Mansion Over the Hilltop

“Mansion Over the Hilltop” is a Southern Gospel song written by Ira Stanphill, written in 1949. It was most notably performed by Elvis Presley on the album His Hand in Mine. In 1945, a young Christian businessman stood one evening in an evangelistic service in Dallas, Texas, and told how he had learned a valuable lesson from a small child.The gentleman stated that his business, for a number of months, had been in a steady decline. It looked as if it would completely fail.
Since the situation seemed beyond his ability to understand or control, he found himself slipping into despondency, discouragement and feelings of despair.
He related how one day, for a period of diversion and relaxation, he decided to get into his car and drive out into the countryside. He traveled for miles, out beyond the busy streets and residential areas. He stopped his car on a lonely road and continued on foot. Soon, he found himself on a deserted, out-of-the-way trail, where eventually he came upon a dilapidated cottage. It was in great disrepair with some of the windows replaced with cardboard. Out front was a young girl playing with a doll. Although the stuffing in the doll was protruding in several places, the child seemed to be content and happy. He approached the front yard – keeping his distance for fear of frightening the child – and asked, “Little girl, would you tell me how you can be happy living in such a house? It is broken down, and the windows are out in several places. The doll you have in your hand is broken with the stuffing coming out. How can you be happy?” The little girl looked up with a smiling face and a gesturing hand and said, “Mister, my daddy just came into a lot of money, and he is building us a brand new mansion just over that hilltop.” The young businessman testified that those words pierced his heart. He realized, for the first time, that though his earthly business was faltering, the heavenly father had greater things in store for him. It was as though he heard God saying, “Son, don’t you know that I have a mansion prepared for you just beyond those clouds? The young businessman concluded his story by telling how he went back home with a new determination to live for God and let the heavenly father take care of the business. Ira Stanphill, the famed songwriter, was in the audience that evening. He was so moved with the story, he went home still thinking about what he had heard. He rose early the next morning, went to his piano, and wrote the song, “Mansion Over the Hilltop.”