"Joy to the World! The Lord Will Come" is an adaptation of the popular Christmas carol, Joy to the World. It was included in A Collection of Sacred Hymns (Kirtland, Ohio), the first Latter Day Saint hymnal published in 1835 or 1836.
The adapted version was short lived, and was not included in its entirety in subsequent hymnals. However, the changes typify the millennial expectation and theology of the early Latter Day Saint church. The version of the song currently published in the hymnal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the Phelps text—except for the first two lines, which reflect Watts' original words.
The changes were made by W. W. Phelps from the original version written by Isaac Watts.
Phelps Adaptation | Watts Original |
---|---|
Joy to the world! the Lord will come! |
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! |
Rejoice! rejoice! when Jesus reigns! |
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! |
No more will sin and sorrow grow, |
No more let sins and sorrows grow, |
Rejoice! rejoice! in the Most High, |
He rules the world with truth and grace, |