Washing of feet and anointing mentioned in verse 4 of hymn "The Spirit of God," published in Church's first (1835) hymnal.

Date
1835
Type
Book
Source
W. W. Phelps
LDS
Hearsay
Direct
Reference

"Collection of Sacred Hymns, 1835," pp. 120–21, The Joseph Smith Papers website, accessed April 7, 2022

Scribe/Publisher
F. G. Williams and Co.
People
W. W. Phelps, Emma Hale Smith
Audience
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Transcription

HYMN 90. P. M. 1

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;

The angels are coming to visit the earth.

We’ll sing & 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!

2 The Lord is extending the saints’ understanding—

Restoring their judges and all as at first;

The knowledge and power of God are expanding

The vail o’er the earth is beginning to burst.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout &c.

3 We call in our solemn assemblies, in spirit,

To spread forth the kingdom of heaven abroad,

That we through our faith may begin to inherit

The visions, and blessings, and glories of God.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout &c.

4 We’ll wash, and be wash’d, and with oil be anointed

Withal not omitting the washing of feet:

For he that receiveth his penny appointed,

Must surely be clean at the harvest of wheat.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout &c.

5 Old Israel that fled from the world for his freedom,

Must come with the cloud and the pillar, amain:

A Moses, and Aaron, and Joshua lead him,

And feed him on manna from heaven again.

We’ll sing and we’ll shout &c.

6 How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion

Shall lie down together without any ire;

And Ephraim be crown’d with his blessing in Zion,

As Jesus descends with his chariots of fire!

We’ll sing & we’ll shout with His 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.

FINIS.

BHR Staff Commentary

The ordinance of washing, anointing, and washing of feet described in verse 4 of this 1835 Kirtland hymn parallels in a general way the ordinance of second anointing that was later given in Nauvoo and afterward.

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