Were You There?

The beloved hymn “Were You There?” belongs to the tradition of African American spiritual songs. It prompts us to reverently imagine witnessing the Savior’s death and Resurrection and to consider how we would have felt if we had been there.

This song originated in the 19th century among enslaved people in the United States who passed it down orally with many variations. In 1940 it became the first African American spiritual to be included in a major American hymnal. The Church later published it in the 1968 collection M.I.A. Let’s Sing, no. 2.

The four stanzas that appear in Hymns—For Home and Church refer to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the darkness following His death, His body being laid in the tomb, and His glorious Resurrection. While the first three verses end with an expression of grief, the fourth verse culminates in a joyful declaration: “I feel like shouting Glory!” The simple words and expressive music evoke the suffering of the Savior and the sorrow felt by His followers. The final verse conveys joy, awe, and hope at the thought of His Resurrection.

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Scriptures

Principles

Jesus Christ suffered intense pain and agony for our sins.
On the third day after His Crucifixion, Jesus Christ took up His body again and became the first person to be resurrected from the dead.
Because Jesus Christ was resurrected, all God’s children will be resurrected, having their spirits reunited with their bodies and receiving the blessing of immortality.

Questions to Ponder

Why is it important for you to think often about the life and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
What are some reasons why Jesus Christ is called the Savior of the world?
What can you do to share the message of hope that comes from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Related Gospel Study Guides

From Topics and Questions, Gospel Library:

Activities for Families

Prepare for Easter with song.
- Help your family reflect on the Easter story by singing this hymn during the week leading up to Easter. As you sing or listen, ask your children how many times they hear the phrase “Were you there?” Do the words sound the same or different each time? Sing or listen to the hymn several times to explore the question. Encourage your children to join in by singing the words “Were you there?” each time they appear.
- Talk about how each verse tells part of the Easter story. Invite your children to listen closely and discover how the story unfolds. Use pictures, if available, to help illustrate the events. You might also sing “Gethsemane” to reflect on the Savior’s great sacrifice before His Crucifixion and help your family feel the spirit of Easter more deeply.
Teach about being a witness of Jesus Christ. Help children imagine what it would be like to see the resurrected Jesus Christ.
- Sing or listen to the fourth verse of the hymn, and then ask, “What do you think it would have been like to see the Savior after He was resurrected?”
- Explain that many people in the scriptures were witnesses of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, like Mary Magdalene, the Apostles, the Nephites in the land Bountiful, and Joseph Smith. Share their stories to help your children understand what it means to be a witness. Invite your children to take turns pretending to be a witness and interviewing the witness. The interviewer could ask questions like “How did you know it was Jesus Christ? What did He say? How did you feel? Who will you tell? How will this change your life?”
- Talk about how we can be witnesses of Jesus Christ today. Invite your children to think of simple ways they can share their witness of Him with others.