Pleas for agency, enthusiasm highlight Brigham Young University commencement ceremony
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- Brigham Young University graduates high five each other at the conclusion of the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University graduates applaud during the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University graduate Tenaya Bedard holds her baby during the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University graduate Samuel Benson speaks during the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University graduate Josh Willis takes a selfie with his mother-in-law Laura Steward after BYU’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University graduates acknowledge the crowd during the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University President Kevin Worthen speaks during the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University graduates applaud during the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Addey Kerr looks up as she exits the Marriott Center after Brigham Young University’s commencement ceremony in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Invited speaker D. Todd Christofferson speaks during the Brigham Young University commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
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- Brigham Young University graduates wave to the crowd during the university’s commencement ceremony at the Marriott Center in Provo on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
For Addey Kerr, it was never a question: she was going to be a Cougar. Kerr’s parents and siblings all graduated from Brigham Young University; when she graduated high school, there was no question where she was going to college.
Kerr was one of almost 7,000 students who sprinted across the academic finish line on Thursday, leaving behind early morning classes, rigorous coursework and a lifetime of memories.
“I loved the professors, they did a great job with integrating spirituality with real world topics. I really liked learning about the social and physical science side of things in addition to God’s plan. It was inspiring how well they lined up,” Kerr said of her time at BYU.
Apostle D. Todd Christofferson, the university’s 2023 commencement speaker, joined BYU president Kevin J. Worthen, president-designate C. Shane Reese and others for the university’s annual commencement ceremony in the Marriott Center.
Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a BYU alumnus, encouraged graduates to use their individual agency for good.
“You, the graduates we honor today, have come of age at a time when agency and accountability are, to say the least, under-appreciated. There have always been individuals and groups lusting for power that have used force and terror in attempts to subjugate others and drastically restrict the exercise of individual moral agency. The year I was born was the year World War II ended,” Christofferson said. “My plea to you today is that you work hard to preserve and wisely exercise your own moral agency in the years ahead, and work equally hard to preserve and provide that same blessing of moral agency to others. Let us all be agents rather than objects.”
He emphasized to students the world’s need for graduates to use their ability to make good moral choices, particularly in their own families.
“You will, I trust, be those honest, good, and wise men and women that we can look to in years ahead for the kind of political leadership at all levels that preserves moral agency and accountability. Most importantly, however, it will be what you do at home that will matter most,” he said.
Worthen, who will conclude his term as BYU’s president on May 1, welcomed his final class of graduates with a short-but-animated speech that related gospel principles to the exclamation point.
“With the advent of online communication, exclamation points have taken on new life and new meaning. They seem to be everywhere. So when you see an exclamation point, I hope you recognize that there is something in our eternal DNA that wants to exultingly celebrate good things that happen. … (it) will prompt you to look for ways to celebrate the good things that happen in your life and in the lives of others around you. The desire to enthusiastically express joy and admiration for the accomplishments of others is a divine trait … that will help us build bridges of understanding and avoid contention,” Worthen said.
At the ceremony, Rev. Dr. Andrew Teal received an honorary doctorate degree in Christian Service and Education. He is the Chaplain and Fellow of Pembroke College, teaches religion and theology at Oxford University and is the warden of the largest Anglican convent in England, the Community of the Sisters of the Love of God.
Teal was honored for his work with apostle Jeffrey R. Holland and other global leaders concerning freedom of religion, interfaith understanding and collaborative acts of service. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of a combined spiritual and college education above all else.
Student speaker Samuel Benson shared how his studies blended together with his faith.
“(Zion’s) mission, as described by the Rev. Dr. Andrew Teal (in 2021), is this: ‘We need to show that whoever somebody is–whatever their color, creed, background, gender, sexual orientation, you name it–the Lord loves them,'” Benson said. “If we are serious about this whole idea of building Zion, we need to make room for everyone, because Zion isn’t Zion without all of us. That is essential if we are to create the community BYU’s Statement on Belonging describes: a community ‘whose hearts are knit together in love.'”
After the ceremony, graduates and their families flooded the grounds around the Marriott Center to take photos and begin celebrating. Several colleges held their convocation ceremonies on Thursday while others are scheduled for Friday. The full schedule is available on the BYU Enrollment Services website.
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