Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire
145

Text: James Montgomery (1771–1854)
Music: George Careless (1839–1932; LDS)
Tune name: PRAYER

One writer said that this hymn is “a collection of beautiful metaphors that describe prayer: hidden fire, a sigh, a falling tear, an upward glance, vital breath. The plain prose of the first line is as good a definition of prayer as one can find in short compass” (Albert Edward Bailey, The Gospel in Hymns [New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1950], 161).

This hymn and two other texts in our hymnal, “A Poor, Wayfaring Man of Grief” (no. 29) and “The Lord Is My Shepherd” (no. 108), show the remarkable range of subject matter to which James Montgomery turned his talents. In “Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire” (1819), his entire focus was on prayer: what it is, what occasions bring it forth, and why it is essential to any follower of Jesus Christ.

In the editing of the 1985 hymnal, an effort was made to omit whenever possible any verses of a hymn that would not fit conveniently between the rows of music. The extra verses of many of these long hymns were seldom sung and made the page too crowded. But in some cases, such as this one, exceptions had to be made. Each verse of “Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire” examines a different facet of prayer, just as light reflects from each of the facets that make up a beautiful diamond. All eight verses treat the same subject, yet there is no repetition; each makes a different point. Thus the decision was made not to omit any of the eight verses of this hymn.

Latter- day Saints are fortunate to have a tune from one of our own composers, George Careless, that suits very well the elegance and simplicity of this text. George D. Pyper called this tune “one of the most beautiful compositions of that gifted musician” (Stories of Latter- day Saint Hymns, 184). The tune was first published in the Utah Musical Times in 1876, with the present text.