No state wants its top story of the year to be a horrible tragedy that occurred within its borders, allegedly perpetrated by one of its residents. The assassination of conservative political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk, in broad daylight and in front of a large crowd gathered at Utah Valley University, may have drawn the most attention of the nation and even the world to the state in 2025, but it should not be the year’s defining moment.
We hope that ends up being the aftermath of that incident, namely, the leadership exhibited by Gov. Spencer Cox and others in the academic and business community.
Often a year doesn’t become defined in an instant. Clarity comes with the passage of time. We hope that passage reveals that a movement toward greater civility in politics, which seemed to find its legs with Cox’s words at a press conference after the shooting, will take root and grow.
When announcing a suspect had been apprehended, Cox said of the killing, “It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals.
“This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been and who we could be in better times.”
A proponent of the idea that Americans should “disagree better,” Cox rose to the occasion on a national stage, then followed up with a nationally broadcast forum with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, which also focused on the need for greater civility. Later, he met with Utah’s former governors in a similar vein.
Calls for civility may seem weak in the face of mounting political violence, but we believe they can gather strength as more Americans begin to examine their own place in the nation’s long and storied history. This generation should not be the one that unravels the great American experiment.
The past year also saw the death of President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the age of 101.
A renowned heart surgeon by profession, President Nelson was a humble leader whose achievements in life rivaled any who have lived during the past 100 years. His life was one of uncompromising service to family and faith in Jesus Christ.
One of his most consistent themes dealt with the need for people to treat each other with love. Not long before his death, he wrote an op-ed in Time Magazine that said:
“A century of experience has taught me this with certainty: anger never persuades, hostility never heals and contention never leads to lasting solutions. Too much of today’s public discourse, especially online, fosters enmity instead of empathy.”
Other issues dominated the Utah landscape in 2025. Few of them had as many possible political ramifications as the fight over redrawing the state’s congressional district boundaries.
In a struggle that began when voters approved Proposition 4 in 2018, setting up an independent commission to draw new boundaries, a judge ended up imposing a map that would create one mostly Democratic district encompassing Salt Lake City and its immediate environs. This issue has yet to play out, pending a Utah Supreme Court decision and the success or failure of an initiative process currently underway to repeal Proposition 4.
Nationally, 2025 witnessed numerous changes as President Trump began his second term. As of this writing, he had issued 221 executive orders on everything from tariffs to artificial intelligence. Congress, by comparison, had passed only 57 bills during that same time period.
An ongoing battle over whether to extend subsidies for premiums under the Affordable Care Act led to the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history, lasting 43 days.
Some say the economy is flashing warning signs, while others say it is fine. Meanwhile, the nation has set in motion a large military buildup off the coast of Venezuela, with President Trump reportedly urging Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down. War continues between Russia and Ukraine, and a sustainable peace remains elusive in Gaza. We cheer the release of hostages last October as part of the peace plan we hope will take hold.
The world is accustomed to chaos, and 2025 had plenty of it.
Years are imperfect measurements of time. They seldom neatly mark the beginnings and endings to issues and conflicts.
But when measured on a smaller scale — a day, say — time allows each individual to make decisions that collectively add up to our combined vision of the future. Which brings us back to the movement for greater civility.
The world need not remain as it is, neither do the good things of today’s world need to disappear. Humans decide, ultimately, what will be. Each individual holds a key that daily unlocks good or bad and, frankly, we’re convinced most turn it toward good.
That gives us great hope for 2026.