How Firm a Foundation

Sheet Music

• Tune from A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Use of the Latter Day Saints, 1844
  • PDF
  • MIDI
  • LilyPond
  • Copyright: Public Domain
  • Contributer: Veramet

External Sheet Music

• Flash printable/playable sheet music from the LDS Church Music site.

Tunes

• Geard, by R. Keen (ca. 1787)—this is the original tune used with this hymn.
• Fidelity, attributed to J. Ellis (ca. 1889)—this is the tune used in the 1985 LDS hymnal
• Foundation, aka Bellevue etc.
• Portuguese Hymn, aka Adeste Fideles
• Tune used in A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Use of the Latter Day Saints, 1844

Lyrics

• Poet: Attributed to Robert Keen (ca. 1787)
• Copyright: Public Domain

External Lyrics

• Lyrics from Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985 (no. 85)

Lyrics from A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Use of the Latter Day Saints, 1844

1. How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word;
What more can he say than to you he hath said?
You, who unto Jesus, for refuge have fled.

2. In ev'ry condition - in sickness in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3. “Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

4. “When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5. “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design,
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

6. “E'en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov'reign eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when grey hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne.

7. “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes:
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never - no, never, no, never forsake!”

Lyrics from A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe, 1840

Hymn 229
P.M.
1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word;
What more can he say than to you he hath said?
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled.

2. In every condition, in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, so thy succour shall be.

3. "Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed;
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

4. "When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5. "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

6. "E'en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when grey hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne.

7. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I cannot desert to his foes:
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I'll never - no, never, no never forsake!"