By Deborah Macomber
Elisha Hoffman was born on May 7, 1839, in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. He died November 25, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois.
The words for this hymn were written by Elisha Hoffman. His father was a pastor, and helped Elisha to follow Christ when he was young. Elisha studied science in school, and then attended the Union Seminary of the Evangelical Association. After working for 11 years at their publishing house, his wife died. After that, he returned to Pennsylvania, the state in which he was born, and was a pastor for 33 years. Elisha Hoffman died at the age of 90.
Here is Mr. Hoffman’s own story of how this song was suggested to him: During a pastorate in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, there was a woman to whom God permitted many visitations of sorrow and affliction. Coming to her home one day, I found her much discouraged. She unburdened her heart, concluding with the question, “Brother Hoffman, what shall I do? What shall I do?” I quoted from the Word, and then added, “You cannot do better than to take all of your sorrows to Jesus. You must tell Jesus.”
For a moment she seemed lost in meditation. Then her eyes lighted as she exclaimed, “Yes, I must tell Jesus.”
As I left her home I had a vision of that joy-illuminated face... and I heard all along my pathway the echo, “I must tell Jesus... I must tell Jesus.”
Source:
Osbeck, K.W. 101 More Hymn Stories. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1985.
