President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared, “In the history of the Church there is no better illustration of the prophetic preparation of this people than the beginnings of the seminary and institute program.”

From a single program in the Salt Lake Valley, the seminary program spread to become the frontline educational program for the Church throughout the world. Now with 100 years of history, Seminaries and Institutes of Religion have become critical educational entities with a worldwide enrollment of more than 750,000 students in 137 countries taught and led by over 48,000 full-time, part-time, and volunteer teachers, administrators, and missionaries.

This book tells the compelling story of the creation and growth of the Church Educational System and chronicles the historical events that accompanied the development of this significant department of the Church. From the first seminary teacher and the first institute director, to Church elementary schools and universities, to the expansive network of seminaries and institutes today, the experiences of a multitude of selfless pioneers of Church education come to life.