Lyrics:

1. Hark, all ye nations!
Hear heaven’s voice
Thru ev’ry land that all may rejoice!
Angels of glory shout the refrain:
Truth is restored again!

(Chorus)
Oh, how glorious from the throne above
Shines the gospel light of truth and love!
Bright as the sun, this heavenly ray
Lights ev’ry land today.

2. Searching in darkness, nations have wept;
Watching for dawn, their vigil they’ve kept.
All now rejoice; the long night is o’er.
Truth is on earth once more!

3. Chosen by God to serve him below,
To ev’ry land and people we’ll go,
Standing for truth with fervent accord,
Teaching his holy word.

Text: Based on German text by Louis F. Mönch, 1847-1916. (c) 1985 IRI
Music: George F. Root, 1820-1895

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Written By: Louis F. Moench

Louis Frederick Moench (July 29, 1847 – April 25, 1916)^[1] was the founder of Weber Stake Academy and the father of education in Northern Utah, on the same level of importance asJohn R. Park and Karl G. Maeser to the development of education in Utah.

Moench was born in Neuffen, Germany. He was educated in Germany, but before completing studies at a gymnasium came to Chicago with his family. He eventually graduated from Bryant & Stratton College there. He then headed west with the intention of becoming an educator in California. However he stopped in Salt Lake City and through the kindness of the people there came to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For a short time Moench was an instructor at the University of Deseret (the predecessor of the University of Utah) and then moved to Ogden, Utah.

In Ogden, Moench was supervisor of the city and county schools. He also was for nine years the principal of the Weber Stake Academy. He was succeeded as head of the academy in 1902 by David O. McKay.^[2]

Moench also served as a missionary for the LDS Church in Switzerland and Germany. While on this mission he published many materials in German. The most notable of these was the hymn “Hark, All Ye Nations” set to music by George F. Root. This hymn became the most loved hymn of the German-speaking Latter-day Saints and was translated into English and published as part of the 1985 version of the LDS hymnbook.

Moench was also the assistant superintendent of the Sunday Schools of the Weber Stake under Richard Ballantyne.

Music By: George F. Root

George Frederick Root (August 30, 1820 – August 6, 1895) was an American songwriter, who found particular fame during the American Civil War.

George Frederick Root was born at Sheffield, Massachusetts, and was named after the German-born British composer George Frideric Handel. Root left his farming community for Boston at 18, flute in hand, intending to join an orchestra. He worked for a while as a church organist in Boston, and from 1845 taught music at the New York Institute for the Blind, where he met Fanny Crosby, with whom he would compose fifty to sixty popular secular songs.^[1] In 1850 he made a study tour of Europe, staying in Vienna, Paris, and London.^[2] He returned to teach music inBoston, Massachusetts as an associate of Lowell Mason, and later Bangor, Maine, where he was director of the Penobscot Musical Association and presided over their convention at Norumbega Hall in 1856.^[3] Root would spend most of his career (when not writing, or helping to manage his publishing company) traveling and teaching at Musical Institutes that move from town to town. He applied a version of Pestalozzi’s teaching (although misunderstood by both Root and Mason) and was instrumental in developing mid and late 19th century American musical education. He was a follower of the teachings ofEmanuel Swedenborg.

On his return from Europe Root began composing and publishing sentimental popular songs, a number of which achieved fame as sheet-music, including those with Fanny Crosby: Hazel Dell, Rosalie the Prairie Flower, There’s Music in the Air and others, which were, according to Root’s New York Times obituary, known throughout the country in the antebellum period. Root chose to employ a pseudonym George Wurzel (German for Root) to capitalize on the popularity of German composers during the 1850s. Besides his popular songs, he also composed gospel songs in the Ira Sankey vein, and collected and edited volumes of choral music for singing schools, Sunday schools, church choirs and musical institutes. He also composed the various sacred and secular cantatas including the popular The Haymakers in 1854. Root’s cantatas were popular on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 19th century.

Building on his talent for song-writing, Root moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1859 to work for his brother’s music publishing house of Root & Cady. He became particularly successful during the American Civil War, as the composer of martial songs such as Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (The Prisoner’s Hope), Just before the Battle, Mother, and The Battle Cry of Freedom. He wrote the first song concerning the war, The First Gun is Fired, only two days after the conflict began with the bombardment of Fort Sumter. He ultimately had at least 35 war-time “hits”, ranging in tone from the bellicose to the ethereal.^[4] His songs were played and sung at both the home front and the real front. Tramp, Tramp, Trampbecame popular on troop marches, and Battle Cry of Freedom became well-known even in England.^[5]

Root was awarded the degree of Musical Doctor by the first University of Chicago in 1872. He died at his summer home in Bailey Island,Maine, at the age of 75.

Root was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Tramp, Tramp, Tramp the Boys are Marching provided the tune for the later (and ultimately better-known) Jesus Loves the Little Children, with lyrics by C. Herbert Woolston.

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