I regret that the assertion, “I was used!” is almost always expressed in a tone of voice that reveals defensive feelings of accusation and frustration. “I was used,” however, can also be understood as it is reflected in the hymn, “More Holiness Give Me” (Hymns, No. 131). The prayerful, inspiring lyrics of that hymn consist of a series of pleas to God. The eager disciple asks heaven for greater quantities of all kinds of worthy, saintly acquisitions and qualities: “more holiness, more strivings within, more patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin, more faith in the Savior, more sense of his care, more joy in his service, more purpose in prayer.”

The pleading continues with requests for help with growth and acquisition of every variety of holiness, including gratitude, trust, hope, meekness, purity, and strength. Near the end of the long list of poignant requests is a plea to be “more used.” Perhaps that request would be less ambiguous in the current vernacular if it read “more useful,” but “more used would I be” seems somehow more profoundly communicative. In context, it suggests being all used up in heavenly service, completely spent in Godly pursuits. The artful, albeit ambiguous, phrase has long been among my common requests at both the beginning and ending of each day as I pray. Ah, to be chosen and empowered to be more used by heaven. That is a holy quest.

Every Sunday for the past several weeks, guests attending Music & the Spoken Word in Salt Lake City are asked to take their seats by 9:15 to enjoy a specially prepared introductory piece entitled the Welcome Segment. During those minutes preceding the formal broadcast, a Greeter assumes a microphone at the front of the Tabernacle or Conference Center to welcome the eclectic assortment of guests from all over the world. The Greeter shares with them some basic information about the Choir and what they are about to hear and invites them to listen in while the Greeter conducts a short interview with a member of the large Tabernacle Choir Organization.

I have delighted in the sweet pleasure of serving regularly as one of the Greeters on Sunday mornings. Without exception, that Sunday segment has been a blessed opportunity that has proven valuable for engaging, informing, and lifting assorted visitors in varied and even surprising ways – all of them holy. To date, I have interviewed six different people from the Choir organization. Because of the richness of the stories the interviewees have generously shared, each interview has been notable and important, and each interview has unfolded in ways that have left both me and the interviewee feeling blessedly used.

1.Recently I interviewed a remarkable Choir member who ably offers his musical expertise and terrific tenor voice to the Choir in spite of his being blind. A generous fellow Choir member helps him find his assigned seat, then the special singer employs other carefully cultivated capacities to enable himself to maintain the beat and tempo of the music and contribute seamlessly even without being able to see the conductor, the sheet music, or the teleprompters. He has developed an extraordinary sense of pitch, he carefully memorizes the music from braille editions, and he listens assiduously to his fellow singers’ breathing to cue his entrances and cut offs. And he does it all with excellence, good cheer, and a robust sense of humor.

In our interview, he told the auditorium full of guests that when he was young, he was advised that he could either mope or cope. Even as a boy, he was sure that he would choose to cope and certainly not mope. Later in life, his wife suggested that he had earned an addition to his commitment. She said that he does not mope and most definitely copes, but he also thrives. I would suggest further that he inspires. From mope to cope to thrive to inspire. That courageous singer is being profoundly used to contribute in wonderful ways. He blesses and is blessed as he is used.

2. On another Sunday, I interviewed the hard-working Choir Production Manager. That irresistible woman agreed on that occasion to assume a seat center stage instead of the off-stage space she typically occupies directing everything that involves the lights, cameras, and action for Music & the Spoken Word. In response to a simple question about how she ended up working with the Tabernacle Choir, she shared a compelling story from her several-year stint working in Las Vegas with Celine Dion. She explained that many of the people with whom she was working at that time were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were all simply, consistently, and unmistakably nice. One woman in particular – the dance choreographer for Celine Dion – became her close friend. As a result of the irresistible influence of that woman and others, she joined the Church, moved to Salt Lake City, and accepted her current employment with the Church. Her tremendous production capacity and her open heart enable her to be used in significant ways to expertly facilitate programming for countless beneficiaries of her contribution. Her Las Vegas colleagues were also useful and used, motivating and empowering her to be broadly used, too.

3. During his interview, one of the Tabernacle organists shared the story of his introduction to the organ. As a young boy, he began taking piano lessons, but the study wasn’t compelling to him. Fortunately, his piano teacher was also an organist. He suggested to the young student’s mother that perhaps organ would be more interesting to the reluctant pianist. Indeed, it was. Captivated by the possibilities of the organ, that young fellow began practicing consistently and has never quit. His diligent effort has equipped him to be used as he has mastered that grand instrument for the benefit of countless music lovers worldwide who are blessed by the stunning music he makes. He shared the joy and gratitude he feels for the opportunity he has to unite his craft and his faith. “More used has he been.”

4. Other interviewees also represent those who share their time and talent to be used mightily, often without drawing much attention to themselves. A notable violinist explained something of what she does in an important leadership role to keep the other instrumentalists in the Orchestra in tune and unified. She is an accomplished musician who offers her tremendous musical capacity as a volunteer. Like the others, she joyfully, even gratefully, shows up every Thursday and every Sunday and often in between for rehearsals and performances, without receiving any financial compensation. She is a gifted and generous volunteer, willing and eager to be used for a heavenly cause.

5. One unusual contributor has the singular calling of Choir Global Envoy. When the Conference Center was completed, then President Gordon B. Hinckley called this fellow to his office to explain to him that he wanted to be sure the enormous new hall would be filled. This man was tasked with finding notable performers who would come to the Conference Center to sing with the Choir for the benefit of all. Eager to be useful and used, this man proceeded to employ his remarkable capacity to establish and retain relationships as he cultivated meaningful friendships with all kinds of notable performers. Delighted by the kindness and sincerity of their new friend, those performers have gladly accepted invitations to sing with the Choir again and again. That brother’s personal gifts and generous dedication enable him to be mightily used.

6. One Sunday, a new Choir member assumed the interviewee stool and proceeded to share the story of why he had chosen to audition for the Choir despite an already busy personal schedule. He tenderly told the story of his son’s unexpected death and the subsequent paralyzing grief he had felt. Searching for a way forward, he felt as he prayed for heavenly help, that he should join a choir. Puzzled but willing, he proceeded to take voice lessons and study music theory to prepare for an audition with the finest choir he knew, the Tabernacle Choir. To his delight, he was awarded a spot in the Choir.

He shared that on the very first Sunday he sang with the Choir, sitting next to others who were singing with him, he immediately felt a sense of community and rightness. He felt that the music and the participation were enabling him to tap into the sacred, and that his soul was coming back to life.

The interview felt important and profound, but the import of it became even more apparent after the broadcast was over. I learned that another grieving family had been invited to attend Music & The Spoken Word by a friend who sought to assist them with their grief. They had had two sons pass away unexpectedly in a very short time, and they were, like the Choir member, paralyzed with grief. They agreed to attend the program with a desperate hope that there might be something there that would assuage, even slightly, their profound sorrow. After listening to the Choir member’s story, they felt a sense of assurance that heaven had not forgotten them. They left encouraged that they could press on. Even seated among thousands of others, they felt that heaven had carefully dropped a personal love note to them from above. The Choir member had been used. Even I had been used when his name occurred to me as the person I should ask to sit for the interview. The whole blessed divine choreography was precious.

The work of God is comprehensive and welcoming, and the ways to be used and useful are diverse. The opportunities to participate are everywhere and always. If you sing, sing. If you are drawn to people, make friends. If you feel compassion, show it. If you make music, share it. If you find faith, tell others.

To be used in heavenly ways is a great opportunity available to all those who live and pray with real intent. More used would I be – used up in heavenly service, completely spent in Godly pursuits for the benefit of others and the glory of God. That’s the divine goal for us all.