But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul. - 2 Ne. 32:9
Though I had been a seasoned performer as a child, college vocal auditions suddenly made me immensely nervous. I had no problem singing with my voice teacher or in the practice rooms, but when I was auditioning for singing juries my knees would shake and my voice would tremble. After several humiliating failures I went to the Lord in prayer. The situation was getting worse and I needed His help.
After my prayer I discovered this scripture. I prayed to consecrate my performance to the Lord. To make every performance an experience that would benefit my soul, I began singing for the right reasons. I promised that I would freely give of my musical gifts to the Lord my entire life. I prayed constantly for help and noticed a complete difference the next time I competed. I was able to control my emotions and sang my best.
For the past 25 years I have had a successful career as a professional musician and have served willingly in every calling extended to me in the Church. I have been able to help others sing solos in Church who would have never done so without extra help.
This scripture has served as a missionary tool for musician friends and sustained me in singing at funerals, the most difficult performance situation of all. Musicians in the Church are not paid in earthly dollars. Our souls are fed with eternal nourishment. - Corinne Brown Walker, Austin, Texas.
