Eliza R. Snow — Divine Inspiration in Poetry and Hymn Composition ('O My Father', 1845)

Eliza R. Snow composed over 100 poems and hymn texts that she and others regarded as divinely inspired expressions of theological truth. Her best-known composition, the hymn ‘O My Father’ (1845), testifies of God the Father and Mother in Heaven; other notable works cited include “How Great the Wisdom and the Love” and “In Our Lovely Deseret.” Snow produced numerous compositions for literary and musical organizations such as the Polysophical Society and the Deseret Literary and Musical Assembly, and her poems and hymns were published in Mormon newspapers and periodicals. These writings are presented as evidence that she received spiritual manifestations and divine inspiration enabling her to articulate eternal principles and profound theological insights.