History of Hymns investigates the inception and evolution of the hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The episodes include the history and progression of both the music and the text and feature interesting stories surrounding the creators and others involved in the development of a hymn. Also included are stories surrounding the performance or inclusion of the hymn in a variety of settings.
The history behind "The Spirit of God": This hymn goes back to the early foundations of the Church and is richly entwined with the history of the Restoration. William W. Phelps wrote "The Spirit of God." He was born in 1792, and just three days after the organization of the Church, he purchased a copy of the Book of Mormon from Parley P. Pratt. He was later baptized, ordained to the high priesthood by the Prophet Joseph, and put his exceptional gifts to use for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Listen to the hymn"The Spirit of God"
