Few hymns have emerged from deeper sorrow than It Is Well With My Soul. Its author, Horatio Gates Spafford, was a successful lawyer and devoted Christian from Chicago in the 19th century. In the early 1870s, his family experienced a series of heartbreaking tragedies. After losing his young son to illness, Spafford suffered severe financial losses in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1873, hoping for a season of rest, he sent his wife, Anna, and their four daughters ahead of him on a voyage to England. During the journey, their ship, the SS Ville du Havre, collided with another vessel in the Atlantic Ocean and sank. Anna survived, but all four daughters lost their lives. She later sent her husband a telegram containing just two unforgettable words: “Saved alone.”
As Spafford sailed to England to meet his grieving wife, the captain informed him when they reached the area where his daughters were believed to have perished. In that moment of overwhelming grief, Spafford penned the words that would become one of Christianity’s greatest hymns:
“When peace like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul”
Rather than expressing despair, the hymn proclaims unwavering trust in God’s sovereignty and the hope found in Christ. Its powerful refrain, “It is well with my soul,” has brought comfort to millions of believers facing grief, loss, illness, and uncertainty for more than 150 years. The hymn’s music was later composed by Philip Paul Bliss, whose moving melody helped carry Spafford’s message of enduring faith to churches around the world. Today, “It Is Well With My Soul” remains a timeless reminder that even in life’s darkest moments, faith in God can bring lasting peace.