I Am a Child of God

"I Am a Child of God" is a Latter-day Saint hymn and song for children. The lyrics were written in 1957 by Naomi W. Randall and have been translated into over 90 languages. The phrase "I Am a Child of God" is also used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a declaration of a basic belief of Mormonism.

Composition

[
thumb|right|Naomi W. Randall, lyricist] Randall composed the first three verses of "I Am a Child of God" at the request of the general board of the Primary Association, of which she was a member. The board wanted a song that could teach children about LDS Church teachings on the nature of a child's relationship with God. Randall described how she composed the song:

I got down on my knees and prayed aloud, pleading that our Heavenly Father would let me know the right words.

Around 2:00 a.m., I awakened and began to think again about the song. Words came to my mind. … I immediately got up and began to write the words down as they had come to me. Three verses and a chorus were soon formed.

I gratefully surveyed the work, drank of the message of the words, and returned to my bedroom where I knelt before my Father in Heaven to say "Thank you!" [Karen Lynn Davidson (1998). "Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages" (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book) pp. 303–304.]

Randall mailed the lyrics to her friend Mildred T. Pettit in California, who wrote the accompanying music.

Word change

The song was first performed at a stake Primary conference in 1957. After hearing the performance, LDS Apostle Spencer W. Kimball asked the Primary general board, of which Randall was a part, if the phrase "Teach me all that I must know / To live with him someday" could be changed to "Teach me all that I must "do" / To live with him someday". As Kimball later explained, "To know isn't enough. The devils know and tremble; the devils know everything. We have to "do" something."“New Verse Is Written for Popular Song,” "Church News", 1978-04-01, p. 16.] [See also Pat Graham, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3d5e48bf641ab010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “Sharing Time: Fun with Favorites,”] "Friend", Oct. 1984, 14.] Randall accepted the change.

Publication and additional verse

The song was first published in the church's 1969 "Sing with Me", a songbook for children. In 1978, Randall composed a fourth verse to the song. However, when the song was added to the LDS Church's 1985 hymnal, the decision was made to not include the fourth verse because it was considered by the Church Correlation Committee to be "not officially part of the song".Abbey Olsen, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=ac2b3c7842470110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1 “Beloved Song Turns 50,”] "Ensign", Feb. 2007, 76–77.] When a new church songbook for children was produced in 1989, the fourth verse was included.

"I Am a Child of God" is hymn #301 in "Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and song #2 in the "Children's Songbook".

Use and popularity

"I Am a Child of God" is one of the 45 hymns that the church publishes in its basic curriculum sources [See a list at LDS Church, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b3bc55cbf541229058520974e44916a0/?vgnextoid=e1fa5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=eaa3cb7a29c20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0 “Index of First Lines and Titles,”] "Gospel Fundamentals", 276.] that are used in areas of the world where the church is new or underdeveloped. Thus, it is typically one of the first hymns that new Latter-day Saints receive and learn. The song has been translated into over 90 languages and has been the subject of numerous musical adaptations by choirs and other musicians. "I Am a Child of God" is a common phrase used in curriculum, [See, e.g., LDS Church, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b3bc55cbf541229058520974e44916a0/?vgnextoid=637e1b08f338c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=5895cb7a29c20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0 “Lesson 1: I Am a Child of God,”] "Primary 1: I Am a Child of God", 1; LDS Church, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b3bc55cbf541229058520974e44916a0/?vgnextoid=637e1b08f338c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=90c3767978c20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0 “Lesson 3: I Am a Child of God,”] "Primary 2: Choose the Right A", 11; LDS Church, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b3bc55cbf541229058520974e44916a0/?vgnextoid=e1fa5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=c6d3a41f6cc20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0 “Lesson Five: I Am a Child of God,”] "Family Home Evening Resource Book", 20.] magazines, [See, e.g., Vicki F. Matsumori, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=d679ff52fc41c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “Sharing Time: I Am a Child of God,”] "Friend", Mar. 2003, 18; Sheila E. Wilson, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=21bc9fbee98db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3174ff52fc41c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “Sharing Time: I Am a Child of God,”] "Friend", Jan. 2004, 15.] sermons, [See, e.g., Gordon B. Hinckley, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=32b974536cf0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “You Are a Child of God,”] "Ensign", May 2003, 117; Russell M. Nelson, [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=7157605ff590c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “We Are Children of God,”] "Ensign", Nov 1998, 85] and children's clothing, [See, e.g., [http://deseretbook.com/store/product?sku=4917961 I Am a Child of God baby onesie] ; [http://deseretbook.com/store/product?sku=4917956 I Am a Child of God baby bibs] .] jewelry [See, e.g., [http://deseretbook.com/store/product?sku=4025558 I Am a Child of God necklace] .] and novelties [See, e.g., [http://lds.about.com/library/bl/primary/bookmarks_childofgod.pdf I Am a Child of God bookmarks] ; [http://deseretbook.com/store/product?sku=4924766 I Am a Child of God lip-balm] ; [http://deseretbook.com/store/product?sku=4965603 I Am a Child of God stickers] .] as a means of teaching a basic doctrine of Mormonism in simple language.

In February 2007, the LDS Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the writing of "I Am a Child of God".

Copyright

The copyright to "I Am a Child of God" is owned by Intellectual Reserve, Inc., a corporation established by the LDS Church to hold its intellectual property. However, Intellectual Reserve allows copying or downloading of the music and lyrics of the song for incidental, noncommercial church, or noncommercial home uses. In the United States, the phrase "I Am a Child of God" is not trademarked and may be used by anyone for commercial purposes.

Lyrics

I Am a Child of God

ee also

*Choose the right
*

Notes

External links

* [http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=301&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=301&searchsubseqend=ZZZ "I Am a Child of God"] : words and music from "Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"
* [http://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=2&searchseqstart=2&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=2&searchsubseqend=ZZZ "I Am a Child of God"] : words and music from 1989 "Children's Songbook"
* [http://www.lds.org/cm/catalogalphamp3/1,18331,4768-1,00.html?reportStart=3&reportEnd=3&searchPhrase=I "I Am a Child of God"] : free MP3 download
* [http://www.christysclipart.com/cog_language.htm Lyrics to "I Am a Child of God" in different languages]