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I Am a Child of God (Accompaniment)

About the Song

Words: Naomi Ward Randall
Music: Mildred Tanner Pettit

In March of 2014, a video featuring “I Am a Child of God” was shown at the General Women’s Meeting of the LDS Church. The video (linked down there under “Youtube”) features people from around the world singing this song in various languages.

I was asked to provide the arrangement that was used in the video; Dave Zabriskie added orchestration, and the vocals were done by these wonderful church members in various countries.

The sheet music for this consists of a simple melody line, along with the piano arrangement. You can use the music in any of a number of ways:

  • As a vocal solo
  • As a simple solo for violin or other C instrument. You may need to kick it up or down an octave depending on the instrument.
  • As an accompaniment for Primary children.
  • As a choir number: give one verse to the men, one to the women, and sing the last verse using the parts in the hymnbook (Hymns, #301).
  • Have the congregation join on the last verse. (The organ can join in too, playing the last verse as written in the hymnbook.)
  • A combination of the above, or any other way you can think of!

The arrangement was built in increments so it could be adjusted to fit the video. The video omitted measures 1-6 and measures 31-36 of the accompaniment. You may use or omit these as you choose. The interlude between verses two and three on the MP3 is three measures longer than the sheet music, and a bit different. One of these days I will have to get a new recording done.  **sigh** Another one to add to the list.

Spotify, Soundcloud (inc. free downloads)

Click the Soundcloud download icon to download the free track for personal use.

Accompaniment track:

YouTube

  (Video provided to YouTube by outside parties may contain ads that may be skipped after a few seconds.)

Lyrics

I am a child of God
And He has sent me here
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear

Chorus:
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me
Help me find the way
Teach me all that I must do
To live with Him someday

I am a child of God
And so my needs are great
Help me to understand His words
Before it grows too late
(Repeat chorus)

I am a child of God
Rich blessings are in store
If I but learn to do His will
I’ll live with Him once more
(Repeat chorus)

If you have questions, please check the FAQ
If you don't find your answer there, feel free to post your question here. 🙂

30 Comments

  1. Angie Caldwell

    Dear Sister Deford, thank you so much for the consecration of your talents! Your high quality arrangements mean so much to wards and stakes like ours that don’t have a lot of monetary resources. May I have your permission to slightly alter your arrangement by adding the 4th verse (from Primary Songbook) to ‘I am a Child of God’ by simply repeating the 1st v. for the 2nd, then continuing the music as written for 3rd and 4th verses? It’s for a funeral tomorrow. Thanks again.

    Reply
    • Sally DeFord

      Of course!

      Reply
  2. Reuel Campos

    What an uplifting and inspiring music. May I ask permission to use it in our children’s choir at our church?

    Reply
  3. Fiona Campbell

    Is it possible to change your beautiful arrangement key to start in C major so as to have it the same as the childrens songbook. We want to include the descant from the childrens songbook so will be rehearsing that first up in the ward primaries in our stake. It would be better to keep it all in the same key.

    Reply
  4. Ryan Ward

    Just curious if there is a flute or violin obligato you might have with this song. I would love to add something in the background.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    This is a difficult but pleasant-sounding accompaniment to use with an ensemble or solo. Don’t take it too fast or you might find yourself stumbling on the multiple key changes. Be sure that the singers know the basic song already so they aren’t thrown off by this accompaniment that does not play the melody. I found it challenging/painful to play system after system of arpeggios. I’m an experienced pianist and usually can play just about anything, but this arrangement didn’t fall readily under my fingers. Perhaps it was written for larger hands.

    Reply
  6. Linda Maxwell

    I’m looking for the arrangement of I Am A Child Of God that was sung by the children’s choir in Conference in 2014 that included the 4th verse. Maybe it is one of these arrangements and they just added the 4th verse but I cant see it here any where.
    Any Help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

    Reply
  7. Enoch Adu-Gyamfi

    Inspiring arrangement

    God bless, Sally

    Reply
  8. Randall Taylor

    Good luck and God Bless Forever Sincerely Randall Taylor

    Reply
  9. Ben Alder

    Love the arrangement. I feel very much in the spirit when everyone joins and participate in one simple arrangement like this one. Love it again Sally. Thank you so much for all the work that you do.

    Reply
  10. Heidi

    Thank you so much for this beautiful arrangement! I remember well the video played at the women’s meeting and my tears freely flowing. My family will be singing it in a variety of languages in sacrament meeting as I have children from China, Haiti and Liberia as well as the United States. There seems to be a few measures of music missing in the pdf around measures 54-56, compared to what is played on the mp3. It’s not a problem at all, just need to make my family aware of it as we practice with the mp3 before we can meet up with our piano player.

    Reply
    • sallydeford

      Yes… sorry. The arrangement went through a few different iterations before the video was made, and the MP3 was made from one of them. The score is hosted on the Church’s music library, so I can’t swap it out… As you say, just be aware that they’re slightly different. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Jessie Chen

    Hi Sally,
    I watched the youtube video and was touch by this arrangement and the singers from all over the world. My son is going to baptize and our family is going to sing this song in his baptism.Thank you for this beautiful arrangement. Thank you for sharing your talent!

    Reply
  12. Genevieve Kopping

    Hi Sally! I was all set to transpose this for a voice student, but am dismayed that the .pc file for this arrangement isn’t posted. Would you be willing to share that? Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • sallydeford

      I wish I could. There are copyright restrictions on this one, and I don’t have permission to post anything other than what’s there. Sorry. 🙁

      Reply
      • Genevieve Kopping

        Oh bummer! Thanks so much for the prompt reply.

        Reply
  13. Mija Garlick

    I love this arrangement so very much. It is so beautiful. We sang it last year for Father’s Day when the children sang for their fathers and hopefully will use this arrangement for one part of our program this year. Thank you for all you do!!! Mija garlick

    Reply
  14. Linda Toone

    Sally,
    Thank you for this beautiful accompaniment! I’m glad that you wrote we can use it “any way you can think of”! I’d like to use it for a stake Primary choir in our Lancaster, PA upcoming stake conference. But I’d like to repeat measures 39-46, using the words of the 3rd verse, and then finish the song using the words of the 4th verse from the Children’s Songbook. I hope that little revision and addition is okay with you. I would leave off the E flat transition note in the bass at measure 46, and go back to a B flat chord (2nd inversion) on the first beat of measure 39 with a treble D on top.) Haha, did that make any sense?
    I really do love all your songs and arrangements! Thank you so much for sharing your talents over the years with all of us!
    Linda p.s. I love that we have a mutual friend – Katie Bastian! It’s fun to see your comments and input on her posts. 🙂

    Reply
    • sallydeford

      What you propose to do with it sounds lovely! That’s what this particular arrangement is for, so that little revision is just fine!

      Reply
      • Linda

        Wonderful! Thanks again!

        Reply
  15. Kelly Lervold

    Beautiful!

    Reply
    • Riangto

      Thank you, dear Sally…. Beautiful…
      May God bless you.

      Reply
  16. Andrea Jessop

    Sally,

    What a beautiful arrangement! But I’m unable to find the PDF. When I click on the link it says “website is down for maintenance”. Our primary kids are singing I’m a Child of God this year and I’ve been looking for something to help it sound new and fresh, this is PERFECT. Is there anyway you could email it to me?? I would be so grateful <3 <3

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • sallydeford

      It may have been… well… down for maintenance! 🙂 I’m seeing it now. Is it back for you?

      Reply
      • Andrea Jessop

        Well yes, there it is 🙂 It really was just “down for maintenance”. Thank you so much for checking and responding! So excited to use this piece with our primary!

        Reply
        • sallydeford

          Yay!

          Reply
  17. Raúl Díaz

    Congratulations, simplemente es un gran arreglo que invita el espíritu, lo usaré en el próximo devocinal de pascua de mi estaca.

    Reply
  18. Alaura Landoe

    Dear Sally!

    Thank you for your free downloaded sheet music. Your arrangement of I’m a Child of God will bring the spirit to many people during our multi-stake Missionary Fireside. I really appreciate your spirit.

    -Yours, a sister in Zion.

    Reply
  19. Mele Lasike

    Thank you for sharing!! This is a wonderful rendition of the ever popular “I am a child of God”. We will teach this arranged hymn in our primary in prep for our upcoming 2014 Stake Conference, the children and piano duet will be a refreshing flavour at conference. Thank you!! Thank you Sally!!

    Reply
  20. Amy Neal

    Thank you so much for this. I was very touched by this arrangement at the conference and came looking for this music to sing with my young family in church soon….they all know all the words to this one without much practice and this accompaniment makes it fresh!

    Reply

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