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Story Behind the Song

In 2014, my grandpa Matkin (the one who gave me my patriarchal blessing and sealed my husband and I in the temple) was bedridden with a series of strokes he had since 2012. It was such a trying time for him. That Easter, our family went to visit him. My grandma had previously requested that Benson come sing for him.

Benson had already visited grandpa with me a few times at the hospital, for the short time he was receiving rehabilitative care there, and grandpa would tear up every time he saw Benson. I don’t know exactly what the reason was except grandpa’s inhibitions were gone since his stroke, and he had a really soft spot in his heart for Benson and the trials that Benson had experienced with his health up to that point. We had just started taking him for regular IVIG treatments, as his skin was still plaguing him greatly. Anyways, the bond was sweet. They were both experiencing hard things.

I had just finished composing this arrangement earlier that year, and I knew it was one of my grandpa’s favorite songs. So that weekend, Mark and I and our five kids huddled around his bedside and Benson sang I Stand All Amazed. I don’t recall if I had brought some recorded piano accompaniment or not – it’s quite possible I did, as I often created one for Benson to practice with – but either way, I remember grandpa closing his eyes as tears formed at the corners. In fact, we were all in tears. The spirit was palpable in the room.

It was a special request, planned that day at Easter, that Benson sing this at his funeral when the time came. That November he passed away.

Here’s Benson, at age 11, singing this song as the closing song at his great-grandpa’s funeral.