July 24th, 2025, 6:16pm MDT
Byu – When Idaho graduated, brother Chad H Webb, the first counselor for Sunday School presidency, encouraged him to “step into the foot pedals” as he was ready to “stand at the gate” on a new journey.
The Webb brothers said: “Take all the wonderful experiences, relationships and lessons you have learned. Keep your spiritual, social and intellectual momentum. Just like you, your Heavenly Father will help you succeed and lead a meaningful life. He loves you. He will help you.
More than 2,400 alumni were recognized during the summer start-up exercise held at the BYU-I Center in Rexburg, Idaho on Thursday, July 24th.
To begin his message, the Webb brothers recounted their experiences as a nine-year-old boy living on a farm in Washington.
As his father drove the pickup truck, his brother Webb’s job went out to each cow’s gate, opened, waited for his father to run, then closed the gate and returned to the pickup.
At one point, the Webb brothers said, he asked his father if he could drive a truck through the cow gate. Surprisingly, his father agreed. Unable to see above the handle and at the same time, unable to reach the gas pedal, brother Webb had to gain momentum, gain momentum, and push the accelerator with enough force to see where he was heading.
Brother Webb gave the gas pedal a “pretty good push” and then he bouncing back to see how things were going.
“I remember the cows running for their lives, and my father was running, screaming for me not to stop,” recalls the Webb brothers.
The gate is like a start, not an end, the Webb brothers pointed out. “Here at BYU – IDAHO, you are blessed with incredible experiences, meaningful relationships and first-class education. You have gained spiritual, social and intellectual momentum.
Maintain momentum
The graduates “running through the gate” to the next stage “running through the gate,” Brothers Webb invited them to maintain the spiritual momentum they gained at Beu Idaho.
The Webb brothers spoke of a man who revealed a lung injury during an autopsy from breathing air pollution.
“I wonder if we sometimes allow it to happen to us spiritually,” Brother Webb said. “If an autopsy is done in our spirit, does it reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the place and times we live? Do we recognize that we breathe the ‘air’ of today’s cultural narratives and bias?
Brother Webb promised that those who chose to give life to Jesus Christ will be able to maintain the spiritual momentum they have gained.
When alumni take them out of campus, Brother Webb is Rick’s spirit, he defined them as the influence of the Holy Spirit, which affects “the way you see and treat them.”
Wherever they go, the alumni can take Rick’s spirit with them. “Living people up, building communities, becoming a helper. When you live as a disciple of Jesus Christ’s gratitude and joy, you will make the world a better place.”
The alumni also gained intellectual momentum during their time at BYU-IDAHO, the Webb brothers continued. “Learn with you and have the desire to be the best version of yourself.”
To maintain spiritual, social and intellectual momentum, Brother Webb encouraged graduates to surround people with “who wants the best for you and who tells the truth to you.”
Revelation 12:10-11 says, “I have heard a loud voice in heaven, and now I have heard a loud voice that salvation and power, and that our kingdom of God and the power of His Christ is coming.
Brother Webb noted that “The Accuser” is an interesting title for Satan. “His voice tells us that we’ve made too many mistakes, we don’t measure it and we won’t get any better enough.”
The other voice is one of hope, salvation, and power, “the voice of the person who loves you the most.” “Those who listened to that voice have overcome their accusers. I testify that you can too, as Jesus Christ has overcome the world.”
In his remarks, President Alvin F. Meredith III of BYU-IDAHO noted that students enjoy many blessings, including the opportunity to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ, “in this special, sacred, set apartment location.”
“You’ve been given a lot, and there’s a lot being given, there’s a lot being given, there’s a lot,” said President Meredith. “What you need now is to move forward what his disciples do. President Nelson says, “The true disciples will ‘build, lift, encourage, persuade, inspire.” The true disciples do what Jesus did – they do good. ”
During the program on Thursday, the university awarded 1,949 bachelor’s degrees and 557 fellow degrees.
