Prior to the start of the season, on Sept. 21, the BYU women’s basketball team spoke at a local youth devotional, sharing stories of faith, discipleship and reliance on God.
Due to the Cougars’ affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they do not practice or compete on Sundays. However, the team and affiliated staff took the opportunity to share their testimonies of Jesus Christ.
“God is aware of you. You are designed in His image. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to hear Him," said sophomore guard Brinley Cannon. "You have a role to play in His great work, and you have the ability to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and an instrument in His hands … I promise that God will guide you, not on your own timetable, but on His … keep moving forward, trusting that Heavenly Father has great things in store for you to accomplish."
“It will always be a lifelong pursuit to obtain the Christlike attribute of humility. We must be humble enough to receive counsel from Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father, to change how we approach trials in our lives and become the type of person our Heavenly Father wants us to be,” said Patrick Stevenson, BYU women’s basketball manager.
“Perfection is not the expectation. Only one person has been perfect, and He [Jesus Christ] has the ability to bring us to Him, just as He brought others to Him,” said Jeff Hurst, women’s basketball athletic trainer.
“When I think about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, I say it’s pretty simple. It’s about living with purpose, setting an example, serving others and never giving up when things get hard," said BYU assistant coach Josh Edwards. "If you commit to that, you’ll not only grow closer to Him, but you’ll also inspire everyone around you — just like a great teammate or coach can inspire their own team. I hope you all realize the power you have in this world. Every day is an opportunity to become better in your personal lives and also impact others in a positive way."
In addition to their remarks, the devotional included a musical number performed by various players.