On Tuesday, June 3, Anthony Beardall of Provo was charged for threatening to bomb the Provo Missionary Training Center more than a month earlier.
The call was a threat to public safety, and local authorities wasted no time in handling the situation for the protection of those in the MTC and all of Provo.
Court documents released to the public detail that on April 24, Beardall called the BYU Information Desk to make the threat.
According to a transcript from the call in the document, Beardall said: "You better shut down the (Missionary Training Center), or we're going to blow your s--- out of the water, baby. Do you understand? Jesus Christ never rose from the grave, ok? It's a lie."
"You guys are being shut down in Israel pretty soon. And you can no longer send out missionaries into the United States …” he said.
He placed at least 10 calls to the desk on the 24, each with the same message. The phone operators were also verbally abused.
This isn't Beardall's first run in with the law. In 2022, he was involved in three cases regarding evictions and a protective order.
Beardall has even made past calls, such as one in March when he threatened to drop a nuclear weapon on the Provo Police Department.
Upon request for further details from BYU University Police, Public Information Officer Karen Ellingson said that "all threats received, whether over the phone, email, or other communications, are taken very seriously by BYU Police."
The department explained that all threats made are assessed and, if deemed credible, met with response protocols on campus.
A detective identified Beardall and found he had "involvements with multiple agencies." Provo police apprehended him with a warrant for his arrest. BYU police were then notified to pursue charges.
When asked if Provo residents or students should be concerned about the threat, Ellsworth said they "do not have an identified threat at this time."
Nonetheless, the department encourages anyone who receives a threat to campus to report it via 911.
Beardall was charged with Threat of Terrorism, a second-degree felony, and Electronic Communication Harassment.
In Utah, a second-degree felony conviction typically results in between one and 15 years of imprisonment. A misdemeanor can result in anywhere from 90 days to six months in prison.
Beardall will be tried in court via Webex on July 14, 2025, at the Utah Fourth District Courthouse.