President C. Shane Reese was inaugurated as the 14th president of Brigham Young University on Sept. 19, 2023.
Thousands of students flocked to the Marriott Center before 11 a.m., filling up almost every seat, according to a student employee working at the ceremony.
Several General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played a role in the inauguration, including President Dallin H. Oaks presiding over the event.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband gave the introductory remarks.
Addressing President Reese, Rasband said, “You have prepared yourself academically, spiritually and personally.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave the inaugural charge.
“In accomplishing this lofty expectation, I charge you with the responsibility to be the University’s chief moral and spiritual officer,” Christofferson said.
President Reese then took the stage to share his message about becoming BYU.
“I love BYU and its mission. I love our students,” Reese said.
Students who attended the inauguration shared similar thoughts about President Reese.
“I love him. I love his passion, just for life,” sophomore Carter Bird said. “I think you can tell, you can feel how much he cares about both the gospel and about the student body here.”
Harley Smith said President Reese seems like someone students can have conversations with.
“Oh, he is such a fun guy. I think he just leads with joy and he leads with character and he just gets me so excited to go here,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, I know that we have the same priorities and it makes me feel really comfortable here as a student.”
Bird said the ceremony was both wonderful and fantastic.
“The messages shared by Shane Reese and by Elder Christofferson were very moving, and I felt a spirit of excitement to be here at BYU and to do good things,” Bird said.
Elder Christofferson told President Reese he must center BYU in the direction that was inspired by prophets.
President Reese said becoming BYU will require embracing the University’s religious mission.
“As the president of BYU, I pledge my whole soul to helping us become BYU,” Reese said.
