By AMANDA VERZELLO

What Nick Vujicic lacks in stature, he makes up for in faith.

Vujicic, a 26-year-old man born without arms or legs, spoke about hope and faith in Jesus Christ to approximately 5,000 people at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Saturday night.

Vujicic is using his unique situation to spread the message of being born again in Christ. An Australian native, Vujicic now resides in California where he runs his Christian ministry Life Without Limbs.

“The world sees something special in a man without arms and legs,” Vujicic said. “I love being able to be used by God.”

People’s reasons for attending Vujicic’s speech were varied, but all hoped to be touched by his message.

“I have arms and legs and still complain. He has no arms and legs and lives life to the fullest,” said Dr. Joel Becker, a “spiritual Christian” from Clinton.

Vujicic called for people to build their lives on the foundation of Christ. “If you don’t have your security in knowing who your Lord is and what you’re building on, it could all fall.”

Vujicic also mentioned Christ and the Bible as a remedy for many of life’s troubles, including depression and addictions. In fact, part of Vujicic’s message mirrored what apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have told its members for years. “Addiction to pornography is worse than having no arms, no legs,” Vujicic said.

For people who are suffering from depression, Vujicic said to, “Get a dose of the Bible instead of a dose of Prozac.”

Vujicic went to a typical school when he was younger. He rode around in an electric wheelchair and was sometimes teased. People would even chase him, but “they were gonna get tired before my battery [ran] out.”

At the end of Vujicic’s speech, he asked people in the audience who had been touched and wanted to dedicate their lives to Christ to come forward to the stage. Several hundred did so.

Kara Anderson, an LDS student at UVU majoring in nursing, didn’t know what to expect from Vujicic’s speech, but what she took away was “a lot of hope for life.”

“It’s all about being selfless,” Anderson said. “(Nick’s story) encourages us to be grateful for what [we] have.”

The event was sponsored by Standing Together, a Christian organization that strives to unite the Christian community in Utah. It also supports conversations between Evangelicals and the LDS church. Vujicic was scheduled to bear his testimony on Sunday at the Tabernacle on Temple Square.