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Religious Education

Giving to Religious Education

Photo of Scott Esplin
Photo by Donovan Kelly/BYU

Donations That Help

In recent years, we have been implementing guidelines provided by the Church Board of Education for strengthening religious education at BYU. The board reminded us that “what gives religious education its distinctive character is its focus on teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ directly and devotedly.” In particular, our purpose is “to teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ from the scriptures and modern prophets in a way that helps each student develop faith . . . , become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ . . . , [and] strengthen their ability to find answers.”1

In a way that helps, we want to

  • infuse our classrooms with the fire of faith.
  • provide students with the knowledge and tools necessary to give reason for the hope that is in them (see 1 Peter 3:15).
  • expand the reach of our gospel scholarship by sharing eternal truths, scriptural insights, and faith-filled history to the broader Church and to the world.
  • provide pedagogical tools to help others study and teach the restored gospel directly and devotedly.

We could not do any of this without our generous donors making donations that help. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for modeling the discipleship to which we all aspire. We are grateful to partner with you in a cause that helps.

Scott C. Esplin

Dean, BYU Religious Education

Religious Education Annual Fund

Donations to the Religious Education Annual Fund are used at the dean’s discretion to further the priorities and initiatives of Religious Education.
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Religious Education Student Aid

These donations provide direct student aid, awarded in the form of scholarships, student wages, or assistance with student travel.
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Gospel Scholarship Media Endowment*

These donations provide student aid for media projects that increase knowledge of the scriptures, doctrine, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other religions, including the Visualizing Learning Art Exhibit, Scripture Roundtables, Podcasts, and other media projects in Religious Education.
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Experiential Learning and Inspiring Teaching Endowment*

These donations provide student aid for projects and initiatives that improve teaching and offer hands-on experience in areas directly related to Religious Education.
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Religious Outreach Endowment*

These donations provide student aid for interfaith outreach, including interfaith conferences, travel for religious scholars, scholarships for student exchanges with other religious universities, and more.
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*The university will match a portion of every dollar contributed to these endowments.

1 “Strengthening Religious Education in Institutions of Higher Education,” Church Educational System, June 12, 2019, 1; emphasis added. I am grateful to Professor J. B. Haws, chair of the Department of Church History and Doctrine, for highlighting the helping nature of religious education outlined in this document.