This article was originally published by Church News. It is republished here with permission.
In the opening devotional of BYU–Idaho’s Fall 2025 semester, President Alvin F. Meredith III and his wife, Sister Jennifer Meredith, noted two significant milestones of the season.
“For the second year in a row, we welcome the largest incoming class in BYU–Idaho’s history,” Sister Meredith said.
“And as if that weren’t reason enough to celebrate,” President Meredith continued, “this year we also mark 25 years since President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet at the time, announced that Ricks College would become BYU–Idaho.”
Speaking side-by-side at the podium during a Tuesday, Sept. 16, devotional in the BYU-Idaho Center, President and Sister Meredith spoke on what these milestones mean for the school and the role the Spirit of Ricks plays at the university.
Ricks and his spirit
When President Hinckley announced that the two-year junior college would become a four-year institution, he stated that despite the university losing the “Ricks” name, “the memory of Thomas E. Ricks will continue to be appropriately honored and perpetuated.”
President Meredith explained that Ricks “was a man of extraordinary resilience and unwavering faith. A pioneer, missionary and Church leader, he endured great hardship in his youth and was determined in supporting his fellow Saints in the westward migration. But through every trial, he remained firmly committed to building the kingdom of God.”
At the call of Church president John Taylor in 1883, Ricks led Latter-day Saint settlers to the Upper Snake River Valley and founded what became Rexburg, Idaho. Five years later, in 1888, he founded Bannock Stake Academy to teach the children and youth of the first stake in the area.
“That small school, born of faith and sacrifice, grew into Ricks College and eventually BYU–Idaho,” Sister Meredith said.
President Meredith added, “The legacy of Thomas E. Ricks, and of the early pioneers and subsequent leaders, endures not only in the names of our buildings but more importantly in the very culture and character of this campus.”
So what is the “Spirit of Ricks?”
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — and the first president of BYU–Idaho — defined the Spirit of Ricks as “the Holy Ghost and its attendant spiritual gifts.”
He also explained: “The Spirit of Ricks suggests the spirituality, the desire for obedience, the personal caring and warmth, the humility and modesty, the friendliness and genuine concern for others, the bright smiles and cheerful hellos, and so many other elements that make this university an unusually inviting and supporting and nurturing institution.”
Using Elder Bednar’s explanation as a framework, President and Sister Meredith explained some aspects of what the Spirit of Ricks looks and sounds like.
Spirituality
Spiritual development is the heart of BYU–Idaho’s mission, Sister Meredith said. “As a prophet-following, temple-attending people, we know that living the gospel of Jesus Christ is the surest path to deep and lasting joy.”
Examples of the school’s commitment to spiritual development include every class beginning with prayer, Tuesday morning devotionals and regular worship and service in the temple.
President Meredith said, “We gratefully acknowledge the world-class talent of our faculty, yet we also remember that the greatest teacher in the classroom, at a devotional, in the temple or anywhere else is the Holy Ghost.”
Obedience
“In our quest to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ, we come to understand that obedience is one of the clearest ways we can show our love for God,” President Meredith said.
At BYU–Idaho, students and staff are committed to following both God’s eternal laws and the temporary standards set by the Honor Code, Sister Meredith said. “These temporary standards, such as the Dress and Grooming Expectations, may not be eternal laws, but by honoring them, we demonstrate integrity, humility and a willingness to walk by faith,” she said.
“The Honor Code is meant to strengthen us,” President Meredith added. “Living the Honor Code is more than following rules; it’s about building spiritual muscle as we choose to live it with integrity in small, everyday choices.”
Personal caring and warmth
The personal caring and warmth that Elder Bednar spoke of flows from the pure love of Christ, or charity, Sister Meredith explained. “When we truly have charity one for another, we see each other as brothers and sisters, children of the same Heavenly Father,” she said.
“When charity is present, our words are kinder, our patience is longer, and our ability to include others grows deeper,” President Meredith said.
Friendliness and genuine concern for others
Kindness is not merely a nicety, President Meredith said; “it is evidence of Christ-centered discipleship and that the Holy Ghost is present among us. ...
“A smile and a hello may seem simple, but this is a powerful way we can share the Spirit of Ricks as we pass one another on this busy campus.”
At BYU–Idaho, collaboration is more important than competition, Sister Meredith said.
“The Spirit of Ricks is felt when we cheer for others, when we lift in quiet ways and when we find joy not only in our own progress but, more importantly, in the progress of those around us.”
In closing, President Meredith invited the students to keep this Spirit of Ricks alive and vibrant. This spirit “not only connects us to our beginnings but also points us toward what we are meant to become.”