Devotionals and Speeches

This Devotional address with Elder Karl D. Hirst was delivered on November 18, 2025 at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Karl D. Hirst was sustained as a General Authority Seventy at the April 2024 general conference. At the time of his call, he and his wife, Claire, had been serving as FSY session directors. Elder Hirst was a full-time missionary in the England London South Mission. H...

This Devotional address with David Ashby was delivered on November 11, 2025 at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. David Ashby was born in Reno, Nevada, and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He served in the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission. He attended Ricks College and was the captain of the Ricks College spirit team. David graduated from BYU-Idaho with a degree in Spanish education an...

This Devotional address with Andy Johnson was delivered on Tuesday, November 4, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Andy Johnson was born and raised in Upstate New York. He came to Rexburg in 1987 to attend Ricks College. Andy later served a full-time mission in Tallahassee, Florida. After returning to Rexburg, he met his wife, Melodi, in a communications class held in the Spori building. T...

This Devotional address with Heidi Egan was delivered on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Heidi Egan grew up in Toronto, Canada, but moved to the United States for college in 1993. She has lived in Provo, Seattle, Upstate New York, Los Angeles, and now Rexburg. She enjoyed serving a unique mission as a church service missionary leader. Heidi earned an associate...

This Devotional address with Elder Kim B. Clark was delivered on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Clark was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 4, 2015. He was released on October 5, 2019. At the time of his call, he had been serving as the president of BYU–Idaho since 2005. He served as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy, Idaho Are...

This Devotional address with Stephanie L. Colvin was delivered on September 30 at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Stephanie L. Colvin began her journey as a college student at Ricks College and attended BYU and Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, before returning to earn her undergraduate degree from BYU–Idaho. She completed a master’s degree in leadership, with an emphasis in trai...

This Devotional address with Elder Clark G. and Sister Christine C. Gilbert was delivered on Tuesday, September 23, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Clark G. Gilbert was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 3, 2021. He currently serves as the Commissioner of the Church Educational System. At the time of his call, he had been serving as an Area Seventy in the Utah Area....

This Devotional address with President Alvin F. and Sister Jennifer E. Meredith was delivered on Tuesday, September 16th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Alvin F. Meredith III became the 18th president of Brigham Young University-Idaho on August 1, 2023. He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 3, 2021, and continues to serve in that role today. Prior to his call as a Gen...

As part of BYU-Idaho's Summer Session Devotional Recommendations, we’re featuring “The Power of the Book of Mormon" by Elder Michael T. Ringwood, which was delivered on March 15, 2016. Elder Michael T. Ringwood was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 4, 2009. Following his call as a General Authority, he served at Church headquarters...

As part of BYU-Idaho's Summer Session Devotional Recommendations, we’re featuring “Love Thy God and Thy Neighbor" by Sister Reyna I. Aburto, which was delivered on June 4, 2019. Sister Aburto was sustained in April 2017 as the second counselor in the general presidency of the Relief Society, the Church’s organization for its six million female members ages 18 and older. Reyna I. Aburto was born in...

As part of BYU-Idaho's Summer Session Devotional Recommendations, we’re featuring “What's Not to Love?" by Elder Ronald A. Rasband, which was delivered on February 13, 2022. Elder Rasband was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 3, 2015. He had been serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since 2005 and was serving as the Senior President of the Seventy when called t...

As part of BYU-Idaho's Summer Session Devotional Recommendations, we’re featuring “Abide the Day" by Elder Jack N. Gerard, which was delivered on October 29, 2019. Elder Jack N. Gerard was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018. He previously served in the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Northeast Area from 201...

As part of BYU-Idaho's Summer Session Devotional Recommendations, we’re featuring “I'll Be What You Want Me to Be" by Brother Stephen W. Owen, which was delivered on November 8, 2016. Stephen W. Owen was sustained as the Young Men general president on April 4, 2015. His previous Church service includes serving as a full-time missionary in the Texas San Antonio Mission, president of the California...

As part of BYU-Idaho's Summer Session Devotional Recommendations, we’re featuring “The Sunny Side of the Street” by Elder Quentin L. Cook, which was delivered on January 26, 2021. Elder Quentin L. Cook was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 6, 2007. Called as a General Authority in April 1996, Elder Cook served i...

This Devotional address with Jared Boyter was delivered on July 15th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Jared Boyter earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and his master’s degree in business administration, along with certificates in supply chain management and project management. He has worked at BYU-Idaho for 14 years. Jared served in the Colorado Denver North Mission. He m...

This Devotional address with Jodi Robison was delivered on July 8th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Jodi Robison loves school and learning and considers herself to be a perpetual student. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. Later, Jodi earned a master’s degree, several certificates, and a doctoral degree, all online, so she could be where her children were. In...

This Devotional address with Brian Christensen was delivered on July 1st at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Brian Christensen is the oldest of nine children and served as a missionary in the Chile Santiago South mission. He has lived in various parts of the U.S., including Utah, Maine, Maryland, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, California, Wisconsin, and Idaho. Brian graduated with a degree...

This Devotional address with Elder I. Raymond Egbo was delivered on June 24th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Egbo was sustained as a General Authority Seventy at the April 2024 general conference. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy in the Africa West Area. Elder Egbo has served in a number of Church callings, including full...

This Devotional address with Alicia Willis was delivered on June 17th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. In her address, Sister Willis draws from personal experiences with family scripture study and rich personal insights to show how faith, repentance, covenants, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost form a continuous, Christ-centered pattern for life. Through examples from ancient and modern...

This Devotional address with Casey Puzey was delivered on June 10th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Casey was raised in Sugar City, Idaho, and served a mission in Busan, South Korea. He received his associate degree in psychology from Ricks College, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Idaho State University, and a master’s degree in counseling from Idaho State University. Casey has w...

This Devotional address with Jenifer Craner was delivered on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Jenifer Craner began working at BYU-Idaho in 2013 as the IT Office Assistant. In 2018, she moved to the Human Resources department and currently fills the position of HR Coordinator for Temporary Employment. Jenifer has been married for almost 31 years to Cary Craner, who...

This Devotional address with Jim Lawrence was delivered on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Jim grew up in Tooele, Utah, and served in the Canada Calgary Mission. He attended Utah State University and earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering. Jim worked for Utah Department of Transportation for six years before taking a position as the Director of Engineer...

This Devotional address with Sister Nancy Dransfield Homer was delivered on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Sister Homer was born in Seattle, Washington, to Howard Eugene and JoyeAnn Shurtleff Dransfield. Sister Homer met her husband after graduating from Brigham Young University and while working in Salt Lake City and attending the University of Utah. Elder and S...

This Devotional address with Elder David P. Homer was delivered on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 11:45 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Homer was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on March 31, 2018. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy in the Europe Area. He previously served as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the Nort...

This Devotional address with Elder Kevin G. Brown was delivered on May 13, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Kevin G. Brown was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 2025. At the time of his call, he had been serving as an Area Seventy in the Utah Area. Elder Brown received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Technology, Jamaica, in 2008. He received a ma...