Many years before he became its president, President Bruce C. Kusch visited Ensign College — then called LDS Business College — and felt something special during his visit. At the time, he couldn’t describe it.
But now he can and has introduced that description as a new mantra for Ensign College: “The light of Ensign.”
President Kusch introduced the phrase at the college’s first devotional of the 2026 spring semester, held Tuesday, May 5, on Ensign’s Salt Lake City campus. His wife, Sister Alynda Kusch, also spoke, focusing on personal worth and trusting in God’s divine plan.
“The light of Ensign is observed. It is felt. It is experienced. It is lived and shared,” said President Kusch, who also spoke on the Light of Christ.
And as Ensign students live the gospel, they can radiate the Light of Christ to others (see Matthew 5:16; 3 Nephi 12:16).
The “light of Ensign” can be seen as a unique characteristic that sets Ensign College apart from other institutions of learning, President Kusch said.
“The scriptures teach us that light is a powerful force and influence and comes into our lives in a variety of ways,” he said, explaining that light is a characteristic of God and will always overcome darkness.
Each individual carries a divine light and is encouraged to share it with others around them, President Kusch taught, promising that as Ensign students do so, it will fill their lives and change the lives of others around them.
“When becoming like the Savior becomes our primary focus, the light that fills our life will be felt by others, our faith will increase, as well as our capacity and ability to resist the tugs and pulls of the world.”
President Kusch observed that light has played an important role in the scriptures and the Restoration. He noted that Joseph Smith saw “a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun” and later described the Father and the Son as having a “brightness and glory” that defied all description (Joseph Smith—History 1:16-17).
In the Book of Mormon, the brother of Jared learned about light and its connection to the Divine when he saw the finger of the Lord illuminate small stones (see Ether 3). President Kusch pointed out that from this experience, the brother of Jared came to know the true Source of light and how He provided both physical and spiritual light for His people.
Likewise, the light of Ensign can become a powerful source of light for both students and faculty. It plays a role in education, prompting students to learn with power and faith and professors to integrate gospel principles into their classrooms.
President Kusch cited a 2009 Ensign College address in which President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, said the college was to be a beacon of Christ’s light to the world. He invited students to become examples of integrity and to conduct themselves in a way that invites the Holy Spirit.
President Kusch shared examples of this “light of Ensign” — students reaching out to other struggling students and offering help, lonely students being taken in by classmates and a student body representing more than 70 countries coming together in unity and love.
And of the Light of Christ, President Kusch said: “May we seek every day to be a little more like the Savior, to fill our lives with just a little more of His light.”
Sister Kusch taught that the Lord is present in everyone’s life and that He knows each individual personally. While the scriptural experiences of prophets like Moses, Enos and Joseph Smith underscore such a truth, students are equally known by God, she said.
She shared an anecdote about individual value in the eyes of the Lord. Shortly after they were married, the Kusches sold their home in preparation to move about 60 miles away. But then, President Kusch was called to serve as the bishop at age 26. He chose to accept the calling and stay, and the Kusches were blessed, Sister Kusch said.
“We can’t really plan our lives in the sense that we can tell the Lord what is best for us. … Rather, if we are prepared to receive His direction and act upon those promptings, then we live a life that is much more than we could have ever designed for ourselves.”
God’s plan will bring blessings and opportunities that “we could have never imagined,” Sister Kusch said, adding that she has come to understand her own divine worth and how to trust in spiritual promptings over personal preferences.
“In this heavenly equation called life, remember these truths: The Lord loves you. The Lord wants you to be happy, therefore you can trust Him and rely upon Him and know that as you follow, He will guide you to a better life than you can imagine.”
