ANNA WARNER and her sister, Susan, grew up near West Point Military Academy, where they became known for leading Sunday school services for the young men there.

After the death of their father, a New York lawyer, the sisters supported themselves with their various literary endeavors.

Susan became known as a best-selling novelist. Anna also wrote novels and published two collections of poems.

She wrote this simple hymn in 1860 to be included in one of her sisters novels. In the story, it was a poem of comfort spoken to a dying child.

Today millions of voices around the world sing these words:

"Yes, Jesus loves me!"

Once, when asked to summarize the essential truths of the Christian faith, the great Swiss theologian Karl Barth gave this simple answer:

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

This profound yet simple truth is certainly worth singing about.

Jesus loves me! this I know, For the Bible tells me so; little ones to him belong, They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! He who died Heaven's gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay Close beside me all the way; thou hast bled and died for me, I will henceforth live for thee.

~Anna Bartlett Warner {1820-1915}

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."