A loving husband experienced the death of his young wife due to complications following a miscarriage. The sad event occurred four years after their marriage.

It was 12 years before this man married again, and the second, happy marriage was blessed with six children. Then tragedy struck when a fire started in their home. His wife of 18 years had been sealing envelopes with hot wax in their living room when her dress caught fire.

The husband had been napping but heard her screams and rushed to her aid. His face and hands were badly burned in his attempt to save her, but she succumbed to her injuries the next day. He was in too much pain to be able to attend her funeral, and he later grew a long beard to hide the many scars on his face.

It was on Christmas day — two years after her death — that this still-sorrowing husband wrote a stirring and meaningful poem that later became a world-renowned Christmas carol. The date was Dec. 25, 1863. The author of the words was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the poem was the beloved “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play

And mild and sweet their songs repeat

Of peace on earth good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head

There is no peace on earth I said

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep

God is not dead, nor doth he sleep

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth good will to men.

Till ringing singing on its way

The world revolved from night to day

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells they’re ringing

Of the life the angels singing

Open up your heart and hear them

Peace on earth, good will to men.

Written during the horrendous years of the American Civil War, when our nation fought against itself, part of the poem dealt with the hate and horror of war itself. Then additional circumstances and sadness in Longfellow’s life caused the poet to fall into deep depression for years. He even feared being placed in an asylum, but the resilience of his human spirit prevailed.

Reading his life story, it is difficult for most of us to begin to understand the depths of the poet’s experience in dealing with despair. On the other hand, we can begin to sense the overcoming peace that came to Longfellow, and to the world, through hope — the hope that through all of life’s challenges is the reassurance that “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep.”

Out of great pain and suffering, as well as incomprehensible tragedies, can come that great sense of peace. We all have burdens to carry in this life, and it is our faith in God — and that beautiful gift of the “human spirit of resilience” that can and will sustain us.

It oftentimes becomes a choice, through the din and disparities of life, to listen for the bells. There are heavy bells and tinkling bells — loud bells and soft bells. There can be joy found in listening for them and their meaning, especially during the Christmas season.

As we enter a New Year, let’s be sure we are listening, as Longfellow did, for the beauty of the bells in our lives.

And to finish with just a wee bit of levity, we’ve heard it said:

“We’re all poets and don’t know it

Our feet show it; they’re Longfellows’.”

Dean and Nancy Hoch are local public affairs representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They may be reached at dean.nancy@gmail.com.