Ruth Caye Jones was born in 1902 at Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, and was educated there. A self-taught organist and pianist, she assisted her Methodist evangelist husband in his ministry. Their devotional radiobroadcast A Visit With the Joneses, begun in 1948 direct from their home, also featured their five children, three of whom became ordained ministers. This program was continued by their son, Rev. Bert. L. Jones, who gave this story:

“Mother wrote this song during the dark days of World War II with the words of 2 Timothy 3:1 in mind: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.’ The song was written in our family home in the Dormont area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Inspiration for the words and music came spontaneously as she was in the middle of her housework actually, while she was ironing. She took a pad of paper from her apron pocket and jotted down the words, melody, and harmony. When I came home from high school that day, Mother said, “Bert, you must try a new song that the Lord gave me today.” As I played the song for the first time, and our family group sang it several times, we never dreamed how far the song would go to bless so many people.

“It has been frequently used in the Billy Graham crusades. A very special high point for Mother came on the closing day of the crusade at Columbus, Ohio, when George Beverly Shea (see SDAH 75) asked her to sit on the platform, and he introduced her to the crowd before singing the song.” She August 18, 1972, at Erie, Pennsylvania.

📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.