David Archuleta Visits North West Youth and YSA
Youth and young single adults had the privilege of meeting singer-songwriter and actor David Archuleta at the Chorley Stake Centre on 23 February 2019. At 16, David Archuleta became a star during the seventh season of American Idol, a televised singing competition in The United States of America. He received 44 percent of votes cast, placing him as runner-up in the 2008 season.
David shared his story and experiences in following the spirit which led him to enter American Idol and to serve a mission in 2012 in Rancagua, Chile.
He started by sharing how he learned to recognise and understand the feelings he had, which he believed came from God, before he was led to audition for the television competition.
David encouraged those in attendance to listen to the still small voice and to practice the lessons taught by parents and the Church to follow good promptings and to pray to God about their feelings and to ask for direction.
He told them that God cares about the little things—things weird and small, like going to audition for a television competition—and that God knows them. He said that he felt like praying for guidance and understanding during his journey in this competition; reading scriptures helped him in more ways than one, which is why he was inviting those at the meeting to do the same.
David then talked about the second biggest life-changing prompting he received during his singing career—when he decided to go on a mission.
After explaining the difficulties encountered when he made this decision, he sang a song he wrote about his experience with trusting the promptings from God. It began with these words, “I’m ready. I’m ready for a change. I’m not afraid to lose and leave it all behind.”
With happiness beaming from his face, David then spoke about his mission and how it strengthened his relationship with God. During his mission, David sang the song “Glorious” for the Church’s Meet the Mormons motion picture. His mission did not end his career.
The meeting with the youth ended with more songs and more experiences finishing with David’s testimony: that by small and simple things God is involved in his life. Later that day, David shared his story with missionaries in the Preston Missionary Training Centre.
David continues to work on his music career, inside and outside the Church, including recently working on a project in London, United Kingdom, before touring the United States of America in spring 2019.