Church Educational System

The University of Deseret was established in 1850 to supervise other public schools in the territory. Public taxation instituted in 1851 supported these schools, which were organized by LDS Church wards, with their teacher employed by the local bishop. These early public schools often used church meetinghouses as their schoolroom. Non-Latter-day Saint schools petitioned for and received federal aid, and the first Protestant missionary school opened in Salt Lake City in 1867. Thirty academies were formed between 1888 and 1895, but many families could not afford the tuition of the private academies. A few academies became junior colleges and trained teachers, and some continued as private Church-sponsored high schools. Release-time seminary classes started in 1912 at Granite High School in Salt Lake City, and grew to serve 26,000 students by 1930. ==Seminaries and Institutes of Religion==

In 2014, the Seminaries and Institutes programs served over 744,000 students in seminaries and institutes in 137 countries. The seminary program provides extensive study of theology, using as texts the church's "standard works" (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants) throughout the school week, in addition to normal Sunday classes. The four courses are taught, one per year, on a rotating basis. For many years, the curriculum has followed the standard school year for most seminary students. However, in March 2019, the LDS Church announced that the curriculum would be changed to align with the home-centered, church-supported curriculum changes announced in the church's October 2018 general conference. Institutes of Religion Students who enroll in post-secondary education and young adults ages 18–35 receive religious education through institutes of religion. Many colleges throughout the United States either have institute buildings or active programs near their campuses. Sometimes classes occur in ward buildings, office buildings, or private homes. Teachers can be either volunteers or paid employees. The first Institute of Religion was established in northern Idaho at Moscow, adjacent to the University of Idaho. Currently the largest enrollment is at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. The largest enrollment outside the state of Utah is at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. ==Elementary and secondary schools==

CES institutions provide elementary and secondary schools in Mexico and in the Pacific Islands. Church schools expanded while David O. McKay was president of the LDS Church, with new schools opening in New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, and other Pacific islands. The schools relied on volunteers. Mexico In 1886, the Mexican state of Chihuahua housed an outpost for Latter-day Saints fleeing anti-polygamy laws in the US. In an attempt to escape persecution, more than three hundred Latter-day Saints settled in nine different communities in Chihuahua and Sonora. As of 2014, 400 students attended Juárez Academy. Most students are Latin American, and about seventy-five percent are LDS. Wendell B. Mendenhall was the first chairman of the board, with Owen J. Cook as executive secretary. The Pacific Board of Education approved faculty, wrote policies, and defined budgets. Each school in Pacific Islands has its own president/principal and administrative board. The schools under the Pacific Board of Education were transferred to the Church Board of Education in 1964. In the 1970s, under the leadership of Neal A. Maxwell, church schools in the Pacific started to hire administrators from local members, in contrast to the previously American administrators. • Moroni High School (Kiribati) • Church Primary School Fiji (Fiji) • Church College Fiji (Fiji) • Church College Pesega (Samoa) • Church College Vaiola (Samoa) • Sauniatu Primary School (Samoa) • Vaiola Primary School (Samoa) • Pesega Middle School (Samoa) • Liahona High School (Tonga) • Saineha High School (Tonga) • Liahona Middle School (Tonga) • E'Ua Middle School (Tonga) • Havelu Middle School (Tonga) • Koulo Middle School (Tonga) • Pakilau Middle School (Tonga) South America Schools established in Chile in the 1960s; at its largest, church schools had 3,000 students across eight elementary schools and one secondary school. The schools closed in the 1980s. • Salt Lake Stake Academy (founded 1886), spawning Ensign College (extant) and McCune School of Music (closed 1957) • Sanpete Stake Academy (founded 1888), now Snow College • Weber Stake Academy (founded 1889), now Weber State University • St. Joseph Stake Academy (founded 1888), now Eastern Arizona College • St. George Stake Academy (founded 1911), now Utah Tech University. The LDS Church also established formal colleges and universities: • University of Nauvoo was a community resource for academic learning established by the Nauvoo charter. • University of Deseret (1850), now the University of Utah • Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah (1877–1926) • The Church University (1892–1894), also called Young University • Church College of Hawaii (1955), now BYU–Hawaii In the mid-20th century, the church established secondary schools outside of the United States to provide education where it was not fully available. These include: • Church College of New Zealand (1958–2009) • Benemerito De Las Americas (1964–2013) (Mexico City) — On January 29, 2013, the LDS Church announced the school would be closed and converted into a Missionary Training Center (MTC) at the end of the 2012–13 school year. The new MTC opened in June 2013. ==Higher education==

Institutions of higher education run by the church include BYU, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Hawaii, and Ensign College, along with a higher education organization, BYU–PW. Satellite campuses • BYU Salt Lake Center, Salt Lake City, Utah • BYU Jerusalem Center, Jerusalem, Israel • BYU Barlow Center, Washington, D.C. • BYU London Centre, London, England ==General administration==

Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees NOTE: Individuals with an asterisk (*) by their names serve as members of the board's executive committee. The senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on the board, currently Renlund, serves as the chairman of the executive committee. Office of the Commissioner of Church Education Presidents / Administrator of individual CES units Chronology of the Commissioner of Church Education The office of Church Commissioner of Education was suspended in 1989, when trustees decided to deal directly with individual administrators. The position was reinstated in 1992. ==See also==