#330 See, the Mighty Angel Flying (Men’s Choir)

Music & voice:
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Lyrics:

1. See, the mighty angel flying;
See, he speeds his way to earth
To proclaim the blessed gospel
And restore the ancient faith,
And restore, and restore the ancient faith.

2. Hear, O men, the proclamation;
Cease from vanity and strife.
Hasten to receive the gospel
And obey the words of life,
And obey, and obey the words of life.

3. Soon the earth will hear the warning;
Then the judgments will descend!
Oh, before the days of sorrow,
Make the Lord of Hosts your friend!
Make the Lord, make the Lord of Hosts your friend!

4. Then when dangers are around you
And the wicked are distressed,
You, with all the Saints of Zion,
Shall enjoy eternal rest,
Shall enjoy, shall enjoy eternal rest.

Text: Robert B. Thompson, 1811-1841
Music: Evan Stephens, 1854-1930

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Written By: Robert B. Thompson

Robert Blashel Thompson (October 1, 1811 – August 27, 1841) was an associate of Joseph Smith, Jr., a Danite and leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, and an official historianof the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Thompson was born in Great Driffield, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. He joined the Methodists at an early age and participated in preaching in Yorkshire. In 1834, Thompson emigrated to Upper Canada and settled in Toronto.[1] In May 1836, he was baptized a member of the Church of the Latter Day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, a missionary who was preaching in Toronto. On July 22, 1836, Thompson was ordained an elder in the church by John Taylor.

Thompson moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where the majority of Latter Day Saints were gathering. In June 1837, he and his new wife, Mercy Rachel Fielding,[2] returned to Upper Canada as missionaries for the church. They returned to Kirtland in March 1838.

In 1839, the Thompsons attempted to settle in Missouri with a large number of other Latter Day Saints. While in Missouri, Thompson was a Danite and participated in the 1838 Mormon War. He was standing next to Apostle David W. Patten when Patten was killed at the Battle of Crooked River.[3]

In March 1839, Thompson was the clerk to the disciplinary council convened by Brigham Young that excommunicated a number of prominent Latter Day Saints and Danites, includingGeorge M. Hinkle, Sampson Avard, John Corrill, Reed Peck, W.W. Phelps, Frederick G. Williams, Thomas B. Marsh, Burr Riggs, and others.[4]

At a conference of the church in May 1839, Thompson, Almon W. Babbitt and Erastus Snow were appointed to be a traveling committee that was charged with “gather[ing] up and obtain[ing] all the libelous reports and publications which had been circulated against the Church.”[5]

On September 15, 1840, Thompson delivered the funeral oration at the funeral of Joseph Smith, Sr., the presiding patriarch of the church.[6] In October 1840, Thompson succeeded Elias Higbee as official Church Historian, and in November of that year, Thompson and Higbee together drafted a petition to the United States Congress for redress of the grievances of the Latter Day Saints from their experiences in Missouri.[7]

Thompson was a colonel and an aide-de-camp in the Nauvoo Legion.[8] On May 1, 1841, he became an associate editor of the Times and Seasons newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois. Due to the unhealthy conditions in the offices of the Times and Seasons, Thompson and chief editor Don Carlos Smith both died from tuberculosis in August 1841. He was survived by his wife and one daughter.

Thompson wrote the words to a hymn called “See, the Mighty Angel Flying”, which is included in the 1985 English-language LDS Church hymnal as hymn #330.

Music By: Evan Stephens

Evan Stephens (June 28, 1854 – October 27, 1930) was a Latter-day Saint composer and hymn writer. He was also the director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 26 years (1890–1916).

In 1899 the Missionary Song Book edited by Stephens was distributed in the Southern States Mission.[5]

In the 1927 English LDS Hymnbook there were 84 hymns written by Evan Stephens.[2]

His 19 works in the 1985 English language edition of the Latter-day Saint hymnal are:

  • #11 “What Was Witnessed in the Heavens” (music),
  • #17 “Awake, Ye Saints of God, Awake!” (music),
  • #18 “The Voice of God Again is Heard” (words and music),
  • #23 & #312 (Women) “We Ever Pray for Thee” (text and adaptation of music by H. A. Tuckett),
  • #33 “Our Mountain Home So Dear” (music),
  • #35 “For the Strength of the Hills” (music),
  • #55 “Lo, the Mighty God Appearing!” (music),
  • #61 “Raise Your Voices to the Lord'” (words and music),
  • #74 “Praise Ye the Lord” (music),
  • #91 “Father thy Children to Thee Now Raise” (words and music),
  • #118 “Ye Simple Souls who Stray” (music),
  • #120 “Lean on My Ample Arm” (music),
  • #183 “In Remembrance of Thy Suffering” (words and music),
  • #229 “Today, While the Sun Shines (music),
  • #243 “Let Us All Press On” (words and music),
  • #254 “True to the Faith” (words and music),
  • #312 “We Ever Pray for Thee” (words and music),
  • #330 “See The Mighty Angel Flying” (music), and
  • #337 “O Home Beloved” (words).

He wrote several other LDS hymns that do not appear in the 1985 edition of the hymnal.

Included among his works is “Utah, We Love Thee” (also sometimes referred to as “Land of the Mountains High”) which became the official State Song of Utah in 1937. In 2003 it was designated the official State Hymn, and a new state song was named.

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