With the John Taylor Chapel packed to full capacity before the forum even began, the overflow area was opened to accommodate more listeners eager to hear Sister Michelle Amos’ inspiring message.

“I was very impressed with the university students … walking into the Taylor Chapel and seeing it was filled,” said Amos. “That was a testimony to me that what I was doing was what the Lord wanted me to do. How else would so many people want to come and hear me.”

Amos worked for NASA as an electrical design engineer, project manager and systems engineer at the Kennedy Space Center for over 30 years. She was a systems engineer for the Mars 2020 Rover called “Perseverance.”

Amos and her husband, Elder John D. Amos, served as mission leaders for the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission from July 2020 to July 2023. Aside from the many callings they have had in the church, their favorite has been their calling to each other through 34 years of marriage. They have three children and five grandchildren, and they currently live in Oviedo, Florida.

“Most people hear about space and get excited about it. I think that is also a testimony of the work that the Savior does is a part of all of us,” Amos said. “The creation of the universe, it all resonates with us because it is truth. There are few things in the world that are absolute truths, and the fact that Jesus Christ is the master creator is absolute truth.”

Amos shared that she and her husband are good friends with the Merediths, so it was a happy reunion when they saw each other again.

“I was honored (to speak at BYU-Idaho) because I had never been asked to speak at a university before,” Amos said. “When I got asked to come to BYU-Idaho, I had never been here before so I was excited to do that and I felt more honor than anything.”

Amos grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in a family of 13, where she was the youngest of 10 children. All 13 members of her family were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the same day.

The people attending her forum were captivated by the way Amos delivered her message with passion and firm spiritual testimony.

“I was expecting something very similar to what was presented,” said Amie Smith, a BYUI student who attended the forum. “Her combination of intelligence, experience, and faith has empowered her to speak as an expert in her field. I was hopeful that she would utilize the creator of the cosmos to explain her work, and I was not disappointed.”

Amos continued to explain her experiences working for NASA.

Her final assignment before leaving was for NASA’s new Artemis Program. She was a systems engineer for Deep Space Logistics which is projected to provide supplies for astronauts to live and work on the moon. She sees the hand of the Lord in everything she does.

Amos expressed how important the work and mission of NASA is.

“NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.  We share a set of core values—safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, inclusion—and they are evident in all that we do,” according to NASA’s mission statement, found on their website.

She connected her time at NASA to Jesus Christ and how He is the master creator of the world.

In her professional career, she gained skills that have helped her throughout her life but testified that she has only been able to accomplish everything because of her focus, trust and testimony rooted in the Savior.

When she was called to serve as a mission leader, it was hard for her to leave the work she loved at NASA, but she stood strong in her commitment to serve the Lord and knew it would be the most important work for her to do.

“When we look up and see the stars and the moon, or feel the sun on the beach, those things testify of Jesus Christ, and so I think that's what attracts people to NASA, that it is a part of who we are as spirit children. It all testifies of his love for us,” Amos said.

Amos even taught the audience more about the science behind light waves and the electromagnetic spectrum.

“I loved when she pointed out how very blind we are to see the spectrum rather than the full spectrum of light,” Smith said. “I knew that we could only see visible light, but when she framed the picture of the Eagle Nebula against the infrared, it exposed a deeper element of what we cannot see. And then she related that to what the Savior sees.”

After the conclusion of the forum, there was a Q&A session for anyone interested in asking her questions.

For those who did not get a chance to attend, Amos wants them to know that they are children of the most high God.

“Whatever potential that they think they have now, they can even aspire to be more and greater,” Amos said. “With Jesus Christ, we have eternal increase. So you can keep studying, keep learning, keep the commandments and keep the covenants you have made with Jesus Christ in the holy temple and you will one day be exalted. Follow Him and He will lead you into the celestial kingdom.”

To watch the full forum devotional from Michelle Amos, visit the BYU-Idaho Speeches website.