Emma Smith Hymnal: A Young Mother's Extraordinary Assignment

How Emma Smith Helped Give the Restoration Its Voice in Worship

The Emma Smith Hymnal Was an Extraordinary Assignment

Imagine being a young wife and mother in your mid-twenties.

Your family has already endured repeated moves, financial hardship, public criticism, and the heartbreaking loss of children. Your husband is constantly traveling, preaching, translating scripture, and helping establish a brand-new church. Every day seems to bring another challenge.

Then the Lord gives you an assignment unlike anything you could have imagined.

Not to preach.

Not to travel as a missionary.

Not to organize congregations.

But to compile a hymnbook that would become known as the Emma Smith Hymnal.

At first glance, the assignment may seem modest.

It was anything but.

More Than Gathering Favorite Hymns

Today, creating a hymnal might seem relatively simple. Thousands of hymns are available online. Searchable databases, digital archives, and music software place centuries of hymnody at our fingertips.

Emma Smith had none of those advantages.

Every hymn had to be located, evaluated, copied, organized, prepared for publication, and printed under circumstances that were often anything but ideal.

This was not simply collecting favorite songs. It was helping establish the worship of an emerging faith.

Standing on the Shoulders of Faithful Christians

One of the beautiful discoveries found while working on the Emma Smith Hymnal restoration project is that she did not begin with a blank page.

She drew generously from the rich heritage of Christian hymnody.

Many of the hymns came from writers whose words had strengthened believers for generations. Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and other gifted hymn writers had already helped Christians sing more fully of Christ, redemption, grace, and hope.

Emma recognized those gifts.

She preserved many of those treasured hymns while also making room for new voices born out of the Restoration.

The result was a hymnal that honored the broader Christian tradition while giving expression to the faith and experiences of a newly restored people.

Emma Smith Hymnal: New Songs for a New Work

Alongside familiar Christian hymns appeared new texts written by early members of the Restoration.

These hymns spoke of gathering Israel.

Of Zion.

Of modern revelation.

Of temples.

Of preparing for the return of the Lord.

They did not replace the older Christian hymns.

They stood beside them.

Together they told the unfolding story of God's work among His people.

Quiet Faithfulness

Emma Smith rarely receives recognition for the magnitude of this assignment. creating the Emma Smith Hymnal took amazing commitment to do what the Lord required of her. Yet nearly two centuries later, her work continues to influence generations of believers. The hymnbook she compiled became far more than a collection of songs. It became the voice of a people learning to worship together.

Sometimes the most enduring contributions are not made from pulpits or platforms.

Sometimes they are made quietly, one faithful decision at a time.

Emma's assignment to create a hymnal reminds us that God often entrusts extraordinary work to ordinary people willing to serve.

A Lasting Legacy

Emma Smith's greatest contribution was not simply compiling a book of hymns.

She helped shape the worship of an entire movement. The Emma Smith Hymnals are a gift to us and should be restored for use among those who value the restoration, or are just a devoted worshipper of Christ. These hymns are a wonderful gift to the world.

By preserving beloved Christian hymns while making room for new expressions of faith, she gave the early Saints a common language of praise—one that continues to inspire worshippers nearly two centuries later.

Continue the Journey

Every hymnal has a history.

Every hymn has a story.

Join us as we continue exploring the remarkable people whose faith, music, and quiet service have enriched Christian worship across generations.