BYU-Idaho Center Dedication

Today I had the privilege of singing with the majority of the choirs at this university in the dedication of the new BYU-Idaho Center and the additions to the Manwaring Center.  This was the most amazing and spiritual experience of my entire life. I sat six rows away from a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What a wonderful and amazing experience that was. I came to have an even firmer testimony that this church really is the true church, and that the men who run it are really and truly called of God. You can feel it as soon as they walk into the room, that they have been in the presence of God and truly have His spirit with them at all times.

I was so excited to perform. I was so nervous too! There was a ton of security, and I was so nervous that I wouldn't be able to find my way to the gym where we were rehearsing, as well as not being able to get through security! I was so nervous that I even had nightmares! BUT everything turned out fine. The first part of the day, at least before the performance, went really well. We did a few vocal warm-ups, rehearsed the Mo-Tab Rendition of Come Thou Fount for a while, and that was amazing. It was seriously a great way to bring the Spirit into our hearts before the performance. And then there was a break period, where people could get water and use the bathroom before we went down to the auditorium (the gyms are on the east side of the second floor and the auditorium is on the western side of the first floor). Then it was show time. I can remember walking on the stage and looking out at the audience and just being in awe that I was there, and I actually got to be a part of this special and amazing occasion. I felt like I was performing at some amazing concert hall or something. I was so excited, and it was the little kid kind of excitement where you're squirming in your seat and kind of wanting to jump up and down, and just filled this kinetic energy that nothing except performing would get rid of. And then the apostles walked in. I remember, everyone was talking really loud and then there was this hush all of a sudden and people started standing up, and I thought to myself, why is everyone standing up? And then I looked at the tv screens they have built in to the half-wall things next to the podium, and I saw President Eyring walk in and as I stood up, it was like the Spirit whispered to me, this is real. These people that you see on TV and in pictures are really and truly men of God. And after that it was like, boom, here come the tears, and it was almost a never-ending flow after that.

President Bednar spoke after President Clark (who was also a little emotional), and being a former president of the college, in fact he was the president of the college right before being called to the Quorum of the Twelve, he was very emotional and he opened by saying it's good to be home. As soon as he said that I loved him even more. He gave a brief but wonderful talk, and then Elder Russel M. Nelson spoke and he did a wonderful job too. And then it was time to perform. I wasn't sure how well I was going to be able to sing in that I had been somewhat crying for the previous twenty minutes, but as soon as I opened my mouth, it was like there were a choir of Angels singing with us. The Spirit of God really did burn like a fire that whole time, not just during the song but during the entire dedication.Then it was President Eyring's turn. And he did an amazing job. The entire time he spoke I was just so filled with the Spirit. I might not remember what everyone said, but I remember the feelings. And I remember just how amazed and humbled and awed I felt to be part of such an amazing and historical event.

I'm not so good at this blogging thing...

So as more and more of my friends start blogging, I realize maybe this is better than journaling, since I seem to be pretty lame about that too. Which when you think about it is kind of sad, because if you know my grandfather you know that he has binders and binders full of journal entries, I don't think a day goes by where he doesn't write in his journal. I on the other hand in my nearly twenty years of living have never been able to fill a single one out. Or up. Anyhow, as I get into my second semester of my junior year of college, I look back on so many things and wish I would've done better. Journaling is one of many things I wish I would've done better at.

For an update, those of you who don't know, I have decided on a major. I am officially an Early Childhood Special Education Major. I'm not really sure what I want to do with that. Maybe teach K-2nd grade. That would be my ideal range. I would be a Speech Pathology major but BYUI doesn't have a program for that and I have zero desire to transfer. Life at BYUI is amazing. There's such a spirit of friendliness, and wholeness to this place. It makes me want to be better. And I think I've realized that I need to be in a place like this. I need to be in a place where I can be surrounded by people who have the same standards and values that I do, and who can lift me up instead of dragging me down. I love that being Mormon and talking about the Gospel here isn't weird. I love that we start class with prayer and occasionally a hymn. I love that even my choir class is gospel related. Heavenly Father knew that this was the place that I needed to be. And even though it's freezing, snowy, and a sucky 10 hour drive from home, it's a place that I have come to cherish.