Wonderful Words of Life

Wonderful Words of Life was written and composed by Philip P. Bliss, a gifted 19th-century American hymn writer, singer, and evangelist. Born in 1838 in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, Bliss grew up in humble circumstances. As a boy, he worked on farms and in lumber camps to support himself while continuing his education as best he could.

At the age of twelve, he was converted during a revival meeting—a decision that would shape the course of his life. Eventually, Bliss became an itinerant music teacher, often traveling by horseback in winter to give private lessons, and in the summer months he furthered his own training at the Normal Academy of Music in Geneseo, New York.

Bliss’s talent as both a composer and a passionate Christian led him to publish his first song in 1864. Encouraged by famed evangelist Dwight L. Moody, he became a singing evangelist in 1868, devoting his life to sharing the gospel through music. Over the last two years of his life, Bliss partnered with Major D. W. Whittle, leading music in evangelistic campaigns across the Midwest and the South.

"Wonderful Words of Life" reflects Bliss’s heartfelt desire to proclaim the gospel in a joyful and winsome way. With its bright melody and uplifting refrain, the hymn invites all to “listen to the loving call” of Christ and find hope, truth, and eternal life in His Word.

Tragically, Philip Bliss died in a train accident in Ashtabula, Ohio, in 1876, at the age of 38. Yet his legacy continues through timeless hymns like this one, which still stir hearts with the beauty of God’s Word and the hope of salvation.