In 1830, Joseph Smith received the revelation that would lead to what we know now as the LDS hymnbook. Here's how that happened.
Just three months after the Church was officially organized, in a revelation to Joseph Smith in July 1830, the Lord directed the Prophet’s wife, Emma Hale Smith, to compile a hymnbook.
“And it shall be given thee, also, to make a selection of sacred hymns, as it shall be given thee, which is pleasing unto me, to be had in my church.
“For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:11–12).
At the time, members of the Church had been experiencing persecution as mobs interrupted meetings and threatened to harm Church members. In addition, the Prophet Joseph Smith’s life was often in danger.