Elder Clark G. Gilbert stood in front of a Washington, D.C., audience on Monday and issued an urgent plea: Proclaim and enhance the life-changing work happening on faith-based higher education campuses across America.

Monday’s audience — seated together at The Catholic University of America — was an atypical audience.

Counted among the participants at Monday’s 2026 Convening of the American Council on Education (ACE) Commission on Faith-Based College and Universities were the presidents of some of the nation’s most renowned religious universities — including Notre Dame, Baylor, Yeshiva University and Brigham Young University.

Also in attendance was Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who delivered the keynote address on learning to disagree better.

A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Elder Gilbert said faith-based institutions remain forums of inquiry that not only bless their students — but are also blessing the entire country.

“It’s my plea that we will continue to elevate the work of faith-based colleges and universities in America,” said Elder Gilbert, who prior to being called to the Twelve served as the church’s Commissioner of Education and was previously the president of Brigham Young University-Idaho.

“It’s also my plea to my colleagues here, who are tremendous leaders of faith-based colleges and universities to form the kind of bridges we need to lift and be a light to others and to learn from others.

“And I think the spirit of this conference today should be a call for all of us to come out of the isolation in the woods; to have and articulate reasons for the hope that is in us,” he said.

Elder Gilbert: Spread the word on the good that’s happening at faith-based colleges

The theme of this year’s annual convening focused on “Learning to Disagree Better” — and what faith-based colleges such as Notre Dame, Baylor and BYU can do to ensure their voices are heard in the national dialogue.

Offering the event’s closing message, Elder Gilbert echoed a point emphasized by multiple participants Monday: It’s possible to “disagree better” without compromising one’s beliefs or convictions.

Followers of Christ, he said, are taught to live “peaceably and lovingly” with all — regardless of whether they share their values. But today, that lesson is proving challenging for many.

Elder Gilbert challenged those at Monday’s gathering to “come out,” “articulate,” and “engage” with the world. Let others know the good works happening at America’s faith-based colleges.

Not all will listen, he said, but it’s essential that the message be shared.

At a moment when many colleges and universities are feeling financial strain, faith-based schools in the United States are outpacing public universities, he added.

That’s a story that’s not being widely told — and faith-based colleges share the task of alerting the media and others to that fact.

“We’ve got to be willing to get out and tell it,” Elder Gilbert said.

Remedies to unhappiness & loneliness: Faith & religious affiliation

Many of today’s young people are adrift, observed Elder Gilbert. They are lonely. They want a different kind of education. And many students with a particular religious identity need a place where they feel supported.

“Faith-based schools are growing almost everywhere you look across the country,” said Elder Gilbert. “We have had record applicants at BYU and BYU-Idaho this year.”

Elder Gilbert recalled growing up in a non-Latter-day Saint community in Arizona. He sometimes felt the sting of discrimination.

But a faith-based school such as BYU offered him a welcoming home during his freshman year. “For the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged. It was an incredible feeling.

“And students of faith backgrounds feel this at faith-based universities across the country.”

Higher education across the nation is facing a crisis, Elder Gilbert said. Studies show that fewer than half of Americans still feel confidence in colleges and universities. And a sizable number of people report not feeling safe or welcome in most of today’s higher education institutions.

“Two-thirds of U.S. college students feel they’re facing a crisis of purpose,” said Elder Gilbert, adding that “their university doesn’t have any curriculum or leadership talking about purpose and meaning in life.

“We have failed these young people — and they’re wanting this.”

Elder Gilbert spoke about a sizable number of young Americans who self-identify their religion as “none.” Many in that category have been told that religious faith does not matter — or that religious faith is, in fact, harmful to one’s well-being.

But studies reveal that those in the “none” category are also the least likely to be happy, compared to others who identify with a faith.

“They’re not happy. They’re the most lonely generation ever. They’re the least happy generation ever,” he said.

There’s a prescription for such ailments, assured Elder Gilbert: faith and church affiliation and attendance.

But even if religious affiliation is a reliable predictive factor for happiness and purpose, it’s hard to have faith conversations at many college campuses.

“And,” he added, “most people with faith don’t feel safe on those campuses.”

It’s not essential that all students of religious faith attend faith-based universities, noted Elder Gilbert, pointing to secular and public schools across the country that are welcoming places for students of faith.

“Smart university presidents are creating safe places on their campuses — even when they don’t have a religious mission — to provide safe gathering and meaningful discussion for people of faith on their campuses,” he said.

Elder Gilbert added some in academia perpetuate the argument that university campuses offer a “face off” between reason versus faith — or truth versus virtue.

“This is a false dichotomy,” he said.

“For me, as a person of faith and as a scholar, those two things were never in conflict. They were always unified as part of a holistic process of growth, intellectual and spiritual development. They weren’t in conflict.

“That is one of the great contributions that people of faith and faith-based universities are making in America right now.”

Gov. Cox: ‘I lament greatly that we brought politics into our churches’

Cox’s keynote message focused on learning to disagree better — a concept he’s been identified with through his ongoing efforts to help others work together despite political, religious, cultural or social differences.

The governor noted that the nation’s 250th birthday is being celebrated this year. It’s the anniversary of a historic “experiment in self-government.”

America’s founders, Cox said, believed self-government would only work if a nation’s people were both educated and moral. “You needed smart people,” he said, “and you needed good people.”

The nation’s system of checks and balances requires building coalitions, compromise and learning to work together to get things done, he added. Such unity does not mean all people think alike. It means learning to act and work together, despite differences, for the common good.

Many of the organizations that have helped build the nation have been religious-based. Such associations allow people to serve, give back and strengthen their communities. Such affiliations also boost mental health, said Cox.

Now, in 2026, people are stepping away from such associations.

“People are leaving. People are lonely,” said Cox. “They don’t have that religious community to connect with. And they’re feeling a little lost and adrift. But we’re wired for connection — and so they’re finding it in unhealthy places.”

For many, he added, one’s politics have become their religion.

“And, of course, if politics is your religion, then people that disagree with you are heretics, and it can be a little dicey,” said Cox. “We start to treat people a little differently.”

It’s even more troubling when religion turns into politics.

“I lament greatly that we brought politics into our churches, because I think that that has brought the profane into where the sacred exists, and we don’t have any sacred spots left,” he said.

A pandemic, the slaying of George Floyd and contentious presidential elections were just a few of the divisive moments that prompted Cox to begin formulating his “Disagree Better” initiative that includes his new book entitled “Off Ramp: How to be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt.”

“The whole concept behind ‘disagree better’ was not that we should all agree — we chose ‘disagree’ very intentionally as the first word,” he said.

“Our nation only works if people are passionate about their beliefs. We’re not asking anyone to give up their long and maybe eternally held beliefs. What we’re asking people to do is to engage in healthy conflict.”

The murder of Charlie Kirk in a corner of Utah known as “Happy Valley” was a staggering reminder of the dangers of unchecked, unhealthy divisiveness, added Cox.

The governor again called for moving beyond “dangerous contempt” for others we might not agree with.

“We have to start building character again,” said Cox. “We need a moral people again.

“I don’t believe that religion has cornered the market on morality … But I believe for most of us — for me — it’s the place where I find that sense of morality.

“It’s why I treat my opponents with dignity and respect. Not because I agree with them and not because I don’t want to beat them in the next election, but because I believe they are a child of God.”

Insights from faith-based higher education leaders on working across differences

Monday’s convening also included a panel discussion with presidents representing Baptist, Catholic, Jewish and Latter-day Saint-sponsored universities to examine how they have worked across differences to find commonalities.

A few panel highlights:

From The Catholic University of America President Peter Kilpatrick: “I think what’s working on our campuses is our students willfully and enthusiastically engaging in the things of the Spirit.

“Spending time together in prayer; they’re worshipping together; they’re in small Christian communities; they’re discussing important topics with a Christian heart.

“I think this is making a big difference. They’re in adoration — so they’re doing the things of the Spirit, and that seems to be working.”

BYU President Shane Reese: “We do view each other as children of God … and that brings with it a healthy sense of respect and dignity for all who enter (our) doors, and for all who exist on this earth.

“That changes the nature of the conversation. It changes the commitments and covenants that we have with one another. And our students have this desire.”

Baylor University President Linda Livingstone: “Civil discourse is woven throughout our strategic plan.

“We believe that if those of us at faith-based universities do not help our students learn how to engage in respectful dialogue with others who are different from them and think differently than they are, that we will not have done our job to put them out to be the citizens of the world.”

Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University: “There’s one commonality, which is the godliness of every single person.

“And believing in that and showing our students that we believe in them is the first core principle for success in university.

“The second thing is that when we teach them about our values, it’s not because we’re looking for them to become Jewish. What we’re showing them are models where they can go deeper on their values.”

The Rev. Robert A. Dowd, president of the University of Notre Dame, spoke of meeting with Pope Leo XIV, who Dowd calls a humble “great listener.”

“For us at Notre Dame, it’s just incredibly important that we’re forming young people who are humble, who are great listeners, and who are also courageous.

“They’re willing to defend the most vulnerable among us. They’re willing to take their events, talents, and all the skills they develop out into the world in ways that serve society in a special way.

“That’s the special role of faith-based institutions.”

BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — A former First District Court judge in Box Elder County has been sentenced to three prison terms of 0-5 years for multiple child sexual exploitation charges.

In March 2025, Kevin Robert Christensen was charged with nine felonies, including two counts of enticing a minor and two counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor.

One month later, Christensen pleaded guilty to one count of enticing a minor and two counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor. The remaining charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Kevin Christensen appears in Second District Court in Ogden for sentencing. Courtesy: Rick Egan, The Salt Lake Tribune

Background

In 2025, former Tremonton City Fire Chief Ned Brady Hansen and former First District Court Judge Kevin Robert Christensen were arrested on charges related to child sexual exploitation.

Court documents revealed that Hansen and Christensen had a sexual relationship and communicated about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the app Kik.

Hansen was charged with eight counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, while Christensen was charged with engaging in graphic sexual chats with a minor. Both men resigned from their positions following their arrests.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Pride Festival kicked off this weekend, with love and acceptance being the center of what Utah Pride says they represent.

“Sometimes in my world I feel very lonely, and it’s been really cool to show up and see, oh, there’s actually a big community out here,” said Livia who was attending the festival. “I go anywhere else, and I’ll get a lot of looks, and here I can just walk around and not have someone I don’t know question my existence,” added Luna Campbell.

However, it’s no secret that religion is a strong part of the state’s identity, which makes some feel like true acceptance is hard to come by.

“I did grow up in a Mormon household. I know what it is like personally to receive conflicting information about who I am,” said Esera with Utah Pride.

“I’ve had three death threats this week on posts that had 200 views each, and it’s like you put hashtag Christian, you put hashtag Utah, that will happen,” Campbell said.

Many were shocked this week when Governor Cox issued a surprise declaration, that felt like a snub to their community.

Cox declared this June as Fidelity Month, pointing to a recent opinion poll showing that Americans’ support for traditional values has declined, and wants Utahns to prioritize things like faith, family, and country.

“Fidelity Month, I want to say, is not at odds with Pride month. They are all about celebrating community and celebrating togetherness,” said Jackson Carter with Utah Pride, “the idea that we would need to rebrand it and change the name seems a little silly to me.”

This is when the Presbytery of Utah joined the conversation, releasing a statement in support of the LGBTQ community.

“Our denomination embraces them,” said Rev. Dr. Mirjam Haas-Melchior, “churches should have open and safe spaces for communities, especially who are feeling hurt and who do not feel safe, because as Presbyterians we believe in a God that is inclusive and loves all people.”

Reverend Mirjam believes pride and fidelity should go hand in hand, depending on the definition.

“If this is an inclusive understanding that is affirmative of everybody who’s faithful into the entity they believe in, faithful to and loyal to their friends and families, then yes,” she said, “but if this is an exclusive term that is narrowed down, that family is only the nuclear between man and woman, and they only should have children, then I would say it should not go hand in hand.”

Those FOX 13 News spoke to at the pride festival are encouraged that some religious leaders are getting involved in the conversation.

“Religion is queer. Queer people are everywhere. Queer people intersect every single identity you can imagine, so when people are saying that queerness is at odds with faith, it’s like those two things exist together all the time,” Carter said.

“I love, love, love that churches are doing that. I don’t think that pride and church should be separated. Why is it one or the other? It doesn’t have to be. You can do both,” Livia said.

Presbytery of Utah’s full statement: 

“Not Opposed but United: A Statement on Pride and Fidelity”

The Presbytery of Utah, as part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), affirms with joy and conviction that June is Pride Month. We hold that Pride Month does not contradict or stand in opposition to fidelity; rather, it expresses it. Fidelity, rightly understood, is a steadfast faithfulness rooted not in fear or exclusion, but in the boundless love of God revealed in Jesus Christ—and in that love, Pride and Fidelity walk hand in hand.

In a time when public words and policies are dividing or diminishing, we renew our commitment to a vision of fidelity grounded in Scripture and shaped by the Reformed tradition: a fidelity that is covenantal, inclusive, and life-giving. God’s very own nature is fidelity.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God, who maintains

covenant loyalty with those who love him” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

We affirm that fidelity is a universal virtue shared across identities, orientations, and traditions. It is not owned by any political or religious group, nor diminished by diversity. It is lived daily by LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, people of faith, and all who contribute with integrity to the well-being of our communities. Fidelity is also communal. The Church is called to embody mutual care, accountability, and hospitality.

The Church is a covenant community shaped by the Holy Spirit. Our fidelity is expressed not through uniformity but through unity in diversity, where differing voices are honored and held together in love.

Thus, fidelity for us is not withdrawal from the world, but deeper engagement with it—seeking justice, practicing compassion, and walking humbly with God

(Micah 6:8).

In response to public discourse that may seek to define fidelity narrowly or in ways that exclude, we affirm the steadfast commitment of LGBTQ+ Utahns,

whose fidelity to authenticity, family, and community strengthens the social fabric of our state and nation.

During Pride Month and throughout the year, we celebrate the fidelity expressed through love, justice, and inclusion. Diversity does not weaken fidelity. It deepens it and reveals its fullest expression, reminding us that commitment is strongest when it embraces the breadth of human experience.

We call upon leaders and community members across Utah to uphold these values with clarity, compassion, and unity. Fidelity grows when we honor one another, and our communities flourish when every person is welcomed in truth and dignity.

“Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).