BYU Army and Air Force ROTC came together on Thursday, Nov. 7, to participate in the annual Presidential Review and present the Patriot Award to Young Men’s General President Steven J. Lund.

The annual Presidential Review is a formal ceremony that showcases the dedication, discipline and commitment of future military leaders as they prepare to be recognized for their achievements.

Lt. Col. Travis R. Bailey made it a point to highlight and recognize the cadets’ accomplishments.

“I’m going to go off-script for a second. I want to emphasize that our cadets here at BYU are asked to do a lot of things,” he said.

Bailey pointed out that in addition to having to maintain high academic standards here at BYU, cadets also take additional ROTC courses and wake up at dawn to participate in all-weather physical training.

“Not only do they do all of this, but they do it extremely well,” Bailey praised the cadets.

Commenting on the courage of the BYU cadets, BYU President C. Shane Reese expressed the admiration he has for them during their morning gym sessions.

“It is with great admiration that I see our executives in the gym and I am always amazed at what I see,” said President Reese.

He went on to express that in each of BYU’s cadets, he sees courage. He notes that they are “willing to put in the effort day after day. Perseverance, but not just perseverance, is a special blend of perseverance and passion.

At the end of his speech, President Reese expressed BYU’s gratitude for the way BYU cadets defend the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of “this incredible country” and for “going cougs.”

The highlight of the event, according to Maj. Jacob A. Johnson, was the presentation of the Patriot Award.

This is an award given to an individual who has exemplified a lifetime of service and dedication to American ideals and values.

This year, the Patriot Award was presented to President Lund.

President Lund was sustained as general president of the Young Men of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2020. He served as an enlisted soldier in the United States Regular Army for three years.

President Lund became emotional during his remarks, stating that he felt the award was “completely undeserved” but that he would pretend for the day that it was “all that.”

President Lund mentioned so long ago how proud he was to wear the military uniform, listing the promises it represents.

“This voluntary garment that you wear is representative of the promises you have made, the promises you have made to God in heaven, the promises you have made to your country and the promises you have made to each other,” he said.

President Lund recalled how he was led into military service as a young returned missionary.

Returning from a mission, President Lund went directly to the temple to try to receive revelations about what to do next. At the temple he had a “powerful spiritual impression” that he should join the army.

He remembers feeling like “it didn’t make any sense” to defer college for the military, and because his lottery number was 346, he “was never going to get drafted into the military.” But he followed this impression and joined the army.

President Lund concluded his speech with his testimony of God and the military.

“This time you will serve as a member of the military, whether short, long or otherwise, it will be one of the most important times of your life,” he said.

He recognized that there was a reason God sent him into the military when he asked him what he should do next.

“And when I needed more, He sent me to you in the army to acquire what I could, so that I could do later in life what I was able to do,” said President Lund.