If The Savior Stood Beside Me....

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,
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

If the Savior stood beside me, 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
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

If the Savior stood beside me, 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

If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

If the Savior stood beside me, 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
If I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me?

If the Savior stood beside me, 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

If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?

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

Text and Music by Sally DeFord 1993

Message from the Author:

“If the Savior Stood Beside Me” is a song I wrote for my daughter Holly when she turned eight years old. 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 20 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.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; 

he will be with thee, 

he will not fail thee, 

neither forsake thee: 

fear not, neither be dismayed.