". . . be not terrified." — Luke 21:9
I was so close to completing my lifelong goal: a four-year college degree. I had put this dream off until my six children were raised. When I went back to school, I had 14 grandchildren! My work in the Church had often been in music callings, so I decided a music degree would best serve.
It was plenty tough going back to school as a non-traditional student. Getting back into studying for exams and writing research papers, not having done so for decades, was torture. It was sometimes hard for me to remember what I had done five minutes ago, let alone learn and remember the works of Bach and Beethoven.
The single most daunting task, however, was to prepare a senior vocal recital in which I had to sing by myself for nearly an hour. The songs had to be from at least three artistic periods, in at least three languages besides English, and the music had to be classical (opera and art song). Everything had to be memorized.
I had been following my daughter's ward's Young Women challenge, given to them by Wendy Nelson, wife of Elder Russell M. Nelson, at their girls' camp: Before reading your scriptures, ask a question and see what answers you get as you read. I had been reading one chapter from the New Testament and one chapter from the Book of Mormon daily and on this day, a month before my recital, I prayed to know how I should think about the upcoming events in my life (thinking mostly of my recital, of course). I began reading Luke 21. In verse 9, I got my answer. It hit me like a punch: "… be not terrified." What relief, what comfort. With that help from the Lord and tons of work, I got through my recital with flying colors.
— Pamela Jensen, Toquerville 1st Ward, La Verkin Utah Stake
