Come unto Him
114

Text: Theodore E. Curtis (1872–1957; LDS)
Music: Hugh W. Dougall (1872–1963; LDS)
Tune name: YOUNG

“Come unto Him” is a personal testimony of the power of prayer and trust. As we sing the words, we make the writer’s feelings and experiences our own; along with him, we sense the enfolding presence of our Father in Heaven. His protection and help are at hand for all those who seek him.

This hymn is in reality a lyric poem that serves a hymnlike purpose. A chief characteristic of a lyric poem is that it reflects a personal experience, the emotions and responses of a single individual. “Come unto Him,” with its singular first- person pronouns (I, me) and its retelling, in verse one, of an important private event, certainly fits this definition. But like all good lyric poets, Theodore E. Curtis sought the universal significance in his experience. Prayerful people can relate to his sense of God’s presence, his impulse to kneel upon the grass and pray, and his sense of comfort and relief when he felt “an answer . . . without a voice.”

The conclusion of verse three is a strong, direct invitation to identify with the hymn’s message. The poet addressed three groups specifically, three categories of reluctant people who might hang back from the thought of leaning upon the Father’s care and trusting his love and comfort: the “depressed,” the “erring,” and the “weary.” A careful reading of the previous verses will show that the poet did not necessarily exclude himself from these groups; thus the hymn’s promise of refuge and peace are doubly meaningful, and the writer’s own experience validated the testimony he expressed in the hymn.

The hymn was listed by a first- line title, “I Wander Through the Stilly Night,” in the 1950 hymnal, but the title “Come unto Him” gives a better idea of the hymn’s message. Though originally written as a choir hymn, the appealing words and melody are within the capabilities of most congregations.

The tune name, YOUNG, honors Hugh W. Dougall’s mother, Maria Young Dougall, who was a daughter of Brigham Young.