The LDS Hymnal: Views on Foreign Editions / 51 Most of the tunes in the current Spanish hymnal have been deleted in subsequent editions of the English hymnal. Over the past seventy years the inadequacy of a large quantity of our hymns has become apparent, and conscientious editors have retired them from the official repertory of the American hymnal. This, I think, is now imperative for the Church in Latin America. The time has come for a new body of congregational hymns with original Spanish texts set to fresh melodies. If some of the old favorite tunes must remain, they should be provided with texts written by Latin- American poets-persons residing in their own countries, capable of convey- ing their own experiences in the light of the Gospel. They are the only ones capable of doing this in the best way. I do not apologize for expressing my opinion that university-trained linguists and even Latin-Americans with long residence in the United States should be excluded from the task. We need a concerted effort to locate the poets and musicians within the Church in all countries of Central and South America who could spearhead the revision of the Spanish hymnal. In a world-wide church such as ours, exchange of ideas can be of great benefit. The task would be tremendous and the problem of communication and coordination even greater, but the challenge would be exciting. The French Hymnal Raymond C. Gobin Early in the history of the French missions, Church leaders encouraged the publica- tion of hymnals. In 1899, the Swiss Mission published a collection of Mormon hymns which became the basis of the French hymnody. When the publication of this collection was exhausted in 1907, Sylvester Q. Cannon, president of the Netherlands-Belgium mission, printed Hymnes de Saints des Derniers Jours. Paul Roelofs, D. B. Richards and M. C. Giauque, as well as an unnamed investigator from Lausanne, translated many LDS Hymns into French. Thus appeared in the Francophile countries such hymns as "Now Let us Rejoice," "Guide Us O Thou Great Jehovah," "How Firm a Foundation," "How Great the Wisdom and the Love," "Come, Come Ye Saints" and "O My Father." In 1954 the French hymnal was revised once again. Eglise de Jésus Christ Des Saints Des Derniers Jours repeats many of the old translations, with occasional improvement, completes the process of translation (for example, adding the fourth verse of "Come, Come Ye Saints"), and adds newer hymns, mostly from the English Hymnal. Particularly after World War II, when America was held in high esteem by the French speaking people, the translation of the "American" hymnal was favorably received. It is important to note that the hymnbook appeared prior to the publication of the French Doctrine and Covenants , Pearl of Great Price , and the corrected version of the Book of Mormon. It also appeared prior to the building effort resulting in many chapels and two temples in Western Europe. Now, some twenty years later, significant social and political changes have oc- curred. The ravaged cities of France, Belgium and Luxembourg are now rebuilt and the memory of the American liberation is dimmed. Through the common market, French speaking countries have developed a stronger sense of political, economic and cultural affiliations. Church leaders have recommended that the Saints not emigrate to the United States but instead build Zion where they live. With the erec- tion of chapels in which they can worship and temples in which they can receive Downloaded from http://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/dial/article-pdf/10/1/51/1250601/45224551.pdf by guest on 27 April 2023