Devotionals and Speeches

This Devotional address with Cindy Goodwill was delivered on May 6, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Cindy Goodwill is the Worldwide Online Curriculum and Instruction Director at BYU-Idaho and also teaches a math class as an adjunct—just for fun. A native Californian and longtime Upstate New Yorker, she moved to Rexburg in 2018 with her husband, Tim, and their six children. Cindy h...

Elder Ulisses Soares was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 31, 2018. Elder Soares was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on October 2, 1958. He married Rosana Fernandes in October 1982. They are the parents of three children and five grandchildren. Elder Soares received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting and economics from the São Paulo Pontifical Catholic University...

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 General Authority, President Meredith served as president of the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission. He also served as an Area Seventy in the North America Southeast an...

Jennifer E. Meredith received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University. She worked in Human Resources for Franklin Covey. Sister Meredith served as a mission leader with her husband in the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission. She has served as a presidency member in multiple church organizations and as a full-time missionary in the Argentina Salta Mission. President and Si...

This Devotional address with Max Bartschi was delivered on April 1st at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Max Bartschi lives in Moody, Idaho. He has worked at BYU-Idaho for 23 years. Max and his wife, Marinda, have been married for 26 years. They have four children, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law, and one granddaughter. Max enjoys spending time with family and being outdoors. He especia...

This Devotional address with Scott Burton was delivered on March 25th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Scott Burton is a computer science faculty member and the program director of the online software development program offered through BYU-Pathway Worldwide. He holds a Ph. D. in computer science from Brigham Young University, where his research combined machine learning and health scien...

This Devotional address with Elder Jorge M. Alvarado was delivered on March 18th at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Jorge M. Alvarado was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019, at age 48. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a high councilor. He has served as a counselor in the Caribbean Area Presidency and is currently serving at Church Headquarters in...

This Devotional address with Elder David A. and Sister Susan K. Bednar was delivered on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at 5:00 PM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. David A. Bednar was ordained and set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 7, 2004. Prior to his call, Elder Bednar served as an Area Authority Seventy, as an Area Authority, as a Regional Representative, twice as a sta...

This University Forum address with Melissa Russell was delivered on March 6, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the Taylor Chapel. Melissa Russell is a dedicated faculty member in the Department of Human Performance and Recreation and an Associate Dean of Student Success in the Office of Academic Support and Interdisciplinary Studies. Melissa currently teaches in the Therapeutic Recreation, Recreation Manag...

This Devotional address with Elder Lance B. Wickman was delivered on March 4, 2025, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Lance B. Wickman is the former General Counsel and an Emeritus General Authority of the Church. Elder Wickman served as a General Authority Seventy from April 1994 until October 2010. He served as General Counsel from January 1996 until November 2023. He attended the...

Diantha Smith Hopkins teaches English at BYU-Idaho, specializing in rhetoric and composition, rhetorical theory, and children’s literature. She is also fascinated by the history and politics of the Middle East and Asia. She lived and studied in Damascus, Syria and served a mission in Seoul, Korea. Diantha and her husband, Mark, have been married for almost five years. She is a stepmom to five chil...

Jenet Jacob Erickson is an associate professor in Religious Education at Brigham Young University, where she teaches the Eternal Family course as well as the Introduction to Family Process course for the School of Family Life. She received a PhD in family social science from the University of Minnesota, after completing a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and master’s degree in linguistics -TESOL at B...

Jason Reeder is from Idaho Falls and served in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida mission, speaking in the Spanish language. He graduated from BYU-Idaho in communication with an emphasis in advertising. He also has a master’s degree in integrated marketing communication from West Virginia University. Jason has held various marketing communication positions and has worked at BYU-Idaho for 14 years in Adm...

Sister Kristin M. Yee was born in Sacramento, California, to Ryan R. Yee and Jaydean Fox McKay. Sister Yee received a bachelor’s degree in illustration and a Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University. Sister Yee currently works as a Publishing Services special projects manager for the Church. Prior to working at the Church, she worked with Disney Interactive Studios for 13 year...

Joshua Figueira was born to Kevin and Sherry Figueira. His family hails from Kailua, Oahu in Hawaii, but he was raised primarily in Bountiful, Utah. Josh served in the South Korea Seoul West Mission. He holds a B.A in English language from Brigham Young University, a Master of Religion in Contemporary Society from King’s College London, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame. Josh...

Marc Stewart is from Sugar City, Idaho. He served a mission in the Columbia South Carolina Mission. Brother Stewart received a bachelor’s degree from BYU-Idaho in business finance and an MBA from Western Governor’s University. He worked at the Idaho National Laboratory for six years as a Planning and Financial Controls Specialist, four years at BYU-Idaho in a few financial roles, six years at BYU-...

Ryan Buttars shares personal stories about how no one is forgotten by Jesus Christ. Given at a BYU-Idaho devotional on December 3, 2024.

Richard Whiting grew up in Southern California as the second of five children. A year after starting his education at BYU, he was called to serve in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission. After serving a mission, Brother Whiting returned to BYU, where he taught at the MTC and studied psychology. Before completing his bachelor's degree, he married his wife, Beverly. They have been married for 39 ye...

Janalee Meeker has a deep love and admiration for the students at BYU-Idaho. In her current role as an administrator in the Student Honor Office, she cherishes the one-on-one experiences she has with students as they strive to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Having grown up in a large family, with an extraordinary mother, and as a triplet, she began observing healthy family relationships early i...

Elder Hans T. Boom was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019, at age 55. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a temple ordinance worker for the Hague Netherlands Temple and as an institute teacher. He currently serves as president of the Europe North Area. Elder Boom has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the England London East...

Tom Waldron grew up in Garden Grove, California. He served in the Cebu Philippines mission. Tom attended Golden West college and BYU-Idaho Pathway Connect before he received a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Technology Management from BYU-Idaho and a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University. Tom was a technician for Coast Cadillac and a master diagnostic t...

Sister Michelle D. Craig received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Brigham Young University. Sister Craig has served in many ward and stake positions in the Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society organizations. She has served as temple ordinance worker in the Provo Utah Temple and Gospel Doctrine teacher in Sunday school. Sister Craig served a mission in the Dominican Republic Sa...

Kevin J Worthen is the Hugh W. Colton Professor of Law and a Wheatley Institute Distinguished Fellow at Brigham Young University. Brother Worthen is a graduate of Carbon High School in Price, Utah. After serving a mission in Monterrey, Mexico, he earned an associate degree at the College of Eastern Utah (now USU-Eastern). He then received his B.A. in political science and his J.D. from BYU. After...