The text of the hymn was written sometime between 1860 and 1863 by William Fowler, an English convert to Mormonism. Joseph F. Smith reported that he was present at the first church worship service in England where Fowler brought the song to be sung. The song was first published in the LDS Church's 1863 hymnal, and has been included in every LDS hymnal since. The music is an adapted version of Caroline Sheridan Norton's "The Officer's Funeral March".[1]
George D. Pyper described "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" as "exclusively a Latter-day Saint hymn; a Mormon heartthrob; a song of the Restoration".[2] The name of the hymn is often used as the title of lessons in church curriculum[3] or as the title of church sermons[4] and inspirational messages.[5]
The first verse of the song acknowledges the Latter-day Saints' gratitude to God for the President of the Church, who is revered as a modern prophet. Subsequent verses thank God for the care and protection he provides to the members of the church.
The song is one of the 45 hymns that the church publishes in its basic curriculum sources that are used in areas of the world where the church is new or underdeveloped.[6] As a result, it is often one of the first hymns new Latter-day Saints receive and learn.
"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" is hymn number 19 in the current LDS Church hymnal. The copyright for this version is owned by Intellectual Reserve, Inc., a corporation established by the LDS Church to hold its intellectual property. Intellectual Reserve allows copying or downloading of the music and lyrics of the song for incidental, noncommercial church, or noncommercial home uses. A similar version of the hymn is published as hymn number 307 in the Revelation section of Hymns of the Saints by the Community of Christ's Herald House publishing arm.
Unusual usage
While preparing to speak at a CESfireside being held at Brigham Young University's Marriott Center on February 7, 1993, Howard W. Hunter, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was confronted by Cody Judy, who rushed onto the rostrum and threatened Hunter and the audience of 15,000 to 17,000. Judy carried a briefcase that he claimed contained a bomb and held what appeared to be a detonator-like device. Judy demanded that Hunter read a three-page document that supposedly detailed God's plan for Judy to lead the church, which Hunter refused to do. The audience spontaneously sang "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet", during which students from the audience and then security personnel overtook Judy. After Judy was taken away, Hunter delivered his prepared remarks, a talk entitled "An Anchor to the Souls of Men".[7][8][9]
Lyrics
We thank thee, O God, for a prophet To guide us in these latter days. We thank thee for sending the gospel To lighten our minds with its rays. We thank thee for every blessing Bestowed by thy bounteous hand. We feel it a pleasure to serve thee And love to obey thy command.
When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us And threaten our peace to destroy, There is hope smiling brightly before us, And we know that deliv’rance is nigh. We doubt not the Lord nor his goodness. We’ve proved him in days that are past. The wicked who fight against Zion Will surely be smitten at last.
We’ll sing of his goodness and mercy. We’ll praise him by day and by night, Rejoice in his glorious gospel, And bask in its life-giving light. Thus on to eternal perfection The honest and faithful will go, While they who reject this glad message Shall never such happiness know.
↑ Gail Sinnott and Carri P. Jenkins, "California Man Threatens President Hunter, Fireside Audience With Fake Bomb", BYU Magazine, February 1993, pp. 15–16.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, most often simply referred to as the sacrament, is the ordinance in which participants eat bread and drink water in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Normally, the sacrament is provided every Sunday as part of the sacrament meeting, the primary weekly worship service, in each LDS Church congregation.
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, founder of the movement, and the office assumed by many of Smith's claimed successors, such as Brigham Young, Joseph Smith III, Sidney Rigdon, and James Strang. Several other titles have been associated with this office, including First Elder of the church, Presiding High Priest, President of the High Priesthood, Trustee-in-Trust for the church, Prophet, Seer, Revelator, and Translator. Joseph Smith was known by all of these titles in his lifetime.
Howard William Hunter was an American lawyer and the 14th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 to 1995. His nine-month presidential tenure is the shortest in the church's history. Hunter was the first president of the LDS Church born in the 20th century and the last to die in it. He was sustained as an LDS apostle at the age of 51, and served as a general authority for over 35 years.
"The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning" is a hymn of the Latter Day Saint movement. It was written by W. W. Phelps, one of the most prolific hymnwriters of early Latter Day Saint movement.
A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. was the first hymnal of the Latter Day Saint movement. It was published in 1835 by the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
Hymns are an important part of the history and worship of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
George Manwaring was a hymnwriter of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of his works have become favorite LDS hymns and are found in the 1985 LDS Church hymnal.
Evan Stephens was a Latter-day Saint composer and hymn writer. He was also the director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 26 years (1890–1916).
"Praise to the Man" is a poem written as a eulogy in verse for Joseph Smith. The poem's authorship is typically attributed to Latter Day Saint leader and hymn writer William W. Phelps. The poem was composed soon after Smith's death, and was later set to music and adopted as a hymn of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was first published with no directly attached name in the church newspaper Times and Seasons in August 1844, approximately one month after Smith was killed. The hymn is still used in the LDS Church, as number 27 in its current hymnal.
"I Am a Child of God" is a hymn of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for all the members, but more often sung by children. The lyrics were written in 1957 by Naomi W. Randall and set to music by Mildred Tanner Pettit. The song has been translated into over 90 languages. The phrase "I Am a Child of God" is also used in the LDS Church as a declaration of a basic teaching of the church.
George Homer Durham was an American academic administrator and was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1977 until his death.
George Dollinger Pyper was the fifth general superintendent of the Sunday School of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a member and manager of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the editor of a number of Latter Day Saint periodicals.
Ebenezer Beesley was a Latter-day Saint hymn writer and composer. The music for twelve of the hymns in the 1985 English-language hymnal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were written by him.
Orson Pratt Huish was a Latter Day Saint hymnwriter. He wrote the words and music to "Come Unto Jesus", as well as a few other hymns found in the 1985 English edition of the hymnal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His hymns have been widely sung by many choirs in many locations.
John Elliott Tullidge, Sr. was the first music critic in Utah Territory and was a Latter Day Saint musician and hymnwriter.
Edward Partridge Kimball was an American organist of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and a Latter-day Saint hymn writer.
William Fowler was the author of the popular Latter-day Saint hymn "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet".
Frank Wilson Asper was an American composer and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who served as Mormon Tabernacle organist from 1924 to 1965.
Elizabeth Grietje Terburg Rowley (1927–2015) was a Latter-day Saint hymnwriter. Born in Florida, she later moved to Hawaii, to teach, and then to Salt Lake City, Utah. She wrote several hymns for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, among which is "Be Thou Humble".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
