The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square has been nicknamed “America’s Choir” for decades. But today, the group expands its reach throughout Africa, reflecting the worldwide growth of its sponsoring faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sunday’s program of “Music and the Spoken Word,” the choir’s weekly musical broadcast, celebrated its expansion across the African continent, where church membership nears 1 million people. The episode was broadcast to 25 countries in Africa, according to Tabernacle Choir president, former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt.
Titled “The Joy We Share,” the program featured music and messages from Latter-day Saints in countries including South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. Those attending the broadcast in person at the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Utah also heard pre- and post-show hymns from members of the St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Utah and a local Swahili-speaking congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Coincidentally, the broadcast fell on an important date for Church of Jesus Christ history in Africa; April 19, 1853, was the day the first Latter-day Saint missionaries arrived in Cape Town, South Africa.
The broadcast was not planned to fall on that anniversary, but Derrick Porter, the producer, principal writer and presenter of “Music and the Spoken Word,” said God was in the details.
“I believe that this is of no coincidence,” Porter said. “We’re here gathered together today streaming to many dozens of countries in Africa, thousands in this house and millions more who will be watching this broadcast ... collected together, marking the very day that missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began their forward expansion on that great continent.”
The history of ‘America’s Choir’
Originally known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square was founded in 1847 shortly after the first Latter-day Saint pioneers arrived in Utah.
“Music and the Spoken Word” began in 1929 as a weekly radio program and is now the world’s longest continuing network broadcast, celebrating its 5,000th episode in 2025. Every week features sacred musical numbers from the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, along with an inspirational message.
The choir has performed at seven presidential inaugurations, the United States Bicentennial, the Constitution’s bicentennial celebration and the 2002 Winter Olympics. However, “America’s Choir” — a nickname given by U.S. President Ronald Reagan — hasn’t been a purely American choir for many years.
The group first ventured outside the U.S. in 1955 with a concert tour of Europe. It continued to perform in new countries over the decades, and in 2023, the choir announced a four-year global tour titled “Songs of Hope.” The tour has taken the choir to Mexico, the Philippines, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.
In 2023, the choir announced its global member program, which involves church members from around the world. Selected Latter-day Saints, from New Zealand to Sweden, sing with the choir during the church’s general conference every April and October.
Also in 2023, “Music and the Spoken Word” began producing a weekly show in Spanish.
A global church
The choir’s increased presence around the world reflects the record growth the Church of Jesus Christ has seen in recent years, partially driven by its membership in Africa.
The late President Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in 2011, “Africa will someday be seen as a bright land full of gospel hope and happiness.” That statement has come to fruition in the past decade.
Today, there are approximately one million members of the Church of Jesus Christ in Africa. Thirty-six new mission leaders were recently called to lead missionaries serving in the continent. There are also 29 Latter-day Saint temples in various stages of construction in Africa.
The church’s growth is not limited to Africa. The Church of Jesus Christ has grown 66% this century and had a record-breaking number of convert baptisms in 2025.
The internet has facilitated the church’s global spread. General conference, a twice-yearly gathering of Latter-day Saints across the world, has always been held in Salt Lake City, Utah, but is broadcast on hundreds of TV stations and streamed live anywhere with internet service.
“Music and the Spoken Word” is also streamed live, but it continues to expand to networks across the globe. Its latest growth in Africa continues similar trends in South America.
You can find a weekly broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word” in your area here.
‘We are children of a loving Father in Heaven’
Several leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ attended Sunday’s broadcast, including President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency; Elder Ronald A. Rasband and Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and President Rosemary K. Chibota, who will begin service as Primary General President on Aug. 1. Her calling marks the first time an African will lead an organization general presidency of the church.
Before the broadcast began, Derrick Porter briefly interviewed General Authority Seventy Elder Clement M. Matswagothata and his wife, Sister Busi Matswagothata, about their love for sacred music.
Sister Matswagothata spoke of the important role that sacred music played in her community as she grew up in South Africa. Because there were restrictions placed on gathering, church was one of the few opportunities people had to congregate. She said the hymns she sang in church as a child built her faith in Jesus Christ from a young age, and now she teaches hymns to her own children.
“They could learn songs before they could even read and know that Jesus loves them,” she said.
Elder Matswagothata, who is from Botswana, shared that he visited a number of houses of worship as a young man to hear people sing.
“On many occasions, I did not even understand the words that were in those songs,” he said. “But something about sacred music draws us closer to a loving Father in Heaven and to his son, Jesus Christ.”
Hymns can hold a different meaning for each stage of your life, from Primary to adulthood, Elder Matswagothata said. Speaking of the Latter-day Saint children’s song “I Am a Child of God,” he said, “We live in a world that can so easily become divisive. But when you hear those words, we realize we are God’s children.
“Regardless of where we are, regardless of our social standing or many other things that others may point out to us ... in a very sacred way, we know that we are children of a loving Father in Heaven.”
‘The Joy We Share’
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square performed a selection of Christian hymns from around the world, including “Amazing Grace” and Cameroon processional song “Praise! Praise! Praise the Lord!”
One song in the broadcast, “How Firm a Foundation,” also included footage of church choirs from around Africa joining in the hymn. The spoken word portion of the broadcast featured prerecorded messages from members of the church in Africa, sharing words in their native languages that express the two great commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor.
“‘Ubuntu’ is an expression worth many words. It means ‘I am because we are,’” Buhle S. from South Africa said in one video. “The spirit of the word ‘ubuntu’ means that in order for you to find yourself, we have to lift others up.”
In another video, Miriam and Shadrack A., Latter-day Saints from Kenya, shared a word that expresses shared humanity and collective effort.
“‘Utu’ is a Swahili word meaning humanity and kindness,” Shadrack A. said.
“And that means we are all connected,” Miriam A. added.
‘Joy is not a prize for people whose lives are easy’
Elder Edward Dube of the Presidency of the Seventy shared a message after the broadcast on finding joy in Jesus Christ.
“Joy is not a prize for people whose lives are easy,” he told attendees at the Tabernacle. “It is a gift to people who walk with Christ, even through hardship.”
As we follow Christ’s invitation to look unto him and keep his commandments, Elder Dube said, we can overcome our weaknesses and shortcomings.
“Life in Africa is beautiful. Life in Africa can be hard,” Elder Dube said. “But focusing on eternal life and the plan of happiness helps us find joy amidst challenges. Jesus is the center of that plan. When we look to Him, fear is replaced with faith.”
