Thousands of people worshipped Jesus, heard a transformational message about God's unconditional love, and made decisions of faith Sunday night at Utah Valley University, just two months after conservative and Christian commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated there.

Pastor Greg Laurie, founder of Harvest Crusades and senior pastor of Harvest Church in Southern California, preached the Gospel before thousands on the campus in Orem, Utah, as well as an online audience, during the one-day event, "Hope for America."

"Our one-night event at UVU in Utah was an astounding success! The people were so open, worshipful, and responsive to the Gospel. Many came to Christ," Laurie wrote on X. 

Our one-night event at UVU in Utah was an astounding success! The people were so open, worshipful, and responsive to the Gospel. Many came to Christ.

We’ll share more tomorrow, but here are a few photos that give you a sense of how powerfully our prayers were answered. pic.twitter.com/F5u8qhbOrB

— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) November 17, 2025

As CBN News reported, Laurie regularly hosts large-scale evangelistic events and had planned to host a Harvest Crusade in 2027. However, Kirk's assassination at UVU changed everything. Laurie and his team reached out to the school to see if they could move up the outreach after Christians in the community expressed a pressing need for the Gospel at this time.

"They said, 'Yes, come now. We need you now,'" Laurie told CBN News. "And so we did something we've never done before: We accelerated the timeline. So normally it would take us six months to a year, sometimes even longer, to get a Crusade ready."

It took only six weeks to put together, and Laurie told Fox News he became even more intentional about sharing the Gospel on the campus, where the shocking tragedy took place. 

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"This community has experienced unimaginable tragedy, and we believe the message of hope found in Jesus Christ is exactly what's needed right now," Laurie said. "Out of tragedy, God can bring healing, unity, and revival. Our prayer is that this event will remind people that evil does not have the last word; Christ does."

The "Hope for America" event opened with a video tribute honoring Kirk's life, faith, and legacy.  

"He really had the ear of the younger generation," Laurie pointed out in the tribute. "He talked about political issues (and) what is going on in the country, but he was very up front about his faith."

Organizers with Harvest Crusades said they not only wanted to honor, but share about the hope he had, which came from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

"Our friend Charlie Kirk [was] tragically killed, but when he took his last breath on earth, he took his first breath in Heaven," the evangelist shared. "Not because of what he did, but what Christ did for him."

The crowd took part in worship led by award-winning artists Chris Tomlin and Phil Wickham. 

Pastor Laurie's message to the crowd of thousands was clear: "God loves you."

"What you are looking for, right now, is not going to be found in a phone. It is not going to be found in an object. It's not even found in religion. It is found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ," he told the crowd.

He then explained that God is a loving father and referenced the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. 

"God is like a father who loves us," he shared. "He is like a father who loves us that when we go away from Him, He misses us and longs for our return."

Laurie continued, "God has a plan for you. And I am talking to somebody right now who is lonely, who is empty. I am talking to somebody right now who has contemplated suicide. I am even talking to someone who has attempted suicide, and I want you to know that God loves you and He has a plan for you. Don't entertain that thought another day."

He then asked the crowd to reflect on where they would spend eternity. 

"He shed His blood on the cross, so you can be forgiven of your sin," he added. "[Charlie's death] is a horrible tragedy...yet despite this tragedy God has done amazing things around our nation...it was like a wake-up call for all of us."

He cited a Wall Street Journal report that found that in the weeks following Kirk's assassination, Bible sales jumped 36%. Laurie also noted that church attendance also increased. 

"This is your moment tonight, this is your wake-up call," Laurie declared. 

That message moved hundreds. People flocked to the altars for prayer.

"God is at work," Laurie commented as people moved forward. "Everything is [getting ready] to change for you."