LDS university presidents, education commissioner hold special meeting for teens in eastern Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS — We educate our minds so that one day we can be of use to someone else.
That is one of the messages from educational leaders with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who held a special meeting for teenagers and young adults thinking about going to universities, colleges or other schools of higher education.
Brigham Young University-Idaho President Alvin Meredith III joined BYU President Shane Reese and Elder Clark Gilbert, Commissioner of the Church Educational System, for a fireside Dec. 10 to discuss the importance of education. Hundreds of teens and their parents attended the meeting at the LDS church building near the Idaho Falls Temple.
“We often hear people say there’s a faith crisis happening with young people. One of our dear friends who’s the president of Yeshiva University, the largest national Jewish university, said young people aren’t having a crisis of faith. They’re having a crisis of meaning. That’s drawing them to universities,” Gilbert told EastIdahoNews.com before the meeting.
Gilbert said enrollment remains strong at BYU in Provo, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii and BYU-Pathway Worldwide, an online university for students around the world. He explained young people who attend religious schools want to be in places where their core values are understood and taught.
Church teachings are key to BYU-Idaho’s mission, where Meredith said graduates leave the university with minimal student debt and 90% of students who want a job have one within 120 days of graduation.
“BYU-Idaho is a place where they will build their discipleship at a low cost with an opportunity to springboard into whatever career they choose to pursue,” Meredith said. “We strongly believe that spiritual learning and secular learning are non-competition and are actually complementary. There’s a good portion (of students) looking for not only purpose but also for identity. When that purpose and identity is rooted in spiritual things, then it educates the whole person.”
Each of the LDS schools has different strategies, according to Gilbert. BYU is meant to be an ambassador beyond the church itself. BYU-Idaho focuses on students and teaching. BYU-Hawaii serves students in Asia and the Pacific islands while Ensign College helps get grads into their first job in a very focused way. BYU-Pathway is meant for people who didn’t think they could ever go to college.
“President Nelson, who leads The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said education in our church is a religious responsibility. We educate our minds so that one day we can be of use to someone else,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert, Meredith and Reese plan to hold similar meetings in Arizona, Utah and Idaho to teach the importance of education – regardless of where someone decides to attend school.
“Wherever they decide to get an education, I hope they involve the Lord in that education. The Lord loves them, He cares about them, and He cares very much about the things that they’re learning,” Meredith said.
Watch our interview with Gilbert and Meredith in the video player above.