By David Goerg

REXBURG—Brigham Young University-Idaho students were invited to return to a live devotional presentation by Ahmad S. Corbitt on Sept. 21, 2021.

Ahmad S. Corbitt is the first devotional speaker to host an actual audience in the BYU-I Center since March 25, 2020. It has been a year and half since the COVID-19 pandemic made broadcasts rather than actual gatherings a procedural necessity for the university.

Students flocked to the BYU-I Center in droves, nearly filling the auditorium.

Seating for the live event required that one seat be left open between each attendee.

“Everything went really smooth with today’s first live devotional, and I would call it a success,” said Brett Crandall, Media Relations & Campus Communication Manager for BYU-Idaho.

Benny Vogl, a sophomore majoring in bio-medical studies, worked as an usher for the devotional event.

BYU-I students gather for the first in-person devotional since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Photos by David Goerg.

“We had a pretty in-depth training, about the rules of the center and the different procedures. The only rules that were changed for the pandemic was the seating arrangement and the masks. Everything else was still things that we applied from before [the pandemic.]”

The atmosphere of the event was vibrant and energetic, with laughter and conversation filling the halls of the BYU-I Center as many of the students expressed their excitement through muffled masks.

“We definitely had a lot of help for sure today, like it was a miracle that went so smoothly,” Vogl remarked.

While the future of the live devotional events is uncertain at the moment, the University does have plans to continue the live gatherings on campus.

“We hope to continue to have live devotionals, in the future. We’re watching the numbers in our BYU-Idaho community very closely to ensure that anything the university does doesn’t put the health of our students at risk,” said Crandall. “The safety of our students is our first priority.”

Corbitt’s remarks focused on strengthening our faith. He mentioned how we can use increased faith in matters of family and marriage, participate more fully in the Gathering of Israel, and create a national culture of unity and harmony in the United States that is free from racism.

“[Heavenly Father] was with us in the beginning,” said Corbitt. “He is also with us in the end.”