Arriving at the steps of BYU, many international students search for multicultural meaning and an outlet to express their roots.
After arriving in Provo, Utah, Nuria Jimenez, a native of Vitoria, Spain, wanted to join a multicultural group on campus.
As one of many international students at BYU, Jimenez, 26, a senior majoring in translation and interpretation, said she wanted to learn more about different cultures, particularly in the form of music and dance.
At the time, there was only one multicultural performing arts group at BYU -- Living Legends.
Since its founding 30 years ago, Living Legends, which tells the story of the people in the Book of Mormon through song and dance, has become an internationally recognized ambassador for BYU and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jimenez discovered however that she would be unable to audition for the group because she is of Spanish descent.
All performers in Living Legends have at least one-quarter Polynesian, Latin American or Native American blood, said Janielle Christensen, the group's artistic director.
'Because it's a group that represents Lamanite culture, all members must have Lamanite blood,' Christensen said. 'It's a decision and sanction of the church.'
Living Legends has traveled to over 62 countries at the behest of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Until five years ago, the group was known as the Lamanite Generation.
'The general authorities changed the name to Living Legends because Lamanite Generation had a negative connotation,' said Fili Sagapolutele, 23, a junior from Redondo Beach, California, majoring in international law and diplomacy.
'However the show is still based on the story of the Lamanite people,' he said.
Although having Lamanite blood is one of the criteria to be a member of Living Legends, it is not the only one that determines whether or not someone will be in the group, Sagapolutele said.
The personal and character attributes of the students who audition are just as important as their ability to dance, he said.
Malcolm Botto-Wilson, president of Living Legends, said a lot of prayer and fasting goes into the selection process of the 30 performers.
'Just because a student doesn't make it doesn't mean he or she isn't good,' he said. 'It's just the dynamics of the group and the needs of the sections that dictate the number of students who can perform with Living Legends.'
For students like Jimenez, the Multicultural Student Organization gives students a chance to learn about different cultures.
'I love MSO and I wouldn't change this experience for anything in the world,' Jimenez said. 'It has given me the chance to interact with people with such rich backgrounds.'
MSO is open to anyone who would like to participate in learning about Native American, Latin American, Polynesian, African and Asian cultures.
Andria Uale, BYUSA vice president and co-founder of MSO, said the organization was formed to promote unity among multicultural students.
MSO was founded almost two years ago with only seven students. Today, there are 67 members.
'The whole purpose of MSO is to allow students to celebrate different cultures without dwelling on the differences between them,' said Uale, 20, a junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, majoring in music education.
Although MSO is a performing group, it also acts as a tool for recruiting multicultural students to attend BYU, she said.
'We need to do our part by reaching out to people of all races and cultures and showing them what BYU is all about,' Uale said.
As part of its outreach program, Vision Quest, MSO performs at schools, at Indian reservations and at church firesides, said Michael Campbell, MSO director.
Campbell said the program is a great way to promote BYU's diversity to potential students while giving current students the chance to explore their own cultures.
'They have found a place where they can bond together instantly, a place where they don't have to leave their cultures at the door,' he said.
Richard Rowley, president of MSO, said the organization fulfills multiple roles for the students involved.
'From an administrative standpoint, MSO is suppose to be wholly educational, but from the students' standpoint, it has turned out to be a place for performing, socializing and sharing culture,' said Rowley, 23, a junior from Laie, Hawaii, majoring in human development.
Both of BYU's multicultural performing arts groups, MSO and Living Legends, stress the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever they go.
The best part of performing is definitely the spiritual aspect, said Leti Purcell, 20, a junior from West Valley City, Utah, majoring in sociology, and a former member of Living Legends.
She said one of her most memorable experiences was of a performance the group gave at a fireside in Brazil.
Following that performance, the Living Legends cast, aided by missionaries who had set up informational booths for investigators, shared their testimonies of the Book of Mormon, said James Faustino, former assistant to the president of the Florianopolis, Brazil mission.
'The group really portrays the spirit. We got a lot of references from their performance and had a lot of baptisms as a direct result of what the people felt that night,' he said.
Faustino, a member of MSO, said sharing the gospel through cultural song and dance touches people in a unique way.
'Both Living Legends and MSO bring the gospel to so many people through their shows,' he said. 'It just hits home to the audience that no matter what culture we're from, we're all sons and daughters of the same God.'