Lyrics:

1. Far, far away on Judea’s plains,
Shepherds of old heard the joyous strains:

(Chorus)
Glory to God, Glory to God,
Glory to God in the highest;
Peace on earth, goodwill to men;
Peace on earth, goodwill to men!

2. Sweet are these strains of redeeming love,
Message of mercy from heav’n above:

3. Lord, with the angels we too would rejoice;
Help us to sing with the heart and voice:
4. Hasten the time when, from ev’ry clime,
Men shall unite in the strains sublime:

Text and music: John Menzies Macfarlane, 1833-1892

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Written By: John Menzies Macfarlane

Music By: John Menzies Macfarlane

John Menzies Macfarlane (October 11, 1833 – June 4, 1892)^[1][2] was a Scottish Latter-day Saint hymnwriter, choir director and civic leader.

Macfarlane was born in Stirling, Scotland. He came to Utah Territory in the early 1850s and settled in Cedar City in 1853.^[3] In 1852, Macfarlane married Ann Chatterley. Multiple sources identified him as one of the many Iron County Militia men involved in the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre.^[4]

Macfarlane served as superintendent of schools from 1866–68 for Iron County, Utah^[3] and the leader of the choir in Cedar City which he took to St. George. Erastus Snow urged Macfarlane to move to St. George and start a choir there, which he did.

Besides leading the choir Macfarlane served as a district judge and worked as a surveyor and a builder. In St. George, he was involved in founding an academy in 1888 that was the predecessor to Dixie State College of Utah.^[5]

Among Macfarlane’s hymns are “Far, Far, Away on Judea’s Plains” and the music to “Dearest Children, God is near you”.

-Video: