I haven't watched American Idol since the second or third season. But I wish I would've watched it this year. A young man named Iam Tongi took American Idol by storm this year and won! He is a member of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints and happens to live just a few miles north of me here in Washington. So, we are neighbors. :-)
My caregiver, Savannah, watched American Idol and would occasionally tell me about it the next day. And I heard rumors there was a Latter Day Saint on the show. I didn't think much of it until the day after the finals when Savannah told me that her favorite contestant won and she was excited. Then later that day I got an email from The Church News with a link to an article about Iam Tongi. So, out of curiosity, I read it. Embedded in the article were Iam's audition and a couple of videos of him singing hymns. I was impressed with the young man. So I subsequently watched all of his performances on American Idol on YouTube. And even the stuff on his own YouTube channel that he recorded with his dad prior to his appearance on American Idol. Lots of church songs that I knew. I can see why America fell in love with him. He's genuine, fun-loving, and very talented. But more importantly he's a man of faith who is not ashamed of his testimony of Jesus Christ.
I've always had a special place in my heart for the Polynesian people. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was growing up knowing the Naluais. Perhaps it was having a Samoan missionary companion, who happened to be my favorite. :-) She taught me some of the culture and gave me a lavalava. Her now husband even came to my missionary homecoming and gave me a lei. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding where she did a hula dance. It was beautiful. Perhaps it was spending a couple of spring breaks in Hawaii with Juliet and going to PCC where I learned even more of the different Polynesian cultures and had a blast. PCC was definitely my favorite thing to do in Hawaii. Perhaps it was Johnny Lingo or The Other Side of Heaven. I'm sure a combination of all of the above contributed to my love for the Polynesian people.
Then along came Iam Tongi. Yes, he's very personable and has a touching story. Not to mention his tremendous voice and musical talent. But, most importantly, he is a man of faith.
Yesterday on Instagram The Church of Jesus Christ''s official page posted a short bio on Iam. I want to share it with you. Here it is:
“I was born and raised in Kahuku, Oahu. My dad was a tough, hardworking guy; he always worked hard to pay for a roof over our heads and food on our table. But he was also so faithful to God. A couple of years ago, my dad had two strokes and a heart attack all pretty close to the same time. A year after that, his kidneys started to fail. He passed away a few months later.
“I started to take music seriously and make that an important part of my life after my dad died. I wasn’t succeeding the way I wanted to right away. My confidence was low, and I didn’t want to keep embarrassing myself by trying and failing again. My mom pushed me to keep going forward. I kept going. As I pursued different opportunities in music, I didn’t want to talk about my dad and get these new opportunities because they felt bad for me. As I was asked how I got into music, I realized I had to talk about my dad because he is a huge part of my story. His story is my story, and I didn’t need to ‘hide it.’
“Recently, a friend asked me about my faith. At first, it seemed like he was trying to make me feel dumb for believing what I do, but as I was willing to talk with him and share my feelings, I learned he was genuinely curious. We began to have an actual conversation. As I answered his questions, he would ask something else, and it gave me the chance to speak up and share from a sincere place. If I didn’t know the answer, I would tell him, ‘I don’t know that yet.’ And he was fine hearing that because he knew I was trying. I thank my mom for teaching me to have courage; she has always pushed me to share what I believe. My faith in God and Jesus Christ is a part of my story. Their story is my story.
“I choose to follow Christ because of how I begin to feel when I follow Him. The difference in how I feel between reading scriptures and not—and praying or not—is super apparent. I have seen a lot and I can’t deny. There is no way I can deny that my Savior is there for me because He is. That’s the main reason why I started sharing my faith; because what I have seen and heard, there is no way that I can deny. My faith in Jesus Christ is a part of my story. His story is my story.” —Iam
"Iam, you have been blessed with undeniable musical talent. But what's most impressive about you is your unashamed faith in and testimony of Jesus Christ. Your ability to touch people so deeply through your music is, in part, because you carry the Spirit with you and are not ashamed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. You are a special young man raised by goodly parents. You are a light in a dark world. Your willingness to share your story, testimony, and talents brings hope for the future. Thank you. The best is yet to come."
I included the best is yet to come part because Iam posted that quote from President Nelson on his Instagram. I actually received 7 likes. :-) I doubt he will ever see my comment but at least other people did. :-)
I'm going to embed his audition at American Idol and my favorite performance by him.
Iam Tongi is such a sweet young man. For only being 18 years old he is a wonderful example of faith and testimony. Iam is not afraid to share his beliefs and is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." (Romans 1:16)
I hope he doesn't let the world corrupt him like everyone else who reaches fame. Stay gold, Iam. Stay gold.
That's my two cents.
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