Come, Come Ye Saints

In Utah where I live, today (July 24) is our state holiday which celebrates the arrival and settling of Utah by the Mormon Pioneers during the middle of the 19th century. The words to this hymn, perhaps the most iconic in Mormon hymnody were penned by my great, great, great grandfather William Clayton (1814-1879). He wrote the words in April 1846 as he and his family (along with most Mormons in the area) fled Nauvoo, Illinois to escape persecution and to join their fellow church members in Utah. Here are the first and last of the 4 verses:

Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell -
All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell-
All is well! All is well!