High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "Praise to the Man" (originally titled "Joseph Smith") is a poem written as a tribute to Joseph Smith, Jr. by Latter Day Saint leader and hymn writer William W. Phelps. The poem was composed soon after Smith`s death, and was later set to music and adopted as a hymn of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was first published anonymously in the church newspaper Times and Seasons in August 1844, approximately one month after Smith was killed. The hymn is still used within the LDS Church and is hymn #27 in the current LDS Church hymnal.