Every Tuesday at 11:05 a.m., students, faculty, staff and the greater BYU community attend the weekly devotional or forum address at the Marriott Center.
Most devotionals and forums will be broadcast live on BYUtv, BYUtv.org (and archived for on-demand streaming), KBYU-TV 11, Classical 89 FM and BYUradio and will be archived on speeches.byu.edu.
Please plan to join with students and employees each Tuesday at 11:05 a.m. in the Marriott Center for a truly unique experience as the campus gathers to receive spiritual and temporal edification.
Winter 2024 Devotional and Forum Schedule
January
- 9 – President C. Shane Reese and Sister Wendy Reese, BYU
- 16 – Elder K. Brett Nattress, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 23 – Elder David A. Bednar, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 30 – Ruth L. Okediji, Harvard Law School (Forum)
February
- 6 – Brother Jan E. Newman, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 13 – Elder Evan A. Schmutz, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 20 – No Devotional (Monday schedule)
- 27 – Freeman A. Hrabowski, Advocate for Science and Technology Education for African Americans (Forum)
March
- 5 – Elder Dale G. Renlund, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 12 – Steven J. Hafen, BYU administration vice president
- 19 – Elder Brian K. Taylor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 26 – Danielle Allen, Harvard University (Forum)
April
- 2 – Rick Anderson, BYU university librarian
- 9 – Mary Davis, BYU College of Life Sciences
- 16 – Unforum
ABOUT THE Winter 2024 DEVOTIONAL AND FORUM SPEAKERS:
President C. Shane Reese
January 9, Devotional
President C. Shane Reese was named BYU’s 14th president on March 21, 2023. He had been serving as the academic vice president at BYU since 2019. He previously served as dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences from 2017 to 2019 and joined the BYU statistics faculty in 2001.
He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in statistics from BYU and a doctoral degree in statistics from Texas A&M. His research has focused on sports analytics, Bayesian hierarchical models and optimal experimental design. He is an elected fellow of the American Statistical Laboratory.
President Reese has used his work in solving problems in professional sports franchises, national security and business. At BYU, he received the BYU Young Scholar Award and the BYU Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Teaching Award. He was also the Melvin W. Carter Professor of Statistics. Prior to BYU, he worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a technical staff member.
He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Taiwan Taipei Mission from 1990 to 1992. He is currently serving as the first counselor in the Mapleton Utah North Stake, where he previously served as a bishop. He and his wife, Wendy Wood Reese, are the parents of three children.
Wendy Reese
January 9, Devotional
Wendy Wood Reese was born and raised in the small town of Holden, Utah, the fourth of five children. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from BYU in 1995.
Sister Reese is known for her kindness, and she can often be found delivering treats to others. She loves baking and has her own side business making wedding cakes when she can find time from her other responsibilities. Sister Reese comes from a BYU family and loves the university and all it stands for.
Elder K. Brett Nattress
January 16, Devotional
Elder K. Brett Nattress was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2016. At the time of his call, he had been serving as president of the Arizona Gilbert Mission. Elder Nattress currently serves at Church headquarters. He previously served for five years in the Pacific Area Presidency.
Elder Nattress attended Brigham Young University and received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Utah in 1990. He was employed in healthcare administration as co-founder and president of Advanced Health Care Corporation.
Elder David. A Bednar
January 23, Devotional
David A. Bednar was ordained and set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 7, 2004.
Elder Bednar was born on June 15, 1952, in Oakland, California. He served as a full-time missionary in Southern Germany and then attended Brigham Young University, where he received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. He also received a doctoral degree in organizational behavior from Purdue University. After completing his education, Elder Bednar was a professor of business management at Texas Tech University and at the University of Arkansas. He then served as the president of Brigham Young University–Idaho (formerly Ricks College) from 1997 to 2004.
Ruth L. Okediji
January 30, Forum
Ruth L. Okediji is the Jeremiah Smith Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and co-director of the Berkman Klein Center. A renowned scholar in international intellectual property (IP) law and a foremost authority on the role of intellectual property in social and economic development, Professor Okediji has advised inter-governmental organizations, regional economic communities and national governments on a range of matters related to technology, innovation policy and development. Her widely cited scholarship on IP and development has influenced government policies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and South America. Her ideas have helped shape national strategies for the implementation of the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement). She works closely with several United Nations agencies, research centers and international organizations on the human development effects of international IP policy, including access to knowledge, access to essential medicines and issues related to indigenous innovation systems.
Professor Okediji was a member of the United States National Academies’ Board on Science, Technology and Policy Committee on the Impact of Copyright Policy on Innovation in the Digital Era. She served as the chief technical expert and lead negotiator for the Delegation of Nigeria to the 2013 WIPO Diplomatic Conference to Conclude a Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities (Marrakesh VIP Treaty). Okediji was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the 2015–2016 High Level Panel on Access to Medicines.
Brother Jan E. Newman
February 6, Devotional
Jan E. Newman was called in April 2019 as the Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency.
Brother Newman earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Brigham Young University. He has worked in the software industry in Utah for over 30 years. He is a serial entrepreneur and has founded several successful software companies. He is currently a partner at SageCreek Partners, a technology consulting company in Utah.
Elder Evan A. Schmutz
February 13, Devotional
Elder Evan A. Schmutz was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2016. At the time of his call, he had been serving in the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah South Area. From 2016–2020, Elder Schmutz served as a counselor and then the president of the Philippines Area. He is currently serving in the Utah Area Presidency, as Area Committee Chair, and has concurrent assignments in the Correlation and International Coordinating Departments.
Elder Schmutz received a bachelor’s degree in English in 1979 and a juris doctorate in 1982, both from Brigham Young University. During his professional career, he worked with several prominent law firms in Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah. At the time of his calling as a General Authority, Elder Schmutz was managing partner in the Lehi office of Durham, Jones & Pinegar.
Freeman A. Hrabowski
February 27, Forum
Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President Emeritus of UMBC (The University of Maryland, Baltimore County) served as president from 1992 to 2022. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance.
He chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the 2011 report Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads. He was named in 2012 by President Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. His 2013 TED talk highlights the “Four Pillars of College Success in Science.” In 2022, Dr. Hrabowski was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, and he was also named the inaugural ACE Centennial Fellow, to be served upon his retirement from UMBC. In addition, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) also launched the Freeman Hrabowski Scholars Program ($1.5 billion) to help build a scientific workforce that more fully reflects our increasingly diverse country. In October 2022, he was named the inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Speaker by Harvard. In April 2023, The National Academy of Sciences awarded him the Public Welfare Medal, the Academy’s most prestigious award, and inducted him as a member of the academy, for his extraordinary use of science for the public good.
Elder Dale G. Renlund
March 5, Devotional
Dale G. Renlund was named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 3, 2015. Elder Renlund had served as a General Authority Seventy since April 2009 before being named to the Quorum of the Twelve. He previously served in the presidency of the Africa Southeast Area.
After receiving B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah, Elder Renlund received further medical and research training at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was a professor of medicine at the University of Utah and the medical director of the Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals (UTAH) Cardiac Transplant Program.
Steven J. Hafen
March 12, Devotional
Steven Hafen was appointed BYU administration vice president and chief financial officer August 1, 2020. In his role at BYU, he oversees the following divisions of the university: Financial Services, Physical Facilities, Human Resources, Purchasing and Travel, Auxiliaries and Programs, and BYU Police and BYU Security.
Prior to joining BYU, Hafen was a senior business executive with experience in multiple industries. His career path consistently expanded in oversight and leadership responsibilities, culminating in chief executive officer (CEO) or chief operations officer (COO) roles across several companies, including CEO of Devcon Security Holdings — a company that Hafen led through a successful transaction process for Golden Gate Capital. Hafen’s background also includes business and marketing instruction at BYU’s Marriott School of Business, where he was an adjunct faculty member for more than 13 years. He is a graduate of BYU with a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in international relations with a minor in Japanese.
Elder Brian K. Taylor
March 19, Devotional
Elder Brian K. Taylor was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2017. At the time of his call, he was serving as president of the Texas Dallas Mission. He previously served as president in the Central America Area and counselor in the Idaho and North America Central Areas. He is currently serving as a counselor in the Utah Area Presidency.
Elder Taylor received a bachelor’s degree in arts in 1988 from Brigham Young University. He was cofounder and CEO of a software company serving the 9-1-1, Public Safety and Homeland Security Agencies.
Danielle Allen
March 26, Forum
Danielle Allen is a seasoned leader, public policy and public affairs expert, national voice on pandemic response, and distinguished academic and author. Allen’s work to make the world better for young people has taken her from teaching college and leading a $60 million university division to driving change as board chair for a $6 billion foundation, writing for the Washington Post, and most recently, running for governor of Massachusetts.
Currently the James Bryant Conant University Professor and director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center, Allen co-chaired the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, formed to explore how best to respond to the weaknesses and vulnerabilities in political and civic life. Its final and bipartisan report, Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, was released in June 2020 and includes six strategies and 31 ambitious recommendations to help the nation emerge as a more resilient democracy by 2026, the nation’s 250th anniversary. During the height of COVID in 2020, Allen’s leadership in rallying coalitions and building solutions resulted in policies adopted in federal legislations and a Biden executive order. Her book “Democracy in the Time of Coronavirus,” “a trenchant call for reimagining how America functions in a time of crisis” (Publishers Weekly), builds off this scholarship to offer a plan for creating a more resilient democratic polity — one that can better respond to both the present pandemic and future crises.
Rick Anderson
April 2, Devotional
Rick Anderson has been serving as the university librarian at the Harold B. Lee Library since September 1, 2020.
Anderson has worked previously as an associate dean in the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah, as a bibliographer for YBP, Inc., as Head Acquisitions Librarian for the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and as Director of Resource Acquisition at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is the author three books and numerous articles on librarianship and scholarly communication, and has served on the advisory boards of organizations including biorXiv, Elsevier, JSTOR and Oxford University Press.
Anderson received his bachelor’s degree in family science and his master’s degree in library and information science from BYU.
Mary Davis
April 9, Devotional
Mary Davis is an associate professor of microbiology and molecular biology in the BYU College of Life Sciences.
Davis earned her Ph.D. and master's degrees at Vanderbilt University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in clinical laboratory science from BYU. She is a certified medical technologist through the American Society for Clinical Pathology.
Davis's lab focuses on two major projects, the extraction of detailed clinical traits from electronic medical records (EMR) and the genetic analysis of autoimmune diseases. Projects in both of these areas focus on multiple sclerosis (MS), diabetes and other complex disorders.
