The origin of “Love Is Spoken Here” is one of good timing and inspiration. The song’s author, Janice Kapp Perry, was in need of a title for a song she was going to enter into a song contest for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During a party she was attending, she turned to her husband and said, “Could you give me a good idea for the song contest? When he asked when the deadline was, her reply was “Two days.” He then asked how long she knew about it, to which she replied, “Just this one . . . year.” As they were leaving the party, her husband saw a cross-stitch sampler above the kitchen sink that said "Love Is Spoken Here." He said, “There’s your title, get busy.”

Years later, a Primary teacher from Texas wrote Perry about how they enjoyed learning her song “Love Is Spoken Here” and asked for permission to use the title in a cross-stitch sampler. The song had come full circle. 

“Love Is Spoken Here” is the first counter-melody song written by Perry, which includes two independent melodies sung over a common harmonic sound in the piano. She would go on to write others such as “A Child’s Prayer” and “Mother, Tell Me The Story.”

A prolific songwriter, Perry included the song on her 1981 album titled In the Hollow of Thy Hand. Ten of her songs are published in the Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has also released an astonishing 60 albums of original music and has written over 1,000 songs. 

Perry was a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir until her retirement in 2000. In 2005, the Choir released the album Love Is Spoken Here, which contains the title track and two more songs by Perry: “A Child’s Prayer” and “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus.” 

In the video above, Perry shares her personal stories involving “Love Is Spoken Here.” Below, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square beautifully sing the timeless children’s classic.