Lyrics:

1. Ye elders of Israel, come join now with me
And seek out the righteous, where’er they may be–
In desert, on mountain, on land, or on sea–
And bring them to Zion, the pure and the free.

(Chorus)
O Babylon, O Babylon, we bid thee farewell;
We’re going to the mountains of Ephraim to dwell.

2. The harvest is great, and the lab’rers are few;
But if we’re united, we all things can do.
We’ll gather the wheat from the midst of the tares
And bring them from bondage, from sorrows and snares.

3. We’ll go to the poor, like our Captain of old,
And visit the weary, the hungry, and cold;
We’ll cheer up their hearts with the news that he bore
And point them to Zion and life evermore.

Text: Cyrus H. Wheelock, 1813-1894
Music: Thomas H. Bayly, 1797-1839, adapted

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Written By: Cyrus H. Wheelock

Cyrus Hubbard Wheelock (February 28, 1813 – October 11, 1894) was an early leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Among other positions he was the firstpresident of the Northern States Mission. He also wrote the words to the Latter-day Saint hymn “Ye Elders of Israel.”

Wheelock was born at Henderson, Jefferson County, New York.^[1] Wheelock was baptised a member of the Latter Day Saint church on 1839-09-01. Shortly afterward, he served as amissionary in Vermont.^[1]

In 1844, Wheelock tried to convince Governor Thomas Ford of Illinois to release Joseph Smith, Jr. from Carthage Jail.^[1] Wheelock had given Smith the gun which he had when the mobattacked the jail at Carthage.

In the early 1850s, Wheelock served a mission in England and presided over the Manchester, Liverpool and Preston Conferences.^[2] In 1853, Wheelock was a counselor to Isaac Haight, president of the camp of Latter-day Saints waiting to set out from Keokuk, Iowa. Wheelock then was the captain of one of the pioneer companies that crossed the plains to Utah Territory.^[3][4] In 1854, Wheelock became the president of the 37th Quorum of the Seventy.^[5]

In 1856, Wheelock was part of a rescue party Brigham Young sent to assist the stranded Martin Handcart Company near the Sweetwater River.^[6]

Wheelock settled in Mount Pleasant, Utah Territory. He wrote several hymns while living here.^[7]

In 1878, Wheelock was made president of the Northern States Mission which then consisted of the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.^[1] Wheelock served as mission president for just over a year. He died in Mount Pleasant, Utah Territory.^[1]

Music By: Thomas H. Bayly

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