Sister Kelly C. Eyring and BYU-Idaho President Henry J. Eyring were excited to welcome students back for the 2022 Spring Semester in their opening devotional addresses.
Sister Eyring opened her remarks by saying how happy she was to welcome the students back and how spring semester is the best semester.
In her talk she mentioned how she would overhear her husband and the vice presidents praying at the table every day in the middle of the pandemic and how she was always touched by their dedication to Heavenly Father and to the students of the campus.
“I have said to him more than once, ‘We are so lucky to be working every day with such consecrated people,’” Sister Eyring said.
The feeling is mutual in the President’s heart as well. In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio before their devotional address, they talked about how President Eyring has enjoyed the council from his executive committee and from the Board of Directors, which is made up of leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Salt Lake City.
“His prayers are full of faith and hope and asking for guidance,” Sister Eyring said.
Throughout President Eyring’s devotional he referred to the students as pioneers and compared the journey over the past two years to a Biblical journey through the wilderness.
He talked about Adam and Eve having to leave the Garden of Eden. He spoke about the Children of Israel being made slaves under the Pharaoh. He talked about Lehi and Nephi’s sojourn to their promised land. He even mentioned the saints who lived during Joseph Smith and Brigham Young’s day and how the crossing of the plains was a modern-day Exodus for the Saints and it allowed them to strengthen their testimonies.
“It was as though the necessary hardware, software, and course content had been custom-ordered. The learning processes were different, but mostly adequate. Some of them were surprisingly good. We learned much in the educational ‘wilderness.’ But we also learned much about ourselves, individually and collectively,” President Eyring said.
He closed his talk by saying he was grateful to be a fellow pioneer with the students.
In the BYU-Idaho Radio Interview he talked about ways for students and members of the Church to remember the fact that they are modern pioneers.
“We need to be pioneering in reaching out, especially geographically. Now more than ever. I think that what we will see is that this university, the other universities and especially the Pathway program is going to increase geometrically,” President Eyring said.
The Eyring’s both talked about how students can rely on the Savior and make this semester a great semester and by relying on the Savior you can make this life a great life.