While much of the media focus on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the past decade has been on missionaries, temple-building, the Conference Center and other physical symbols of its worldwide growth, a more subtle growth pattern is emerging within the ranks of its membership.
At a time when many of the world's major denominations are struggling to retain and involve younger members, the church is fostering activity among its college-age faithful by creating a spiritual "home away from home." The formula centers around LDS Institute buildings, constructed adjacent to college campuses, which provide not only a center for regular spiritual study, but a common venue for shared experience and friendship.
The programs are an extension of sermons church leaders have increasingly directed toward the church's youth, particularly during President Gordon B. Hinckley's administration. Leaders often address their general conference messages to LDS youths, encouraging high moral character, goal-setting and educational achievement. Young people are expected to comprise a large percentage of the 100,000-plus Latter-day Saints that will flock to the Conference Center downtown this weekend for the church's 171st Annual General Conference. Many will wait in line for hours to gain admittance.
That kind of dedication is what LDS Institute programs are designed to foster. The youth-centered gathering places are growing so fast that administrators are struggling to build facilities fast enough to keep pace. In Utah alone, enrollment in LDS Institute classes has more than doubled in the past decade, and now surpasses 60,000 students. Growth has been even more dramatic across the United States and internationally (see chart on A1).
Bryan Weston, executive assistant to the administrator for the LDS Church Education System, said the impetus for the growth came in 1993, when then-church President Ezra Taft Benson sent a letter to leaders of local congregations worldwide, encouraging them to invite all young single adults to attend Institute.
"Prior to that, focus was mainly on (college) students," Weston said. "But there were a lot of young adults in and out of school, either working or home from missions, or taking time off from school. There wasn't much difference between the young people, but there was a difference in the pattern of how some of them attended school. Reaching out to all those young adults really brought the increase, and student numbers have continued to grow, of course."
Church leaders know the perpetuation of their faith rests in the hands of young Latter-day Saints, some of whom have traditionally drifted away from structured religious activity once they leave home to attend secular colleges and universities. Church-owned schools like Brigham Young University, Ricks College (now BYU Idaho) and BYU Hawaii used to provide opportunity for the majority of LDS students who wanted a more spiritually centered lifestyle away from home.
But with more than 11 million members worldwide, church leaders publicly acknowledged several years ago during LDS general conference that they could never build enough schools to keep up with the exploding demand for admission. Instead, they said, they would shift their focus to providing expanded Institute programs to give LDS students an emotional and spiritual center. That, combined with the emphasis on drawing in other young adults, has resulted in an unprecedented building effort — and a reinforcement of church leaders' encouragement for young adults to get an education.
Growth in Utah alone in the past year includes:
Groundbreaking on Feb. 28 for a 54,000-square-foot Institute building at Salt Lake Community College's new Jordan Campus at 3400 W. 9000 South, to hold 5,000 students.
Construction begun last year on a 114,000 square-foot facility adjacent to the University of Utah, with room for 10,000 students.
New construction to be discussed April 10 for the Institute adjacent to Utah Valley State College. The possible 40,000- to 50,000-square-foot addition will follow similar expansion the facility underwent in 1997. Two new 10-ward chapels will be completed near that facility next month to house the Institute's burgeoning night programs, which draw young adults from all over Utah County, according to director Jan Felix.
Completion this month of a new Institute adjacent to Dixie College in St. George to hold 2,000 students.
Weston said the church is "studying but hasn't made a proposal yet on some additional needs at Southern Utah University" in Cedar City. Expansion of facilities near Utah State University was completed a few years ago, with between 7,000 and 8,000 students attending there.
As large as the expansion in Utah is, growth in Africa and other international venues is even more dramatic, said Weston, who oversees such programs in Africa.
"We have a very extensive international building program. We anticipate as we get some of these buildings finished in Utah, almost all of the budget will go internationally to help provide facilities for them."
For instance, some 5,000 Institute students are enrolled in southern African nations, with another 8,000 in western Africa. "Most of them are members of the church, though there are a few nonmembers who attend with their friends. We don't do it as a missionary effort, though a lot of people do come into the church that way."
Other growth areas include several facilities in Central and South America now in the planning stages, along with others in Asia and the Philippines. "These young people are just wonderful, and in many cases are very idealistic. They have high hopes and great values and want to make a difference in the world."
Felix believes the growth and attraction are no coincidence. "I believe the prophet understood years ago what this program could become."
Weston said the program now reaches about 20 percent of the church's young adults in most areas, and predicts the demand will increase as its facilities and programs garner a reputation. "I don't think we've reached the top of the enrollment curve yet. It seems if we build it, they will come."
E-mail: carrie@desnews.com