Evan Stephens was born in Pencader, Carmarthenshire in 1854. His parents had become affiliated with the 'Mormon' church - the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - in 1847, and by 1866 had gathered the necessary resources to emigrate to the Salt Lake valley in Utah Territory. Evan's musical talents were recognised and exercised from his teenage years, and he would go on to become director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as contributing many hymns to Latter Day Saint hymnbooks.