Participating in a Multicultural Choir for October 2021 General Conference

Participating in a Multicultural Choir for October 2021 General Conference

On Saturday, October 2, at 2:00 PM MDT, I will join 179 women and men from around the state of Utah in a multicultural choir that will sing during the Saturday afternoon session of the 191st semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This is a bit historic and a long time coming. Members of the choir speak dozens of different native and second languages, are from homelands on every populated continent on the earth, and represent a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. When you watch this session, you will see a visual representation of the diversity of the body of Christ that you may not have seen before at general conference.

The journey for my participation in this choir started on February 13, 2020. After going through an application process, I was selected along with 359 others to join a multicultural choir that was scheduled to sing the April 2020 general conference of the church. However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the format for general conference changed. At one point, it was thought that we might record our songs that would be broadcast as part of the conference. But out of an abundance of caution, that plan was changed and we were left not knowing if we would ever get the chance to sing in this historic setting.

Fast forward to June 18, 2021, when were informed of the First Presidency’s decision to allow us to sing in October general conference, albeit with a different plan than in 2020. The choir was reduced in size and I made the cut! Several safety protocols were enacted to allow us to sing live.

I had the chance to forego this opportunity - the Lord knows I have a lot more on my plate now that I did in April of 2020 (this was before I was called to serve as a bishop). It has been a personal sacrifice and a sacrifice for my family to devote the time necessary to adequately prepare both spiritually and vocally for this opportunity. I just pray that I will be equal to what the Lord needs for this session of general conference.

P.S., The man in my pictures is Brian Brown, a member of our ward (Eastlake 3rd Ward), where I serve as bishop. Brian is also a former member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.