Derrick Porter, the new voice of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, started his role as executive producer, principal writer and presenter of the weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast in June 2024.
Porter, a 42-year-old bishop in Bountiful, Utah, took on this highly visible role from 34-year veteran Lloyd Newell, with the support of his wife, Rebecca, and their six children.
Now, he joins the Church News podcast to talk about where he has come from and where he sees Music & the Spoken Word going as it nears its 100th season with the goal of delivering peace, hope and joy through Jesus Christ to audiences worldwide.
Listen to the Church News podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts.
Transcript:
Derrick Porter: We have a joyous and amazing opportunity to spread light through the world and to create a message weekly that is universal in nature but that can be a gem. As I have been able to participate in that process, it has reminded me of the awesome work that we all have to do: again, spreading light and goodness. And the broadcast isn’t out there existing to try to be extremely wide. What it’s meant to do is to go deep into the hearts of all those who are desirous and looking for weekly refreshment, for weekly solace, for a weekly ability to be lifted up and to receive hope. So, we’re more about trying to go deep. Oftentimes that means narrow. But I think that is expanding, and today, as this world continues to have volatility and uncertainty, more and more people are recognizing what the broadcast can do for them.
1:04
Jon Ryan Jensen: This is Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News. Welcome to the Church News podcast. Today, we are taking you on a journey of connection as we discuss news and events of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
After 34 years of serving as the voice of “Music & the Spoken Word,” Lloyd Newell and his wife, Karmel, were called to serve as mission leaders for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly after that, news broke, the Church announced that Derrick Porter, a 42-year-old bishop in Bountiful, Utah, would be next to take on the highly visible role that Newell had served in for more than three decades.
Porter and his wife, Rebecca, have six children. In his career as an entrepreneur, he has visited many parts of the world and met individuals in a variety of circumstances. Now, with President and Sister Newell serving their missions in Los Angeles and Porter having had a few episodes of the Spoken Word under his belt as executive producer, principal writer and presenter, Church News sits down with him to talk about where he has come from and where he sees “Music & the Spoken Word” going as it nears its 100th season.
Derrick Porter, welcome to the Church News podcast.
Derrick Porter: Thank you for having me. So great to be here.
2:10
Jon Ryan Jensen: This is really exciting. Members of the Church had a chance to, I think, in their opinion, really get to know Lloyd Newell. Three decades is a long time to have this role. And now they’re wondering, “Who exactly is Derrick Porter?” So, I’ll give you a chance: Who is Derrick Porter?
Derrick Porter: Well, thank you. Lloyd is a legend, first off, and I grew up watching him, of course, on general conference Sunday and Saturdays, as he would welcome all of us to conference and then, of course, through “Music & the Spoken Word,” and just look up to him so very much and have a newfound appreciation for all that he has done for these many, many years and decades.
As you mentioned, my wife and I live in Bountiful. We have six children, five boys and a girl. It’s a busy, busy household. It’s a lot of fun. The kids are not on the same schedule. We have from 3 years old to 18 years old. So when some are going to bed, some are getting up, it seems, and there’s always something going on in the house, and the kitchen is always, always busy. We’ve lived there for just over a decade, in Bountiful, and before that lived in the south Davis County area. We’ve been married for 20 years, and we actually met performing together, my wife and I, more than 20 years ago, and this was, in many ways, what kindled our friendship that turned into a relationship and has now been filled with many years and decades of love and growth and union together.
3:34
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s a lot of fun to hear. But when was the first time that you remember hearing the Tabernacle Choir sing?
Derrick Porter: The first time I remember hearing them sing certainly would have been associated with general conference. But I also remember as a little boy being here at a general conference and sitting on those hard benches with no space in between, yeah, before they were spaced out.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Yeah, the renovation was about 15 years ago, right?
Derrick Porter: Yes. So this was probably in the ‘80s. But even though it hurt and it wasn’t comfortable, I remember what I felt, and I have felt that 100 times to the point that I have brought so many visitors and guests to “Music & the Spoken Word.” In fact, every single week since I’ve started, with the exception of one, I’ve brought people, and I think each week, “Who might benefit from being here this week?”
4:21
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, like you said, this is almost a missionary calling, of sorts, an opportunity to share.
Derrick Porter: Yeah. How can you not, right? For me, as I sit there and I see what we get to be a part of. I mean, it’s really incredible.
4:32
Jon Ryan Jensen: The immediate past, though, is what brought you here into this role. Will you walk us through the process of how you found out that you would be called into this role with “Music & the Spoken Word”? What was that like for you?
Derrick Porter: Yeah, it was something I had never anticipated nor thought of before in my life, and had received a phone call from Bishop [Gérald] Caussé's office asking if I would just come and visit with him to get to know him a little bit. And so I went in at the prescribed moment in time and had opportunity to sit down with him. And he said, “Derrick, it’s great to get to meet you. I’ve been asked to ask you if you would consider ever replacing Lloyd Newell on ‘Music & the Spoken Word.’” And that’s how it was presented to me. And I took a moment, and I paused, and I thought, “I have always said that I would do anything that I’m asked to do in service in the Church.”
And so that immediate response was yes, and then I had a lot of questions for him, and he was great and spent time but made it very clear that this was just something that was being considered. Several weeks later, I received a phone call from President Nelson’s office for my wife and I to come in and meet with President Nelson. We went in and sat down with him, knee to knee, literally, and he formally extended this call to serve as what he described as the executive producer, principal writer and presenter of the Spoken Word. And from there, it has just been a joyous and amazing learning opportunity. Every single day there is a new experience for me, my wife, our family, as we’re embarking on this new stage of life.
6:08
Jon Ryan Jensen: I’m sure there are a lot of emotions that come with taking that on, and it’s a big learning curve, I would guess, too. Now that you’ve had a number of weeks and a number of episodes to get into this, could you share: Is there a toughest part of this for you? Is there a most surprising part for you? What have you learned?
6:25
Derrick Porter: Toughest, no. I have felt nothing but support from everyone around me. There’s hundreds and hundreds, almost 700 people deep in the choir, broader choir organization. And when I walked out there on the stage for the first day, we have a little preshow and a postshow live portion, and I had opportunity to welcome and to greet the audience, to thank them for being there, and to talk a little bit about what the program was and what it had meant to me.
I thought for sure I would be just extremely nervous. And in fact, even the night before, I remember going to bed Saturday night saying, “OK, it’s got to hit any minute. But it never came. And I slept soundly, and I woke up, and I went to the Tabernacle, or actually over to the Conference Center. And as I walked out on the stage, I thought, “OK, now it’s going to come,” and it didn’t come. And I walked out there, and I looked out, and I saw friends and family, and we had probably 30 or 40 people from my ward that had come.
Jon Ryan Jensen: And you’re thinking, “The worst time this could hit is right when I get to that microphone.”
7:19
Derrick Porter: That’s right. And it never came. I remember just being amazed as I looked down at the audience and I thought, “This actually just feels like home.” It felt comfortable. And every Sunday since then, as I’ve walked out on that stage, both before and after the broadcast, it just feels comfortable. And I attribute that, really, to — I mean, I had hundreds of people, literally, reach out via text, email, phone calls, stopping by the house, random people I didn’t know telling me, “We’re praying for you.” That’s what everybody said: “We’re praying for you.”
And I attributed the feeling of calm that came and has stayed since day one, not because of one person’s prayer, but because of the prayers of the multitude. And it has really built my witness and my conviction and my testimony that there is power not only in prayer, but, again, when a multitude is praying for a purpose. And I felt that and just feel humbled to my core that I have been the recipient of that and been able to witness that and feel that.
8:16
Jon Ryan Jensen: It’s interesting that you would share that about a large group that’s praying for you as well. You were serving as a bishop when you first received this call, and a lot of people can say that that transition from one bishop to the next is tough on a ward, on a congregation, because they’ve been used to someone else in that role for five or six years. You’re taking over for somebody who’s been in that role for 34 years.
Did you learn some things as a bishop that maybe helped you be prepared for this kind of a move?
8:41
Derrick Porter: You know, as I recall back even to my mission; I served in the Tennessee Nashville Mission and was there at a time when we transitioned from one mission president to a new mission president. And something I learned then was that there’s different administrations, but they’re backed by the same Spirit. And so as I watched one mission president leave and a new one come, they did things differently. As I left our ward and the new bishop came in — who is just marvelous and fantastic, by the way — he’s doing things differently. And undoubtedly, I will do some things differently than Lloyd did, not because they were wrong or right, but just simply because I’m a different person.
But as I’ve watched transitions happen and occur over the years, and seeing many done so successfully, it has occurred when there has been this understanding that, again, there’s a different administration, but the Spirit is the same. And so what I am seeking to do is to learn all that I can from Lloyd and his work, from all of the support and the staff and the people that have been around this, and then taking that and through a matter of prayer, saying, “Heavenly Father, what would You have us do, and where should this go?” Because we want to make sure that we continue to take this to the people.
The broadcast every single Sunday is for the people. It’s written for “the one.” It is actually not for the millions of people that are watching in almost 50 countries; it is written for the one. And so it is our responsibility, each of us — whether you’re in the choir, the orchestra, staff, presidency, you name it — it is up to us to make sure that we are prepared to deliver that message to the one. And that’s all that I hope to be able to do.
10:14
Jon Ryan Jensen: And that one is expanding into languages as well. Do you speak any additional languages? Or are you just going to stick with this in English?
Derrick Porter: Yeah, I’d better stick with English. I have very minor capabilities in maybe Spanish and Portuguese, but not enough, certainly, to do this broadcast. But you’re right. I was in a meeting earlier today talking about the broadcast, and we were talking about its breach into Africa, into Eastern Europe, into South America, a number of places, many, many, many hundreds and hundreds of both radio and television stations carrying this broadcast.
It’s interesting, though; we talked to people distributing this and said, “Tell us what you’re learning and seeing, and is there anything we need to change or do?” And they said, “What’s amazing is we go and we show people what ‘Music & the Spoken Word’ is, and often people will just see it for a moment and start to become emotional and say, ‘Why haven’t I run across this before? What is this, and where is this? There’s something different about it.’”
And the broadcast isn’t out there existing to try to be extremely wide in its reach and to have the most followers and the most views and the most clicks. What it’s meant to do is to go deep into the hearts of all those who are desirous and looking for weekly refreshment, for weekly solace, for a weekly ability to be lifted up and to receive hope. So, we’re more about trying to go deep. Oftentimes that means narrow. But I think that is expanding, and today, as this world continues to have volatility and uncertainty, more and more people are recognizing what the broadcast can do for them and are being attracted to it.
11:49
Jon Ryan Jensen: That depth is interesting, because you’re talking about depth and for the one, and at the same time, an ever-expanding audience. As you think about those who are in Africa who are watching this program for the first time, does it change, maybe, your consideration versus your experience right now, where you live along the Wasatch Front? Do you have to come at it from a different perspective as you’re writing and as you’re speaking those words?
12:12
Derrick Porter: You know, maybe I should; I mean, I’m still learning. But I’ve traveled to 40 countries, by my count, and had opportunity to address people and groups in those nations on behalf of my business travels that I’ve done. And as I’ve been beginning to write my messages, and as I have worked with very experienced people to help me make sure I’m crafting this, it is always done with the one in mind. But the commonality that we all have, the peoples of the earth, this rich, beautiful, diverse nature of the people across the globe, are actually the same when it’s distilled down to where our hearts are and what matters to us and what’s important.
And so, in my mind’s eye, it’s less someone sitting in Africa or in Portugal or in Australia, and more viewing and thinking about what are the needs of people today and what they’re experiencing. And this has led me to begin writing about the need for hope and the need to recognize where we look for truth and to understand how we can connect more as humans, because we’re all connected to the divine. And this program, because of its music — and hopefully its spoken message — has the ability to connect us regardless of language, because this music is the universal language.
13:30
Jon Ryan Jensen: You mentioned hope, and that’s one of the things I heard you talk about recently. You said that in your role as the voice of “Music & the Spoken Word” is to help the audience feel more peace, hope and joy. How do you do that in such a short amount of time on a weekly basis? Like, what goes into that selection of a message?
13:52
Derrick Porter: Well, it’s much harder, I’ve learned, to write a three-and-a-half-minute message than it is, say, a 30-minute message, because every word really matters, and these words begin to tell a story, and the ability to go deep in just a few moments allows for impact to be had and to be felt. And so as I have begun working and prayerfully considering and taking counsel that President Nelson gave me about beginning with a concept in mind. He said, “You will awaken at times in the early morning hours and have a concept come into your mind. Take that concept, jot it down, and then go to work on it, and let it build.”
And what happens is these messages may turn out to be 10 minutes long to start with, and then whittled down to five, and then four, and then three, and suddenly all that’s left is what matters most. And it becomes less about “What should I say?” or “What is the right thing to say here?” That doesn’t actually enter the mind. What enters the mind is, “Heavenly Father, what would You have me say here in this moment? What is Your message that You need to be heard? What are You looking for Your children to be able to receive and experience?”
So, it’s a very similar question but completely different. Instead of saying, “What should I say?,” saying, “What would You have me say?” And the result for me has been very different. And ideas and thoughts and things come into my mind that are more simple and differently worded than I would have ever worded, but I believe it hopefully conveys something to the heart that I could have never done on my own.
15:34
Jon Ryan Jensen: As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this year we’ve been studying, collectively and individually, the Book of Mormon. And as you describe that, it makes me think about perhaps what the prophets went through as they were deciding what to inscribe on the plates. Did they have a notebook to the side that was the less-permanent record, and they were choosing what are the single-most important words to include?
15:58
Derrick Porter: Yeah, I think you’re right. I mean, those words of the Book of Mormon have withstood the test of time, and they have been able to produce truth, to move people to righteous action, to confirm faith and to build faith for hundreds of years now, and actually thousands of years, if you consider the time from which they were written as well. And I hope that the words of the Spoken Word, just like other messages that we have opportunity to hear and participate in, can have that same impact and effect. Recognizing I am not a prophet, I’m not a general authority, I’m not a general Church leader. I am just Derrick Porter here who was asked to do this, and I’m doing my best to try to write a message for the common people, which is who I identify with and feel that I am.
16:49
Jon Ryan Jensen: And yet, at the same time, it’s not just a YouTube channel that somebody started on their own. This is a calling from a prophet.
Derrick Porter: That’s right. A lot of people, one of the most common questions is: “Is this a job? Did you get paid?” And the answer is no and no. This is a calling that did come from our Prophet, so I take that very seriously, and I’ve had to remind myself a few times, “You have been called by a Prophet, and so make sure you let that confidence build within you; not about you, but about the role and the impact and the power of the Holy Ghost and of the tools and the people and the safety of counsel around you to be able to help deliver and bring about that which needs to be heard by the people”
17:29
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s a great testimony to share. I want to go back a little bit. You said that you’ve been to about 40 countries, I think it was. Having traveled the world, having met people in the different circumstances that they’ve found themselves in, is there something that you bring with you from those specific experiences to say, “There’s somebody who I met here, and I hope that this message gets to them today”?
17:50
Derrick Porter: It happens every day, both outside of the United States and inside. Just a few days ago, I was in a store buying something, and this young woman who was ringing up the cash register had a local high school shirt on. And so I made a comment to that, and she told me, “Oh, by the way, do you know my little sister?” And I didn’t. But then she began to just share her story, and she shared this story about how she had had desires her entire life to be sealed in the temple and had never been able to achieve that because of family situations, but her grandparents just recently adopted her, and they went to the house of the Lord, and they were sealed as a family. And I’ve been thinking about that story now for three or four days, and it has prompted thoughts about things that I might write on in the future.
And I’ve got a list a mile long of concepts and thoughts and stories and ideas. And every single day, everywhere I go, again, whether it’s at the grocery store or whether it’s traveling to Mainland China, there is a story and something that I hear that just has a deep impact upon me, and it is shaping and changing me as I hear these people’s stories. And one thing that I just walk away with is recognizing how incredible the people of the world are. Regardless of where they live, what they do for an occupation, what their faith is, these people are simply and truly incredible. And that is building swelling feelings inside of me of the need for this broadcast to continue to go and cover all the edges of the earth, and that people will identify with it.
19:37
Jon Ryan Jensen: We should note that we’re sitting in the Tabernacle, right beneath the organ. And I wonder what that feeling is for you when you walk into the Tabernacle or to the Conference Center. And you talked about that first week, but the weeks after that, does it get any less immense for you?
19:58
Derrick Porter: To me, this is a sacred place. I’ve been coming here off and on my whole life. I had parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents that have worshipped here, been here in general conference, ancestors that were baptized here at the old font that used to be here a long, long time ago. And our first Sunday when we walked in and we were introduced to the choir, they were rehearsing. It was a Sunday morning, about 7:30 a.m., and we were brought in the back door, and we walked up these back steps, and they were singing.
And if you ever walk underneath — I wish everyone could experience this — but walking underneath what they call the loft, here, where the choir members sit, and the organ is just blaring, and the orchestra is playing, and the choir is singing, you might as well have told me I was in heaven, coming to those pearly gates, because it was just impactful, and it was incredible. And I walked up, and it was all I could do to keep my emotions within me as I looked, again, at 300-plus strong people singing, 100 or so orchestra members contributing their talents and all of this to the work so that the world might know God.
And so, no; every single Sunday, whether it’s in the Tabernacle or in the Conference Center, when I walk out there, I feel an immense sense of gratitude and humility and even of a sacred nature associated with these buildings, which really, when you think about it, represent nothing but sacrifice. These were built with the sacrifice of tithing dollars, say, at the Conference Center, of dollars contributed and/or of labor, immense labor, here in this building that we’re sitting in, to build this and bring this about. And that is what the restored gospel of Jesus Christ has done for the peoples of the world, is to help them contribute to the building up of the kingdom of God on earth, to allowing and enabling them to participate in this great and incredible work, and to be blessing us with feelings of great reassurance that this is true for this work that we do, and it’s been happening for now nearly 200 years.
22:57
Jon Ryan Jensen: Of those 200 years, “Music & the Spoken Word” has been a part of people’s lives for about 95 years. So, odds are based on the past experiences of other hosts of the program, you’ll be here to see it to its 100th anniversary. What are your thoughts on what the future of “Music & the Spoken Word” is, and how its role may evolve or stay the same?
22:19
Derrick Porter: I’ve thought a lot about that and tried to consider what we may or may not want to be doing differently in the future to help this program continue to grow and to build. And I think you’re right. It’s going to continue to be around a long, long time — and that’s because its mission and its purpose to deliver that peace and hope and joy, and I would even add confidence. The weekly broadcast delivers confidence to its listeners because it helps us reconnect with God and to recognize and remember who we are and why we’re here and what we’re doing, and to breathe inspiration and to continue to walk forward, because that’s its mission, and that’s its purpose. It’s timeless, and it’s not something that will age out like so many other broadcasts do.
And I believe that the formula that has been written and conscripted into this broadcast — starting a long, long time ago with Earl Glade; Richard L. Evans, him being the first presenter; Spencer Kinard to Lloyd Newell; now for me and hundreds of other people — is something that we don’t want to mess up, and yet it’s so simple in its very nature, which is, “Let’s combine music which stirs the soul, and let’s have a simple, short message to help other people be able to recognize and feel all of us, just a short little message that reminds us who we are and what we’re doing.” I think it’s going to continue. Now, the distribution format might change. We’ll probably want to lean a lot more into digital, through the likes of YouTube and others, to be able to help take this to other places. But I think that this is a winning formula, and it will continue to roll forward.
23:57
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, do you have an afternoon ward?
Derrick Porter: Afternoon ward? Well, I’m finding afternoon wards all around the valley. And so what happens is, whether I get out at 10:30 or whether I’m out at noon — because it all kind of depends on what’s going on — I have made it a practice to try to be at sacrament. And I think that’s really important, is “Music & the Spoken Word,” as amazing as it is, will never replace the sacrament. The sacrament is where we renew our baptismal covenant and our other commitments to God. And I find myself needing and wanting and desiring to be there greatly. But I’ve been to wards all over, now.
24:33
Jon Ryan Jensen: I want to talk a little bit about the tours that the choir goes on. I know recently they’ve been in places like the Philippines, they’ve tried to do some shorter tours so they can get to more places. What’s the extent of your involvement there? And what are you looking forward to about that?
24:48
Derrick Porter: These tours are following a strategy that our choir presidency — who I should say holds priesthood keys; the choir presidency holds priesthood keys — and as they have counseled together about this, they have come up with a strategy that they call “anchor and radiate.” And so what that means is we go to a metropolis, and we’ll anchor there and have two or three nights worth of concerts, or maybe more, or maybe even in a similar geography, very closely related. But then the radiate portion means, “How can we get this out?” Because there’s only so many seats, just like the Christmas concert. Only so many people can fit in the Conference Center.
Jon Ryan Jensen: And those tickets are gone.
Derrick Porter: And they are gone instantly, right? I’ve tried for years getting those, and now I’m hopeful I might actually get a ticket or two this Christmas. We’ll find out. We’ll see. But as we think about their concept of anchor and radiate, let me just share something we’re doing right now. We’re anchoring in Fort Lauderdale in Atlanta, Georgia, and we’re in big arenas there, and tens of thousands of people will be there with us in person. But what we are seeking to do is to radiate through something we’re now calling “watch parties,” and these watch parties are run by missions and stakes, and so stakes across the southeastern part of the United States are having these watch parties on the same night and at the same hour and the same time as the actual concert will be going on.
But, for example, there’s a stake in Wilmington, North Carolina, that has a huge grass baseball diamond and a park and everything right behind it, and they’ve reserved that area, and they’re having a carnival, of sorts, for the whole community. And they’ve got bounce houses and snow cone machines and food trucks and the like. They’ve got a local band coming and doing some entertainment before. There’s some neighborhood and community choirs, not of our faith, that are coming and doing a preshow. And then they’ll walk into the stake center across the street, in the chapel and in the overflow, and they’ve rented big, strong, powerful speakers and a big screen, and they’ll have a watch party. And it’s a real party. It’s a party.
And so, for example, in Florida, I’ve had the opportunity instead of going to the concert, which would be amazing, but I get to go to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and to be with the stake there that’s part of the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, and to be with some thousand-or-so-plus members of that stake and all of their friends that they’re bringing. And when we tried this in the Philippines — this was before my time, but I’ve read of everything that came from it — we had more than 40,000 people join us through watch parties. And we asked them through exit interviews, “What was your experience?” And we’ve compared these to those coming out of watch parties and those coming out of the life concert. And you know what? They’re right about the same. And the reason is they’re being fellowshipped with the Saints. They’re building relationships, they’re there, and they’re part of it.
And this concept of anchor and radiate is something that is scalable and universal in nature, and something that we can do and take everywhere. We’ll be in South America here in early 2025, and we’ll be anchoring and radiating the goodness that the choir brings during that time.
27:53
Jon Ryan Jensen: I love the innovation. You haven’t been here a long time, but do you already have a favorite song, perhaps, that the choir sings when you’re with them?
Derrick Porter: You know what? Every Sunday, I have a new favorite song. And there’s ones I’ve never heard of before, and I’m looking them up, and I’m saying, “Oh my gosh, that was beautiful.” And so the answer is no, because truly, I would say, every single Sunday I know about half the songs they’re singing, and the other half are new to me, and they become favorites.
But one of my favorites of my favorites, if you will — which, again, there’s so many — was the Olympic theme that was played. It was written in 2002 for the Winter Olympics and performed, and we just performed it in July on “Music & the Spoken Word,” in recognition of the Paris Olympics starting. And it was moving. And those words were old Latin words that talked about strength and power, and it stirred my soul. And so I can’t say there’s any one, but boy, every week I find a new favorite one that’s my favorite for that week.
28:46
Jon Ryan Jensen: It’s kind of like scriptures.
Derrick Porter: Probably.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Your favorite can be whatever you’re reading right now, favorite conference talk is the last one you studied.
Derrick Porter: That’s right, yeah, and it changes based on where we are, right? And just like the scriptures, it’s been asked, “Why do I have to keep reading them? They never change.” Well, it’s because we change, and we’re changing every single week with our own experiences, and music can match that and meet us where we are and lift us and take us where we need to be.
29:11
Jon Ryan Jensen: I’m glad we’ve had a chance to sit down and talk with you. I think a lot of members of the Church and others who enjoy “Music & the Spoken Word” will enjoy hearing your testimony and hearing this conversation.
At the Church News podcast, we have a tradition where we like to let our guests have the final word. We do that by asking the simple question of “What do you know now?” So, Derrick Porter, what do you know now that you’ve taken your first steps in this new role as host of “Music & the Spoken Word”?
29:37
Derrick Porter: Well, what I know now, I would break into two things, and that is this. No. 1, that we have a joyous and amazing opportunity to spread light through the world and to create a message weekly that is universal in nature but that can be a gem, as was described to Lloyd by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who called him to this calling 34-plus years ago. And as I have been able to participate in that process, it has reminded me of the awesome work that we all have to do: again, spreading light and goodness. And that has been reminded and instilled, reinstilled, upon me of the important nature and opportunity that we all have to do that.
Secondly is a confirming witness of the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that it was indeed restored to the earth, that Joseph Smith was the Prophet that brought about this great Restoration, and that since the very beginning and most earliest of days, there was two missions, really, if you will, of the Church. One was to proclaim the gospel, and the second was to strengthen the Church. And I have felt a growing need and desire to be able to do my little part to be able to strengthen and confirm the faith of those that are around me from the broadcast, and also to be able to help proclaim the gospel in its right way, in its right time, in its right place, situation and setting, to those who are ready to hear.
And so as I think about that and say, “What do I know now?,” I have had a reconfirmation, again, of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have had a confirming witness that His gospel has been restored to the earth. I know from having sat with President Nelson knee to knee, on two separate occasions related to this: one, of receiving the calling, and secondly, when he laid his hands upon my head. I was able to take my wife’s hand, set it on my knee, and we held hands together as he set me apart, that we have a Prophet of God and that there is safety therein as we seek to follow His counsel and guidance, of which everything lines up with the teachings of Jesus Christ. And how grateful I am for that.
And how humbled I am, again, to be able to play such a small part in this beautiful tapestry that is being weaved and woven today, and that we can’t even comprehend of what it will look like in even 10 years from now — and certainly 50, and definitely 100 — as it continues to roll forward and fill the entire earth. And I’m grateful for that and profess those things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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Jon Ryan Jensen: Thank you for listening to the Church News podcast. I’m your host, Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen. I hope you learned something today about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had your faith in the Savior increase by looking through the Church News window as a living record of the Restoration. Please subscribe, rate and review this podcast so it can be accessible to more people. And if you enjoyed the messages we shared today, please share the podcast with others. Thanks to our guests; to my producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen; and to others who make this podcast possible. Join us every week for a new episode. Find us on your favorite podcasting channels or with other news and updates about the Church on TheChurchNews.com or on the Church News app.
