The author of this hymn, Uriah Smith, was born on May 2, 1832, in West Wilton, New Hampshire. In his boyhood he followed William Miller’s teachings, but after the disappointment in 1844, when the Lord did not return to earth, he lost interest in religion. However, he was reconverted in 1852 and in the next year joined the staff of the Review and Herald to begin what was to be a period of 50 years of denominational service. He edited the Review for many years; invented a school desk; because his own artificial leg hampered his movement, patented a better artificial leg; was an accomplished writer and a deep student of the Word of God; and was was a pillar of the Seventh-day Adventist church in its developing and expanding years. He was secretary of the General Conference for five different periods totaling 21 years, and treasurer for one year, 1876-1877. He died March 6, 1903, at Battle Creek, Michigan. He is probably best known as the author of the monumental work Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation. The words of this hymn are a fit epitaph of his own life, which was remarkable for its faithfulness to duty. The poem appeared on the front page of the Review and Herald, September 27, 1853, with instructions to be sung to the tune of the song “Be Kind to the Loved Ones at Home.” As would be expected, the hymn is replete with allusions to the Scriptures.

The tune suggested by Smith was to a secular song beginning “Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young.” The song was written in 1847 by Jacob E. Hosmer, and the tune by Isaac Baker Woodbury (1819-1858) of Beverly, Massachusetts. At 13 years of age Woodbury went to Boston to learn music, but learned the trade of blacksmithing. However, music was the dominant factor in his life, and he played, edited, learned, and composed music. He learned the violin and promoted singing in schools and in choirs. At the age of 19 he went for a year’s study of music to London and to Paris. The first of many visits to Europe. He founded a musical association in Vermont and composed many popular secular songs. In 1849 he moved to New York, where he became a music teacher, and edited The Musical Review and The Musical Pioneer. With help from others he compiled the Boston Musical Education Society’s Collection of Church Music in 1842 and The Choral in 1845. Another of his publication was The New Lute of Zion in which he stated his philosophy of music was to worship God in simple song rather than to treat music as a form of art. Woodbury never enjoyed good health; on a trip to seek a cure in the southern United States he died at Columbia, South Carolina, in 1858, at the early age of 39.

The song “Be Kind to Thy Father” appeared as a gospel song in the American Sunday School Hymn Book, 1860, for it does promote the Christian grace of kindness. The three other stanzas begin “Be kind to thy mother,” “Be kind to thy brother,” “Be kind to thy sister,” respectively.

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