:56 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7366 Michelle, I enjoyed reading this article. I love to know more about the hymns and those who wrote the words and music. It makes singing them so much more meaningful. Maybe we can write one up once in awhile. We might not even make Naiah do all of it! :D Seriously, though, it's great to learn backgrounds of hymns, scriptures, and all sorts of things we read and see and hear. Michelle, I enjoyed reading this article. I love to know more about the hymns and those who wrote the words and music. It makes singing them so much more meaningful. Maybe we can write one up once in awhile. We might not even make Naiah do all of it! :D

Seriously, though, it’s great to learn backgrounds of hymns, scriptures, and all sorts of things we read and see and hear.

]]> by: Michelle http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7365 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:59:39 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7365 I know...I need to read the book that I know of. It makes the hymn mean so much more when we know what inspired it. I know…I need to read the book that I know of. It makes the hymn mean so much more when we know what inspired it.

]]> by: Naiah http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7364 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:33:20 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7364 This makes me want to start a series on the stories behind the hymns. I know that there's a couple of books on the topic. Eh, maybe I just need to read those...We need more writers before I go implementing any new features. :P This makes me want to start a series on the stories behind the hymns. I know that there’s a couple of books on the topic. Eh, maybe I just need to read those…We need more writers before I go implementing any new features. :P

]]> by: Michelle http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7362 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 18:32:54 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7362 BiV, I soooooo agree with you on that one! In fact, I had forgotten all the verses were together when we sang it last Sunday. The first thought that went through my mind was, "If they decided to not sing all verses today, I really, really, really hope they don't stop in the middle!" :) BiV,
I soooooo agree with you on that one! In fact, I had forgotten all the verses were together when we sang it last Sunday. The first thought that went through my mind was, “If they decided to not sing all verses today, I really, really, really hope they don’t stop in the middle!” :)

]]> by: Bored in Vernal http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7360 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 17:42:39 +0000 http://roxcy.synthian.org/2006/12/21/i-heard-the-bells/#comment-7360 Good one, Michelle. I'm so glad in the new hymnbook they put all the verses together under the staff. Back in the day we would always sing the first three verses only, ending with the sentiment: And in despair, I bowed my head, "There is no peace on earth," I said, "for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men." I really couldn't stand to sing the song and end at that point. I've grown to like the hymn much better these days. Good one, Michelle. I’m so glad in the new hymnbook they put all the verses together under the staff. Back in the day we would always sing the first three verses only, ending with the sentiment:

And in despair, I bowed my head, “There is no peace on earth,” I said, “for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.”

I really couldn’t stand to sing the song and end at that point. I’ve grown to like the hymn much better these days.

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