Clive Romney wears many hats. And it's not just because he's a bit thin on top.

Over the years he's developed an amazing range as a musician. He's the engineer — and conductor — of the group Enoch Train, an LDS band famous for tackling everything from "O, Divine Redeemer" to "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes."

He has played solo gigs with his guitar — a la Cat Stevens.

He has produced albums, played backup for dozens of singers and was in a vocal ensemble that touted the old Utah Stars basketball team.

But in local circles, he may be best known for being the poet and composer of one of the most popular songs in the LDS Church.

Clive Romney gave the world "Scripture Power."

"I count it as the best thing I've ever done," he says of the children's song. "But the song is not my fault." It's the fault of a persistent Primary president named Sandy F. Gagon (wife of Deseret Morning News art critic, Dave Gagon).

Sandy, it seems, had started a program to encourage kids to keep their scriptures handy. She called the push "Scripture Power." And went to Romney and asked him to write a song for the program.

Romney says he fought her at every turn. He told her he didn't write for children, that he didn't have the time or the talent for it. But she kept after him.

"Finally," Romney says, "I remembered that I'd raised my hand in church and said I'd sustain Sister Gagon in her calling as Primary president. So I wrote a song."

As soon as she heard it, Sandy told Romney he had to submit it for use by the entire church.

Again he bucked and balked.

"I told her it was syncopated and bouncy, that it wasn't like other children's songs. I told her how difficult it was for me to handle rejection. But she kept after me."

So he sent his tune into church headquarters and the rest — as they say — is music history.

Today, kids worldwide relish the song. On the chorus they hoist their scriptures in the air and shout "Scripture power, is the power to win!"

Yet more than a sweet little success story about a children's song, the story of "Scripture Power" speaks to the amazing spiritual strength that can be found in simplicity. Many favorite hymns today were originally written for children — "Once in Royal David's City," "There is a Green Hill Far Away," "Teach Me to Walk in the Light," "I Am a Child of God." In religious music, simplicity and sincerity have always packed a punch. It's why the Psalms have been used thousands of times as hymn texts. They speak directly, with honesty and authenticity. And it makes their words irresistible as anthems.

All scripture, in fact, speaks a language that children can recite and adults can mull over for a lifetime.

Call it the mystery of the scriptures.

Or, better yet, call it "scripture power."

Clive Romney did. He wrote that little children's song straight from the heart.

And it led not only to a song for all ages — but a song for the ages.

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E-mail: jerjohn@desnews.com