Jimmer Fredette, Steve Young, 6 apostles to speak at Latter-day Saint college devotionals

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A Hall of Famer, an Olympian and six apostles highlight the fall devotional speaker schedule at the colleges and universities sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Steve Young, a member of both the Pro Football and College Football halls of fame, will speak at BYU-Idaho on Nov. 17.

Jimmer Fredette, a member of the Team USA 3x3 basketball team at the 2024 Olympics and a possible 2028 team member, will speak Nov. 10 at BYU-Hawaii.

And at least one apostle will speak at each of the church’s five schools, including Elders:

• Neil L. Andersen, who spoke at BYU on Tuesday, when he challenged students to settle their faith in their hearts now.
• Ronald A. Rasband, Oct. 27 at BYU.
• Patrick Kearon, Oct. 27 at Ensign College.
• Quentin L. Cook, Nov. 1 at BYU-Hawaii.
• Gary E. Stevenson, Nov. 15 at BYU-Idaho and Nov. 27 at BYU-Pathway Worldwide.
• Gerrit W. Gong, Dec. 8 at BYU.

The full fall schedule is posted below.

The Church of Jesus Christ has about 3 million college-age church members, BYU-Hawaii President John “Keoni” Kauwe said this week.

The church heavily subsidizes tuition for all of the 150,000 students who attend the five schools.

The church also operates a global Institute program that provides religious education to 350,000 students at other colleges and universities at 2,700 locations.

Other speakers at the five church schools this fall include:

• Conservative 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat.
• Popular violinist Jenny Oaks Baker.
• Elder Alexander Dushku, a General Authority Seventy and general counsel for the church.
• President Jean B. Bingham, former Relief Society general president.
• All three members of the church’s Presiding Bishopric.

The devotional schedule is planned by the schools but ratified at church headquarters.

“We have an amazing devotional schedule ahead of us this semester,” Kauwe told BYU-Hawaii students this week, “people that we have carefully and prayerfully considered that the First Presidency has approved.”

September

4 —

• BYU–Pathway: President Brian K. Ashton, BYU-Pathway Worldwide — talked about finding one’s own Sacred Grove.

8 —

• BYU: President C. Shane Reese and Sister Wendy Reese, BYU president and first lady — They spoke embracing the awkward and having ears to hear.
• BYU–Hawaii: President John S.K. Kauwe III and Sister Monica S. Kauwe, BYU–Hawaii president and first lady. They spoke about the rock of the Redeemer.
• Ensign College: Burke Olsen, Deseret News publisher, spoke about publishing peace.

15 —

• BYU: Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, asked BYU students to “settle in their hearts” their faith in 10 essential truths.
• BYU–Idaho: President Alvin F. Meredith III and Sister Jennifer Meredith, BYU–Idaho president and first lady, spoke about the school’s mission developing disciple-leaders.
• BYU–Hawaii: Tialei Scanlan, BYU–Hawaii associate professor of business and government. No report is available yet.
• Ensign College: Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, General Authority Seventy, told students to choose prophecy over projection.

22 —

• BYU: Elder Alexander Dushku, General Authority Seventy and general counsel for the church.
• BYU–Idaho: Elder James O. Fantone, General Authority Seventy.
• BYU–Hawaii: Abraham Manutai, BYU–Hawaii food services director.
• Ensign College: President Bruce C. Kusch and Sister Alynda Kusch, Ensign College president and first lady.

29 —

• BYU (forum): Ross Douthat, American author, journalist and television news correspondent.
• BYU–Idaho: Rob Garrett, BYU-Idaho chief of staff, executive strategy and planning vice president.
• BYU–Hawaii: Luke J. Nichols, host of the Outdoor Boys YouTube channel and a Young Men general advisory council member.
• Ensign College: Anthony Sweat, chair of BYU’s Department of Church History and Doctrine.

October

2 —

• BYU–Pathway Worldwide: Elder Pedro X. Larreal, General Authority Seventy.

6 —

• BYU: Homecoming opening ceremony.
• BYU–Idaho: To be announced.
• BYU–Hawaii: Jaime Lopez, BYU–Hawaii facilities management director.
• Ensign College: Jared Jepson, Ensign College institute instructor.

13 —

• BYU: Rebekka Matheson, BYU School of Medicine.
• BYU–Idaho: Chris Allison, BYU-Idaho religious education faculty member.
• BYU–Hawaii: Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell.
• Ensign College: Scott Hunter, applied sciences faculty at Ensign College.

20 —

• BYU: Bishop L. Todd Budge, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.
• BYU–Idaho: Dan Barnes, BYU–Idaho Counseling Center counselor.
• BYU–Hawaii: Wilford Wu, regional welfare and self-reliance manager, Asia Area.
• Ensign College: To be determined.

27 —

• BYU: Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
• BYU–Idaho: Torrey Morrill, BYU-Idaho religious education assistant department chair.
• BYU–Hawaii: Jenny Oaks Baker, concert violinist, recording artist and founder of SoulFill Music Foundation.
• Ensign College: Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

30 —

• BYU–Pathway Worldwide: Timothy Q. Sloan, vice president of academics, Ensign College.

November

1 —

• BYU–Hawaii: Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

3 —

• BYU: Audrey Perry Martin, university spokeswoman.
• BYU–Idaho: Bishop Sean Douglas, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.
• Ensign College: Adam Jacobsmeyer, vice president of administration, Ensign College.

5 –

• BYU-Idaho (forum): Richard and Pam Norby, Academic Success & Interdisciplinary Studies.

10 —

• BYU: Elder Joni L. Koch, General Authority Seventy.
• BYU–Idaho: Sister Jean B. Bingham, former Relief Society general president.
• BYU–Hawaii: Jimmer Fredette, managing director, USA Basketball 3x3 men’s national team.
• Ensign College: Becky Scott, associate administrator, global operations, Seminaries and Institutes of Religion.

15 —

• BYU–Idaho: Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

17 —

• BYU: To be determined.
• BYU–Idaho: Steve Young, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback.
• BYU–Hawaii: Mason Allred, BYU–Hawaii associate professor, Department of Arts and Letters.
• Ensign College: Sarah Clark, McKay School of Education at BYU.

24 —

• BYU–Hawaii: Kevin Schlag, operations vice president, BYU–Hawaii.
• Ensign College: Kevin Worthen, former BYU president and law professor.

27 —

BYU–Pathway Worldwide: Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

December

1 —

• BYU: Young Men General President Timothy L. Farnes.
• BYU–Idaho: Liz Haley, BYU-Idaho university operations software coordinator.
• BYU–Hawaii: Musical Christmas devotional.
• Ensign College: Sister Sarah Shumway, senior missionary in the Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission.

8 —

• BYU: Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
• BYU–Idaho: Kendra Justesen, BYU-Idaho admissions operations manager.

17 —

• BYU–Idaho: Fall commencement – Brother Sean R. Dixon, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency.

My recent stories

• Apostle asks BYU students to ‘settle in their hearts’ their faith in 10 essential truths (Sept. 15)

About the church

• President Dallin H. Oaks spoke Wednesday night at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. See what he said on Deseret.com.
• Elder David A. Bednar spoke at Young Single Adult conference and shared patterns for finding direction in a “messed up” world.
• Elder Ronald A. Rasband ministered to Haitian Latter-day Saint leaders, members and missionaries in a Dominican Republic border town on Sept. 11-12.
• The First Presidency announced the dedication dates for the Smithfield Utah Temple and the Knoxville Tennessee Temple. In other temple news, ground was broken Saturday for the Colorado Springs Colorado Temple and construction is scheduled to begin in November on the Cincinnati Ohio and La Paz Bolivia temples.
• General conference is Oct. 3–4 and the church released a new video about how audio and light technicians prepare for and work at general conferences to provide leaders’ messages to millions.

What I’m reading

• If you didn’t read this, stop what you’re doing and read it now: our Deseret News podcaster McKay Coppins spoke to BYU students about his experience betting on sports with $10,000 of The Atlantic’s money, and it is harrowing. Did you know that Americans bet $4.9 billion on sports in 2017? Then the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on it, and last year, Americans wagered $160 billion. For perspective, the total combined 2025 revenue for the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball was less than $60 billion. Also, 70% of American adults reported gambling at least once a year.
• Family, friends and students gathered to mourn the BYU associate vice president who died in a bike accident.
• The Deseret News reported that the backlash to the “no contact” movement has begun. An additional analysis showed two very different kinds of “cutting off my parents” are taking place.
• Meet the BYU students hungry for something more exciting than culture war.
• This was a popular story with our readers this week: From a parent’s nightmare to healing in rural Idaho. A couple’s new film shares an untold story of 9/11.

Behind the scenes