Institutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Local institutes may be run out of ordinary church meetinghouses, but often have their own buildings situated adjacent to colleges or universities (especially those found in the Mormon Corridor areas in the Western United States and Canada). The Church describes the purpose of the Institute program as "weekday religious instruction for single and married postsecondary students."[1] Institutes of Religion are professionally directed by the Church Educational System, the same department responsible for the seminary program and Brigham Young University.
In areas with a large LDS population, there are often special-needs Institutes that serve adults who have mental or physical handicaps. These Institutes adapt their curricula to meet the students' needs. In addition to offering classes, Institutes often sponsor activities, such as dances, aimed at the needs of postsecondary students between 18–30 years old. Young Adult church members are encouraged, although not required, to be enrolled in an Institute class whenever possible.
Among the standard Institute course offerings are classes on the Book of Mormon, Old Testament, New Testament, and other modern revelation. Institute classes are offered on campus at LDS universities, such as Brigham Young University. However, BYU students are required to take religion classes offered by the university itself. Students can transfer Institute course credit to BYU for a nominal charge and can graduate from the Institute program after completing 14 credit hours of courses.
The first Institute of Religion was established in 1926 in Moscow, Idaho adjacent to the University of Idaho. Its first director was J. Wyley Sessions. Currently the largest Institute of Religion enrollment is found at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah. The largest Institute enrollment outside of the State of Utah is found at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. There are currently 350,000 students in over 2,500 locations.[2]
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Each institute has an Institute Director who is hired by the Church Educational System. An Institute Council consists of students who are appointed by the bishop or branch president (the equivalent of a pastor) of the local congregation (called a ward or branch) in which the Institute is situated. An Institute Councilship is a non-paid, voluntary position. Ultimate responsibility for the Institute program falls on the Church Board of Education, which, in 2008, was composed of the First Presidency, four members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other leaders of the LDS Church.
Institute Directors often cover large areas. At times Institute Diretors may be based at a large university with many LDS students and multiple classes where they have other teachers to assist them, but they may also teach an institute class once a week at one or more other universities in the same general area with fewer LDS students. For example as of fall 2009 the director of the LDS Institute of Religion in Ann Arbor, Michigan taught one class a week at Eastern Michigan University and another class a week at Wayne State University, both held on campus under the sponsorship of the LDS Student Association. He also taught multiple classes at the institute building adjacent to the University of Michigan, while other classes were taught by a CES Missionary Couple and part-time, volunteer instructors.[3]
By the early 1990s it was realized that Young Adults, especially Young Single Adults, who did not attend college or were not currently in college could benefit from Institute. Coupled with this was the fact that many schools had very few Latter-day Saints attending them, and the very nature of Community Colleges meant that there was no easy concentration of LDS Students. In 1992 the Church launched the expanded institute program, with the goal of having virtually every stake offer at least one institute class. These new institute classes were in general taught by volunteer instructors who were under the same Church Educational System lines of supervision as were seminary teachers. The rule for attending institute was now either being a Young Single Adult or being a student. Thus, all single members of the LDS Church under the age of 31 were encouraged to attend institute where possible.
Starting in the first years of the 21st century and accelerating under the leadership of L. Tom Perry from August 2004-September 2005 while he served as president of the Europe Central Area, the Church developed a program called the "Institute Outreach Center" and later renamed the "Center for Young Adults". This center focused on four aspects. One of these was institute courses. The others were an activity council that would plan activities geared towards outreach, full-time missionaries who focused on reaching out to men and women of their own age group, and a senior missionary couple that would provide practical and spiritual guidance for the whole endeavor.[4]
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