The 1985 edition of the Latter-day Saint hymnal is the first to include birth and death dates for authors and composers. For hymn enthusiasts like myself, this is a welcome feature. Unfortunately, it also introduced further mistakes into the hymnal. One such example is found under hymn no. 14, “Sweet Is the Peace the Gospel Brings,” where the birth and death dates of author Mary Ann Morton are given as 1826 and 1897, respectively.
Karen Lynn Davidson, in Our Latter-day Hymns, has only the following to say concerning Morton: “Little is known of her life except that she emigrated to the United States in 1856 and married George Mann.” (Davidson, 415) However, evidence indicates that the hymn writer named Mary Ann Morton was a different individual than the woman who married George Mann. Mary Lois Walker Morris, the youngest daughter of William Gibson Walker, claims that the hymns credited in the hymnal to Mary Ann Morton were written by her step-mother, Mary Ann Morton Walker. In a life sketch written for her children, Morris stated that her father, who had emigrated from England with his family in 1850 and lived in St. Louis until his first wife Mary Godwin died in 1851, was called on a mission to England and while there “had married a Miss Mary Ann Morton, whose acquaintance he had made in Great Britain during his missionary labors previous to our emigration…She was the authoress of several hymns which are to be found in the Latter Day Saint’s Hymn Book, above her signature.” (Milewski, 167).
Between 1848 and 1852, ten poems were published in the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star under the name Mary Ann Morton or her initials M. Morton or M. A. Morton, including “Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings,” published on May 1, 1852. Morton’s earliest extant poem, “An Answer to the West,” was published in the Millennial Star on May 1, 1848, and signed “Miss Mary Ann Morton,” with her residence listed as “Flamstead, Hertfordshire, [England].” The poems published between 1850 and 1852 all give her residence as “Luton.”
With this information, a search was conducted through nineteenth-century membership records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England, and among the records of the Flamstead Branch was found the following name: “Mary Ann Walker, formerly Morton.” This record also stated she had married William Walker on February 2, 1853.
It should be noted that in the Millennial Star the last poem published under the name Mary Ann Morton appeared in the November 6, 1852 issue, however, beginning with the issue dated January 7, 1854, the name M. A. Walker began to appear; ten poems were published under this name from 1854 to 1857. The last of these, entitled “Farewell Song” was published on March 7, 1857. Later this same month, William G. Walker and his wife sailed from England to the United States, on their way to Utah.
This removal to Utah would explain the absence of any further poems by Walker in the Millennial Star. She and her husband eventually left the Church, first following Joseph Morris, and then joining the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They subsequently moved to Dekalb, Illinois, where Mary Ann died in 1873. An obituary published in the True Latter Day Saints’ Herald, a periodical issued by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, confirms that she is the same woman credited in the Latter-day Saint hymnal as Mary Ann Morton: “Sr. Walker was a woman of considerable talent, and having a poetic temperament, she wrote numbers of excellent compositions: some of which are to be found in the European Edition of the Hymn Book, published by Franklin D. Richards, and some in the Herald; besides others published elsewhere.” (Herald, July 1, 1874). Her departure from the Church is undoubtedly one of the principal reasons so little information is known about her life today.
Mary Ann Morton was born on January 28, 1802 in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, England, not far from London. Her parents were named William and Catharine Morton. Nothing else is known about them. Mary Ann was christened in the Church of England at Flamstead on February 7, 1802, a little more than a week after her birth. No information is available concerning her early life, but she appears to have been well-educated. As an adult she earned her living as a straw braider, making hats for both men and women. She was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 3, 1846, at the age of 44. Her baptism and confirmation were performed by Thomas Squires.
When Mary Ann Morton joined the Church “she suffered the usual persecution, intensified by the desertion of her own family.” (Herald, July 1, 1874). She married William G. Walker on February 14, 1853, at St. Albans Abbey, Hertfordshire, England. She had become acquainted with Walker many years earlier during his first mission to England, sometime before the Walker family immigrated to the United States in 1850.
In 1857 William Walker and his wife traveled to Utah. They sailed from Liverpool, England, on March 28, 1857, aboard the ship The George Washington, arriving in Boston on April 20, 1857. Nothing else is recorded about their journey. Charles L. Walker, the only son of William Walker, made the following entry in his diary on July 20, 1857: “Received a letter from my Father who is coming home to the valley having been on a mission to England for nearly three years.” (Larson, 3)
The Walkers resided in the Sixth Ward at Salt Lake City, and received their endowments in the Salt Lake Temple on March 19, 1858. Mary Ann Walker “was of a refined nature and very devotional,” recalled her step-daughter Mary Lois Walker Morris, who stayed with her father and step-mother for a few days after their arrival in Utah. She later wrote:
Now, Mrs. Walker, though a very devout person, and believed firmly in the Bible, did not seem to understand that God must have a channel through which to communicate to His people. It was during one of the nights of this few days of my stay with them, that I tried to convince Mrs. Walker of the necessity of the Holy Priesthood. During this interview she told me that she received Mormonism and Spiritualism at the same time! (No wonder that they did not assimilate very well.) I continued to labor with her, but in the morning she was of the same opinion.(Milewski, 167).
Of the household arrangements of Mr. and Mrs. Walker, Morris continued:
While Mrs. Walker was not much of a housekeeper, she was very clever at her trade, that of a straw braider. She did beautiful work for gentlemen’s hats as well as for ladies hats and bonnets. For this it was necessary that she should keep her hands soft and smooth, but your grandfather, having been the eldest of a large family, had been taught the art of housekeeping. So, by united effort they could make each other very comfortable. Your Uncle Charles [Charles Lowell Walker] also made his home with them, adding his portion towards the support of the home. In this way they were independent, I think, although your grandfather must have been quite Seventy years old and Mrs. Walker seemed just about the same age. (Milewski , 170).
William Walker and his wife soon became dissatisfied with the Church, and by early 1861 had joined the “Morrisite” dissenters. They were excommunicated from the Latter-day Saint Church shortly thereafter. On May 11, 1861, Charles Walker wrote in his diary of witnessing his father’s exommunication: “At night went to the council meeting, and there I saw and witnesed [sic] that which I never expected to see as long as I lived namely the cutting off of my Father from the church and the Kingdom of God for apostasy. Also his wife M. A. Walker. It did not surprise me about her, for I knew the Spirrit [sic] she was of, but as to him I must acknowledge I did not think he was so foolish.” (Larson, 179). The Walkers soon afterward joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
William Walker, who had one time been a school teacher, “opened a little school in his own house,” according to his daughter Mary, “and his teaching gave so much satisfaction to the parents that he was asked to take charge of the Ward school. However, before the matter was consummated someone remembered that he was an apostate and on this account not eligible for the position. When he was told this it so hurt his feelings that he concluded to leave the country. At this time the Civil War was in progress. So he and his wife commenced to make preparations for their departure, which seemed a pity since they were quite comfortably situated.” (Milewski , 170).
William and Mary Ann Walker departed for Plano, Illinois, in late April 1864, arriving on August 6, 1864. They made their home at DeKalb, Illinois, where they resided for the next nine and a half years. Mary Ann died on September 25, 1873 at DeKalb. “She refused medical aid until the last hours, then some help was offered but to no avail.” (Herald, July 1, 1874). The place of her burial is unknown.
The following are some of her poems:
The Gospel
Sweet is the peace the Gospel brings
….To seeking minds, and true;
With light refulgent on its wings,
….It clears the human view.
Tradition flees before its power,
….And unbelief gives way;
The gloomy clouds that used to lower
….Submit to reason’s sway.
Yea, reason of celestial kind,
….Above a mortal’s ken,
Till by the sacred fire refined,
….Faith realizes then.
Its laws and precepts are divine,
….And shew a Father’s care;
Transcendent love and mercy shine
….In each injunction there.
May we who name the sacred name
….From every sin depart;
Then will the Spirit’s constant flame
….Preserve us pure in heart.
Ere long the tempter’s power will cease,
….And sin no more annoy;
Nor differing sects disturb our peace,
….Or mar our heart-felt joy.
That which we have in part received
….Will be in part no more;
For He in whom we have believed,
….To us will all restore.
In patience, then, let us possess,
….Our souls, till He appear;
On to our mark, of calling press,
….Redemption draweth near.
Millennial Star, May 1, 1852
A Saint
A Saint! and is the title mine,
….Or have I but the name?
Have I the lineaments divine
….Which can this honor claim?
Have I believed that God is God,
….And as a sovereign Lord,
To all, who seek and serve him right,
….Will give a free reward?
Have I to penitence been brought,
….Marked with a godly woe,
That needs not one repentant thought,
….Or single tear to flow?
Humbled for sin, have I been led
….To seek the watery tomb,
From whence, through our exalted head,
….Remission’s blessings come?
Have I the heavenly gift received
….From apostolic hands?
Bestowed on those who first believed,
….And kept the Lord’s commands.
Have I the faith divine and pure,
….Gift of celestial birth?
That warms the heart and keeps it pure,
….And knows a Saviour’s worth.
If so, the body broke for sin,
….To me is living bread;
The Spirits power is felt within,
…..For me the blood was shed.
Nor must I here presume to rest,
….But leaving these behind,
Perfection ever keep in view,
….For which the Saints designed.
Celestial crowns await the day
….(For conquerors in the war)
When Jesus will his power display,
….And sin be banished far.
Millennial Star, August 1, 1849
Deliverance
Eternal Priesthood! sacred power!
….To thee my faith still clings,
And patient waits the gladsome hour
….That my deliverance brings.
Like some chased roe my spirit pants
….To reach that blest abode,
Where Zion’s converts spread their wants
….And cares before their God.
Where freedom reigns, and love abounds,
….Such as the world ne’er knew,
Since Mammon, and tradition’s bonds,
….The Gospel seed o’ergrew.
Hope still inspires with cheering ray,
….Although my prospect’s drear;
Methinks I hear my Saviour say,
….“Thy soul hath naught to fear.
Thy chains shall break, thy bands give way,
….Thy ransom’s wrought by me;
Released from dark oppressive sway,
….My glory thou shalt see.”
My heart responds, “Thy will be done,”
….And “all is well” with me;
Best known to the Eternal One,
….Is human destiny.
No servile fear my spirit binds,
….’Tis Jesus makes me free;
I seek to dwell with kindred minds,
….And Deseret to see.
Millennial Star, January 7, 1854
Zion’s Redemption
How oft the heart with sadness swells;
….Here scenes of grief abound;
And plaintive woe its sorrow tells,
….While snares our path surround.
Say truth, and calm my anxious breast,
….Where are those peaceful shores,
Where wearied pilgrims find a rest,
….And heaven true bliss restores?
Methinks the shepherd’s warning voice
….Resounds through hill and dale
To sinners, while the saints rejoice,
….In hope of Zion’s vale.
How beautiful the feet of those,
….Who Zion’s hope have made;
The tidings good they would disclose,
….And proffer loving aid.
Who say, “Thy God forever reigns;
….Thy watchman shall arise.”
And sing, while truth the victory gains
….Before their ‘lightened eyes,
Such glorious prospects are revealed
….When Zion shall return,
Each mystery then so long concealed,
….The wise will quickly learn,
“Depart!” the sacred mandate’s come,
….Touch naught that will defile,
Go quickly out from Babylon,
….Beneath th’ Eternal smile.
True Latter-Day Saints’ Herald, June 15, 1872
Notes
*I have not been able to locate a photograph of Mary Ann Morton Walker. Charles L. Walker, in a letter to his sister Mary dated “St. George, Feb. 21, 1869,” wrote of receiving a photograph of his father and his wife: “Last year I received a few letters from father…He sent me his photograph and that of Mrs. Walker. She looks pretty well but he looks very old and careworn, with long white beard hanging on his breast.” (http://welshmormon.byu.edu/Resource_Info.aspx?id=2336). It is not known if he kept this photograph, and if so, if it was passed down to his descendants.
*A letter from M. A. Walker, Dekalb, Illinois, to Jared Carter, Salt Lake City, Utah, is held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. This letter has also been digitized, and is viewable from the Church History Library catalog.
*The last name of the Mary Ann who married George Mann was actually spelled Moreton. (see https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/MCZK-GMB accessed September 17, 2012; see also https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/mary-ann-moreton_22516154). Davidson later came to the conclusion the information in the hymnal concerning Mary Ann Morton was incorrect; in the second edition of Our Latter-day Saint Hymns, published in 2009, she altered Mary Ann Morton’s name to Mary Ann Morton Durham, and modified the birth and death dates to 1828-1897. (see p. 404). But this is also incorrect.
Sources:
M. A. Morton, “The Gospel,” Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, May 1, 1852, 160.
“Record of Members ca. 1837-1858 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bedford Conference,” FHL BRITISH Film 86979, 77.
“England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975,” https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J94N-9Q1, accessed December 6, 2011.
“England Marriages, 1538–1973,” https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N64R-3CP, accessed December 6, 2011.
“Arrival From Utah,” True Latter-Day Saints’ Herald, August 15, 1864, 64.
“Obituary” [Mary Ann Walker], True Latter-Day Saints’ Herald, July 1, 1874, 413.
Melissa Lambert Milewski, ed., Before the Manifesto: the Life Writings of Mary Lois Walker Morris (Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2007).
A. Karl Larson and Katharine Miles Larson, eds., Diary of Charles Lowell Walker, Vol. 1 (Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 1980).
Karen Lynn Davidson, Our Latter-day Hymns: the Stories and the Messages (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1988), 415.
Latter-day Saint Hymnology 