I’ve shared before that I struggle with anxiety. Like many, it’s been a constant part of my life, and when I don’t handle it well, it can severely hinder my growth.

Picture yourself on a small boat, waves swelling around you, wind tearing at the sails. Fear creeps in—until suddenly, the storm stills. The quiet after the chaos is unforgettable. I’ve felt something like that after long, exhausting weeks on the road for work—when the meetings are finally over, the airports fade behind me, and I step back into the quiet of home. In that stillness, I’m reminded how the Savior calms not just seas, but hearts.

There’s a line from today’s hymn that captures that feeling perfectly:

 

“Because He calmed the storm, I’m not afraid.”

 

This line from Shawna Edwards’s hymn Because reminds us that even though storms still rise in our lives, we are not alone. The One who spoke peace to the sea speaks peace to us.

When Shawna Edwards returned to college at age forty-five to finish her music degree, she didn’t expect her first songwriting assignment to produce a hymn that would reach so many. But when asked to write a song on any subject, her choice was immediate and clear: she wanted to write about Jesus Christ. The result was Because—a hymn that testifies of the blessings that flow from the Savior’s life, His atoning sacrifice, and His love.

https://youtu.be/fsCnuFCEgD4?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Author Sketch: Shawna Edwards

Shawna Belt Edwards is a Christian songwriter whose music has become beloved across the Latter-day Saint community and beyond. A wife, mother, and grandmother from Orem, Utah, she returned to Brigham Young University in her mid-forties to complete a degree in Commercial Music, graduating in 2009.

Her hymns and gospel songs—including Because—have reached millions worldwide. Her YouTube channel, Shawna Edwards Music, features lyric videos and performances that together have earned more than 60 million views. With a strong following online and thousands of monthly listeners on streaming platforms, her songs are sung in churches, schools, and homes across the globe.

Edwards describes herself simply as a disciple of Jesus Christ. She writes music to share her faith and to help others feel closer to Him. Whether through Easter anthems, Christmas carols, or hymns of gratitude, her work consistently points to the Savior as the source of hope, love, and life.

 

A Song Born in the Classroom

The verses of Because came to Edwards quickly. Each one draws a parallel between something the Savior did and the comfort or guidance we receive in our lives:

• “Because He walked the path, I know the way.”

• “Because He calmed the storm, I’m not afraid.”

The chorus becomes an expression of everlasting gratitude: He gave us “ev’rything He had to give.” Yet when it came time to close the song, Edwards found herself struggling. How could she summarize the all-encompassing blessings that come through Jesus Christ?

The solution was found in the simplest of phrases:

“I breathe, I see, I hope, I love, I live.”

 

Because He walked the path, I know the way.

Because He calmed the storm, I’m not afraid.

Because He made the lame to walk and caused the blind to see

And blessed the children one by one, I feel His love for me.

And I will praise forever

The Savior of the world,

And I will sing together

With all the Saints on earth.

Because He gave to me ev’rything

He had to give,

I breathe, I see, I hope, I love, I live.

2.

Because He died for me, I’ll live again.

Because He is my Friend, I’ll follow Him.

Because He fills the world with light, I’m filled with hope and peace.

And when He comes to earth again, I’ll kneel before His feet.

And I will praise forever

The Savior of the world,

And I will sing together

With all the Saints on earth.

Because He gave to me ev’rything

He had to give,

I breathe, I see, I hope, I love, I live.

 

Theological Themes in the Text

At its core, Because is a hymn of testimony. It proclaims that our strength, our hope, and even the most ordinary aspects of life are gifts that come because of Him.

Three principles are highlighted alongside the hymn:

• Jesus Christ loves each of us.

• Our faith in Him grows as we learn of His life and teachings.

• We show our love by following Him.

The structure of the hymn reinforces these truths. Each verse begins with “Because,” reminding us that everything we are and everything we have ties back to the Savior’s acts of love.

Musical and Poetic Features

While the music is not analyzed in technical terms in the provided account, the literary qualities of the text stand out. The repetition of “Because” sets a rhythm that feels like testimony bearing. The progression from specific scriptural events—walking the path, calming the storm—to the elemental blessings of life itself creates a sweeping movement from story to eternity.

The hymn ends with a striking simplicity: not abstract doctrine, but the physical and emotional realities of being alive. Breath, sight, hope, love, life—every gift is traced to Him.

Anchored in Scripture

The message of Because resonates deeply with scripture:

• 1 John 4:19 — “We love him, because he first loved us.”

• Alma 38:9 — “There is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.”

• Mosiah 3:5–7, 10–11 — A prophecy of the Savior’s suffering and triumph.

• Romans 8:38–39 — Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

• 2 Nephi 33:6 — Nephi’s rejoicing in Christ.

These passages reflect the same conviction Edwards captured in her song: every blessing in mortality and eternity comes because of Jesus Christ.

Modern Reflection

What makes Because powerful is not just its origin story but its application in daily life. The hymn encourages us to connect our everyday experiences—walking, breathing, hoping, loving—with the Savior’s sustaining presence.

It also points outward. If our faith and love are grounded in Him, then discipleship means helping others to learn of Jesus Christ. Sharing His love, much like sharing a song, becomes a natural expression of gratitude.

“Because He walked the path, I know the way.”

That line invites us to consider our own path and how we might walk it more faithfully by following Him.

Resources

• [Hymn page: Because] (please provide URL for linking)

• Related Gospel Study Guides in Gospel Library:
  • Jesus Christ

  • Mortal Ministry of Jesus Christ

  • Faith in Jesus Christ

Sources & Further Reading

• Hymn background text provided (“Because,” Shawna Edwards, ChurchofJesusChrist.org hymn page).

• Scriptures as listed with the hymn.

Outline – Hear Hymn: Because

1. Opening Hook

• Edwards’s return to college and her first songwriting assignment.

• Immediate decision to write about Jesus.

2. Hymn Context

• Composer: Shawna Edwards.

• Origin: college songwriting class.

• Central idea: blessings that come because of Jesus.

3. Doctrinal Themes

• Parallel verses connecting Christ’s acts with our blessings.

• Chorus of gratitude: “ev’rything He had to give.”

• Culmination in elemental gifts of life.

• Principles: Christ’s love, growing faith, discipleship.

4. Musical & Literary Features

• Repetition of “Because.”

• Verses move from scriptural events to universal blessings.

• Simplicity of the final line.

5. Scriptural Resonances

• 1 John 4:19, Alma 38:9, Mosiah 3:5–7, 10–11, Romans 8:38–39, 2 Nephi 33:6.

6. Modern Application & Reflection

• Seeing daily blessings as evidence of Christ’s love.

• Invitation to follow Him more fully.

• Sharing His love with others.

7. Links & Resources

• Hymn page (URL).

• Related Gospel Study Guides.

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