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Author: Lanta Wilson Smith Appears in 12 hymnals Hymnal Title: Calvin Hymnary Project First Line: I was wandering in a wilderness of deep despair and sin Refrain First Line: I believe the promises of God

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[I was wand’ring in a wilderness of deep despair and sin]

Appears in 11 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: Wm. J. Kirkpatrick Hymnal Title: The Joy Bells of Canaan or Burning Bush Songs No. 2 Incipit: 34555 65432 12165 Used With Text: The Promises of God

Instances

Published text-tune combinations (hymns) from specific hymnals

The Promises of God

Author: Lanta Wilson Smith, 19th Century Hymnal: Christian Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #472 (1959) Hymnal Title: Christian Hymnal (Rev. ed.) First Line: I was wand'ring in a wilderness of deep despair and sin Refrain First Line: I believe the promises of God Languages: English Tune Title: [I was wand'ring in a wilderness of deep despair and sin]

The Promises of God

Author: Lanta Wilson Smith Hymnal: Church and Sunday School Hymnal with Supplement #124 (1902) Hymnal Title: Church and Sunday School Hymnal with Supplement First Line: I was wand'ring in a wilderness of deep despair and sin Refrain First Line: I believe the promises of God Languages: English Tune Title: [I was wand'ring in a wilderness of deep despair and sin]

The Promises of God

Author: Lanta Wilson Smith Hymnal: Crowning Day No. 4 #164 (1900) Hymnal Title: Crowning Day No. 4 First Line: I was wand’ring in a wilderness of deep despair and sin Refrain First Line: I believe the promises of God Lyrics: 1 I was wand’ring in a wilderness of deep despair and sin, And my feet were growing weary of the road; But my sorrow, doubt, and care Fled when Jesus met me there, And I learned to trust the promises of God. Refrain: I believe the promises of God, I can trust his never failing Word; When earthly hopes shall fail, Or hosts of sin assail, I rest upon the promises of God. 2 I was followed by the tempter, as he watch’d me day by day, While I sought the shining path my Saviour trod; But with panoply and shield, And the Spirit’s sword to wield, I have conquered thro’ the promises of God. [Refrain] 3 After days of glad rejoicing came a time of grief and care, When I sank beneath the heavy chast’ning rod; And the heart so torn by grief Found it comfort and relief Only thro’ the blessed promises of God. [Refrain] 4 So I pave the path before me with the promises of God; They have brighten’d ev’ry step my feet have trod; And this shining, happy way Brightens into perfect day, Thro’ the never failing promises of God. [Refrain] Languages: English Tune Title: [I was wandering in a wilderness of deep despair and sin]

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People

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William J. Kirkpatrick

1838 - 1921 Person Name: Wm. J. Kirkpatrick Hymnal Title: Crowning Day No. 4 Composer of "[I was wandering in a wilderness of deep despair and sin]" in Crowning Day No. 4 William J. Kirkpatrick (b. Duncannon, PA, 1838; d. Philadelphia, PA, 1921) received his musical training from his father and several other private teachers. A carpenter by trade, he engaged in the furniture business from 1862 to 1878. He left that profession to dedicate his life to music, serving as music director at Grace Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Kirkpatrick compiled some one hundred gospel song collections; his first, Devotional Melodies (1859), was published when he was only twenty-one years old. Many of these collections were first published by the John Hood Company and later by Kirkpatrick's own Praise Publishing Company, both in Philadelphia. Bert Polman

Lanta Wilson Smith

1856 - 1939 Hymnal Title: The Christian Hymnary. Bks. 1-4 Author of "I Was Wandering in a Wilderness" in The Christian Hymnary. Bks. 1-4 Lanta Wilson Smith was born July 19, 1856 at Castine, Maine, and died October 19, 1939 at Taunton, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of a Methodist minister, William J. Wilson, and his wife Sedelia Follett. Her father belonged to the Maine, and later the East Maine Conferences from 1846 until 1866, when he with his family traveled in a covered wagon to the west, where he served as minister in Nebraska and Dakota. Later he returned to New England and founded out his sixty-four years in the ministry at an appointment in Hingham, Massachusetts. From her early childhood Lanta sang and played the organ in church and Sunday school wherever her father was located. When seventeen she attended Bucksport Seminary, Maine, where she received some instruction in music, and where she began to write stories for the church papers. When David C. Cook introduced music and hymns into his publications, Lanta began to write hymns, some of which were used by him. She received assistance from such prominent composers as T. Martin Towne and E. O. Excell. "Scatter Sunshine" [see link below] was perhaps her most popular hymn. It was set to music by Mr. Excell and became such a favorite that he wrote her, "My, my, how I wish you would write another hymn like that. It has proved such a success that I believe I will send you a draft for twenty-five dollars to let you know how much I appreciate the hymn. Possibly this will inspire you to write another equally as good." Mrs. T. M. Towne attended the Christian Endeavor Convention in Washington in 1896, and after her return she wrote Mrs. Smith: "It's wonderful how the great chorus sang your hymn "Scatter Sunshine". A missionary in Japan asked, "May I not have, in your handwriting and over your signature, your beautiful hymn "Scatter Sunshine"? The possession and care of such a kindly souvenir of yourself will often cause me to remember you with gratiude and bring to kindly remembrance the brightness your message has brought to many a life." This request was complied with. The hymn has been adopted as the official hymn of the National Sunshine Society. Shortly after the convention just referred to Mr. Towne sent her a subject - Heaven - and insisted that the last line of the chorus should be "Is Jesus high over them all?" She writes, - "To build up a verse to match a last line beginning with "Is" was something new, and he wanted it in a hurry." When he wrote back he said "Hurrah, I knew you could do it." Asa Hull was another voluminous composer for whom she wrote hymns. In 1880 Miss Wilson married Rev. C. Hartley Smith, and for twelve years they preached and ministered in Dakota. Both were musicians, and wherever they made calls, they were ask to sing some of the beloved hymns of the church. On returning east Mr. Smith joined the New England Southern Conference, and completed thirty-seven years of preaching. Mrs. Smith wrote more than five hundred poems, articles and hymns, the greater part of this number being hymns. Her songs were written for many occasions, Children's Day, Christmas and Easter; there were also temperance hymns and three cantatas. Of one of her songs, "The saints shall have dominion in the morning", Professor Black thought she was giving the saints too much, but when she sent him a large sheet of paper filled with Bible references to the saints, he replied, "I give up. The saints are in for a pretty good time." She left her singing voice out on the prairie, but continued to write even to her eightieth year. --http://heirloomsreunited.blogspot.com/2010/11/, posting a scan of her biography originally published in The Choir Herald, vol.50, n.6 (March 1947): 150-151.