I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Today’s Sacrament meeting was very good, beginning with the opening song, “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” I thought about my brother Ed and his strong testimony as he sang that song when he was a young boy. I imagined how close he must have been to the Savior to choose that song. And of course, I miss my mother, and Ed, and Kathy, and Robby, and Nana, and Oma, and on and on. But the powerful message of the song reminds me that because Jesus lives, we all will go on living even after our bodies lay down in death. And because Jesus is resurrected and glorified, we will be, too! I marvel at His love and His goodness.

While I love many hymns, few affect me the way this one does. (Two others that do are “The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning” and “I Stand All Amazed.”)

Here are the words to the opening song today:

I Know that My Redeemer Lives

1. I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

2. He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

3. He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

4. He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

Text: Samuel Medley
Music: Lewis D. Edwards

While the messages of every single verse speak of my love for Jesus and His relationship to me and mine to Him, the third verse always grabs me particularly. He is my Friend; He is my Prophet, my Priest, and my King! What greater reason do I have to sing? What greater reason do I have to rejoice and to lay my burdens down at His feet and continue forward in faith, hope, and good will? Because He is all these things to me, I need to trust in Him and allow Him to bind up my broken heart, and then do all that I can to serve Him.

I think that there is no greater song than this for expressing my belief, my faith, my hope, and my testimony in the Lord. While I sing this song, I feel His Spirit’s witness, and “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

After the Sacrament, the Bishop began the testimony meeting with a humble and sincere testimony like a child's. He knows the gospel is true, and he expressed thankfulness for his mother and father. This set the tone for many other powerful witnesses and the Spirit was sweet and real. I was deeply touched by the meeting, because the messages expressed what I feel and what I needed to hear; and reflecting on that, I feel that there is more unity in this newly combined congregation than I could have ever imagined. I am thankful.