Caitlyn Sorensen, a graduating agricultural economics student at BYU-Idaho, shared in a BYU-Idaho Radio podcast episode of Fulfilling the Mission how discipleship looks different for everyone and can take many forms. She drew inspiration from her recent studies of discipleship, where she reflected on the biblical definition of a disciple, which is described as "a pupil or a learner of Jesus Christ." She beautifully illustrated that discipleship is a personal journey, and no matter where someone is in their faith, they can still help bring others closer to Christ.
"I think discipleship looks different for everybody, I just love that. We’re all trying to do our best. And so, whatever stage we're at, we can help bring people closer to Christ, whether it's our roommates, whether it's our friends back at home, or whether it's our teachers. We're all on the path," Sorensen said.
John Hibbard, the Economics Department chair at BYU-Idaho, also shared his thoughts on how making discipleship the highest priority means being an example of it in everything we do. He shared how starting each day with the intention to follow Christ and make a positive difference in the lives of others in a great way to show discipleship. He also spoke about how students can go through BYU-Idaho and engage with the school's mission, allowing it to transform them in a profound way. He encouraged students to take advantage of the various resources available on campus, such as the temple, devotional messages, and the learning environment, to help them grow as disciples of Christ.
"You can come to BYU-Idaho and just receive a degree, or you can come to BYU-Idaho and let the experience go through you and then receive a degree. And it's going to be a completely different experience. So, if I were to encourage students, it would be to take advantage of all of the opportunities that we have here on campus to become better disciples of Jesus Christ," Hibbard shared.
Sorensen has made sure that she took advantage of the opportunities offered to her at BYU-Idaho. She was the president of the Professional Agricultural Student Organization Society on campus and was proud to take her team into the PAS competition in Illinois, where she placed first in a team and solo competition. Although she has experienced a lot, her favorite experience was being able to go to the temple regularly.
“Employment is so awesome and it’s so important, but our ultimate goal is to be disciples of Jesus Christ and to return back to our Heavenly Father,” she shared. “I think it has been so amazing to have professors who understand that vision, and who help us understand that we do need to get a job so that we can help provide, but that part of the goal and mission is to also keep that eternal perspective in mind.”
Hibbard concluded by sharing how he is fulfilling the mission of BYU-Idaho. He highlighted that his presence at the university is deeply tied to the mission of developing disciples of Jesus Christ. He shared that although he had a fulfilling career before joining BYU-Idaho, it was the opportunity to help cultivate disciples that ultimately led him to the university. Hibbard expressed that every class and activity at BYU-Idaho should incorporate an aspect of discipleship, reinforcing that the mission of the school goes beyond education—it is about transforming lives for good.
You can watch the full podcast episode on YouTube, find it on Spotify, or listen to it on one of your favorite podcast apps. You can also watch it below.