BYU’s Mission, Governance, and Pursuit of Excellence

Prophets have inspired BYU since its beginning, and they continue to guide this enterprise during this, our 150th year. That is our strategic advantage as we seek to “become BYU,” the “Christ-centered, prophetically directed university of prophecy.”

Most campuses leverage anniversary milestones as an excuse to put the fun back in fundraising, but BYU is different. While our fundraising efforts are ongoing and we are grateful for every donation received, we see our 150th anniversary as an opportunity to collectively reflect on what we’re doing to fulfill the prophetic vision laid out in President Spencer W. Kimball’s amazing and awe-inspiring address, “The Second Century of Brigham Young University.”

President Kimball prophesied that BYU would “become a unique university in all of the world” and “the fully anointed university of the Lord.” Such a lofty vision will only come to pass with our collective and combined efforts.

Supporting Our Spiritual Mission

The work ahead requires that we remain riveted on our spiritual mission. Doing that well will, in turn, strengthen the student experience at BYU.

President Kimball stated:

This university is not of the world any more than the Church is of the world, and it must not be made over in the image of the world.

We hope that our friends, and even our critics, will understand why we must resist anything that would rob BYU of its basic uniqueness in its second century.

What makes BYU different is an unwavering commitment to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the living oracles who guide the Church Educational System and Christ’s kingdom on earth.

This commitment provides opportunities for teaching, learning, and scholarship not available anywhere else on earth. We are, in this sense, one of one. We model our “double heritage” (spiritual and professional excellence) in classrooms, in labs, on study abroad opportunities, in athletic settings, and in student employment and other activities offered all across campus.

Blessed by Inspired Governance

We are so grateful to be guided by prophets and apostles who help center us and our university efforts on our Savior Jesus Christ. This will remain a vital part of our institution in the second half of our second century.

President Kimball said: “If the governing board has as much loyalty from faculty and students, from administration and staff as we have had in the past, I do not fear for the future!”

That reciprocal unity must always remain a hallmark of this campus. President Kimball also stated: “The Church Board of Education and the Brigham Young University Board of Trustees involve individuals who are committed to truth as well as to the order of the kingdom.”

Two recent examples stand out to me—and I could share many examples—in which prophetic direction and guidance have blessed this institution in monumental ways.

The first is BYU’s approach to belonging. In these efforts, BYU has been

• Guided by prophetic direction
• Anchored by shared covenants with God
• Rooted in eternal truths about our primary identities as children of God, children of the covenant, and disciples of Jesus Christ

This unique understanding of what we call “covenant belonging” is an absolute game changer in the way we view and treat one another on this campus and beyond. This reality fundamentally changes these conversations and transforms how we view those around us and how we view ourselves.

I am confident that BYU’s approach will stand the test of time precisely because of prophetic direction built on eternal covenants and eternal truth.

My second example is BYU’s independence. (And here I should clarify, I’m not talking about a return to football independence.)

Fifty years ago President Kimball counseled, “We want you to keep free as a university—free of government control, not only for the sake of the university and the Church but also for the sake of our government.”

As I visit with university presidents from across the country—some of whom have been affected by shifts in federal grant strategies— they’re often shocked when I explain that the vast majority of BYU’s annual operating budget comes as an appropriation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are slightly envious to learn how well BYU has weathered recent upheavals in higher education.

President Kimball observed, “Too many universities have given themselves over to such massive federal funding that they should not wonder why they have submitted to an authority they can no longer control.”

According to a ranking this past year from Forbes, we’re in this enviable situation because of a longstanding pattern of prudent financial stewardship over the sacred funds of this university.

Most of you already know this, but, as we enter a new season of athletics, it probably bears repeating: no tithing funds—and I repeat—no tithing funds from the Church’s annual appropriation to the university go to our athletics program. BYU Athletics must balance its budget annually.

Pursuing Excellence

With our unique independence, BYU can pursue excellence as defined by God and His chosen oracles and not exclusively by the measurements of the world. This principle is our guide.

However, our faith and our pursuit of our faith-based mission must never be used as a pretext for subpar effort or as an excuse to abandon our quest for excellence, especially as we pursue our scholarly work in the second half of our second century.

President Kimball prophesied BYU would become an “educational Everest” in the eyes of the Lord, producing “brilliant stars” in all fields—in science, literature, music, and art—to influence their homes, their communities, and the world long after they leave this campus.

The Future Is Bright

During this anniversary year, my invitation to every member of the BYU community is to store up the prophetic direction we’ve received. Store up the visions and prophecies from President Kimball’s Second Century address. Store up and act on the prophetic invitations that President Dallin H. Oaks and the First Presidency and members of our board of trustees have delivered and will deliver on this campus and in general conference.

We may not know at what hour we’ll need their direction most, but I know we need it—and them—now. Their visions and prophecies are the essential spiritual plans for building a “Christ-centered, prophetically directed university of prophecy.”

Jesus Christ is “full of grace” to help guide us in this effort. He lives, and His Atonement and Resurrection are the miracles that give us the promise of immortality and the possibility of eternal life. His life and teachings are the reason for the hope within us.

Source Speeches

Read the full addresses with references.

This Message is Based On

“Making Every Effort: Patience, Professionalism, and Spirituality”
—President C. Shane Reese, August 25, 2025

Awe-Inspring Road Map

“The Second Century of Brigham Young University”
—President Spencer W. Kimball, October 10, 1975