“A Song to Sing” is about you and me. A song of our eternal destiny and our place in God’s plan—a song that helps us believe in ourselves and trust in Heavenly Father’s desires for us. We all have moments when we wonder if we matter, or if we are making a difference in this complex and troubling world. I’ve had many moments of self-doubt—and I’d struggle to think of a single person I know that hasn’t questioned their value or struggled to feel their worth at times. Every person is a known and loved child of God, with a song to sing and a destiny to fulfill.
A Destiny with a Beginning
I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. Every time I tell someone that I’m from Alaska, I get a “wow” response—it’s a fun conversation piece. It’s not often that I talk to someone who has lived in Anchorage, so I typically get excited about that information too!
I liked growing up somewhere unique and interesting. I enjoy telling people about the long summer nights, the Northern Lights, and the time I rode on a sled pulled by giant poodles rather than huskies.
We come from various towns, cities, and countries; each life story reflects a destiny unique to the individual who lives it. But we all share prelife experiences. Before our mortal birth, we lived with God as His spirit children.
The Bible records a revelation to Jeremiah: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jeremiah 1:5). We knew God and He knew us—including our potential development and accomplishments.
That is a “wow” beginning that we can each claim. We don’t know specific details, but Elder Weatherford T. Clayton shared his insights: “We lived with God for eons of time before our mortal birth—learning, choosing and preparing.”1
Though I know only a minuscule percentage of what can be known about Alaska, I love being Alaskan. Similarly, though I don’t remember life before earth, I love knowing that I am a child of God.
A Story Worth Telling
When choosing a new book, I often read the first sentence of the first chapter. This small sample allows me to glimpse the author’s writing style and helps me decide if the book would lure me into its pages. My favorite books are true life stories of people who show us a destiny of trials faced and challenges overcome—inspiring stories of human triumph.
Camille N. Johnson said,
Don’t we love the glorious culmination of a story we read when the protagonist overcomes the struggle? Trials are the elements of the plot that make our favorite stories compelling, timeless, faith promoting, and worthy of telling. The beautiful struggles written into our stories are what draw us closer to the Savior and refine us, making us more like Him.2
You and I, like all God’s children on earth, have and will face struggles of all kinds. Struggles are universal and are meant to prove and strengthen us. They are opportunities to build character and develop Christlike qualities.
When we allow God to author our stories, He gives us the courage to overcome and guides our paths. He gives us courage for a destiny that overcomes obstacles and finds and follows paths He knows are best for us.
A Shared Destiny
Our story began in the preexistence, before we entered the world with our first breath. As we live each day of our lives, the chapters are continually being written. Our story can’t be told in one day or one year—a lifetime is needed to record, rethink, revise, and perfect.
Chapters will include triumphs, challenges, joys, and sorrows that have defined the individual we became. Self-doubt will inevitably creep into our hearts at times, but if we can turn to God, allowing Him to remind us of our worth, we will have the strength to tell our story and fulfill our destiny, as we sing the song only we can sing.
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