If the Savior Stood Beside Me

 

Would I do the things I do?

Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?

Would I follow His example?

Would I live more righteously?

Would I say the things I say?

Would my words be true and kind if He were never far away?

Would I try to share the gospel?

Would I speak more reverently?

Would my thoughts be clean and pure?

Would His presence give me strength and hope, and courage to endure?

Would His counsel guide my actions?

    Would I choose more worthily?

Would I often kneel to pray?

Would I listen to the Spirit’s voice, and hasten to obey?

Would I count my many blessings?

Would I praise Him gratefully
 Would I comfort those in need?
Would I try to show the Savior’s love in every word and deed?
Would I give to those who hunger?

Would I serve more willingly

He is always near me, though I do not see Him there
And because He loves me dearly, I am in His watchful care
So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.

 

The Savior is always near. He is by our side, and with that knowledge we should ask ourselves...

 

Do I think of the commandments and try hard to be true?

Do my words remain true and kind?

Do I share the gospel?

Do I speak reverently?

Do I keep my thoughts clean and pure?

Do I often kneel down to pray?

Do I listen to the spirits voice?

Do I hasten to obey?

Do I count my blessings?

Do I thank him every day?

Do I Serve willingly?

Do I show my Saviors Love in every word and deed?

If the Savior stood beside me is one of my favorite primary hymns. If we kept it in our thoughts and minds on  daily basis I do believe our thoughts words and deeds would be different and be more turned to Christ.

I know that the Savior is never far away. I know that he stands beside us! I know that his presence gives us strength, hope and courage to endure because I have felt his strength, I have felt his hope, I have felt his encouragement and most importantly I have felt his love! I know that the Savior live and that he loves each and everyone of us with an everlasting love and that his Love is there for ANYONE who is willing to accept it. He Loves us more then we can comprehend and because of that, we can always have the strength to move forward and press on!

 

This song now has so many different versions available, that you’ll notice there are a couple of extra tabs on this page. If you’re looking for information on other versions or on available recordings, just click the appropriate tab above.

Background:

Many of you have requested background on this song and/or a message to your Primary children. I’m posting it here rather than send so many identical responses individually.
“If the Savior Stood Beside Me” is a song I wrote for my daughter Holly when she turned eight years old. I wrote a song for each of my children, and this one was hers. Holly was such a good example! She was always so kind and loved others so much, it seemed as though she knew Jesus was always close beside her, taking care of her and loving her.
Holly is now all grown up, and has a family of her own. This is what she says about her song:
On my eighth birthday, I was baptized. At my baptism, my mom sang the song “If the Savior Stood Beside Me,” which she wrote specially for me. I remember her saying “I wrote this song for Holly, not because it’s a lesson I wanted to teach her, but because she has always acted as if the Savior really was there beside her.” That meant a lot to me, and I was so proud of myself and my beautiful song!
It has been more than 15 years since that day, and though there have been times that I have not acted as I would if I could see the Savior next to me, I know that even when we make mistakes and choose to do the wrong thing, Jesus stays near us and watches over us anyway, waiting for us to reach out and hold His hand again. Because He loves us so dearly, we are always in His watchful care, even when we don’t know it, and someday we will all look back and realize how close He was, just when we needed Him. I am trying every day to “be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be if I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me.”
My young friends, if you will live every day of your life as though you could see the Savior standing right beside you, you will be happy, and you will be ready to live with Him again some day. He loves you and will always–always!–watch over you.

Children’s Voices:

The simplified version is included in both the 2008 and 2013 Primary Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentations. This version has been translated into several different languages, available in the program booklets linked on the CSMP page at LDS.org. If I have other languages not included there, they are linked here.
The original version appeared in the Friend magazine in October of 1993, but contained one very unfortunate typo (or grammar-o, as the case may be) in the second verse. “Would my words be true and kind if He were never far away?” is correct–the “was” that made its way into the original score was just carelessness and sloppy proofreading on my part, and it continues to haunt me as the Friend version continues to be used. (If you listen to the children’s choir rendition on the lds.org website, you’ll find that they were reading from that unfortunate score.) The score linked here is correct.

YW/Youth

Verse 3 was added in 2006 at the request of the General YW board.
The two easy SA arrangements are very similar. YW version 1 was performed in the 2007 General YW Broadcast, and was also included in the August 2007 New Era magazine. YW version 2 is nearly identical, but an obbligato is added so the piano accompaniment is modified to accommodate it. This version was performed in the General YW Broadcast a couple of years after the first one.
In addition, there is a very easy SA arrangement of the original without the extra verse. Another easy SA, arranged by Jerry Jackman, is available through Jackman Music. Note that this arrangement can’t be copied.
For youth chorus, the Duet/two-part Choir version uses the same accompaniment, and contains the same verses. There is an MP3 practice track available for this version. There is also a 2 pt. mixed chorus version which uses the original accompaniment and verses. No practice track is available for this score. Both are fairly easy.

Solo and Choir

Both of the above versions will work for choir. Any of the versions may be used for solo voice. The Solo/Men version has yet another different accompaniment. The harmonies, provided by James Loynes (thanks, James!) are written for two voices.
The Tabernacle Choir version was arranged by Sam Cardon. The sheet music is currently unavailable.

Listed below are commercial products using this song:
Mormon Tabernacle Choir: “Teach Me to Walk in the Light and other children’s favorites” (2012)
Softly and Tenderly CD (Allyse Smith Taylor/Marvin Goldstein)
My All is Thine CD, Songbook, Individual sheet music (Allyse Smith Taylor/Marvin Goldstein)
I Am a Child of God (CD) Songs for Children 2013 (Clive Romney)
Favorite Songs for LDS Children (Hardcover w/Concealed Spiral)
I Can Play Primary Songs, Book 2 (Songbook, Paperback, Brent Jorgensen)
Mormon Kids Piano Duets, Vol 6 (Songbook, Paperback, Brent Jorgensen)
Easy SA sheet music for young women (Jerry Jackman)
I am a Child of God (Primary 2013) – CD (Jenny Phillips)
Board book for young children (Greg Olsen)