BYU President Shane Reese spent five minutes Tuesday at the university’s weekly devotional assembly to address last week’s murder of political influencer Charlie Kirk four miles away at Utah Valley University.
“Our little valley experienced a truly dark day. My heart shattered when I heard news of the assassination at UVU, which took the life of Charlie Kirk,” Reese said at the Marriott Center. “Our family is praying for Charlie’s family. We are praying for our dear friends and neighbors at UVU, so many of whom were traumatized by this horrific event.”
BYU openly teaches faith in Jesus Christ, and Reese referred to Christ’s teachings in his message about the shooting and the division in America.
“Let’s practice what we preach on this campus,” he said. “Let’s love one another. Indeed, love even our enemies. Let’s selflessly serve to build something better than animosity and division.”
The two universities are joined by University Parkway, and Reese said BYU Police and grief counselors assisted the neighboring school. He called those who sacrificed their time an example of light returning to prevail over the darkness.
“I’ve seen police and security officers work tirelessly, many for extended and challenging hours, to keep our community safe,” he said. “I’ve seen campus counseling ensure that an influx of students are served during this time of need. I’ve received correspondence recently about faculty shedding tears and comforting students.”
Reese also urged students, faculty and staff to follow the teachings on peacemaking of the chairman of BYU’s board of trustees, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors BYU.
He quoted President Nelson saying:
“Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions. Regrettably, we sometimes see contentious behavior even within our own ranks. … My dear brothers and sisters, this should not be. ...
“As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others — especially when we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people."
During his two years as BYU’s president, Reese has emphasized the expansion of the university’s scholarship on the U.S. Constitution, which Latter-day Saints consider divinely inspired.
Reese echoed Utah Gov. Cox’s statements that political violence is abhorrent because it targets constitutional ideals.
“Political violence chills the exchange of ideas which is the lifeblood of our democratic republic,” Reese said. “The First Amendment of the Constitution — the very first amendment to our Constitution — protects this precious God-given freedom. Taking a life engaged in the act of speech, in an assembly of people with differing views, is an attack on the bedrock of our inspired Constitution."
The university president also encouraged students to move forward with their studies despite the unsettling events unfolding around them. He shared a message from C.S. Lewis to students at Oxford in 1939, when they wondered how they could possibly continue studies after Germany invaded Poland and Britain and France declared war in response.
“Our response to death and darkness must never be to stop living or to start dimming our light,” Reese said, paraphrasing Lewis. “No, the answer is the opposite — Christ’s charge to us is to reaffirm life and to learn, so that, in the words of President Nelson, we may someday render service of worth to someone else in a world that needs more of it."
“Take heart,” Reese told the 12,461 members of the BYU community at the devotional. “Be the peacemakers you hope to see in the world.”
“Yes, darkness had its day,” he added, “but I’m here to testify that better angels will prevail. I’m here to testify that Christ’s light will prevail – his light provides the comfort we need in any time of trial, hurt or sorrow. It always has and it always will."