Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer
103

Text and music: H. R. Palmer (1834–1907)
Tune name: PRECIOUS

With the singing of these words, we ask for the Spirit of Christ to “enter every timid heart.” We ask to be blessed with the “sweet message” of the Savior so that temptation and sorrow may give way to “everlasting peace.” It is a prayer for the companionship of the Spirit.

This hymn is not limited to any particular occasion, but it is especially suitable as an opening hymn. The first two lines ask for the message of the Spirit; without this blessing, the message of the speaker or lesson will not really enter our hearts. Conviction is a result of spiritual witness, not of rhetorical skill.

The Spirit of Christ— synonymous in many contexts with the Holy Ghost, according to Elder Bruce R. McConkie— is a powerful force (see Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966], 752). It can accomplish many miraculous things. Moroni 10:9–17 lists divine gifts that may be given to the faithful here on earth, such as teaching, faith, healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, and tongues, and states that “all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ” (v. 17).

This hymn emphasizes three gifts of the Spirit of Christ. Verse one stresses that the Spirit will teach us, will leave with us a message if we are worthy. In verse two, we confess our weakness and vulnerability, and we praise the power of the Spirit to keep us from wrongdoing. In verse three, we ask for the Spirit of Christ to bless us at times when negative emotions, specifically sorrow and anger, threaten to take over our hearts.

This hymn is a succinct reminder of the many important roles the Spirit of Christ can play in our lives. It serves well in a meeting, when the gathering of Saints invokes the Spirit to be with them as a group. On an occasion when an individual might wish to repeat the words of this hymn-prayer, it would be useful to substitute I and me for the plural pronouns.