Comments about ‘Payson slaying victim identified as retired BYU professor’

My deepest condolences to his loved ones and associates.

By not saying anything about this case, the sheriff is causing a panic. People don't know if there are people out there randomly killing, or if there was some connection in this case and this was not random. They need to say more so the public knows where they stand and what the situation is.

Was he LDS?

Def not a PR mistake, it's not the first concern they have nor should it be to subdue the fears of people who are worried about nothing. Its a random act its not like this is the 5th one in a row and its been going on. They keep quiet because they dont want to give out anything that will place the investigation in jeopardy. In many cases they play it quiet to calm the perps fears and let them make a mistake that will lead them straight to them!

of course he is LDS - It said he worked at BYU for 37 years and that he was serving a mission

If you read the article you would have noted that Moretensen was serving a mission at Cove Fort. It is a prerequisite for those serving missions at Cove Fort that they are members of the Church. Think about it.

My condolences to the Mortensen Family. Doc. Mortensen was a great man who was easy to like and always made others feel good. He enjoyed life and help others do the same. This is a sad, sad story.

To Anonymous 12:48 am,

Your question was he LDS? I am guessing he was, Because I have worked at BYU before, I think you have to be LDS to work their, but then they hire other people of different religions , So i can not help you,

I had him as a professor 16 years ago - He was a good one. Sorry he's gone.

This is such a tragedy. Any death brings grief but when it is violent it just makes it even more so. My condolences to the family.

for the poster who ask if he were LDS...Why would you ask that? Is the death of someone who is a Latter-day Saint more tragic than others? I live where there is no predominant Faith. One would NEVER think of asking the Church affiliation of someone who died. The ending of anyone's life is sad, regardless of religion or anything else. Sorry, but that just really bothered me.

Very sad news to say the least. Professor Mortensen was a great Man, mentor and motivator. He will truly be missed by many. My condolences to his family for this loss.

God bless you all.

I also had him for Machine Design 27 years ago. He always had an interesting story to tell relating to the subject matter. Very sad and shocking.

Extremely shocked. My heart goes to his family. I had several classes from Doc Mortensen 9 yrs ago. He was a Genuine, down to earth guy.

Just before finishing my engineering coursework in 1983, I took two key classes, one designed to orient me to the world of work– not as a worker bee, but as executive. It was during this class, 399R, that Professor Mortensen proffered advice on accepting responsibility: "Now and then one of your bosses will come to you in desperation, trying to get an important job done. S/He won’t be able to find anyone to do it. He’ll say something like, ‘Do you know anything about [the topic]?’ My advice is that even if you don’t know anything, you say, ‘Sure, I’ll do it...’ and then get to work and scramble to learn. That night read everything you can find. Jam-pack your head with information about that subject. You can learn anything– but now you have a reason to do so. Ultimately your boss will be able to look to you as someone upon whom s/he can depend, a 'go getter' who gets stuff done."

His advice has paid off handsomely all through my working years, and I've given him silent gratitude for more than a quarter century.

Rest well now, brother. Thank you.

My condolences to the family of Prof. Kay Mortensen. He was my graduate advisor in 1983. He was extremely helpful and wise in directing and counseling me in my graduate studies for which I will be forever grateful. Thank you Kay.

During my tenure as a Mechanical Engineering student at BYU I was fortunate to have Professor Mortensen as one of my instructors. Although my interaction with him was brief, I still remember the stories he shared in class and the thoughtful attention he gave me when I visited his office with questions. What a tragic loss. I hope the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Dr. Mortensen was one of my favorite professors. He taught metallurgy. None of his students will ever forget the Time-Temperature Transformation Chart. He always had a good, relevant story at the ready.

His influence will be felt for years through his students.

Yes, he was LDS.

Condolences to his family and loved ones.

May they find those responsible and treat them accordingly.

I live a couple cities away and it worries me that these men could be somewhere closeby, but i agree that every action must be taken to catch them.

This is a very devastating situation. My heart goes out to the Mortensen family.

I worked as the ME department secretary when Professor Mortensen retired. Even at the end of his career he was still full of stories, smiles, and laughs. I am so sorry to hear of his tragic passing. My condolences to Professor Mortensen's family and friends. He will be missed.

I had him for two classes (Materials and Corrosion). I have nothing but good, scratch that, great memories of him, and am saddened to hear of this brutality. He certainly did nothing to deserve this treatment.

My prayers are with his family.