Joseph Smith’s First Prayer

Joseph Smith’s First Prayer

Joseph Smith’s First Prayer Arrangement on Youtube

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Here is a new arrangement of Joseph Smith’s First Prayer with Kaden and Sydnee Merrill (who are brother and sister :). They are my niece and nephew on my husband’s side. I love these guys! They both did a beautiful job on this song and it was so fun working with them!

A summary of what inspired the writing of this hymn is as follows…young George Manwaring was looking at a new painting of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. Upon seeing it, he became immediately inspired and shortly after began the work of writing this hymn. (*see more about this below) Each verse goes through the process of what happened on that beautiful spring morning, I am sure drawing on the accounts that Joseph Smith gave of his experiences.

This hymn is a perfect introduction for our study of the Doctrine and Covenants this year in 2025. It could be considered the first major event or catalyst for what we call, the restoration of Christ’s Church in these latter days. This hymn will coincide especially well with the Come Follow Me lesson for January 13-19 entitled “I Saw a Pillar of Light” studying Joseph Smith—History 1:1–26 

AN EXCERPT from JOSEPH SMITH HISTORY 1

3 I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five…

5 Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion….

6 For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.

7 I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father’s family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely, my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia.

8 During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness;…. that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong….

10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?

11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know….

14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

An excerpt from “BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF GEORGE MANWARING” Prepared by his brother, John H. Manwaring.

George Manwaring, son of Henry and Sarah Barber Manwaring, was born in Cheshire, England, March 19, 1854. Died July 7, 1889 at the age of thirty-five (I have in his original handwriting
some of his hymns).
He joined the church when nine years of age and immigrated to Utah with his Father’s family in 1871, at the age of seventeen.

Before coming to Utah he was employed as an errand boy in a country store near Cheshire, England. He did not have the privilege of attending school more than a few weeks, but when he died at the age of thirty-five he was a well educated man. While working in this store he took advantage of every opportunity to read good books, borrowing from his employer and others, books of every kind. He became very much interested in the study of stenography, mathematics, and literature, and when he came to Utah at the age of seventeen, was able to report sermons delivered in the tabernacle.

He was a music teacher of rare ability. Never having had a music lesson in his life, he was able to play piano or organ and to teach, all of which he did by ear. He traveled extensively over the state and in practically every ward in the state taught the children music in Sunday School where he visited. He was a gifted poet, and many of his poems were published in the newspapers and the magazines in the early eighties. He wrote some of the most beautiful and inspiring songs, many of which are printed in the Sunday School Union Song Book, and some are sung Sabbath after Sabbath in practically
every ward in the church. Some of the best known are, “Closing Hymn”, “Parting Hymn”, “Beautiful Day of Rest”, “Gladly Meeting”, “We Shall Meet Again”, “Beautiful Mountain
Home”, “Welcome to our Union Meeting”, “Sacrament Hymn”, “’Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love”, and “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer”.

A.C. Smyth appears as the composer of the music for “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer.” This is misleading because it leaves the impression that George Manwaring was the composer of the words only, and this is an error. He composed both words and music but A.C. Smyth was responsible for the arrangement of the music for printing.

It is interesting that John H. Manwaring felt the need to clarify that George also composed the music. Yes, he should get credit for it! I believe George based the melody of it from a composition by Sylvanus Billings Pond as listed above.

This arrangement has been added to my Sheet Music page Here: http://marileekaymusic.com/sheet-music/

*Mention is made of C.C.A. Christiansen of Ephraim, Utah, whose painting The Vision was the
inspiration for “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer.” It was on one of his sales trips for the D. O. Calder
Music Palace that he first saw this painting. He was the guest of artist Christiansen who took him
into his studio and showed him The Vision which he had just finished. It was a painting of the
Father and Son appearing to Joseph Smith in the sacred grove in answer to prayer. It made such
an impression on the mind of George Manwaring, then about 24 years of age, that he was
inspired to compose the song. As John points out, as long as the song remains in print, the name
of George Manwaring will never die. The leaders and the preachers of the L.D.S. Church had
been telling the story of the vision for years and years, but it was left to an English emigrant boy
to put the story before the members of the church in music and in song. For 48 years the church
had been content to tell the story from the pulpit but not one musician–and there were many
talented poets and musicians in the Church–had attempted to tell the story in music and in song.
Surely, this song came through the inspiration of the Spirit of God, and it will stand as a
monument to the Church and to the author as long as time shall last.
-George Ernest Manwaring, June 27, 1902 (son of George the songwriter)

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*Reach out if you would like the sheet music for any of the arrangements I don’t have sheet music for yet and I will transcribe and post them. It may take me some time though depending on multiple factors. You can find the songs I already have sheet music for here: http://marileekaymusic.com/sheet-music/

Composers: Text: George Manwaring, 1854–1889 Music: Sylvanus Billings Pond, 1792–1871; adapted by A. C. Smyth, 1840–1909

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