Since its formation three-quarters of a century ago, the General Music Committee of the Church has promoted and fostered worship of the Lord consistent with this revelation:

``For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads. (D&C 25:12.)The 75th anniversary of the committee's organization was observed Oct. 6 with an open house at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Michael F. Moody, committee chairman, welcomed guests who are or have been associated with music in the Church.

The committee was formed in September 1920 under the direction of President Heber J. Grant. Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve was the first chairman. Committee members were George D. Pyper, Edward P. Kimball, Anthony C. Lund, Tracy Y. Cannon, John J. McClellan, Evan Stephens, George Careless, B. Cecil Gates, Lizzie Thomas Edward, Joseph Ballantyne, Margaret Summerhays and Jane R. Crawford.

Several of those names will be recognized as authors and composers of some of the best-loved hymns of the Church.

The objectives of that first committee - which remain essentially the same today - were to correlate the music program of the Church; advance congregational singing; recommend good, appropriate music literature; train musical leadership; organize ward choirs; and encourage home composers.

Already in 1920, several hymnals had been published for use by Church members. These included Sacred Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1840), Psalmody (1889), and Songs of Zion (1908). One of the first committee's tasks was to combine the best of these hymnbooks into a single volume. This they did, and published Latter-day Saint Hymns in 1927.

However, Deseret Sunday School Songbook, published in 1909, continued to be the most popular hymnal in the Church and outsold the committee's new hymnbook. In 1948, Hymns was compiled to bring together the two books under a single cover.

The current hymnbook was published 10 years ago. Since then, it has been translated into a score of languages under the direction of the current Music Committee.

In 1939, Tracy Y. Cannon was made chairman of the General Music Committee. He served until 1962 and was replaced by Leroy Robertson. During that time, Elders Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball and Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve served as advisers.

The advent of priesthood correlation included the appointment in 1969 of Elder Petersen as chairman of the committee, with Alexander Schreiner, then Salt Lake Tabernacle organist, as managing director and Robert Cundick as assistant managing director.

In December 1972, under the direction of President Harold B. Lee, the Music Department of the Church was organized. Elder O. Leslie Stone was appointed as managing director, with Elders Mark E. Petersen and Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve as advisers. The Music Committee, Tabernacle Choir, Tabernacle organists and Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus all became part of the Music Department.

In 1975, Elder Thomas S. Monson of the Quorum of the Twelve succeeded Elder Packer as adviser.

A year later, A. Harold Goodman was called as the chairman of an executive committee over Church music, assisted by James A. Mason and Robert Cundick. At one point there were 55 committee and sub-committee members in the Music Department. Today's committee is only a fraction of that size.

In 1977, the deparment was reorganized. The executive secretary, Michael F. Moody, was made director of the Music Division and chairman of a newly called General Music Committee. General Authority advisers since May 1977 have been Elder Dean L. Larsen (1977-78), Elder Paul H. Dunn (1978-79 and 1986-89), Elder Robert L. Backman (1979), Elder Hugh W. Pinnock (1979-86), Elder Gardner H. Russell (1989-90), Elder Douglas H. Smith (1990-92), Elder Adney Y. Komatsu (1992-93) and Elder J Ballard Washburn (1993-95). Elder W. Mack Lawrence is the present adviser.

In addition to publication of the current hymbook, recent accomplishments of the committee have included publication of a basic music course for use in developing areas of the Church, and overseeing the recording of hymns and children's songs on audio cassettes and compact discs.