High on the Mountain Top
5; 333

Text: Joel H. Johnson (1802–1882; LDS)
Music: Ebenezer Beesley (1840–1906; LDS)
Tune name: DESERET

This hymn memorializes the faith of the Latter- day Saints in the universal blessing of the restored gospel. The strong, ringing melody captures the enthusiasm of the words. “High on the Mountain Top” is a wholehearted assertion of the glory of Zion and a fervent restatement of scriptural prophecy.

As is true of many of our finest hymn texts, this one is based closely on scripture. Joel H. Johnson’s inspiration was Isaiah 2:2–3:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

In his brief autobiography, which he appended to his journal, Joel H. Johnson noted the following:

“After being baptized in 1831 I never lived but a short time in any one place on account of mob violence. And since I have been in Utah I have made eleven new places. Was never called on a mission without responding to the call and never asked to speak in public on the principles of religion when I excused myself. I have written nearly or quite one thousand spiritual hymns and sacred songs, now in a manuscript entitled, ‘Zion’s Songster, or the Songs of Joel’” (quoted in George D. Pyper, Stories of Latter- day Saint Hymns, 145).

New members of the Church may be uncertain of the meaning of the word Deseret, in verse one. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “Deseret is the Jaredite name for honey bee (Ether 2:3). Brigham Young and his followers first named their new intermountain empire the territory of Deseret after this unique Book of Mormon name” (Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], 190).

Two verses printed at the bottom of the page in the 1950 hymnal were not retained:

Then hail to Deseret! A refuge for the good,
And safety for the great, If they but understood
That God with plagues will shake the world
Till all its thrones shall down be hurled.

In Deseret doth truth Rear up its royal head;
Though nations may oppose, Still wider it shall spread;
Yes, truth and justice, love and grace,
In Deseret find ample place.

G. William Richards, who served as a member of the 1985 Hymnbook Executive Committee, noted in his research that the hymn tune DESERET bears a great similarity to an earlier tune by Lowell Mason called STOW.

The text first appeared in The Western Standard in 1856. The tune DESERET was published with this text in the 1889 Latter- day Saints’ Psalmody.