What a Friend We Have in Jesus was originally written by preacher Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855 to comfort his mother, who was living in Ireland while he was in Canada. Scriven originally published the poem anonymously, and only received full credit for it in the 1880s. This hymn is also particularly popular among Christians living in Asia, particularly in Japan (where it is called Hoshi no Yo, and is popular at Christian weddings). The following video is a recording of a live performance by the Statler Brothers.
