I’ve always been drawn to bold brassy hymns. When I played the organ, I would throw in trumpet stops whenever I could get away with it. One hymn that I especially like is For All the Saints.

In many Christian churches, this hymn is sung for All Saints’ Day, which is a day to celebrate specific holy people who are held up as an example. Saints are viewed as Other.

Although we don’t observe All Saints’ Day, I do appreciate that we are all expected to be saints. A saint isn’t someone who lived long ago and has ascended to heaven – she could be in the pew right behind you.

We’re not born saints; it’s a process. In the Book of Mormon we’re taught: “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord…” (Mosiah 3:19) Anyone can become a saint by repenting and following the promptings of the Spirit.