How Did the Savior Minister?
#1044 Hymns—For Home and ChurchLyrics
The Story Behind “How Did the Savior Minister?”
'Do kids know what minister means?' — a poet and a mother-of-nine music teacher answered the question the only way that works: by showing what Jesus did.
A Poet and a Music Teacher
Merrijane Rice is a Latter-day Saint poet whose work has appeared in Church magazines and literary contests; Jennette Jay Booth is an elementary school music teacher and mother of nine who writes music for children. They met at a Church music festival, discovered they worked well together, and when the hymnbook submissions opened in 2018 — just after 'ministering' replaced home and visiting teaching — they noticed something missing: there was no Primary song about ministering at all.
Rice's worry became the song's design principle: 'The whole time I was thinking, do kids know what minister means?' Her answer was to skip the definition entirely and anchor every verse in what Jesus actually did — healing with gentle hands, befriending the lonely, praying for others.
It Really Wrote Itself
Booth, serving as her ward's Relief Society president at the time, said the melody came with unusual ease — 'It really wrote itself.' Before submitting it in 2019, both women ran the ultimate quality check: they had their own Primary children sing it.
'Instead of just talking about ministering is being kind and doing this and that,' Booth said, 'Merrijane just made it completely about what Jesus does.'
A Question with a Chorus for an Answer
The song was released September 18, 2025, as hymn #1044 — a children's answer to President Nelson's invitation to care for others 'in the Savior's way.' Each verse asks the title's question; the chorus answers with the desire to live and serve as Jesus did.
Booth's hope for it reaches past the music: 'I hope this song will help children feel that every time they are kind or helpful, even in very small ways, Jesus is with them.'
Did You Know?
- The writers noticed there was no Primary song about ministering — so they wrote one, and tested it on their own Primary children before submitting it.
- Composer Jennette Jay Booth is an elementary music teacher and a mother of nine.
- Text writer Merrijane Rice is a published poet who hosts a weekly Latter-day Saint poetry podcast.
- Booth was serving as her ward Relief Society president — ministering all week — while composing a song about it.
- Booth said of the melody: 'It really wrote itself.'
Scripture Connections
- 3 Nephi 17:6–9 — 'Have ye any that are sick?... bring them hither' — the Savior ministering one by one, the model the verses follow.
- Mosiah 2:17 — Serving others is serving God — ministering's whole doctrine in one verse.
- Matthew 25:40 — 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these... ye have done it unto me.'
Talk About It
Questions to spark a conversation with your family or Primary class:
- How DID the Savior minister? How many ways can your family list from the scriptures?
- The song teaches ministering by showing Jesus's actions instead of defining a word. Why is showing better than telling?
- Booth hopes children will feel Jesus is with them 'every time they are kind, even in very small ways.' What small kindness could you do tomorrow?
- Who ministers to you? Have you ever thanked them?
Teaching Resources
Categories
Attribution
Music by: Jennette Jay Booth, 2019
Text by: Merrijane Rice, 2019
Audio files from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints