The music swelled, and the voices soared. Alyce Rivera and Seth Lay stood with the rest of BYU-Idaho’s Student Choir as they performed at the Conference Center during General Conference weekend. Thousands attended in person, and millions more streamed the performance worldwide.

Auditions for the choir were rigorous, Rivera said. “There were quite a few times where I was worried that my voice wouldn’t fit the requirements the conductors were looking for. I am definitely blessed to have made it into the choir.”

Balancing rehearsals with schoolwork presented challenges as well. “Thankfully, the rehearsals were almost all part of my class schedule because choirs on campus are registered classes. There were only two times that I had to adjust my schedule for a rehearsal or recording session,” Rivera said. “Putting in the personal effort to learn and practice the songs can feel like a burden sometimes, but it’s worth the hour or so of practice.”

The Student Choir had the opportunity to sing for the Saturday Afternoon Session of General Conference. The choir left on Friday morning, taking six buses from Rexburg, Idaho, to Salt Lake City. 

Although the ride was long, many students slept through it. Once arriving in the city, the choir had lunch and a rehearsal in the same place they would be performing in front of millions, less than 24 hours later. 

During this time, BYU-Idaho Choir students received some special visitors. "President and Sister Meredith, and Elder and Sister Bednar visited,” said Seth Lay, a history major. "They testified to us of our sacred responsibility to carry the Spirit through our song.”

Lay shared that performing in the choir was the first time he attended General Conference in person. “Once the conference started, my heart was beating out of my chest, but I felt calm and reassured as I focused on bearing my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “I was so glad to be present while the mouthpieces of the Lord bore solemn witness of Him and His love. The whole experience has been genuinely uplifting.”

For Rivera, an international studies student, singing with the choir was both exhilarating and spiritual. “It’s hard to pinpoint one thought, but I was just thinking how blessed I was to be able to share my testimony in a way I’m familiar with and with so many people. It was definitely surreal,” she said.

The spiritual impact of singing with the choir resonated with both students. Rivera reflected, “I realized just how powerful being in a group testifying of the same thing can be. Jesus Christ and His spirit is stronger when we are unified.”

As the final notes faded through the Conference Center, Rivera reflected on the deeper meaning of the performance. “There was a moment during ‘We’ll Sing All Hail to Jesus’ Name’ that stood out to me because it finally clicked that we weren’t just singing a beautiful song; we were singing about our testimony and belief of Jesus Christ. I definitely almost cried when that hit me,” she said.