BYU basketball devotional in Oklahoma focuses on faith in Jesus Christ, identity and unity

Following BYU men's basketball's 86-73 victory over West Virginia on Saturday, the team attended worship services in Morgantown on Sunday morning, then boarded a plane to Oklahoma that afternoon and were speaking in a multi-stake devotional in Norman on Sunday night.

Author Jon McBride
Dallin Hall standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional addressDallin Hall standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address
Trey Stewart and Trevin Knell taking a selfie with Norman youth after devotional
Trevin Knell playing basketball in the Church gym after devotional
Mark Pope smiling for a picture with Norman stake members after devotional
Lee Ann Pope smiling with a Norman youth with a BYU cutout after devotional
Richie Saunders playing defense in the church gym following the devotional
Dallin Hall smiling with Norman youth after devotional

NORMAN, Oklahoma — Following BYU men's basketball's 86-73 victory over West Virginia on Saturday, the team attended worship services in Morgantown on Sunday morning, then boarded a plane to Oklahoma that afternoon and were speaking in a multi-stake devotional in Norman on Sunday night.

While BYU Athletics teams do not compete or practice on Sundays, they do look for ways to worship and serve.

Sunday's devotional featured short addresses from 12 different members of the basketball team, including players, coaches and support staff inside a packed Norman stake center.

Included below are select quotes from some of the addresses.

Trevin Knell standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“Being all in is the best thing you can do … to show Christ that you can carry out your responsibility. Continue to show faith. If we can show faith in everything we do, God will bless us.”

Trevin Knell | BYU Senior Guard
Trey Stewart standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“We’re all on this path. We’re all struggling. We’re all trying to grow. Be like our brother Jesus Christ, and love everybody.”

Trey Stewart | BYU Junior Guard
Richie Saunders standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“I know that God cares about the things we care about. While I don’t know if, in the grand scheme of things, He cares about me air-balling a shot or us winning a game, but I do know that He cares about the things that we’re passionate about, and He puts them in our lives in order to change us.”

Richie Saunders | BYU Sophomore Guard
Tanner Hayhurst standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ brings people together, it helps people to find common ground and it invites The Spirit into people’s lives.”

Tanner Hayhurst | BYU Freshman Guard
Spencer Johnson standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“To anyone out there who is struggling with feelings like ‘hey, this is really hard,’ or ‘I’m not surrounded by a lot of people of the same faith,’ or ‘I don’t feel as bought into this as I ought to be,’ my message is to hang in there, and keep your faith in Jesus Christ, because He definitely can make more out of your life than you can.”

Spencer Johnson | BYU Senior Guard
Jared McGregor standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“One thing is for certain: The Savior will strengthen us in our weakness. He will provide opportunities for us to improve and to grow in our individual lives and our spiritual lives.”

Jared McGregor | BYU Sophomore Guard
Dallin Hall standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“Everyone is a son or daughter of God, and that unites us all. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and He is The Way back to our Heavenly Father. He is the only way that we can receive and fulfill our divine potential. I love Him. He is my Healer and my Savior.”

Dallin Hall | BYU Sophomore Guard
Mark Pope standing at Norman stake center pulpit for devotional address

“We all have big dreams and goals and ambitions. It might just be making it through the day. It might be making a new friend or fixing a relationship or getting a grade in class or getting into college or earning a new job or 100 different things. If we will approach that with all the urgency that we have, with all of the effort and work and urgency that we have, and then essentially lay that on the altar and then allow Heavenly Father to lead our life and take us where we need to go, He will make the unimaginable happen in our lives.”

Mark Pope | BYU Head Coach

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