Devotionals and Speeches

This Devotional address with Elder Neil L. Andersen was delivered on Sunday, February 22 at 5:00 PM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Elder Andersen was named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 4, 2009. Neil L. Andersen was born in Logan, Utah, and raised in Pocatello, Idaho. He graduated from Brigham Young University, where he was a Hinckley Scholar, and earned a masters of business administration from Harvard University. After completing his education, he settled in Tampa, Florida, where his business interests included advertising, real estate development and health care. Elder Andersen and his wife, Kathy Williams Andersen, are the parents of four children. Prior to his call as a general authority, Elder Andersen served as a mission president in the France Bordeaux Mission and as president of the Tampa Florida Stake. He was serving as the senior member of the Presidency of the Seventy prior to his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve. He was named a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1993, at age 41. Elder Andersen previously led the work of the Church in southern Brazil and, again as a member of an area presidency, oversaw the Church in western Europe. He has also assisted in supervising the work of the Church in Mexico and Central America. In addition, he supervised Church audiovisual production, including the filming of “The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd” and managed construction of the broadcast facilities in the Conference Center as the executive director of the Church Audiovisual Department. He speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish in addition to his native English.

This Devotional address with Neihlee Muir was delivered on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Neihlee Muir came to BYU-Idaho in 2003, and just one week after arriving in Rexburg, she met her husband, Tyler. They were married later that year and are now the proud parents of three boys. Neihlee and her family have made their home in the Ashton, Idaho area for the past 20 years. Neihlee loves playing the violin, softball, ice hockey, snowmobiling, and riding horses with her family, but her favorite hobby is cheering on her boys in baseball, football, hockey, and rodeo. While raising her children, Neihlee continued her education and worked in both general contractor and subcontractor roles. She earned an associate’s degree in architectural technology and later completed a bachelor’s degree in construction management from BYU-Idaho. She also earned a master’s degree in management and leadership from Western Governors University. Neihlee has worked in BYU-Idaho’s Construction Management Services department since 2012. She has served in various church callings, including Sunday School teacher, Young Women’s advisor, and stake family history consultant. She is currently serving as the first counselor in her ward’s Young Women’s presidency.

This Devotional address with Jennifer B. Platt was delivered on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 11:30 AM MST in the BYU-Idaho I-Center. Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt is the daughter of Spencer and Alice Brinkerhoff and was born and raised in Arizona. She earned a PhD in educational psychology from Arizona State University. As a single adult, she led the first youth conference held in Ethiopia. Sister Platt has a deep love for the Church Educational System and has been a religious educator for 25 years. She taught seminary and institute in Arizona and has been a religion faculty member on three different BYU campuses: BYU, BYU–Idaho, and BYU–Hawaii. Sister Platt is currently the Associate Department Chair of Religious Education here on campus. Her happy places include the House of the Lord, her garden, the middle of a good book, and anywhere the sun is shining. Whether it is the BYU Cougars, shy Primary children, or weary marathon runners, Jennifer loves cheering for people. She is married to Jed Platt and is the mother of two children.

This Devotional address with President Alvin F. Meredith III was delivered on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 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 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 and Asia Areas, and in a number of other Church callings including as a full-time missionary in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission. In his professional career, President Meredith worked as a senior executive of Asurion in Tennessee, Hong Kong, and Singapore. He also worked for The Boston Consulting Group and GE Capital. President Meredith earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.