Church of Jesus Christ Youth March in 130th Rose Bowl Parade

These days young people assume the only way to get millions of people watching them is through social media, going viral, or becoming “insta-famous”.

However, 13 youth from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Flower Mound, Texas became famous the old-fashioned way – hard work and sacrifice.

On January 1, 2019, 72 million people viewed the Rose Bowl Parade worldwide as the Flower Mound High School marching band played Deep in the Heart of Texas in Pasadena, California.

They were the only band out of 20 to represent the state of Texas in the parade.

The group of young men and young women from the Church of Jesus Christ Lewisville Stake spent 14 months preparing for the day they would march down Colorado Boulevard in front of a worldwide audience.

The band members reminisce about their long hours perfecting their routines throughout the season, which included three practices a day starting in July and roughly eight hours a week once school started.

“We worked to our limit to be as close as possible to perfect,” said Abby Yost, a freshman in the color guard.

The tireless efforts paid off as the 340-member band finished second in the UIL Texas State Marching Band competition following a fifth-place finish at Grand Nationals in Indianapolis.

In addition to those long, grueling hours in the Texas heat and humidity, there’s a unique sacrifice the 13 band members from the Church of Jesus Christ made – waking up in the 5 o’clock hour to attend early morning seminary.

While other band members were catching extra sleep, these youth participated in the Church of Jesus Christ’s four-year religious education program to study scriptures and theology.

Braden Beck remembers the call time for the Rose Bowl Parade when they had to be dressed and downstairs at their hotel by 3:15am.

“We’ve been waking up so early all year for seminary, this is nothing,” joked Beck, a sophomore trumpet player.

Beck said as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, they held themselves to a high standard, to be good examples to those around them.

“We are always reminded by our director when we go anywhere as a band that we are representing not only the high school, but the town and the school district as well, so we always have to be good ambassadors,” said Beck. “I think that also goes for being a member of the Church. People are always watching us and look to us as examples for how to act so we always try to remember who we are and what we believe.”

With all of the pressure of band competitions, school, homework, and being in the national spotlight, Quinn Twitchell, a sophomore trumpet player, said that prayer played a significant role in his daily life.

“There are moments when you’re waiting to go on the field [at a competition] and everyone is quiet and waiting. In those times there are a lot of things you can do. I choose to ask God for strength through the performance and say a prayer,” said Twitchell. “The easiest way out of stress is to offer a prayer to the Lord.”

Abby Yost credits seminary as a source of strength to her through the strenuous marching band season.

“Seminary has helped me learn more about the early pioneers and the trials they faced. It has also helped me to strengthen my testimony and relationship with God,” said Yost.

Jason Christensen, a senior French horn and mellophone player, had the opportunity to experience the marching band season and Rose Bowl Parade with his brother Ryan, a freshman trombone player. When asked about the parade being a highlight for him, there were other moments he cherished with his brother in addition to band.

“It was a great experience having my brother there and being able to watch him grow leading up to the parade, including new school responsibilities and seminary,” Christensen said. “This year I was able to baptize my brother for our own family names at the temple. These experiences mean very much to me, and my participation in the band program and seminary, among many other activities, has made them available to me.”

According to ChurchofJesusChrist.org, there are currently over 400,000 seminary students in over 170 countries. Seminary classes begin a new year of study almost every month of the year in countries all over the world. All youth ages 14 to 18, whether members of the Church of Jesus Christ faith or not, are invited to participate in the program.