Nigerians gather for a devotional with the Executive Producer of Music and the Spoken Word

Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered at the Lagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake Centre on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, for a special musical devotional titled “The Power of Music.” The event featured Brother Derrick Porter, executive producer, principal writer, and presenter of the Church’s weekly broadcast Music and the Spoken Word, which features the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

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The devotional opened with musical selections performed by the Lagos Choir, composed of choristers from multiple stakes across the Lagos Nigeria Coordinating Council.

Addressing more than 600 attendees, Brother Porter introduced Music and the Spoken Word, describing it as the world’s longest continuously running network broadcast on both radio and television. He noted that the program has aired every Sunday without interruption for 5,029 weeks and currently reaches more than seven million people in 50 countries each week. Brother Porter explained that the purpose of the broadcast is “not to baptize, convert, or proselytize, but to create new friends, open new doors, and soften hearts.” He also shared a video highlighting moments from the program’s long history.

During the meeting, Brother Porter interacted with various members of the audience, giving select individuals a chance to share how sacred music has impacted their lives. Comments ranged from helping them feel the Spirit of the Lord to presenting them with doctrinal insights to simply providing them joy in a world that is sometimes challenging. All expressed the positive and uplifting effect of sacred music in their lives.

Presiding at the devotional was Elder Isaac K. Morrison of the Seventy, Second Counselor in the Africa West Area Presidency. In his remarks, Elder Morrison emphasized the power of sacred music, stating that “if there is anything that would help bring about Zion quicker, it is sacred music.” He added that music communicates a universal language that transcends religious differences.

Elder Morrison also highlighted the Church’s efforts to bring sacred music into members’ homes, noting that the 60 hymns included in the new hymnbook available on the Gospel Library app were selected from more than 20,000 submissions. He testified that these efforts are centered on the Savior, Jesus Christ, and encouraged members to sing, memorize, and reflect on the messages of sacred hymns in their homes.

The devotional reinforced teachings found in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12, where the Lord declares that “the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.” In an October 1994 general conference address, then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks quoted the First Presidency, who taught that inspirational music invites the Spirit, creates reverence, unifies members, and provides a way to praise the Lord.

As part of his visit to Africa, Brother Porter is seeking opportunities to expand the reach of Music and the Spoken Word. Earlier in the day, he and his team visited Channels Television, the broadcast partner for General Conference in Nigeria, where he participated in a 20-minute live interview promoting the weekly program.

Brother Porter also met with the Africa West Area production team to prepare a special edition of Music and the Spoken Word scheduled to be broadcast on 19 April 2026.