Pop Stars and Primary Songs

More from our Temple Youth Celebration Experience:

Week two of our Temple Youth Celebration rehearsals was a great success. Our youth leaders are doing such an incredible job teaching our kids with passion and patience. We are so grateful for the dedication of the great men and women of our stake who are faithfully calling and picking up kids for rehearsals and then immersing themselves in the practices.

The young people of the Daybreak Stake are really who make this event special and last night was no exception. Rehearsals for both dance and choir were going very well when, around 8:30, we learned that a special guest would be arriving shortly at the Dunes Building. The dancers at the Temple Point building quickly concluded their practice and loaded into cars for a field trip to the choir rehearsal. The choir kids were more than a little surprised to see all of the dance kids filing into the cultural hall. Word quickly spread that our special guest would be none other than American Idol star David Archuleta, a close personal friend of our choir director Richard Parkinson.

Needless to say, the atmosphere was electric, but Brother Parkinson was careful to remind the kids that we were in a church and that David’s visit was an opportunity for him to share his testimony with our youth. David arrived and the kids performed their choir number for David and he offered words of congratulations and praise for their involvement in the Temple Youth Celebration.

Thank you Brother Parkinson and Brother Archuleta for making last night a remarkable experience and one that will be remembered for many years to come.

It shouldn’t however, surprise those of us who were there, that David’s visit was not the most remarkable thing to happened. The part of the evening that will be etched in our minds and hearts forever occurred during the time while we waited for David Archuleta to arrive. It began as our youth sang “I Am A Child Of God”. A calmness came over the audience and the Spirit flooded into the room and then grew stronger as the voices of 300+ youth sang the words to several other primary songs.

Most of us will never know what it feels like to be or associate with an American Idol. But after last night, we can testify that the youth of the Daybreak Stake are truly Celestial Idols. Thank you Daybreak Young Men and Young Women for taking each of us just a little further "Up The Mountain."

Brother Richard Parkinson introducing David Archuleta. That's also our Multi-Stake Coordinators, John and Kathy Bess. David talking to the youth. What a great smile!


The Youth singing, "Come to the Mountain of the Lord" for David.

David watching the youth sing to him. He's very shy and extremely humble. He complimented the youth on thier singing and being apart of this once in a lifetime opportunity for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Youth Celebration. That's me, Kimberly, talking with David. Wow!

I actually had the privelege of waiting for David to arrive to help escort him into the buidling because it was a surprise for the youth. Aftewards, we quickly escorted him out. Bishop Day of the 3rd Ward acted as a great body guard. It was a great treat for the youth and us all.