Here’s the story behind “Come, Come, Ye Saints.”

If you had to leave your home and walk across a country, would you write a song about it?

William Clayton did. He was one of the first pioneers to leave Nauvoo, Illinois, and head west. His pregnant wife stayed behind because she was close to having the baby.

Clayton’s wagon company had a hard time crossing the plains because of all the mud. But they kept moving forward. One day he received a letter saying his wife had given birth to a healthy baby boy.

Here’s what he wrote in his journal: “This morning I composed a new song, ‘All Is Well.’ I feel to thank my Heavenly Father for my boy. I hope that my wife will soon be well.”

The hymn William Clayton wrote later became known as “Come, Come, Ye Saints” (Hymns, no. 30). The lyrics echo the hope and joy the pioneers felt even during difficult trials. Perhaps now would be a good time to listen and ask yourself:

• How can you find peace when life seems difficult?
• What helps you feel that “all is well”?
• Which hymns could you memorize to help you get through hard times?

As the First Presidency testified in a preface to the Hymns: “Hymns can lift our spirits, give us courage, and move us to righteous action. They can fill our souls with heavenly thoughts and bring us a spirit of peace.”

Note

1. Quoted in Carol Madsen, “Our Heritage of Hymns,” New Era, Nov. 1975. See also this Tabernacle Choir blog.