Keep Trying!

Illustrations by Dan Burr and Bob Monahan

My parents joined the Church when I was young. We were in a small branch in Australia. My mother played the piano at church. But she could play only a few of the hymns. I was learning to play the piano too. When I was seven, the branch president asked me to play at church.

When I played the piano in church, I made mistakes. And when I made a mistake, I would cry. I was very shy and nervous. But I kept practicing. I wanted to play the hymns well. Now I love to play the piano! I can play all of the hymns.

On my mission in New Zealand, I served in another small branch. They didn’t have anyone to play the piano. So I played the organ and the piano for a year. Working through my fear was a blessing for me. It allowed me to bless others.

When I was a little boy, I also struggled with speaking. I had a stutter. It was hard to share my testimony in front of everyone. Sometimes when I tried to speak, I just burst into tears instead. I had priesthood blessings to help me. My mum and dad were very encouraging. Eventually I was blessed to be able to speak more clearly and confidently.

I still get nervous. Walking up to the stand to speak at general conference was scary! But there was such a powerful spirit there. I felt uplifted and calm. It was amazing.

If you are shy or have a hard time speaking, keep trying! Even if you continue to struggle, we need to hear what you have to say. You can bless lots of people with the things only you can say!