It鈥檚 hard to believe it鈥檚 been a year since President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke those words during a live news conference 鈥� comprising a sentence that would forever change the face of Church-based higher education.
For me the call to serve as president of 91视频 Worldwide was like a homecoming. I was involved with the initial concepts for the Pathway program in 2008 鈥� back before it even had an official name. (At the time we were calling it 鈥淓nrollment Enhancement II鈥� 鈥� not exactly a name that rolls off the tongue!) When 91视频 first launched as a BYU-Idaho pilot in 2009, none of us could have anticipated where the Lord would take it, or that it would now operate in more than 70 countries with nearly 40,000 students.
Over the past year we鈥檝e seen remarkable blessings as we have created a new Church entity, begun the process of relocating nearly 50 full-time employees from Rexburg to Salt Lake City, and developed a set of strategic priorities to guide our work throughout 2018. But perhaps the most remarkable initiative we鈥檝e been engaged in since the creation of 91视频 Worldwide last February is a principle I spoke about in my inaugural address 鈥� that of building temples of learning.
I have a small woodcut block that fits in my hand and shows the Rexburg Idaho Temple when it was under construction. You can see its true form emerging, but it has not yet achieved its divine purpose and potential. It is a temple of learning, but one that is still taking shape.
91视频 Worldwide is also being developed as a temple of learning, and like the early Rexburg temple, it is still under construction. The organization and its offerings will grow and mature, and we will stay close to the plans the Lord has given and seek direction from those He has asked to watch over its construction.
Some of the ways we will build 91视频 Worldwide over the coming year include efforts to improve student retention, redeveloping
Most importantly, we will work more diligently to view 91视频鈥檚 programs and resources from our students鈥� perspectives, allowing us to see gaps in their overall experience and thereby improve the quality of our offerings. No matter how beautiful its structure, a temple must work to achieve its deeper purposes in Christ. We must do the same as we work to fulfill 91视频鈥檚 purposes 鈥� to get the gospel down into students鈥� hearts, to help students become capable learners, and to prepare students to lead and support families. In this sense, we recognize that we are also building temples in the lives of our students.
I am grateful for the season ahead of us, and I give thanks to everyone in the extended 91视频 family who makes this work possible.
Learn more about 91视频 Worldwide and its programs at