Each Life That Touches Ours for Good
293

Text: Karen Lynn Davidson (b. 1943; LDS)
Music: A. Laurence Lyon (1934–2006; LDS)
Tune name: HERMANA

Most of the richest blessings of life come to us through other people. President Spencer W. Kimball made this interesting comment: “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs” (Ensign, October 1985, 3).

The author of this hymn text is also the compiler of this book. When the 1985 Hymnbook Committee expressed a wish for a hymn that could be used at funerals, I realized that such a hymn could also be an opportunity to express thanks for the blessing of human relationships. It is a sentiment I feel strongly. At various times during my life, my work and schooling have taken me into many different places and circumstances. I was a single woman for many years, living in dormitories, apartments, and finally a home of my own, moving quite often to a new city and a new ward or branch. Now, I am married, and my residence and associations have changed once again.

One truth has emerged from all these experiences: any geographical location, marital status, professional activity, and Church assignment can be a component of a happy life, as long as one blessing remains constant—

the blessing of close, supportive personal relationships, whether friends or family, in whose lives the Savior’s love is manifest. This hymn is a prayer of thanks for those relationships.

This hymn is appropriate for any occasion honoring friends or friendships; it doesn’t need to be limited to funerals or farewells. “If verse three sounds too funereal, it can be omitted,” said the composer. “But a careful reading of the text does not necessarily indicate that the departed one is dead.”

A. Laurence Lyon stated, “The hymn- tune title, HERMANA, is my mother’s first name. I dedicate this piece to her memory.” He originally wrote this hymn tune for a text by his great- grandfather, Latter- day Saint poet John Lyon, a gifted Scottish poet who was the first member of the Church to publish a book of his own poetry (The Harp of Zion, Liverpool and London, 1853). The original text, titled “O Lord, Responsive to Thy Call,” has previously appeared in Latter- day Saint hymnals. The first stanza is as follows:

O Lord! Responsive to thy call,
In life or death, whate’er befall!
Our hopes for bliss on thee depend;
Thou art our everlasting friend.