I share the story of how the song “Amazing Grace” was inspired and written by John Newton.

The song “Amazing Grace” is a powerful hymn with the message of redemption, forgiveness, hope, and the transformative power of faith. It is deeply intertwined with the concept of atonement, reflecting the journey from darkness to light and finding salvation through grace. That kind of grace Newton found in his life. As a young boy, his mother introduced him to the Bible and its teachings. However, when he was seven years old, his mother passed away, and not long after his dad remarried, the Bible was put aside. As a young adult, Newton made choices that were not aligned with God. Being a slave trader was one of them, Yet he experienced a profound transformation a few years later by turning away from his past of cruelty and finding mercy through faith in God.

From Newton’s story, I learned that because of Christ and His atonement, a person moves from spiritual brokenness to healing and grace through divine sacrifice and love.

The lyrics, “I once was lost, but now am found / Was blind but now I see,” summarize the essence of the healing process. I, too, found myself in a place of brokenness and turmoil, seeking solace and restoration, realizing that my past mistakes and hardships do not define my worth. It is what I choose each day from that realization.

“In the many trials of life, when we feel abandoned and when sorrow, sin, disappointment, failure, and weakness make us less than we should ever be, there can come the healing salve of the unreserved love in the grace of God. It is a love that lifts and blesses. It is a love that sustains a new beginning on a higher level and thereby continues from grace to grace.”

–James E. Faust, “A Personal Relationship with the Savior,”

As usual, I end my message with a song, “Amazing Grace,” recorded with Stanton Cobb and Pat Marrow at Mark’s Stanton Studio.

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