Elder James R. Rasband has been named the new commissioner of education for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church announced Wednesday, March 11. The call will be effective on April 1.
He takes the place of Elder Clark G. Gilbert, who was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles last month.
As the commissioner, Elder Rasband will oversee the entire Church Educational System, which includes BYU, Ensign College, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Hawaii, BYU–Pathway Worldwide and Seminaries and Institutes.
Nearly 1 million students are enrolled under the umbrella of the Church Educational System, with some 70,000 instructors across four universities and a global online presence in more than 180 countries.
The First Presidency made the announcement Wednesday in a letter to general authorities and other Church leaders.
“Elder Rasband comes to this assignment with extensive academic experience, including an undergraduate degree from BYU and law degree from Harvard University, service as dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School, and as the Academic Vice President of Brigham Young University,” the First Presidency said.
Who is Elder James R. Rasband
Elder James R. Rasband, a General Authority Seventy, has been serving as assistant executive director of the Temple Department and served for three years as a counselor in the Asia North Area presidency.
He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019, at age 56. He served a full-time mission in the Korea Seoul Mission as a young man. First an attorney in Seattle, Washington, he later served as dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU and academic vice president of BYU.
He is married to Sister Mary Rasband, and they have four children.
As academic vice president at BYU, Elder Rasband spoke about his lifelong pursuit of spiritual and intellectual truth. In his 2017 address, titled “Paired Aspirations,” he spoke of combining faith and intellect, experience and theory, and unity and diversity to build a better experience and create a more effective education for students.
What is the Church Educational System
The Church Educational System operates in every country the Church is organized in, Elder Gilbert explained on the Church News podcast in February 2024.
“We all focus on becoming disciples of Jesus Christ, who can be leaders in their homes, the Church and their families. That’s the mission of the Church Educational System, and that unifies, no matter what we are doing, we are all aligned with that purpose.”
Each of the Church’s five institutions for higher education — BYU, Ensign College, BYU–Idaho, BYU–Hawaii and BYU–Pathway Worldwide — has a distinct role and strategy.
Seminaries and Institutes allow anyone — enrolled in a Church school or not — to involve the Lord in their learning.
The Church makes a huge investment into education. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said education is a core tenet of the Latter-day Saint faith when he spoke to the National Press Club in 2022.
“We give significant attention, energy and resources to educating our youth,” Elder Bednar said. “All secular and spiritual education fall under the umbrella of our Church Educational System.”
Part of the remarkable story of the Church Educational System today is that all members of the Church have a chance to be successful in school regardless of their station in life, previous academic experiences or their access to education, Elder Paul V. Johnson told the Church News prior to being released as Church commissioner of education in August 2021. “There are opportunities for everyone to be blessed by at least one of the institutions of CES.”
The Lord is using education in the great gathering of Israel happening in the Church today, Elder Gilbert said. “He is preparing the world for His return, and the Church Educational System is one of the many resources He will use in that effort.”
Previous commissioners
Besides Elder Gilbert and Elder Johnson (now the Sunday School general president), Elder Kim B. Clark, who served as president of BYU–Idaho from 2005 to 2015 and as a General Authority Seventy, served as the most recent commissioners. The late President Jeffrey R. Holland, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, also served as commissioners for many years.
Below is the list of commissioners, according to the Church Educational System.
Karl G. Maeser, Superintendent, 1888–1901
Joseph M. Tanner, Superintendent, 1901–1906
Horace H. Cummings, Superintendent, 1906–1920
David O. McKay, Commissioner, 1920–1921
John A. Widtsoe, Commissioner, 1921–1924
Adam S. Bennion, Superintendent, 1924–1928
Joseph F. Merrill, Commissioner, 1928–1933
John A. Widtsoe, Commissioner, 1934–1936
Franklin L. West, Commissioner, 1936–1953
Ernest L. Wilkinson, Administrator, 1953–1965
Harvey L. Taylor, Administrator of Church Schools, 1965–1970
Neal A. Maxwell, Commissioner, 1970–1976
Jeffrey R. Holland, Commissioner, 1976–1980
Henry B. Eyring, Commissioner, 1980–1986
J. Elliot Cameron, Commissioner, 1986–1989
Henry B. Eyring, Commissioner, 1992–2004
W. Rolfe Kerr, Commissioner, 2005–2008
Paul V. Johnson, Commissioner, 2008–2015
Kim B. Clark, Commissioner, 2015-2019
Paul V. Johnson, Commissioner, 2019-2021
Clark G. Gilbert, Commissioner, 2021-2026
