Naomi Ward Randall, 92, author of "I Am a Child of God," died May 17, 2001, in La Mesa, Calif. While serving on the Primary General Board in 1957, Sister Randall wrote the words to the children's song known to millions of members throughout the world. She has often related how the words came to her, including on Oct. 13, 1998, when she received the BYU Presidential Citation. Speaking to reporters, she recalled how she had been assigned to write a song for a Primary conference to be held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. According to the Oct. 17, 1998, Church News, she retired one night in her North Ogden, Utah, home after praying for guidance. She woke about 2 a.m., and in the still of the night the words began forming in her head. She immediately arose and wrote them down, after which she got on her knees and thanked the Lord. That week she mailed the lyrics to Mildred Pettit in Pasadena, Calif., who composed the music. The song has been translated into more than 140 languages and was one of the first Primary songs to be added to the Church's adult hymn book.
During her 27 years on the Primary general board, from 1947 to 1970, followed by serving from 1970 to 1974 as first counselor in the Primary general presidency, Sister Randall also led the Church committee that instigated the CTR ring.
