Thoughts on the topic of love are common in the month of February, due to traditions evolved from the history of St. Valentine and his martyrdom on February 14th.  It is instructive to note that the secular modern holiday celebrating romantic love carries the name of a third century Christian priest whose love of  the Lord led him to suffer death at the hands of the Romans rather than renounce his faith in Jesus Christ and cease serving his fellow Christians.

As recorded in the Bible’s New Testament, Jesus said to his disciples, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”   St. Valentine would most likely have been a great advocate of the type of love described in the text ofDear to the Heart of the Shepherd.   

In the New Testament Jesus tells us that he is “The Good Shepherd” who knows and loves his sheep.  It is understood that the sheep are men and women who believe in Him, and lambs are children and youth.   

The author, Mary B. Wingate, bases the text of Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd on the parable of the Good Shepherd found in John 10, and the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15.  The messages of these scriptures are skillfully woven together with poetic embellishment. 

For example, the scriptural phrase from Luke, “And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing,” is called to mind by the second verse, “Bringing them in with rejoicing.”  Similarly the passage from John, “…the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep,” is elicited by “Saved at such infinite cost.”

 It is significant that Jesus gave the parable of the Good Shepherd to the Pharisees as evidence of his divine mission, while he gave the parable of the lost sheep to publicans and sinners as evidence that they were not excluded from his gospel.  The Pharisees rejected his message, but many of the publicans and sinners accepted it. 

The word “fold” mentioned in the chorus is understood to be the short form of “sheepfold,” literally a protective enclosure for sheep, and figuratively the protective environment and saving ordinances of the gospel and church of Jesus Christ.

The word “dear” appears ten times in the text, and the repetitive phrasing adds emphasis to the word.  The different definitions of “dear” can be applied in various places to give additional meaning.  “Dear are the lambs of his fold” can be read as, “precious are the lambs of his fold.” “Dearer than silver or gold” could be written, “more exceedingly costly than silver or gold,” in reference to the atonement of the Savior.

The timeless verses effectively describe the unchanging love and work of the Savior, and the last verse is a reminder of the blessings of being in “the fold” and a call to action.  It is interesting to note that the Prophet Joseph Smith translated Luke 15:4 as, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine, and go into the wilderness after that which is lost, until he find it?”  The last verse corresponds well with this, “Send us out into the desert, Seeking thy wandering sheep.” 

As written in the New Testament, those who feed the flock of God are promised a crown of glory when the chief Shepherd appears.

The music by William J. Kirkpatrick adds emphasis to the text, with the verses in 6/4 time written as a duet and the chorus in full harmony. 

Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd is believed to have been written between 1899 and 1908, and appeared in the 1909 edition of Deseret Sunday School Songs.  In the 1909 version the duet was written for tenor and alto.  Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd was included in the 1948 edition of Hymns, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, with the duet transposed to soprano and alto, which continued in subsequent editions.  In the 1985 edition the hymn was transposed into a simpler, lower key. 

Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd is said to have been included in over fifty hymnals of various denominations since its first publication.

 Mary was a well-known and popular hymnist and poetess.  It is said that at least 39 of her hymns appeared in various hymnals between 1890 and 1917. 

 The titles of a few of her hymns give evidence of the depth of her Christian faith:

“Bear thy Sorrows Bravely.”

“Could we Stand with Saints in White.”

“Search the Scriptures, Search Them Daily.”

“Nearer thee, my Lord and Master.”

 Mary published a book of her poetry, “Grain from Life’s Harvest” in 1914.  Her poems also appeared in books and periodicals of the time. She wrote poems commemorating Corinth’s Centennial in 1911 and Pittsfield’s Centennial in 1919. 

 It is interesting to note that during Mary’s lifetime, electric power came to the area (1900) and automobiles began to be used (1920.)

A number of Mary Wingate’s hymns are still sung today, Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd is perhaps her most popular hymn.

Mary concluded her life’s work in May of 1933 at the age of 88, and was buried next to her first husband at Charleston, Maine.

It is said that young William learned to play the fife, flute, and violin at an early age.  In 1854 at the age of sixteen, he traveled 120 miles southeast to Philadelphia to learn a trade and study music.  It is said that he served three years at carpentering, but was much more interested in music and devoted all his spare time to it.

Within a year of his arrival in Philadelphia he joined the Wharton Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and it is said that his services on the violin and cello were in great demand for the choir and Sunday-school, as well as singing societies and entertainments, as organs were few in churches of the day. 

From this time on it is said that he devoted himself primarily to sacred music.  He studied vocal music under a prominent oratorio and ballad singer, Prof. Bishop, and became familiar with the choral works of the great composers through membership in the Handel and Haydn Sacred Music Society, and the Harmonia Society.

Only a short time later, 1858, when he was about twenty years of age, William’s first published composition appeared in the Musical Pioneer, of New York.  That same year fortuitous circumstances placed him in the way of the work that would occupy a good part of his life, compiling and editing hymn and tune books.  His ability to listen to a tune being sung, write it down and harmonize it came to the attention of Mr. Jenks who was collecting music for a book, and William became responsible for preparing music for Devotional Melodies which was published by Mr. Jenks. 

William devoted himself exclusively to the study, practice and teaching of music for several years, particularly theory, harmony and composition.  He benefited from the instruction of Dr. Meignen, conductor of the Harmonia Society.

With the American Civil War underway, William connected himself with the 91^stPennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment, mustered in December of 1861.  It is believed that he joined the regiment shortly after he was married, and served as principal musician or fife major until October of 1862.

Returning to Philadelphia, William turned his hand to other pursuits to support his family while continuing to serve as a musician and music leader in several churches.  He also studied the pipe organ and received vocal lessons from some of the great teachers of the day.

In 1866 it is said William completed another hymn and tune book for Mr. Jenks, Heart and Voice, comprising twelve hundred hymns. Between 1872 and 1875 he wrote and published a number of gospel songs which were well received, and which placed him in demand with publishers.  He became acquainted with composer John R. Sweney and agreed to collaborate on a book.

William’s wife passed away in 1878 and later that year he gave up his other business pursuits and devoted himself entirely to music.  It is believed that between 1880 and 1897 he and Prof. Sweney issued forty-nine books by various publishers.  During this time, from 1886 to 1897, he also had charge of all the music at Grace Methodist Episcopal Church.

He married again in 1893, and after Prof. Sweney passed away about 1899, William continued to compile and edit books, with another forty-two published between 1897 and 1914.  He was an author as well as a composer, with over thirty hymn texts attributed to him and over 150 hymn tunes.  At the age of 76 (1914) William was still the president of the Praise Publishing Company and was said to be a busy and scholarly man. 

The last chapter of William J. Kirkpatrick’s remarkable life came to a close in September of 1921 at Germantown, Pennsylvania, and he was buried in Philadelphia.  A number of his hymn tunes continue to carry his love of music and of the Lord to this day.