Hymn Story: Yield Not to Temptation

Horatio R. Palmer, was an American musician, who was struck with the idea for this hymn in a most unexpected way.  One day while working on a music theory exercise, the idea for this hymn suddenly came to him.

Taking out another sheet of paper, he quickly wrote down the lyrics that came to him.  Upon completion of the words that flowed from his hand, he discovered that few edits were needed, and the hymn remained as he wrote it.

The song has become a wonderful reminder to all of us, whether young or old, of how to face temptations that face us on a daily basis.

There is a story published by Stanley Stuber, which tells of a riot by the women prisoners at Sing Sing Prison in New York.  According to his account, the riot was terribly out of hand and the matron was desperately asking for help to tame the women. “Sud­den­ly a clear, strong voice rose above the clam­or and cry­ing of the re­bel­lious pris­on­ers. Yield not to temp­ta­tion, For yield­ing is sin; Each vic­to­ry will help you Some other to win. Fight man­ful­ly on­ward, Dark pas­sions sub­due; Look ev­er to Je­sus, He’ll ca­rry you through!  A hush stilled the ri­ot. One by one the in­mates joined in the song un­til as one they formed a line and marched qui­et­ly back to their cells.”

We all face temptations which we need to remember to yield from.

Ask the Savior to help you,

Comfort, strengthen, and keep you;

He is willing to aid you,

He will carry you through.