STORY BEHIND "THEY TESTIFY OF CHRIST" BY LYRICIST KRISTIN ANGELLE LaMOURE

About the time President Hinckley was called as president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, I was choir director. I searched for an appropriate hymn that spoke specifically of a prophet’s role as personal witness for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Other than hymns wrote by the prophet’s themselves, I found nothing on the subject.

Late one night I read from the Book of Mormon. The following passage from 2 Nephi 25:26 impressed me.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

I was immediately inspired, and lyrics filled my mind. I came up with the original version of “They Testify of Christ”. I asked my sister, Wendy Jenks Palmer, if she could put the words to music. She worked diligently and wrote up a choral arrangement, and my bishop gave our choir permission to perform it in Sacrament meeting. Neither my sister nor I did anything with the song for eleven years. Then about a week before President Hinckley passed away, my sister asked if she could re-write the music to the song. However, she didn’t work on it immediately.

On the day of President Hinckley’s passing, my sister, Wendy, sat at her piano, in her California home. She did not yet know our prophet had passed on. But a beautiful melody and some chords came to her. She tried to put words and hymns to it, but nothing worked. Then she learned President Hinckley had died. The next morning, she pulled out my lyrics and they fit the melody perfectly. And it seemed to fit the mood of the day, as she felt gratitude for our beloved prophet, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. She now knows the tune was inspired.

Meanwhile, I was at home in Washington. My 21 year old daughter, Raquel, called me on the phone to give me the news of President Hinckley's passing. She was crying and emotionally told me of her love for him and how much his teachings had helped shape who she was as a young woman. He was "the prophet she grew up with."

Before retiring to bed that Sunday night, I took down my framed copy of "The Living Christ". I read it out loud to my husband. My heart confirmed to me that President Hinckley knew Christ every bit as much as any prophet who ever lived. As I watched how quickly, beautifully, humbly and quietly the torch was passed to President Monson, I thanked the Lord for all the prophets' humility.

A few days later, I took out my old lyrics to the song. Reading the "The Living Christ" had caused me to add some additional lyrics about the Lord's role in Heaven and earth. I also added the part about a prophet's humility. The reason the torch is passed in such a beautiful way is because of that humility. And that is one reason we can know we are not being lead astray.

My sister emailed me about her new melody. I told her I had been inspired to add some new lyrics. Within one week, we finished “They testify of Christ”.

We were then blessed to have our song included on the beautiful album, “Man of Honor”, produced by inVOICE Records. This album was also an inspired work as a tribute to Gordon B. Hinckley. The producers were further inspired to donate all net proceeds to the perpetual education fund.

I know this song was inspired, and I know that Jesus Christ lives. And I hope this new hymn expresses how our prophets know Christ in a very personal way. Through them, we have a further witness of His divinity.

Kristin Angelle LaMoure