CHARLIE KIRK'S BLOOD CRIES OUT: 2,100 Professions of Faith at Utah Crusade Where Conservative Leader Was Assassinated
Over 2,100 people made professions of faith in person and online at a Greg Laurie crusade held at Utah Valley University on Sunday night, November 16th, just two months after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at the same location.
The "Hope for America" event, organized by Harvest Christian Fellowship pastor and evangelist Greg Laurie, took place at the Orem, Utah campus where Kirk was shot and killed on September 10th during a Turning Point USA campus gathering. Thousands filled the basketball stands for the crusade held in Kirk's memory
"Sixty-seven days ago, tragedy struck just feet from where we are now," said Jonathan Laurie, son of Greg Laurie. "I believe even before Charlie knew what happened, he was in the arms of his Savior."
The evening opened with a tribute video of Kirk speaking about Christianity. Attendees wore shirts printed with Kirk's social media posts, including "Jesus defeated death so you can live" and "Make Heaven Crowded" with Kirk's name underneath.
Jeb Jacobi, a second year student and member of UVU's Turning Point USA chapter who witnessed Kirk's assassination from ten feet away, attended the crusade wearing a white shirt with the word FREEDOM, designed after the one Kirk wore during his campus visit.
"God kept me safe that day," said Jacobi, who is Catholic. His faith has grown in the wake of the tragedy, and he's seen more students join TPUSA who are looking for a place to engage their beliefs and values.
Greg Laurie, who also serves as a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, paid homage to Kirk during his message, which focused on his personal testimony and urged attendees to commit to faith in Jesus.
"Despite this tragedy, God has done amazing things around our nation," Laurie said. "It was like a wake up call. This is your moment tonight. This is your wake up call tonight. Don't let it slip by."
Laurie originally planned to bring his crusade to Utah in 2027 but expedited the timeline after Kirk's assassination, planning the visit in mere weeks after Utah pastors asked Harvest to come sooner.
Former governor Gary Herbert and US Rep. Mike Kennedy, both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, sat in the front row.
Laurie invited attendees to profess faith in Christ as worship leader Phil Wickham sang "O Come to the Altar." A few hundred people left the bleachers to surround the stage, where volunteers met them with resources and a New Believer's Bible.
Laurie described the crowd as a mix of LDS church members, nonbelievers, and evangelicals. While he did not specifically address Mormonism in his remarks, his ministry does not consider the LDS church to be biblically sound. The night before the event, he met with evangelicals who minister among Latter day Saints to pray for the crusade and learn about the spiritual norms in Utah.
Gregory Johnson, a convert from the LDS church and cofounder of the ministry Standing Together, called the UVU crusade "the most successful, historic, largest evangelical outreach that I think Utah probably has ever seen." Dozens of evangelical congregations across the state partnered with Laurie to send groups to the UVU event, and 67 streamed it at their own churches.
Ken Krueger, who pastors The Mountain Church, an Assemblies of God congregation an hour away, said "Jesus has opened the door for the gospel to be unapologetically preached in our backyard. What we are seeing God do, and he will continue to do in this region, is the result of years, years of travailing with the Lord."
Catholics and evangelical Protestants make up a tiny minority in Utah, where Latter day Saints outnumber each more than tenfold.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Charlie Kirk died for speaking truth on a college campus.
Two months later, 2,100 souls professed faith in Christ at the exact location where his blood was spilled.
This is how God turns tragedy into triumph.
Kirk's assassination was meant to silence conservative Christian voices. Instead, it sparked the largest evangelical outreach in Utah's history.
The enemy kills one witness, and God raises up thousands more.
Utah has been spiritually closed for generations, dominated by Mormon theology that denies biblical Christianity.
Now the Gospel is being preached unapologetically, and souls are responding.
Charlie's martyrdom opened a door that decades of evangelical hesitation couldn't crack.
May his sacrifice remind every believer that our lives are not our own, and death has no power over those who belong to Christ.
TAKE ACTION
Support evangelical ministry in Utah: • Standing Together Ministry: https://www.standingtogether.org/donate • Harvest Crusades: https://harvest.org/give | 800.821.3300 • Utah Ministries Network: research local evangelical churches reaching Latter day Saints
Get equipped for Mormon evangelism: • Utah Lighthouse Ministry: https://www.utlm.org • Institute for Religious Research: https://religiousresearch.org • Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry resources on Mormonism: https://carm.org/mormonism
Remember Charlie Kirk's legacy: • Support Turning Point USA chapters on college campuses: https://www.tpusa.com/donate • Pray for boldness among Christian students facing hostility for their faith • Share the Gospel without fear, knowing that even martyrdom advances God's kingdom
