Thanks for that reference to the LDS hymnbook...now, I am not a Mormon...however, I am quite appreciative of your providing a link to this hymnbook
YOU'RE WELCOME
Some of the hymns written by Mormons are indeed wonderful.
One of my favorite contributors to the Mormon Hymnal is Eliza Roxy Snow. At one time, I believe, it contained as many as 17 of her poems set to music in that book. Most of them are excellent. If you like, you can listen to some of her work (and obtain sheet music) HERE and HERE. I am especially fond of the hymn Great is the Lord.
Quite frequently, as is the case with so many things related to Mormonism, there is a story behind the story, so to speak. And unfortunately, this is the case with Ms. Snow.
Eliza was a devout Mormon. At age 38, she became Joseph Smith's 14th plural wife (in addition to Smith's lawful wife, Emma). In 1842, after learning Eliza was pregnant, Emma Smith beat Eliza with a broomstick and knocked her down a flight of stairs, causing Eliza to miscarry Smith's baby.
Eliza would marry Brigham Young after Smith’s death. She died childless.
Incidentally, it is also interesting to listen for subtle (and in some cases, not-so-subtle) injections of non-Christian doctrine in Mormon hymns.
Thank you for your response and further links...
Yes, often there are very interesting stories behind the people who have written many of the hundreds, thousands of religious hymns that are in circulation...I always like to read the stories behind the music, as I am always interested in what motivates people, regarding the things that they do in life....
In the Methodist church, I remember that every so often, there would be a new hymnal that would be used..the old hymnals would be collected up, and new ones would be distributed....and very often certain popular old hymns would be taken out of the old hymnal, and replaced with newer or different hymns...I once asked the minister why this happened, and he remarked that often some of the older hymns were not in complete agreement with Biblical theology, and so even tho they were once popular, they were discarded from the hymnals...
One tune that I remembered at being disappointed over seeing its removal, was ‘In the Bleak MidWinter’....that has always been my favorite Christmas song of all time...and yet it was discarded, I think, in part, because it has been recognized that altho we celebrate Christmas during the winter, Christ was not born in the winter...so the basic premise of the song was really non-Christian doctrine, and that is probably why the song was eliminated from the hymnbook....
And then I noticed, it was quite difficult to even find a CD of Christmas songs, even religious Christmas songs, that even included ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’....the hubby and I used to scour all sorts of CD catalogs trying to find even one or two CD’s which included that song...however, in the past decade ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, has had some sort of a ressurance, and I have been able to purchase many CD’s that include that song...and as a sidenote, I watched one of the Mormon Christmas programs, just this past Christmas, and they had a guest soloist, who did sing ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, and did so in such a beautiful and haunting way, that it touched me in quite a wonderful way...
So many hymns, even old favorites from many different religions, do has aspects about them, that actually are on unsound Biblical doctrine, but because they are so well known, and so familiar, they are often still sung...on the other hand sometimes because they are on unsound Biblical doctrine, they are discarded...
Again, thank for your links...