Once Upon a Snowy Night

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It is a few days from Christmas. Snow drifts lazily down in the cold air as a little girl is hoisted onto her father's shoulders. She is surrounded by softly glowing lights, scattered in the bare trees. A knit hat falls over her eyes and her laughter mingles with that of her father. A white castle rises in the distance, crowned with a golden angel. A sweet melody, drifts throughout the square as if sung by unseen heavenly hosts:

The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!

The latter-day glory begins to come forth;

The visions and blessings of old are returning,

And angels are coming to visit the earth.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,

Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

Let glory to them in the highest be given,

Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!

"The Spirit of God" by William W. Phelps is a beloved hymn within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (more commonly known as Mormons). It is a song of triumph and joy which looks forward to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is often sung around Christmastime. Every time that I hear or sing this song, I am brought back to that night in temple square. The lyrics to that song have long been one of my favorites, even when I was too young to fully appreciate their meaning. The sweet feeling that accompanies the music always makes me warm, no matter now cold it may be outside. 

The poetry that makes up this song is best appreciated when critiqued in its historical and religious context. The song was written in response to the building and dedication of the LDS temple in Kirtland, Ohio. The Church has experienced much persecution leading up to the construction of the temple, so the moment that followed was especially significant and special. A video on the Mormon Channel describes the incident as follows:

"As the blessings of heaven were poured out upon their heads... many saw angels atop the temple roof or heard heavenly singing, and there were wonderful manifestations of healings, of visions and dreams. The Savior Himself appeared in five different meetings held in the temple, and visions were given to many of the Father and the Son (source)."

When critiqued through the lens of new historicism, the poem takes on a new depth of meaning. The historical background to this piece makes all the difference in determining its meaning. In the first verse, it discusses visions and blessings of the past returning, alluding to the miraculous occurrences that seemed to be all so common in the Old Testament. The author believed that he was witnessing some of the signs of the last days as he described the angels, visions, and wonderful things that were occurring at this point in time. The audience is able to sympathize with the utter joy that the author must have been feeling at the fact that God was still a God of miracles. How wonderful that the burning bush of Moses' day continues to burn today!

Being a hymn, there is also a significant amount of biblical allusions within the text, which are especially prevalent in the fourth verse which reads: 

How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion

Shall lie down together without any ire,

And Ephraim be crowned with his blessing in Zion,

As Jesus descends with his chariot of fire!

The metaphor of the "lamb and the lion" can be analyzed in two distinct ways. 

1.   The "lion" described in this verse can be attributed to the house of Judah (a traditional symbol that can be found in Genesis 49:9), while the "lamb" refers to the Savior Jesus Christ. If the meaning behind these symbols are interpreted in this manner, readers can assume the author meant that the Jews and Christ will be reconciled as they accept him as their Savior once the Second Coming occurs.
2.   The metaphor could be taken in a more literal sense as meaning that there will be no more violence and strife after the Second coming, that enemies will cease to exist, and that peace will reign as king. A similar metaphor is found in the Bible in the 65th chapter of Isaiah, where it states that the "wolf and the lamb shall feed together... they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain".

Just like the "lamb and the lion" the word "Zion" is also closely connected with both the Bible and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ within Christian theology. The symbol of Zion changes throughout scripture, first being used to describe the City of David in the Old Testament to just refer to the City of God in the New. However, when taken hand in hand with the historic context, the meaning of "Zion" changes. In Mormonism, Zion is often referred to as more of a mentality, more specifically the "pure in heart" (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21), and the followers of Christ. However, it can also be interchanged with the "New Jerusalem", where the new Holy City will be located.

Through the use of Christian symbols and historical context, I am able to understand "The Spirit of God" in a way that I did not fully appreciate as a young girl perched upon my father's shoulders. As I sing the awe-inspiring lyrics to this hymn now, I recognize the literary tactics the author used in order to make the emotion within the song more convincing, meaningful, and real.

This song not only inspired the early Latter-day Saints, but continues to touch hearts today. It is a beautiful piece which portrays a moment of history through utilizing masterful literary techniques. Both the notes and words of the chorus have touched my own heart many a time, from the snowy scene at temple square as a child to the many times which I have sung it while sitting in a church pew. Even if one was not particularly religious, "The Spirit of God" is a beautiful piece that can be easily appreciated as a beautiful literary expression of emotion-filled faith.