If I Listen With My Heart
About the Song
This song in its original form (you can see it here) was written for my youngest daughter, Amy. In 2007 the Primary organization of the LDS Church asked me to revise and simplify the song for inclusion in the 2011 and 2015 Primary Children’s Sacrament Meeting Presentations. The simplified version is included in the booklet, and there’s an easy flute obbligato that matches it included here. You can hear it (below) in the recording with vocals by my beautiful young friend Jenny Beth, or on the accompaniment track without vocals.
The version below marked “very easy” is simpler still.
Many of you Primary music leaders have asked for the story behind the song, so here you are:
One Sunday when my daughter, Amy, was a little girl, we were both sick. We had to miss church, and we were both asleep in bed. After church, Amy’s dad woke both of us to say that our home teacher had come to help give us a blessing. I wasn’t happy to have to wake up, and I was less happy to have to climb out of bed, but I grumped out into the living room. We had our blessings, and I grumped back to bed.
Later that week, Amy said to me, “Mom, remember when dad gave us a blessing when we were sick?
I did remember.
“Well,” she continued, “When dad put his hands on my head I felt soooooo good inside!”
Amy had listened with her heart, and I had not. So she heard the Savior’s voice comforting her, and I missed it. That’s why I wrote this song for her–because she had taught me a wonderful lesson about listening to the Holy Ghost.
The arrangement provided by Ryan Murphy, associate director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, was first performed by the choir during General Conference in October of 2014. If you’d like to listen to it, click the “YouTube” tab and watch the video. The accompaniment for this version is scored for organ, and no piano version is available.
The Duet or Two-part Choir arrangement is accompanied by piano and includes an optional violin obbligato. Please use this judiciously for choir. The range for men’s voices is B2 to D4, which may not be comfortable for your basses. Solo 2 uses the same accompaniment, and is the one in Allyse’s recording.
For translations into quite a few different languages, see this page: https://www.lds.org/manual/2016-outline-for-sharing-time?lang=eng. Choose your language, then see ~page 28.
Sheet Music Downloads
PDF:
(Also included in the “My Heart Sings”elementary piano book.)
Personal Composer:
Transpose/resize .pc files using the Personal Composer Demo. (Help)
Spotify, Soundcloud (inc. free downloads)
Click the 
to download the free track for personal use.
Recording featuring vocals by Allyse Smith Taylor:
Violin by Jana Hanni
Accompaniment track:
Violin by Jana Hanni
Recording featuring vocals by Colleen Castleton:
Recording featuring vocals by Jenny Beth Maynard:
Accompaniment track:
Apple Music, Amazon
These files may be copied/shared in any quantity in any physical format unless otherwise noted. They may not be re-sold or offered for download.
YouTube
(Video provided to YouTube by outside parties may contain ads that may be skipped after a few seconds.)
Lyrics
If I had been a little child
when Jesus lived on earth
I would have liked to walk with Him
and listen to his words
But as I search the scriptures
I can hear His words of peace
And if I listen with my heart,
I hear the Savior’s voice
I hear a living prophet speak
the things that Christ would say
If He were here upon the earth
to talk with me today
The prophet teaches how to live
in righteousness and peace
And if I listen with my heart,
I hear the Savior’s voice
I feel the Holy Spirit as
he teaches truth and right
He comforts me in times of need,
he testifies of Christ
He speaks to me in quiet ways
that fill my soul with peace
And if I listen with my heart,
I hear the Savior’s voice
If you have questions, please check the FAQ.
If you don't find your answer there, feel free to post your question here. 🙂
21 Comments
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Is there sheet music that matches the version that changes keys (as in the recording featuring vocals by Allyse Smith Taylor?)
I will be conducting the choir for the stake conference. This song used to be my daughter’s favorite song, and the melody and lyrics were wonderful, so I decided to sing it because I wanted to sing it.
I’m using the tabernacle choir’s organ version sheet music, but since there’s no one who can play the organ accompaniment well, I’ve arranged it a little for piano. Is this an exception to the ban on arrangement? (I’m using Google Translate, so I’m sorry if the Japanese is not translated correctly into English.)
My wife heard this song for the first time recently during general conference. She really loves the gentle arrangement and beautiful lyrics. 10/10 would highly recommend.
I would like to play this on an acoustic guitar. Do you have this music with guitar chords?
Thanks,
Is the original version available to download? Mary Cook sang it in our stake conference a few years ago. I have wanted a copy ever since to teach my grandchildren.
Thank you for this beautiful song that has been playing in my mind for weeks now! This is how I Hear His voice. – through music. Many times I don’t know why I keep hearing a certain song and I am left to search and ponder what I am to learn. Usually it is an answer to a prayer or feelings or something I need to know. This song was in answer to learn ” how I hear His voice”. The words are so instructive and help me answer this question. All I could remember was the last line– ” I hear the Savior’s voice” A direct answer to my plea to Heavenly Father. Thank you. I love you and your wonderful talent. May He continue to bless you always.
I will be singing If I Listen With My Heart at my grandson’s baptism. Since I do not live in the area, I will be using your recording. Is there one that is lower? My Senior voice is best in a contralto. Your help would be appreciated.
Our Ward choir will be singing If I Listen With My Heart and I am trying to duplicate the organ sound the Tabernacle Choir used. You wouldn’t happen to have the organ stops that were used would you? This piece of music is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for including this arrangement by Ryan Murphy. Our choir sang this number just 3 weeks before it was performed again by the Tabernacle Choir in General Conference this year. It’s such a beautiful song and an amazing choir arrangement. As a fairly new choir director, I appreciate all of the lovely music provided free of cost. Thank you again!
That’s a “thank you” to Ryan! 🙂
Oh, Sis. Deford! What a thrill to hear the choir sing your beautiful hymn “If I Listen with my Heart!” It brought tears to my eyes! Thank you for sharing your talent with us. It is such a blessing to all of us!
Hi Sally, I just want to appreciate your great works . You minister to many of us in ways no one else does, with your lovely music and for making it available too. You are a unique composer sent to us from God above.
THANK YOU for the music!
Dear Sally, I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your beautiful music.
I’m going to have some Primary girls come to my home to practice “If I Listen with my Heart” and I’ve been singing your song. It just melts me and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your great gift to the people privileged to sing your music. There are so many spiritually uplifting songs that you have added to our LDS culture. Thank you for your work and generosity. My best to you. Carol Oertle, Springville, UT.
Hi, Sally!
Is there a French translation available for “If I Listen With My Heart”? We have a lovely girl who speaks French in our Primary and has a beautiful voice. We would love her to sing a verse in French but she needs some help with the translation.
Thank you,
Kirsten
If you download the program booklet in French here… http://media.ldscdn.org/pdf/primary/2016-outline-for-sharing-time/2016-01-00-instructions-for-sharing-time-and-the-childrens-sacrament-meeting-presentation-fra.pdf?download=true … a French version is included at the end. 🙂
Oh, how wonderful!!! Thank you! How gracious of you to respond so quickly…I know you must be incredibly busy! Thank you for your wonderful music and for your kind help!!
Kirsten
Thank you Sally for writing this beautiful music. The words are so uplifting and inspiring and the music is enchanting. What a blessing you are!
Thank you, Sally, for making this available to us. We love it in our Primary!
Hi Super Sally! I love your music and always come to your site first whenever I need music for church. I too am interested in the inspiration behind the song or the scripture that may have been part of the inspiration. Because the theme is scriptures this year I am trying to talk about the scriptures that are tied to the primary songs we sing. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talents!
Thank you so much for all of your beautiful music! I just sang this at my son’s baptism. Everyone loved it. I would love to sing it again, but am hoping for an accompaniment track for Allyse’s version. Will that happen? Thanks again for sharing your talents. I’ve sung several of your songs and everyone always comments on how beautiful your arrangements are.
Thank you so much for making this lovely lovely music available. I was just called as ward choir director. I plan to have some children join us while we sing this song written for your daughter Amy. Bless you.