Devotionals and Speeches

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.

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.

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.

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.

Joshua D.K. Figueira was born to Kevin and Sherry Figueira. His family hails from Kailua, Oahu in Hawaii, but he was raised primarily in Bountiful, Utah. Joshua 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.

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.

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.

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-Idaho Pathway Worldwide as the Budget Officer, and then at BYU-Idaho as the Budget Officer.

Ryan Buttars was born in Logan, Utah. He attended Logan High School and Utah State University. He earned a Bachelor of Business Management from BYU-Idaho and later got an MBA from Western Governors University.

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.