Welcome to the Recent Speaches Podcast presented by BYU Speaches, featuring inspiring new

devotionals and forums given each week on BYU campus. Be sure to check out our other podcasts

by searching BYU speeches wherever you get your podcasts, or by visiting speeches.bYU.edu slash

podcasts. This devotional address entitled,

Coming Closer to Christ, was given on February 10th of 2026 by Dallin H. Oakes, President of the Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My dear brothers and sisters, it is good to be here.

You are an audience greatly loved by the Lord, and he desires all of you to return to his

presence.

Beginning with my service as BYU president in 1971, I have spoken to many BYU audiences,

but never before, as the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As your current leader, I have prayed for inspiration in what I should say to you and to the larger audience

we include with current technology.

You are celebrating the 150th anniversary of BYU.

I was the president of BYU when we celebrated the 100th anniversary.

In that year, President Spencer W. Kimball gave his historic second-century address.

That second century is now half over.

What has BYU become as it seeks to achieve those prophetic challenges?

What have you become with the added experience of your portion of the second century?

To reinforce spiritual impressions I have previously shared with your university leadership,

I firmly believe that it is the destiny of Brigham Young University

to become what past and present prophets knew it could become.

With the consecration and leadership of this community,

...