BYU Army and Air Force ROTC gathered Thursday, Nov 7. for the annual Presidential Review and award Young Men General President Steven J. Lund with the Patriot Award.
The annual Presidential Review is a formal ceremony that showcases the dedication, discipline and commitment of future military leaders as they stand in formation to be recognized for their achievements.
Lieutenant Colonel Travis R. Bailey made it a point to showcase and recognize the achievements of the cadets.
“I’m gonna go off script for a second. I want to highlight that our cadets here at BYU are asked to do quite a lot,” he said.
Bailey pointed out that on top of having to maintain high academic standards here at BYU, cadets also take extra ROTC classes and wake up at the crack of dawn to participate in physical training in all types of weather.
“They not only do all this, but they do it extremely well,” Bailey praised the cadets.
Commenting on the grit of BYU cadets, BYU President C. Shane Reese expressed the admiration he has for them during their early morning run ins at the gym.
“It is with great admiration that I see our cadre at the gym, and I’m always amazed at what I see,” President Reese said.
He went on to express that in each of the BYU cadets he sees grit. He sees that they are “willing to put in day in and day out effort. Persistence, but not just persistence, it’s a special blend of persistence with passion.”
At the end of his remarks President Reese conveyed BYU’s gratitude for the way BYU cadets stand and defend the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of “this amazing country” and to “go cougs.”
The highlight of the event, according to Major Jacob A. Johnson, was the presentation of the Patriot Award.
This is an award given to an individual who has exemplified lifelong service and dedication to American ideals and values.
This year the Patriot Award was presented to President Lund.
President Lund was sustained as Young Men General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2020. He served as an enlisted soldier in the United States Regular Army for three years.
President Lund became emotional during his remarks stating he felt this award was “very undeserved” but that he would pretend for the day that he’s “all that.”
President Lund mentioned how proud he was to wear the military uniform so long ago, listing the promises it represents.
“This voluntary garment that you wear is representative of promises to you, promises to God in heaven, promises to your country and promises that you have made to each other,” he said.
President Lund recalled how he was led to military service as a young returned missionary.
After returning from a mission, President Lund went straight to the temple to try and receive revelation on what he should do next. At the temple he had a “powerful spiritual impression” that he should join the military.
He recalled feeling as though “it made no sense” that he would postpone his college education for the military, and because his draft lottery number was 346, he was “never going to be drafted into the military.” But he followed the impression and went on to join the army.
President Lund ended his remarks with his testimony of God and the military.
“This time you serve as members of the military, short, long or otherwise will be some of the most important times in your life,” he said.
He acknowledged there was a reason that God sent him to the military when he asked what he should do next.
“And when I needed more, He sent me to you in the military to gain what I could there, so that I could do later in my life things I’ve been able to do,” President Lund said.