A song from the latest batch of new hymns has a fascinating backstory.
“Oh, How Great Is Our Joy” was first published in the Church’s Spanish hymnbook in 1912 under the title “Despedida” (“Farewell”). It was later printed as “Placentero nos es trabajar” (“It is pleasant for us to work”) and has become a beloved standard among Spanish-speaking congregations.
But for a hymn centered on joy, the lyrics originate from a surprising place—a jail cell in Mexico City in 1910.
Writing About Joy from Jail
Andrés C. González, who wrote the hymn’s text, was one of the first native Mexicans called to serve as a full-time missionary in Mexico. At the time, he was newly married and had a three-month-old son.
One day during his mission, Elder González and his companion decided to share the gospel by singing hymns on a street corner. As they began singing the Christian hymn “In the Sweet By and By,” an angry crowd formed, and the missionaries were eventually arrested.
The Church’s “About the Hymns” resource explains:
“Instead of attracting people who were interested in hearing their message, Elder González and his companion soon found themselves surrounded by a group of angry people who demanded that they stop singing. These people felt that the hymn belonged to them and that the missionaries shouldn’t be singing it. They brought the police, who threw the missionaries in jail.”
Not knowing whether he would see his family again, Elder González decided to write new words to the hymn from the jail cell. His grandson John A. González wrote:
“That night, sitting in a jail cell and wondering if he would become one of the many people who simply ‘disappeared’ when arrested during the revolution, Andrés found hope in the music and sentiment of ‘[In the] Sweet By and By.’ He spent the night writing new lyrics to the tune, praising the work of those who spread the gospel and promising a sweet reward for the faithful in the next life.”
Fortunately, the police released Elder González and his companion. The missionaries later returned to the street corner and were able to sing the same tune with the new words.
Following his mission, Andrés C. González moved to Texas with his family. He later became the first native Mexican to be called to serve in a three-person mission presidency and to serve as a stake patriarch. His service has inspired a long legacy of faith, and many of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have served as full-time missionaries and in Church leadership roles, including one emeritus General Authority Seventy.
Listen to the hymn in the player below. You can also find the sheet music and an “About the Hymns” resource on the Church’s website.
“Oh, How Great Is Our Joy”
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