BYU Law commemorated the forthcoming December graduation of students Zach Atherton, Dan Benzion, Lindsay Johnson, Jared MacDonald, Jordan McDowell, Mikayda Mills, Brandon Remington, and Lynna Shin. The ceremony included a luncheon, recognition of the graduates, a musical number, and remarks from Dean Gordon Smith.
Dean Smith introduced his topic with a personal narrative. While on a date with his future wife, she asked him: “What do you want to be known for at the end of your life?” His response to her was, “I think the most important thing would be to be a person of integrity.”
Dean Smith defined integrity: “You’re not a different person at work, at school, and at home; you are one consistent person,” he said. “You can count on that person and they are stable. It’s more than honest; it’s much higher than that. It’s about being a whole person and having your values integrated.”
According to Dean Smith, people have high expectations of BYU Law graduates. “It can be a bit of a burden, or a challenge, the expectation that people have when you tell them ‘I’m a BYU Law graduate.’ I want to admonish you to think about what you value, and if you are upholding those values. I hope that as you think about that you’ll think about experiences you’ve had here,” he said.