Bold claim: Brigham Young University’s Carillon Tower stands as a living monument to a pivotal moment when a university’s future was being shaped before the eyes of a nation. Now, here’s the fuller story you may not know in one smooth, beginner-friendly read.
In October 1975, Brigham Young University hosted a memorable visit from President Spencer W. Kimball, then president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His trip had two clear purposes: first, to address the university community—students, faculty, staff, and administrators—during BYU’s centennial anniversary celebrations; second, to dedicate the newly completed BYU Centennial Carillon Tower.
That day left a lasting imprint for several reasons. President Kimball delivered a keynote address entitled The Second Century of Brigham Young University. Over time, that speech has become a touchstone as BYU marks its 150th year this academic year, offering guidance and reflection for the campus community.
Many who know BYU in Provo, Utah, are also familiar with the tower itself—a 97-foot bell tower that has rung through the seasons for five decades, echoing hymns like Come, Come, Ye Saints and other sacred melodies across the campus.
Dallin H. Oaks, who was BYU’s president at the time, hosted Kimball. Oaks characterized the dedication of the bell tower as a landmark moment—signaling the completion of BYU’s first century and heralding the ambitions of the second century.
Fast forward to a notable parallel moment: in February 2026, President Dallin H. Oaks, now serving as President of the Church, returned to the BYU campus on a day marking the university’s 150th anniversary. His visit carried two main aims: to address the campus community during the anniversary celebrations, and to participate in a special event at the Carillon Bell Tower.
During his devotional remarks, President Oaks spoke about drawing closer to Jesus Christ. He then attended the unveiling of two plaques placed at the tower—one bearing a quotation from him and the other from his predecessor, President Kimball.
A memorable moment from Oaks’ remarks involved a BYU-150 pin pinned to his suit jacket as he referred to Kimball’s second-century address. He expressed a conviction that BYU’s destiny is to become the university envisioned by past and present prophets: not the world’s measure of greatness, but the Lord’s standard, guided by consecration and communal leadership.
The second plaque bears a message from President Kimball, spoken at the tower’s dedication: as the bells lift hearts with hymns and anthems to God’s glory, so too should the moral character of BYU graduates uplift the hopes of people around the world.
Present for these proceedings were several key community members: President Oaks’ wife, Sister Kristen M. Oaks; Elder Clark G. Gilbert and his wife, Sister Christine Gilbert (with Gilbert recently announced as a new member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles); President C. Shane Reese and his wife, Sister Wendy Reese.
A note on BYU’s leadership history: Oaks himself led the university from 1971 to 1980. In a 2025 video reflecting on BYU’s half-century milestones, Oaks recalled hiring Jeffrey R. Holland as dean of religious education and noted the way BYU has continued under prophetic leadership to emphasize gospel values in its teaching, student life, and community impact.
BYU’s Carillon Tower houses 53 bells, all cast in Holland and operated by a carillonneur who plays them from a keyboard. Ground was broken for the tower on February 13, 1975, with a dramatic ceremony that featured a scraper and a team of Clydesdale horses pulling the machinery into place.
If you’d like a simple takeaway: BYU’s Carillon Tower is more than a bell structure. It’s a symbol of the university’s first century completed, the promise of a meaningful second century, and a living link between past prophetic leadership and present-day campus life.
What do you think about the idea of a university being guided by “the Lord’s way” rather than the world’s? Do you see a parallel between BYU’s centennial milestones and the broader mission of higher education today? Share your thoughts in the comments.
