"Stop the presses!"
After hearing, and watching, the missionary choir come in singing "Called to Serve" at the new Mission President's Training Seminar in April of 1985, Elder Boyd K. Packer instructed that children's song be included in the new LDS Hymnal of 1985.
Early in the morning several months earlier, my little sister Bonnie Lee answered the phone. At the time she was attending BYU and living in the house of our Aunt Janie Thompson. The voice at the other end of the line said, "Hello. This is Elder Packer. I have something that needs the Janie Thompson touch. Is she available to come to the phone?"
It's not every day you take a phone call from an Apostle. A little star-struck, Bonnie swallowed, found her voice, and said, "I'll go find her."
When Janie picked up the phone, Bonnie stayed nearby to listen. Elder Packer asked Janie to prepare a special number as a Finale to the upcoming Mission Presidents' Training Seminar in April of 1985. He expected a rousing choral number arranged and directed by Janie. But, being Janie, she said she had different idea. She had the idea of many missionaries marching into the Assembly Hall on Temple Square carrying flags of many nations and singing a great, inspiring, missionary anthem. Elder Packer invited her to come give his committee a preview of her idea in a week or so.
Madly writing for the next few days, Janie whipped up one of her most moving arrangements. At first, after pouring through all of the hymnals she couldn't find anything suitable. Then, she looked in the Children's Songbook. "Called to Serve" literally jumped off the page. She knew instantly that this was the song she was to use.
"Called to Serve" was not of LDS origin. It was copyrighted in 1914 by the Adam Geibel Music Company, and initially published in The Song of Praise: A Sunday-School Service for Children’s Day. It was borrowed and included in the 1920 Primary Songbook, with a few modifications to the text. It has been in every LDS Children's Songbook since. The altered words definitely have a missionary meaning for Latter-Day Saints.
Janie took my brother Ben and sister Bonnie with her to the meeting with Elder Packer's committee. Our mother Carolyn Lee went along to accompany them. (Janie tended to write her arrangements in a kind of short-hand, especially when rushed. She didn't have to write out the full accompaniment because she knew my mother could just make up the piano part as they went along.) Janie, Ben, and Bonnie sang the brand new arrangement and impressed the committee. Janie got the go-ahead to work with missionaries from the Mission Training Center to get them ready for this extravaganza.
As the day approached, Janie became aware of a logistics problem. She wanted to direct the missionary singers from the back of the auditorium by the door where they would enter carrying the flags. The problem was that the organ console where my mom would play faced the wall of pipes up by the choir loft. She had no hope of seeing Janie as she directed. Also, because Janie's arrangement included changes in tempo and grand fermatas, it became clear that they needed a relay-conductor. So, since I happened to be in town during Easter Break, I was elected to stand by the organ console and watch Janie to give my mother her cues during the song.
After hearing, and watching, the missionary choir come in singing "Called to Serve" at the new Mission President's Training Seminar in April of 1985, Elder Boyd K. Packer instructed that children's song be included in the new LDS Hymnal of 1985.
Early in the morning several months earlier, my little sister Bonnie Lee answered the phone. At the time she was attending BYU and living in the house of our Aunt Janie Thompson. The voice at the other end of the line said, "Hello. This is Elder Packer. I have something that needs the Janie Thompson touch. Is she available to come to the phone?"
It's not every day you take a phone call from an Apostle. A little star-struck, Bonnie swallowed, found her voice, and said, "I'll go find her."
When Janie picked up the phone, Bonnie stayed nearby to listen. Elder Packer asked Janie to prepare a special number as a Finale to the upcoming Mission Presidents' Training Seminar in April of 1985. He expected a rousing choral number arranged and directed by Janie. But, being Janie, she said she had different idea. She had the idea of many missionaries marching into the Assembly Hall on Temple Square carrying flags of many nations and singing a great, inspiring, missionary anthem. Elder Packer invited her to come give his committee a preview of her idea in a week or so.
Madly writing for the next few days, Janie whipped up one of her most moving arrangements. At first, after pouring through all of the hymnals she couldn't find anything suitable. Then, she looked in the Children's Songbook. "Called to Serve" literally jumped off the page. She knew instantly that this was the song she was to use.
"Called to Serve" was not of LDS origin. It was copyrighted in 1914 by the Adam Geibel Music Company, and initially published in The Song of Praise: A Sunday-School Service for Children’s Day. It was borrowed and included in the 1920 Primary Songbook, with a few modifications to the text. It has been in every LDS Children's Songbook since. The altered words definitely have a missionary meaning for Latter-Day Saints.
Janie took my brother Ben and sister Bonnie with her to the meeting with Elder Packer's committee. Our mother Carolyn Lee went along to accompany them. (Janie tended to write her arrangements in a kind of short-hand, especially when rushed. She didn't have to write out the full accompaniment because she knew my mother could just make up the piano part as they went along.) Janie, Ben, and Bonnie sang the brand new arrangement and impressed the committee. Janie got the go-ahead to work with missionaries from the Mission Training Center to get them ready for this extravaganza.
As the day approached, Janie became aware of a logistics problem. She wanted to direct the missionary singers from the back of the auditorium by the door where they would enter carrying the flags. The problem was that the organ console where my mom would play faced the wall of pipes up by the choir loft. She had no hope of seeing Janie as she directed. Also, because Janie's arrangement included changes in tempo and grand fermatas, it became clear that they needed a relay-conductor. So, since I happened to be in town during Easter Break, I was elected to stand by the organ console and watch Janie to give my mother her cues during the song.
At the end of the service, my mother slipped onto the organ bench and I took my place beside her at the console, trying not to look too conspicuous. (However, I was in full view to everyone!) Janie walked out from the back of the auditorium under the balcony and gave the preparatory beat. I relayed that to my Mom. I know I must have looked to the audience like I was conducting. Then, they became aware of the missionaries marching down the aisles with their flags. All heads turned! Then the missionaries started singing! I could barely see Janie through the flags and commotion, but I had practiced, so I knew what she was doing.
The singers marched up in front of the podium and stood in a choir formation. The flag holders stood on the back row and waved their flags in a carefully choreographed routine. By the first climax, I started to feel a prompting from the Spirit. "Direct the audience!" it encouraged me. "But that's not my job" I told myself. So, I kept relay-directing to my mother through the final reprise and last high notes. The powerful message was being felt by the audience like electricity. The Spirit filled the room so thick it couldn't even be cut with a knife!
After the closing prayer, there was a mad rush to congratulate the missionary-singers, and Janie (who had made her way up front). Mom and I wove our way down to stand by Janie. As people waited in line to talk to Janie, they passed me. All they had to say to me was, "Why didn't you conduct us? We wanted to sing, too!" (That was an emotional learning experience. Always obey the Spirit!)
Elder Packer told Janie that because of this incredible experience, he would make sure that "Called to Serve" was included in the new hymnal. And that's how this Primary song became the last hymn to be entered in the 1985 LDS Hymnal. I wonder if it will be selected for the 2026 Hymnal.
The singers marched up in front of the podium and stood in a choir formation. The flag holders stood on the back row and waved their flags in a carefully choreographed routine. By the first climax, I started to feel a prompting from the Spirit. "Direct the audience!" it encouraged me. "But that's not my job" I told myself. So, I kept relay-directing to my mother through the final reprise and last high notes. The powerful message was being felt by the audience like electricity. The Spirit filled the room so thick it couldn't even be cut with a knife!
After the closing prayer, there was a mad rush to congratulate the missionary-singers, and Janie (who had made her way up front). Mom and I wove our way down to stand by Janie. As people waited in line to talk to Janie, they passed me. All they had to say to me was, "Why didn't you conduct us? We wanted to sing, too!" (That was an emotional learning experience. Always obey the Spirit!)
Elder Packer told Janie that because of this incredible experience, he would make sure that "Called to Serve" was included in the new hymnal. And that's how this Primary song became the last hymn to be entered in the 1985 LDS Hymnal. I wonder if it will be selected for the 2026 Hymnal.
A simplified version has been published through Jackman Music.
https://jackmanmusic.com/products/called-to-serve-satb-thompson
https://jackmanmusic.com/products/called-to-serve-satb-thompson
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