Charlie Kirk Memorial Speech—A Vow to Carry On Faith, Family, and Mission

Erika's words, 'I forgive that young man (who assassinated Charlie),' carry immense weight. However, for her to move forward on her journey, it is absolutely necessary.

Summary of the whole:
At the memorial service for her assassinated husband, Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk reflected on his faith and mission, speaking of how his life was dedicated to God and spent in service to his family and country. She emphasized that Charlie carried his cross until the end, living to impart faith and hope to young people and families, and expressed her resolve to continue that mission as the CEO of Turning Point USA. She also preached the power of forgiveness and love, calling on the audience to choose prayer, courage, family, faith, and Christ.

FULL REMARKS: Erika Kirk at Charlie Kirk funeral

Full Japanese translation:
Hello. To everyone gathered here from all over the world, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to honor Charlie and celebrate his life. May God bless you.
Just a few miles from here, at AmericaFest two years ago in 2023, Charlie spoke at a TPUSA Faith event. Charlie loved to speak off the cuff. He was very good at it. No script. So, I didn't even know what he was going to talk about. And that day, what he chose to speak on was 'submission to God's will.' He quoted his favorite Bible verse, Isaiah 6:8—'Here am I. Send me.'
I met Charlie backstage after he finished his speech and we talked. I will never forget that moment. I said, 'Charlie, please, consult me before you say those words again. That verse has tremendous power. When you say, "Here am I. Use me, Lord," God really takes you up on it.' And God did exactly that to Charlie.

Eleven days ago, God accepted the total dedication from my husband and called him home. What Charlie wanted most was not to do his own will, but God's will. And these past 11 days, in deep pain, I have found comfort more than ever in the words of the Lord's Prayer—'Thy will be done.'
God's love was shown to me on the very day my husband was killed. On the afternoon of September 10, I arrived at a hospital in Utah and had to do the unthinkable—look directly at my husband's murdered body. I saw the wounds that took his life. I felt everything I was supposed to feel. Shock. Terror. And a deep grief such as I never knew existed. But there was something else I felt. Even in death, I could see my beloved husband. I saw a single gray hair on the side of his head. I never told him about it. Now he knows. I'm sorry, honey. I'm telling you now, but I never said it before. I didn't want to.
I also saw this: there was a faint smile on his lips. That taught me something important. In this tragedy, a great mercy from God was shown. When I saw that smile, I realized Charlie was not suffering. The doctor also said, 'This was so instantaneous that even if he had been shot in an operating room, nothing could have been done.' There was no pain, no fear, no agony. Until a moment before, Charlie had been doing what he loved—debating on college campuses, arguing, and fighting for the Gospel and truth in front of large audiences. And the next moment, he blinked and saw his Savior in paradise.

All the mysteries of heaven were revealed to him. God's love continued to be shown to me in the days that followed. The next day, I stood on the steps of Air Force Two facing Usha Vance. A precious woman. I held her hand and said, 'To be honest, I don't know how to get through this trial.' Then she said, 'Imagine you're on a plane with your children, and about 15 minutes before landing, it gets chaotic. The kids aren't listening, toys are flying, everyone is screaming. At times like that, you think, "I wish we would land already." But you're only 15 minutes from landing.' And she said, 'You can get through these 15 minutes, and you can get through the next 15 minutes too.' Usha, you might not have realized it then, but those words were exactly what I needed.
But above all, God's mercy and love have been shown to me over these past 10 days. After Charlie's assassination, we did not see violence. We did not see riots. There was no revolution. Instead, we saw what Charlie always prayed to see in this country—a revival.
In this past week, I have seen people open their Bibles for the first time in 10 years. I have seen people pray for the first time since they were children. I have seen people attend church services for the first time in their lives.

Charlie loved to keep a journal. It was to record important moments and words that touched his heart. In that journal, he had written—'Every time a person makes a decision, they carve a mark on their soul.' To all of you who have taken a step toward a spiritual life here, I say: thank you, and welcome. I hope that one day you will look back and realize that this was the most important decision of your life. Because it truly is.
To those of you who already have faith, your duty is to guide them. Do not take that responsibility lightly. Water the seeds of their faith, protect them, and help them grow. Every day in the car on the way to the office, Charlie would check his contact list and send daily verses to many people. I am sure many of you have been influenced by that. He knew that faith is a habit. The more you live it, the more it grows. But know this, too—the seed has just been sown. The enemy will tempt you most strongly at times like this. God is always with you, but you must choose, again and again, to carve the mark toward Christ into your own soul.
Pray again. Read the Bible again. Go to church next Sunday, and the Sunday after that. And be free from the temptations and bondages of this world.

Being a disciple of Christ is not easy. It was never meant to be easy. Jesus said, 'If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.' Jesus spoke of Himself being persecuted. And He said that we, too, would be persecuted. Charlie understood that and willingly carried his cross to the end. I want you all to know that although Charlie's life was taken too soon, he was ready to face death. There was nothing he had put off. There was nothing that was too difficult, too painful, or that he didn't want to do. He left this world without regrets. Every day, he gave 100% of what he could. However, I want you to know—Charlie passed away leaving 'unfinished work,' but he had no 'leftover duties.'

I will miss him. I will miss him so, so much. Because our marriage and our home were beautiful, and they still are.
The greatest mission in Charlie's life was 'to revive the American family.' When speaking to young people, he always spoke passionately about the vision God put into marriage. And he would say, 'If you live it boldly, it will enrich every aspect of your life, just as it was given to us as a couple.'
Someone once asked me, 'How do you keep your marriage strong when Charlie travels so much?' Our little secret—it was 'love letters.' Every Saturday, Charlie would always write me a letter. Never once missing.
And in every one of those letters, he would talk about the highlights of the week and express his gratitude to me and the children. And he would always end with the most beautiful question. He would always write—'Tell me how I can serve you more as a husband.'
Charlie perfectly understood the role God gave to a Christian husband—a man who serves in order to lead.
To all the men watching this around the world, take up Charlie's challenge and embrace true masculinity. Be strong and brave for your family. Love and lead your wife. Love and protect your children. Stand as the spiritual head of your home, but at the same time, be a 'leader worth following.'
Your wife—your wife is not your servant. She is not your employee. She is not your slave. She is your helper. You are not enemies. You are 'one flesh' working together for the glory of God.

I was the person who held Charlie's trust completely. I was his 'vault,' his closest and most trusted advisor, and his best friend. I poured everything into him, loved him deeply, and empowered him. Because his love for me drove me to be a better wife. He respected me every day. And I prayed—that I could be the wife God wanted me to be for my husband.
To all the women, you have a challenge, too. Be virtuous. Our strength is in the role God has given us. We are 'protectors.' We are 'encouragers.' We are 'preservers.' Guard your heart. Everything flows from it. If you are a mother, understand that it is the most important 'ministry' for you.

In our home, because Charlie traveled often, we traveled together as a family whenever we could. But I always made sure that 'when Charlie came home from work, it would be a holy landing spot.' A place free from the worries of the world. Even if he was away for a long time or came home late, I never made him feel guilty. I always said, 'Home is for you. I'll be waiting.' And I made it a place where he would want to 'come home as soon as possible' even when he was away.
There was no 'keeping score' between us. We were a 'team.' We were partners working together for the same mission. I never wanted to be an obstacle standing in the way of the duty God had prepared for him. And I knew Charlie would do his best for me, too.
My marriage to Charlie was the most wonderful thing that ever happened in my life. And I am certain it was the same for him. He wanted everyone to taste that joy. And that is the beauty of God's design for marriage—everyone can experience it. I will continue to talk about that infinitely.

But the core of Charlie's mission was directed more toward 'those who are not yet married.' He often chose the name 'Turning Point USA' for his organization. He understood that America, especially young people, were on the wrong path. And that a new direction was needed. Charlie truly wanted to save the 'lost boys of the West'—young people who had lost their direction, purpose, faith, and reason for living. Young people who wasted their lives on useless things and were trapped in resentment, anger, and hatred.
Charlie wanted to help them. He wanted Turning Point USA to be their 'place.' And when he visited college campuses, he was always trying to show them 'a better way and a better life within their reach.' He wanted to show them that.

My husband Charlie—he wanted to save people like the young man who took his life. That young man. To that young man—on the cross, the Savior said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'
That person—I forgive that young man. I forgive him. Because that is what Christ did, and that is what Charlie would have done. The answer to hatred is not hatred. The answer we know from the Gospel is 'love.' Always love. Love for the enemy. Love for those who persecute us.
The world needs Turning Point USA.
We need a presence that keeps young people away from the path of anguish and sin.
We need something that keeps people away from hell, both in this world and the world to come.
We need something that leads young people to truth and beauty.

So I promise here today—our work will grow even larger from here on.
I am very honored to become the new CEO of Turning Point USA.
I will never take that weight lightly.
Charlie and I were one in purpose.
His passion is my passion, and now his mission is my mission.
We will grow Turning Point USA, built by Charlie's vision and tireless efforts, 10 times larger through the power of his memory.
Chapters will grow, and thousands of new chapters will be created.
TPUSA Faith will add thousands of new pastors and churches.
And of course, the college events will continue.
We will continue the debates and dialogues.

Our First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the most human amendment for mankind.
We are inherently beings who speak.
We are inherently beings who believe.
And the First Amendment guarantees the right to protect both.
An assassin will never stop us from standing up to protect those rights.
Because when conversation stops and dialogue stops, what happens is violence.
When we lose the power and will to talk to each other, violence is born.

Standing here now, looking at the beautiful photo of my husband hanging in the stadium, I think of my husband 13 years ago.
Before I had even met him, he was 18.
A young man fresh out of high school, running through the halls of the Republican National Convention with not a dollar in his pocket and not a single contact in his phone.
People who saw him said, 'He doesn't know what he's doing.'
But he did know.
He really did know.
He was going to change the world—and he actually did.
Charlie's life was a 'turning point' for this country.
It was a miracle.
Please, make that miracle of Charlie's life your own 'turning point.'

Choose prayer.
Choose courage.
Choose beauty.
Choose adventure.
Choose family.
Choose a life of faith.
And above all—choose Christ.

I love you, Charlie.
I will make you proud.
May God bless you. And God bless America.