Latter-day Saint Life

10 Famous Writers and Composers in the Hymnbook

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1. Joseph Addison

Author of “The Lord My Pasture Will Prepare” (no. 109)

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Addison was an 18th-century author, poet, and playwright whose writings were likely the inspiration for famous remarks such as Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death!" and Nathan Hale's "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country." He penned the lyrics to "The Lord My Pasture Will Prepare" in 1712.

2. Johann Sebastian Bach

Composer of “O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown” (no. 197; Bach adapted the tune from Hans Leo Hassler)

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Generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, Bach's work paved the way for Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. His beautiful compositions did not reach the height of their popularity until well after his death. 

3. William Cowper

Author of “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (no. 285)

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Cowper was one of the most popular poets of the 18th century, and his deep spirituality often shone through in his work. His lyrics "God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders to perform" have found a home in religious rhetoric around the world.

4. George Frederick Handel

Composer of “Joy to the World” (no. 201)

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One of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, Handel is perhaps best known for his beautiful work Messiah. His composition "Joy to the World" is one of the world's most famous Christmas songs.

5. Franz Joseph Haydn

Composer of “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” (no. 46)

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A friend of Mozart and a teacher of Beethoven, Haydn is one of the world's most studied and regarded composers. Though he wrote and performed to private audiences for most of his life, his music is known today throughout the world.

6. Rudyard Kipling

Author of “God of Our Fathers, Known of Old” (no. 80)

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Kipling, one of history's most celebrated short-story writers, was also an acclaimed poet. He wrote the text to "God of our Fathers, Known of Old" in 1897.

7. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Author of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (no. 214)

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One of the first of the great American poets, Longfellow is perhaps best known for the poem "Paul Revere's Ride." He was also the first to translate Dante's Inferno into English. He found his place in the hymnbook with one of the most beautiful Christmas songs of all time.

8. Felix Mendelssohn

Composer of “Cast Thy Burden upon the Lord” (no. 110), “O God, the Eternal Father” (no. 175), and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (no. 209)

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One of the most popular composers of the Romantic era, Mendelssohn was not always revered by the public. His Jewish heritage prompted many in his native Germany to disregard his music for some time after his death. Now, he appears in the LDS hymnbook on three occasions.

9. Jean Sibelius

Composer of “Be Still, My Soul” (no. 124)

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Widely recognized as Finland's national composer, Sibelius is a more recent name than many on this list. Though he passed away in 1957, Sibelius' music continues to be sung and played all over the world, including the tune to LDS favorite "Be Still, My Soul."

10. Alfred Tennyson

Author of “Ring Out, Wild Bells” (no. 215)

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"'Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all." One of the most famous lines in all of poetry was penned by Tennyson, an immensely popular British poet who also wrote the lyrics to our hymnbook's New Years' entry.

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