99+1 Initiative: President Russell M. Nelson’s Birthday
July 9, 2024 • Blog Post
On September 9, 2024, President Russell M. Nelson will celebrate his 100th birthday! In June, 100 days before his birthday, President Nelson shared a social media post about the upcoming milestone and invoked the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18) to invite people all around the world to reach out to “the one.” BYU Speeches is proud to participate in and share President Nelson’s 99+1 initiative.
For decades, speakers at BYU have shared stories about life-changing moments when they were “the one” in need and were strengthened by an inspired friend or mentor. Other speakers have shared meaningful examples of when they have reached out and made a difference in the life of a friend. You can see some of these stories in our new YouTube playlist, which we will update frequently. We will also be sharing stories and service ideas on our Instagram and Facebook accounts.
In your efforts to reach out to “the one,” consider giving the gifts of kindness, peacemaking, and service to those around you. Here are some of our favorite BYU speeches that address these topics. We hope that as you review them, you will be inspired with ways you can reach out to “the one” in your own life.
Kindness
- “What If Love Were Our Only Motive?” by Russell T. Osguthorpe
- “Being Christ’s Compassionate Hands” by Steven A. Smith
- “Seeing Things Differently” by Michael J. Dorff
Peacemaking
- “Our Path to Lasting Personal Peace” by Steven J. Hafen
- “Uniting to Establish a Culture of Peace” by Vishwanath D. Karad
- “Blessed Are the Peacemakers” by Henry B. Eyring
Service
- “Loving Our Neighbors” by D. Carolina Núñez
- “Why Giving Matters” by Arthur C. Brooks
- “Turning Enemies into Friends” by Sharon Eubank
Alayna Een is an editor and the social media manager of BYU Speeches. She is passionate about the gospel, pumpkins, and the color orange. She also loves writing poetry, chasing sunsets, and dragging her siblings to local theatrical productions.
