The Emma Smith Hymn Festival: An Annual Tradition
The Story Behind the Annual Festival
This beloved tradition began at the Kirtland Temple in 2004. Two talented music fellows, Sarah Thatcher and David Bolton, creatively crafted the interpretive script and hymn selections for a hymn festival commemorating the 200th anniversary of Emma Smith's birth. A call for musicians, singers, and readers went out to the Kirtland community to help celebrate the "Elect Lady." When the night of the event arrived, Sarah, David, and the Kirtland Temple staff welcomed nearly 300 guests to the hymn festival. It was an incredible evening of church history and song. In fact, the first Emma festival was such a success that it was repeated a few weeks later and has continued every July ever since.
Emma Festival in 2020
As July 2020 approached, COVID-19 threatened to disrupt the annual hymn festival plans at the Kirtland Temple. Rather than gathering inside Kirtland’s historic “House of the Lord” like in previous years, we expanded the annual tradition to friends all over the world in an online celebration. Not even the Coronavirus can stop us from celebrating the founding mother of our faith community! The Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation partnered with Beyond the Walls and the Community of Christ historic sites to host the special event. Over fifty singers participated in the online choir. Festival participants and attendees gathered virtually from all over the world to honor the life and legacy of Emma Hale Smith. Follow the link below to view a video recording of the 17th annual Emma Smith Hymn Festival. Donations received from the live and recorded event go towards the preservation of Community of Christ historic sites that help share Emma's life and legacy.
This beloved tradition began at the Kirtland Temple in 2004. Two talented music fellows, Sarah Thatcher and David Bolton, creatively crafted the interpretive script and hymn selections for a hymn festival commemorating the 200th anniversary of Emma Smith's birth. A call for musicians, singers, and readers went out to the Kirtland community to help celebrate the "Elect Lady." When the night of the event arrived, Sarah, David, and the Kirtland Temple staff welcomed nearly 300 guests to the hymn festival. It was an incredible evening of church history and song. In fact, the first Emma festival was such a success that it was repeated a few weeks later and has continued every July ever since.
Emma Festival in 2020
As July 2020 approached, COVID-19 threatened to disrupt the annual hymn festival plans at the Kirtland Temple. Rather than gathering inside Kirtland’s historic “House of the Lord” like in previous years, we expanded the annual tradition to friends all over the world in an online celebration. Not even the Coronavirus can stop us from celebrating the founding mother of our faith community! The Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation partnered with Beyond the Walls and the Community of Christ historic sites to host the special event. Over fifty singers participated in the online choir. Festival participants and attendees gathered virtually from all over the world to honor the life and legacy of Emma Hale Smith. Follow the link below to view a video recording of the 17th annual Emma Smith Hymn Festival. Donations received from the live and recorded event go towards the preservation of Community of Christ historic sites that help share Emma's life and legacy.
Help Preserve the Historic Sites That Share Emma's Story
Donations from the hymn festival (then and now) will go to preserving the Community of Christ historic sites that share Emma Smith's extraordinary story with visitors from all over the world. Click the button below to make an online donation to help preserve the historic places that mattered to Emma Smith, our "Elect Lady."
Donations from the hymn festival (then and now) will go to preserving the Community of Christ historic sites that share Emma Smith's extraordinary story with visitors from all over the world. Click the button below to make an online donation to help preserve the historic places that mattered to Emma Smith, our "Elect Lady."
About Emma Hale Smith
Fiercely devoted to family, Emma Smith witnessed the beginning of both the Restoration and the Reorganization. Although her life was not free of challenges, Emma met each one with determination, courage, and integrity. When her husband, Joseph, began a new church in 1830, her steady presence offered him comfort. Many years later, she would offer similar support and encouragement to her son, Joseph Smith III, as he chose to lead the Reorganization. Unafraid to speak up on important matters, the "Elect Lady" took a leading role in the early church by compiling hymns into a hymnal in 1835 and later leading the Women's Relief Society. Emma did her best to offer her children a stable home amid the chaos following her husband's death in 1844. Eventually she made a permanent residence in Nauvoo, Illinois, earned money by running a hotel, and remarried. Emma's passion for music and church hymnody continued as she assisted in the publication of three additional hymnals (two for the Reorganization) that were published in 1841, 1861 and 1864). Her boundless generosity and commitment to living a Christian life impacted the entire neighborhood as she opened her doors and shared her story with friends, family, and strangers alike.
Fiercely devoted to family, Emma Smith witnessed the beginning of both the Restoration and the Reorganization. Although her life was not free of challenges, Emma met each one with determination, courage, and integrity. When her husband, Joseph, began a new church in 1830, her steady presence offered him comfort. Many years later, she would offer similar support and encouragement to her son, Joseph Smith III, as he chose to lead the Reorganization. Unafraid to speak up on important matters, the "Elect Lady" took a leading role in the early church by compiling hymns into a hymnal in 1835 and later leading the Women's Relief Society. Emma did her best to offer her children a stable home amid the chaos following her husband's death in 1844. Eventually she made a permanent residence in Nauvoo, Illinois, earned money by running a hotel, and remarried. Emma's passion for music and church hymnody continued as she assisted in the publication of three additional hymnals (two for the Reorganization) that were published in 1841, 1861 and 1864). Her boundless generosity and commitment to living a Christian life impacted the entire neighborhood as she opened her doors and shared her story with friends, family, and strangers alike.