In a previous article we profiled the amazing story of how composer Janice Kapp Perry’s songwriting career came to be. She has written over 1,000 songs, including 10 that are published in the Children’s Songbook. What makes this even more astonishing is the fact that she started her songwriting at age 38.

Recently, LDS Living Magazine conducted a survey to determine the 100 Greatest LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Songs of All Time, stating, “We chose not to include hymns in the options for people to vote on, as many are not original LDS lyrics or melodies.” “A Child’s Prayer” was the number one song on the list. See the full list here. 

When Perry started composing she had one goal in mind, “When I first started writing, I wrote down this simple goal; I hope that someday the primary children will sing one of my songs.” She not only achieved that goal, but she has touched the hearts of many through her numerous compositions.

“A Child’s Prayer” was written as a result of one of Perry’s personal trials. She wrote a song called “Lord, Are You There?” and later decided to write a children’s version, which she called  “A Child’s Prayer.” In a behind the scenes interview, Perry discussed the origin of the song saying, “Little kids wonder if Heavenly Father’s really there, hearing their prayer.” Also included in the video interview is archival footage from the 1990’s, which shows Perry singing her own song as a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.