Mary Ann Morton

Mary Ann Morton is the lyricist of a beautiful Latter-day Saint hymn. Although the 1985 Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lists her birthdate as 1826, the John Whitmer Historical Association published an article by Shane J. Chism that stated, "The current Latter-day Saint hymnbook credits an incorrect Mary Ann Morton (1826-97) as the author of hymn no. 14, "Sweet Is the Peace the Gospel Brings." Baptized in England in 1846, the correct Mary Ann immigrated to Utah, where she became disillusioned with Utah Mormonism and joined the Morrisites. Mary Ann and her husband eventually left Utah for Illinois where they united with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My purpose in writing this paper is to correct that error and, also, to shed some light on this prolific early hymnist of whom little has been written."