In one of the stories "It Is Well," they talk about the writer of the hymn It Is Well and the story of how a man's family members died in the shipwreck, then later in "Welcome Home" Vol. 28 they mention this man again about him in a foreign land acting as if he was the Messiah. My question is, who is this guy, where is the AIO source of finding this story, and where would I find the history of it? - Submitted by Beda

Boy, was that a mouthful! Where do I start? Well, I guess it would be best to start by telling you who this hymn writer was. His name was William G. Spafford, a real person, and he did encounter a lot of trials in his life, including the loss of his wife and daughters to a shipwreck. In It Is Well, Whit details leading up to the writing of the popular hymn.

While it is not clear which particular source the AIO writers referred to in the writing of the episode, it is known that there are numerous books about William G. Spafford in circulation. If you check your local library, I'm sure they'll help you find out more information on this man. Or if you aren't too busy, you could do a quick search on the internet. I'm sure you'll have plenty of information. Just remember to check your sources for accuracy.

And to clear things up, Whit mentions on the episode The Other Woman that William Spafford developed a mental illness in his later days of life, causing him to act the way he did before his death. I personally believe he was a Christian but something just went wrong towards the end of his life. As God tells us, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." I'm positive he didn't leave William due to his physical and mental condition.

Back to AIO F.A.Q.