BYU kicked off the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations with a morning devotional at the Wilkinson Student Center.
Jason Nouanounou, vice president of the Black Student Union and a team member at the Sorenson Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership, gave the opening remarks. BYU's Rhythm 'N' Soul Collective joined him onstage to provide lively music and step dancing.
Elder Peter M. Johnson, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave the keynote address.
“The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King served, loved, and invited all to come unto Christ,” Elder Johnson said.
Both Nouanounou and Elder Johnson emphasized the impact of King's contributions and his invitation for others to follow Jesus Christ.
“Whenever I find myself coming in contact with students, I can’t help but just feel overjoyed and grateful that in some way, shape or form, Dr. King made a lot of this happen," Nouanounou said. "He made it accessible. And I also share his vision and I look forward to seeing that also just spread in so many different ways on this campus."
"So for BYU’s 150th, I couldn’t be more pleased,” he said.
After the devotional, the crowd helped at service project stations both on and off campus.
Jenna Ostler, a BYU humanities alumna, volunteered to make kits for preschoolers with her husband and daughter. She appreciated the opportunity to show her daughter how to serve others.
“We’re celebrating someone who served his community just incredibly and was such a good example of service and using your voice and your actions and your influence to serve, and so today’s a good day to get out and try and do a little of the same, to help other people," Ostler said.
Keegan Bedell is a program director for Y-Serve, BYU's on-campus service organization. He helped organize and set up a station where volunteers made quilts and sleeping mats that will be sent to refugees around the world.
"Combining forces to help others is a good way to overcome division," Bedell said.
“I mean, I don’t think anyone’s upset when you help another human being," Bedell said. "So, I think when we come together in the spirit of charity and with the love of Christ, we can really bond together in helping other people, no matter what their background is — no matter what our background is.”
Y-Serve hosts weekly service nights Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the WSC.