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Elder David A. Bednar and five other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles headline the fall 2025 devotional speaker list at the higher education institutions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
An apostle is scheduled to speak at each of the five schools in the Church Educational System:
- Elder Bednar will speak at a BYU-Pathway Worldwide devotional in October.
- Elder Cook will speak at BYU-Idaho in October.
- Elder Ronald A. Rasband and Elder D. Todd Christofferson will speak at BYU devotionals.
- Elder Gary E. Stevenson will speak at BYU-Hawaii in November.
- Elder Dale G. Renlund spoke Tuesday at Ensign College.
Other noteworthy names on the list include Emmy Award-winning journalist Jane Clayson Johnson, BYU religion professor Hank Smith and Catholic University professor Catherine Ruth Pakaluk.
Each of the school’s presidents and their wives are scheduled to kick off the school year this month with devotionals on their own campuses.
Scroll to the bottom to see an easy-read format of the entire schedule for all five schools.
Johnson, the former network journalist, is a member of the President’s Leadership Council at BYU-Pathway Worldwide.
She will speak at both BYU (Sept. 30) and BYU-Idaho (Dec. 2) this semester. She is the author of the bestselling book, “Silent Souls Weeping,” a candid and personal examination of those who suffer with depression.
Elder Kim B. Clark is one of a dozen current and former general authorities and general officers of the church who are scheduled to speak at the schools.
Elder Clark, an emeritus General Authority Seventy and former president of BYU-Idaho, will speak at both BYU-Idaho (Oct. 7) and Ensign College (Oct. 28).
Devotional attendance at BYU is rising, BYU President Shane Reese noted in his University Conference address last week.
Reese said devotionals are one way college students can face “the two-headed monster of loneliness and a loss of meaning and purpose” experienced by many American young adults, which he called an epidemic and a tragedy.
“Devotionals represent one simple way each week to foster togetherness and remind ourselves that our true meaning and purpose is found in Jesus Christ,” he said.
BYU has scheduled two forum assemblies, with one of the speakers announced so far.
Pakaluk will deliver the BYU forum address on Oct. 28.
Pakaluk is an associate professor of political economic thought at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Her primary areas of research include economics of education and religion, family studies and demography, Catholic social thought and political economy.
She is the author of the recent book, “Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth.”
Again, scroll to the bottom to see a complete list of devotional and forum speakers.
My recent stories
- Opponents ask court for emergency stop to construction of the Heber Valley Utah Temple (Aug. 29)
- Man pleads guilty to attempted murder for bullets fired at Provo Missionary Training Center (Aug. 28)
- Church begins work at Heber Valley Utah Temple site as opponents appeal to Utah Supreme Court (Aug. 27)
About the church
- Workers have put the “Holiness to the Lord” panel back on the east center tower of the Salt Lake Temple after restoring it and repainting it during the extensive renovation project. Read more here.
- President Jeffrey R. Holland spoke at the annual Utah YSA Conference and shared the most pivotal moments from his youth. Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé sat at the piano to start his message to young adults. The Utah Area president invited the conference to turn outward and upward. Sister Tamara W. Runia told the young single adults that a yearning for home is the “deepest” interest humans possess.
- Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo attended the Elko Nevada Temple media day. The public open house for the temple is now underway.
- Five new buildings are part of major renovations for BYU-Hawaii that kicked off with Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson participating in a groundbreaking ceremony.
What I’m reading
- After the tragic Minnesota school shooting, our Jacob Hess noted a cynical pivot on prayer in some segments of U.S. society and explored what is behind it. Our Suzanne Bates gave her opinion about why sharing “thoughts and prayers” shouldn’t be political. Our editor, Sarah Jane Weaver, wrote that when a shooting happened near her home, prayer and action saved her neighborhood.
- Here’s an unofficial, whirlwind history of the terms “heck,” “gosh” and “dang."
- One baseball team consistently wins more games than its finances suggest it should by creating a culture that includes the Check Game. The rules are simple: Talk about your own accolades, you get a check. Try to defend yourself, that’s a check. Pass on blame to someone else, that might be a check. It’s all a pretty fascinating look at accountability culture and leadership.
- A new Texas law requires every public school classroom to display Ten Commandments posters.
- No other American enterprise asks a 21- or 22- or 23-year-old fresh out of school to flip its fortunes in under two years the way the NFL does of its quarterbacks. “I believe organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations,” Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in a story titled, “How NFL teams break young quarterbacks.” (paywall)
- As Salt Lake City and Utah continue to pursue a Major League Baseball team, here is an interesting look at what the Kansas City Royals’ ballpark drama can teach us about future ballparks.
Fall 2025 Devotional and Forum Schedule
September
2 - Ensign College: Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
5 - BYU–Pathway Worldwide: President Brian K. Ashton and Sister Melinda Ashton.
9 - BYU: Sesquicentennial kickoff.
BYU–Hawaii: President John S.K. Kauwe III and Sister Monica Kauwe.
Ensign College: President Bruce C. Kusch and Sister Alynda Kusch.
16 - BYU: President C. Shane Reese and Sister Wendy Reese.
BYU–Idaho: President Alvin F. Meredith III and Sister Jennifer Meredith.
BYU–Hawaii: Laura Tevaga, advancement vice president.
Ensign College: Steven J. Lund, former Young Men general president.
23 - BYU: Elder Ronald A. Rasband, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
BYU–Idaho: Elder Clark G. Gilbert, General Authority Seventy.
BYU–Hawaii: Elder Wan-Liang Wu, General Authority Seventy.
Ensign College: Linda Campbell, manager of talent acquisition, human resources.
30 - BYU: Jane Clayson Johnson, Emmy Award-winning journalist.
BYU–Idaho: Stephanie Colvin, first-year experience director.
BYU–Hawaii: Elder Jared Ormsby, Area Seventy.
Ensign College: Danny Ricks, BYU–Idaho religious studies.
October
3 - BYU–Pathway Worldwide: Elder I. Raymond Egbo, General Authority Seventy.
7 - BYU: Shayla Bott, chair of the Department of Dance and associate dean of faculty in the College of Fine Arts and Communications.
BYU–Idaho: Elder Kim B. Clark, emeritus General Authority Seventy.
BYU–Hawaii: President Billy and Kanani Casey, president and matron of the Laie Hawaii Temple.
Ensign College: Jodi Chowen, vice president of student experience and retention.
14 - BYU: Homecoming Opening Ceremony.
BYU–Idaho: Jennifer Platt, religious education assistant department chair.
BYU–Hawaii: David Fonoimoana, career planning and placement director.
Ensign College: Ryan Carstens, system liaison officer, BYU–Pathway Worldwide.
21 - BYU: Mike Roberts, managing director of BYU Alumni and External Relations.
BYU–Idaho: Heidi Egan, curriculum designer.
BYU–Hawaii: President J. Ray Hicken and Sister Patricia S. Hicken, Hawaii Laie Mission.
26 -BYU–Idaho: Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
28 - BYU (forum): Catherine Pakaluk, associate professor of social research and economic thought at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
BYU–Hawaii: Brett Okland, president of Okland Construction.
Ensign College: Elder Kim B. Clark, emeritus General Authority Seventy.
31 - BYU–Pathway Worldwide: Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
November
4 - BYU: Elder Edward B. Rowe, General Authority Seventy.
BYU–Idaho: Andy Johnson, architecture and construction management services director.
BYU–Hawaii: David Bearss, Halia Therapeutics.
Ensign College: Rob Garrett, chief of staff and vice president of executive strategy and planning, BYU–Idaho.
11 - BYU: Elder B. Corey Cuvelier, General Authority Seventy.
BYU–Idaho: David Ashby, director of learning innovation and technology.
BYU–Hawaii: Brooke Peterson, marketing and communications director.
Ensign College: Hank Smith, associate teaching professor of ancient scripture at BYU.
16 - BYU–Hawaii: Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
18 - BYU (forum): TBA.
BYU–Idaho: Elder Karl D. Hirst, General Authority Seventy.
Ensign College: Sister Tracy Y. Browning, second counselor in the Primary general presidency.
25 - BYU–Hawaii: Brad Smith, dean of sciences.
28 - BYU–Pathway Worldwide: Heather Ugege, director of EnglishConnect.
December
2 - BYU: Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
BYU–Idaho: Jane Clayson Johnson, Emmy Award-winning journalist.
BYU–Hawaii: Christmas devotional.
Ensign College: Elder James Taylor, service missionary.
9 - BYU: Elder John A. McCune, General Authority Seventy.
BYU–Idaho: Perry Rockwood, public affairs communication manager.