BYU-Idaho President Clark Gilbert, his wife and their eight children discuss their family life, returning to Idaho and their commitment to the university's students in a video posted by BYU-Idaho.
Clark G. Gilbert, former CEO of Deseret Digital Media and Deseret News Publishing Company, was named BYU-Idaho's 16th president on April 13 by President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to his time at Deseret Digital Media, President Gilbert served as an associated academic vice president at BYU-Idaho.
President Gilbert succeeded President Kim B. Clark, whose tenure began in August 2005.
President Gilbert and his wife, Christine, told their children about the new position at BYU-Idaho one at a time, and each reacted differently, according to the video.
"The younger girls, when we told them, all squealed," their father said in the video. "They thought Rexburg was this magical place. I'll remember that night of telling our children. It was so powerful for just a little bit of time, where just we and they knew."
Both parents said that time was "sacred" for their family.
Although their father now carries the title of president, the Gilberts are "just like everybody else," Christine Gilbert said in the video. They experience trials, and they're "trying to be better all the time," President Gilbert said.
Christine Gilbert described their family's "powerful feelings" of love for BYU-Idaho students, calling them "our children." The family is committed to teaching important principles and values, including the doctrine of marriage.
"We want the students to see us as a family," President Gilbert said in the video. "Not that we're perfect, not that we have everything figured out, but we feel it's really important our students understand that the marriage covenant is part of the plan of salvation. It's something the Lord expects of us. It changes who we are. It blesses us."
President Gilbert concluded the video by explaining that BYU-Idaho's mission is focused on "developing disciple leadership."
"My hope is that our students would come here and that the experience would change the very essence of who they were and that throughout their service in the church and throughout their life they would always be different because of their time here as students at BYU-Idaho," President Gilbert said.
Alex Johnson writes for the Faith and Family sections of DeseretNews.com.
Email: ajohnson@deseretdigital.com
Twitter: @axelrad_