The Open Secret

Hannah Whitall Smith (1832–1911) did not have an easy life. Of her seven children, only three lived to adulthood. In spite of, and perhaps because of, her unhappy circumstances, she was able to advise Christians on how to find and keep the joy of the Lord in A Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, her widely read and much loved book of Christian holiness theology. Constant themes in her writings include the assurance of salvation and freedom from anxiety, as she portrays the richness of God’s love and His desire to relate to us as the perfect Parent, Savior, Protector, and Friend. Hannah was also active in the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.