“Sing unto the Lord a new song,” says the Psalmist (Psalm 98) Isaiah (Isaiah 42:10). “Let the earth break forth into singing,” writes Joseph Smith (in D&C 128:22). “Jehovah is my strength and my song,” says Nephi (2 Ne 22:2).

If you go to the Topical Guide, there is a lengthy list of choices of scripture verses under the heading of “singing,” and there are many more references that are not included there.

I asked my class to look for references to singing and songs in the scriptures as preparation for a class on the book of Psalms. I acted as part gospel teacher and part literature teacher that day.

The book of Psalms contains four basic types: Messianic, historical, hymns of praise, and pleadings for help or forgiveness.  The Messianic ones are quoted so many times in the New Testament, but I hadn't realized that they each contain only glimpses of His coming experience. 

Isaiah offers up his visions at length, but the Psalms don't.  Nevertheless, the Savior knew and fulfilled those bits of prophecy.  We think of the historical ones all being part of the psalms of David, but Psalm 90 is a song of Moses.  The praises and pleadings, as we read, we find that we know well.

Hebraic poetry is not poetry in the form that we know it, with specific meters and rhymes.  It is a poem of meaning and structure.  This poetry translates from one language to another readily precisely because it is a poem of meaning rather than meter fit with exacting words. 

There are other examples than in the Psalms, and other composers of psalms besides David.  Habukkuk 3, verses 17-19 is one.  2 Nephi 4:16-35, is often known as the psalm of Nephi, beginning, “Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.” 

Lowell Bennion in Unknown Testament terms the Psalms "the beauty of pure worship."  The Lord says in several places that we are to come unto him, and he will give us rest.  I think the Psalms are a form of spiritual rest.

I was able to find the Ensign article that I still remember, about the structure of chiasmus in the Old Testament and in the Book of Mormon.  (Another one since, here.) It was striking then as a newly realized concept, something that runs true that Joseph Smith had no inkling of — another evidence of his calling. 

You can trace the parallelism and inversion of the words and phrases.  I know that if unfamiliar, and impatient, you come to these writings and think, they already said that, why do they have to keep saying the same thing?  Why can't they just get on with it?

But if you can shift gears and go with how the meanings flow and build, you get a lot more out of it.  As it ceases to be strange, it begins to be peaceable.

Some of the psalms quote others of them.  There are so many images that are often repeated in the scriptures, not because the writers are lazy, but because those images fit so well.  Eagles' wings, sheep and shepherds, fruit and vineyards, fountains of water in a desert place.

I like Psalm 96, "sing to the Lord a new song," and number 77.  We went to Alma 5: 26: “And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” and talked about songs. 

My first column for the Nauvoo Times ends with this verse.  The Lord told Emma that the song of the heart was a prayer unto him.  The heart and mind filled with the Spirit will soar, and sing. It is a universal impulse in answer to the heart and spirit opening to the Spirit of the Lord.

Psalm 101 begins, “I will sing of mercy and judgement: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

Perhaps we know that feeling of perfect, certain peace; yet we will later find ourselves, as the writer in other psalms, pleading for help to return and repent when we falter or slip back into spiritual distance. Some songs rejoice, some implore, others are somber in reflection.

The Redeemer gave Joseph Smith this psalmic declaration as part of a grand revelation on priesthood in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 84:98-102

Many hymns in the book quote the Psalms, but one, it seems to me, is a psalm. Hymn # 129:

Members of the class had a chance to share some of the Psalms that spoke to them.  One brought a musical setting for one that someone she knew had composed, which was beautiful. I had sent out advance materials, such as the Ensign link, and the question of whether anyone wanted to try writing one of their own.  No one in my class had, though apparently two people in the evening class did.  I wrote this, as the Psalm of Marian: 

Next time you open your scriptures, perhaps you might browse through the Psalms. Maybe you will write your own psalm, and cherish the experience.