#45 "Lead Me into Life Eternal"

I love the story behind this hymn. I read about it in "Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages", by Karen Lynn Davidson. (I've been reading about each hymn as I've been playing and blogging each day.) The original title was 'Father! Lead Me Out of Darkness". The author was approached by Alexander Schreiner (the composer) about changing the title, but he (Elder John A. Widtsoe) said, "You don't understand, Brother Schreiner. It is being sung by a nonmember. I don't want anybody to change the words. Nonmembers are in darkness." After Bro. Schreiner said, "When you go to a stake conference and give an inspirational and enlightening message to the Saints, how would you feel if the stake president announced that the closing hymn would be "Father! Lead Me Out of Darkness"'? Elder Widtsoe could then see the point of giving the hymn a positive title, with only the rearrangement of a few words. The new title, "Lead Me into Life Eternal" gave a much more positive message, and the hymn became a favorite.