Musical instruments, pots and various objects made from the people of other countries line the walls of the Museum of Peoples and Cultures for its "Seeking the Divine: Ritual, Prayer and Celebration" exhibit.

According to the information provided by the museum's Web site, mpc.byu.edu, this exhibition explores rituals and ceremonies that empower people to seek the divine, especially during crucial life events such as birth, coming-of-age, marriage and death.

"It basically goes through different rituals and ceremonies that people in other countries experience," said Erica Riggs, promotions assistant at the museum. "We have stations set up for music, which is an important part in any culture. This exhibit brings a better understanding of other cultures, and people can learn more about religious barriers and how our religion relates to theirs."

This exhibit was thought of and constructed by an Anthropology 596 Museum Projects class in the 2004-05 school year and was put up in 2005. The students in the class wanted to showcase the vast number of varied cultural artifacts the museum owns.

"They looked at the artifacts to come up with familiar themes, and they came up with the theme of seeking the divine," said Tammy Messick, education coordinator at the museum. "A lot of cultures have supernatural beings that they worship and feel that are important in their lives. The exhibit covers how they communicate with those beings and how people praise god through music."

"It's cool to have museum exhibits about people that are still alive," said Heidi Kartchner, archivist at the museum. "It gives you a broader perspective about our world, and gives you a good idea of what's going on in other countries."

The exhibit is fascinating, with many different artifacts that patrons can learn about. Guided tours can be scheduled at least one week in advance and are usually 45 minutes long. This exhibit will be up until April 4, 2008.