Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!
So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I
Have loved long since, and lost awhile!
Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life
- Lead Kindly Light (text only)
- Lead Kindly Light (text and music)
- Wikipedia entry about John Henry Newman
This is my favorite hymn. Many times when I am going through very difficult times or when I’ve wanted to find comfort, I’ve sung this hymn to myself. One time in particular that I recall singing this to myself was when I was in Guatemala and was working with Elder Gomez. We worked in the cornfields all day long in the rain while serving some branch members. It was cold and dreary. After working, we tried to catch a bus back to our house, but we missed the last bus. So we hiked in the dark, while it was still raining, back to a member’s house. Their house was more of a hut. They let us warm up by their fire and then we slept on their floor with the little mice scurrying around our heads! I just kept singing the song in my head and thought about how I would soon be back to our “home.”
