“This Is Your Gift,” Liahona, January 2025.
Latter-day Saint Voices
This Is Your Gift
“Heavenly Father,” I prayed, “what gift can I develop that will bless Thy children?”
As a young woman, Yanina was inspired to know that singing was a gift she could use to bless others. Later, she was chosen as one of the international members to sing with the Tabernacle Choir during general conference (photograph taken in Salt Lake Tabernacle).
When President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) visited Ecuador in 1999, I heard him say, “Whatever you decide to do, do the best you can.”
As child, I learned that God gives us gifts that allow us to bless others (see Moroni 10:8–18). I prayed, “Heavenly Father, what gift can I develop that will bless Thy children?”
At age 16, I began to study singing at the encouragement of the director of the local conservatory. “You have a beautiful voice,” she told me.
When the audience applauded after my first vocal performance, a phrase came clearly to my mind: “This is your gift.” I wept because my prayer had been answered. In my country, however, it can be difficult to make a living as a musician. But I knew that the Lord prepares a way. So, I continued to study singing, seeking to become the best I could be.
When I was 19, I was given a scholarship to study abroad. That opportunity and similar chances, however, failed to materialize. In hindsight, I can see that the Lord wanted me to stay in Ecuador.
People told me I had no future in music because I had no prestigious foreign education, wealth, or name recognition. But I knew that God had a plan for me, so I put my talent toward serving in the Church, where I formed choirs, directed music, and tried to inspire others to develop their gifts and talents.
Later, when I was offered work at a television station, I worried about temptations associated with the entertainment industry. But the answer to my prayers was, “Accept the job and show you can be an artist without compromising your standards.”
I have worked as a television artistic production assistant, as an assistant choral director for the Symphonic Choir of Guayaquil, and on the board of the Ecuadoran House of Culture for the province of Guayas.
I testify that it is possible to fulfill our dreams without sacrificing our principles. Today my name is recognized in my country and in my profession—thanks to my commitment to live the gospel and develop the gifts Heavenly Father has given me.
When we obey our Father’s will, the impossible becomes possible (see Matthew 19:26). I know He loves us and wants to help us develop our gifts to bless others.