When he was eight years old, Belden’s fam­i­ly moved to Cal­i­for­nia, where he first com­posed mu­sic. Due to breath­ing problems, Bel­den lat­er moved to Co­lo­ra­do. He event­u­al­ly re­turned to Bat­tle Creek, Mi­chi­gan, around age 30. He joined the Re­view and Her­ald Pub­lish­ing Com­pany, and stayed in Bat­tle Creek un­til about 1910, when he be­gan writ­ing songs for evang­el­ist Bil­ly Sun­day.

Belden’s aunt was Ellen Har­mon White, one of the pi­o­neers of the Se­venth Day Ad­vent­ist Church. Though Bel­den’s lat­er years were marred by mis­un­der­stand­ings with the church lead­er­ship over his roy­al­ties, he did do­n­ate his pa­pers and man­u­scripts to the church’s sem­in­ary at his death.

Hymns

1. Ask for the Showers of Blessing
2. Build on the Rock
3. Cover with His Life
4. Hold Fast Till I Come
5. I Will Sing of Jesus’ Love
6. Joy By and By
7. Judgment Has Set, The
8. Let Every Lamp Be Burning Bright
9. Look for the Way-Marks
10. Stand by the Bi­ble
11. There’s No Other Name Like Jesus
12. ’Tis Love That Makes Us Happy
13. We Know Not the Hour
14. Wholly Thine

Music

1. Belden