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The Story of Our Hymns

By George D. Pyper

General Superintendent of the Deseret Sunday School Union and First Assistant Chairman of the Church Music Committee

XIV. "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet"

WORDS BY WILLIAM FOWLER

MUSIC BY Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton

We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet

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;
Then on to eternal perfection
The honest and faithful will go,
While they who reject this glad message
Shall never such happiness know.

WILLIAM FOWLER

THE HYMN

"We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet To guide us in these latter days"-

SO SANG the people at every session of a series of meetings recently held in honor of and attended by President Heber J. Grant so have sung the Saints at every General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since the song, penned by William Fowler, was published in 1863. In every stake, in every ward, it is rendered by the congregations next if not equal in frequency to

"The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning."

What is the secret of the popularity of this song?

It cannot be called the greatest hymn ever written by any of our authors. In fact, it does not compare in literary merit or poetic beauty with many of the other gems contained in our hymn books; but it has something different from our other hymns. In simple language it expresses deep gratitude to our father in heaven for revealing anew the everlasting Gospel in our day and setting up prophets to guide us in these latter days.

The first stanza, especially, is full of praise; a song-prayer of much emotional value, expressing the joy of service and the satisfactions of obedience.

The second stanza sings of the smiling star of hope and the absolute faith of the Saints in the power of God to deliver them from "the clouds of trouble" whenever these threaten to destroy their peace and happiness; a fearless reliance upon Him who had already been their friend and protector in days past.

JOSEPH SMITH

BRIGHAM YOUNG

JOHN TAYLOR

The last stanza is first of all a paean of praise for the goodness and mercy of God and the life-giving light of His glorious gospel. The last half shows that the author, though far from the fountain-head of the Church, fully understood one of the greatest principles of the restored Gospel-the doctrine of eternal progression; that "when we have lived according to the full value of the life we possess, we are prepared for eternal advancement in the scale of eternal progression ...; That there is no period, in all the eternities, wherein organized existence will become stationary, when it cannot advance in knowledge, wisdom, power and glory. ..."