It Is Well with My Soul

This hymn of comfort and hope by Horatio G. Spafford is especially poignant because its beginnings were marked by deep sorrow and heartbreaking loss. Spafford had already endured a series of devastating personal and business setbacks. Then, in 1873, as his wife and four daughters were traveling to Europe aboard the SS Ville du Havre, it collided with another ship and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. After his wife, Anna, was pulled out of the sea and taken to Wales on a passing boat, she sent her husband a telegram that read, “Saved alone. What shall I do.” All four Spafford daughters had perished in the shipwreck.

While Spafford was crossing the Atlantic to meet Anna, his ship reached the site where the shipwreck had occurred. But he did not think of his loved ones being there; he knew that they were safe and cared for in heaven.

Following the tragedy, Spafford wrote the hymn text “It Is Well with My Soul,” expressing the sustaining peace we can find in Jesus Christ even “when sorrows like sea billows roll.” The opening line draws on another water image from Isaiah 66:12: “Behold, I will extend peace … like a river.” The tune, composed by Philip P. Bliss, is named “Ville du Havre” after the lost ship.

Find lyrics, sheet music, and recordings for It Is Well with My Soul

Scriptures

Principles

No matter our circumstances, we can rely on God as the source of lasting peace.
Our faith in Jesus Christ invites His healing and comfort.
Through His Atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ made it possible for our sins to be forgiven.

Questions to Ponder

When have you experienced a need for the peace that God provides?
What can you do to seek God’s peace?
What has led you to know that you can be forgiven through Jesus Christ?

Related Gospel Study Guides

From Topics and Questions, Gospel Library:

Activities for Families

Talk about how to have peace in any circumstance. To help your children connect more deeply with the message of this hymn, consider sharing the story of the author, Horatio G. Spafford, included above. Then listen to a recording of the hymn or sing it together. Invite your children to listen carefully to the words and think about the message they teach. How can we say, “It is well,” even when life is difficult? Discuss as a family how faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ can bring peace, no matter our circumstances.
Look to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Use this hymn to help your children recognize that even in hard times, peace is possible through the Savior. Share this teaching from President Russell M. Nelson: “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ” (“The Answer Is Always Jesus Christ,” Liahona, May 2023, 127). Invite your children to complete this sentence with their own experiences and the ways Jesus Christ can help: “Though [their experience], it is well with my soul because Jesus Christ …” (Examples might include the following: “Though I feel lonely at school, it is well with my soul because Jesus Christ is always with me.” “Though our family finances are hard right now, it is well with my soul because Jesus Christ blesses those who follow Him.”) After everyone has shared, sing the chorus together. Share your testimony that trusting in Jesus Christ is always the answer to our questions and challenges.