Graduates of Brigham Young University have not only received light during their educational journey. They have been entrusted with it, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared on Thursday, April 23.
And like a faithful lighthouse keeper, “you are not only called to preserve the light — you are called to beam it forth, to act upon it, to bless and sometimes rescue others because of it.”
More than 7,000 graduates — along with their friends and family — filled the Marriott Center for the commencement ceremony on a cloudy, gray morning. A spring drizzle, however, held off as graduates clad in caps and gowns filed into the arena.
Sister Rosana Soares, Elder Soares’ wife, as well as Elder James R. Rasband, a General Authority Seventy and Church commissioner of education, and his wife, Sister Mary Rasband, also attended.
Preserving and sharing light — the Light of Jesus Christ — was a theme throughout the event, which also included remarks by BYU President C. Shane Reese; Derek B. Miller, president of the BYU Alumni Association; and Mirabella Archibald Keogh, a graduate.
Elder Soares noted that Thursday’s proceedings were enriched “by a sacred milestone in Brigham Young University’s history” — its 150th anniversary or 150 years of “devoted learning, spiritual growth and the pursuit of truth revealed by God and discovered through diligent study.”
Fifty years ago, President Spencer W. Kimball, then the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, described BYU “as becoming an educational Everest” or “a unique university in all of the world” by maintaining academic excellence as well as spiritual strength and faith in Jesus Christ. “There are many ways in which BYU can tower above other universities … because of the unique light BYU can send forth in the educational world. Your light must have a special glow,” President Kimball declared (see “The Second Century of Brigham Young University,” Oct. 10, 1975).
The call to bring a distinctive light to the world brings to mind the example of Ida Lewis, a humble American lighthouse keeper, Elder Soares said.
Off the coast of Rhode Island in the eastern U.S., Lewis faithfully tended a light that guided ships through dangerous waters. “Beginning at age 15, she ventured into churning and frigid waters to rescue those who could not save themselves,” Elder Soares recounted.
The prophetic charge given by President Kimball is not limited to administrators and faculty. “In a very real sense, it now rests upon you,” Elder Soares told graduates. “As you step forward into your divinely appointed future, you do not simply benefit from that vision — you are now called to become stewards of it just like the courageous lighthouse keeper.”
‘Keepers of the light’
If BYU is to remain unique in the world, anchored in covenant belonging, moral courage, faithful discipleship and academic excellence, it will be because its students and graduates choose to live that uniqueness wherever the Lord places them, said Elder Soares.
“There must have been times when noble lighthouse keepers were ill, freezing, battered by raging storms, feeling isolated and exhausted. … In those moments, they focused on what mattered most: keeping the light alive and not abandoning their post. They may not have fulfilled every duty perfectly, but they endured — and because they did, ships were guided safely,” said Elder Soares.
When the storms of life come, graduates should similarly focus on what matters most, he encouraged. “Let us not abandon our love for the gospel or allow the Light of Christ within us to go out. The prophetic vision of the second century will unfold not only on this campus, but wherever you stand as men and women who blend things secular and sacred with integrity and devotion.”
Graduates who remain anchored in Jesus Christ and loyal to covenants will become what prophets have foreseen — “disciple leaders whose competence commands respect and whose character reflects the light of the Savior,” said Elder Soares.
“From this very pulpit,” Elder Soares said, Church President Dallin H. Oaks recently taught that the ultimate purpose of BYU — and of an education — is to draw closer to Jesus Christ. “Coming closer to Jesus Christ is not a single event. Like the keepers of the light, it is the steady work of a lifetime, accomplished in quiet, consistent, often unseen acts.”
Though the structures of life may change, the invitation remains the same, said Elder Soares. “The habits of discipleship you have cultivated here must now become the anchors of your future. Drawing nearer to Christ will not remove all uncertainty from your path, but it will give you clarity of purpose, resilience in adversity and peace that surpasses understanding.”
As graduates leave campus, there will be moments when the seas around them and those they serve will feel uncertain or even stormy. “In those times, remember the lighthouse keeper,” said Elder Soares, adding: “Like that faithful lighthouse keeper, Ida Lewis, you may be prompted to move beyond what is comfortable, to reach out, to lift and even to rescue those who cannot find their way alone. As you do, you will come to know that what you carry is not your own — it is the Light of Jesus Christ.”
As graduates share that light, they will become part of that light, said Elder Soares, “bringing direction, safety and hope to all within your influence. The light you carry from this campus is meant to shine in places only you can reach. It is not merely institutional progress or academic distinction — it is the Light of Jesus Christ. It grows within a believing heart, increases as knowledge is joined with covenant faithfulness and blesses others as it is shared.”
‘Let your light so shine’
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior teaches: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
President Reese told graduates, “Class of 2026, go ‘let your light so shine.’ This year as part of our 150th celebration as a university we’ve been celebrating gifts of light. As the president of this university, I’ve seen your light. As a faculty member, I’ve seen your light. And, most tenderly of all, as a father of a son in this graduating class of 2026 today, I see your light.”
As both university president and a parent of a graduate, President Reese said: “We love you, and we are so proud of you. We see your light shining, and we pray it never dims. As you stay true to your covenants, keep your foundation on Christ, and serve in ways big and small, your light will shine brighter and brighter in a world that so desperately needs illumination.”
Speaking on behalf of nearly 500,000 alumni, Miller promised graduates: “If you follow the Savior’s example of being meek and humble, and rather than focusing your efforts on making a name for yourself, and instead you keep your promise to take upon yourself the name of Christ, then you will have His light in your countenance. Then the Light of Christ will shine in your eyes. Then you will change the world in the best way possible, in the only way that truly matters.”
