2026 has been a banner year for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In 2026, institute marked its 100th anniversary. Also in 2026, the Lord’s Prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks, promised special blessings to those who attend. Then in March, seminaries and institutes announced a major milestone: a combined enrollment of more than one million students worldwide.
And that momentum continues. Close to five months later, worldwide enrollment in the seminary and institute programs now exceeds 1,090,000, including more than 85,000 friends of other faiths, according to a notice published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
In a Church News podcast interview earlier this year, Brother Chad H Webb, administrator for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, spoke of how many are finding the Church’s seminary and institute programs through the efforts of students inviting their peers — one by one.
While he might be surprised by the extent of the growth, Brother Webb said he knows “it is the hand of the Lord in hastening the work among this generation right now.”
Young people are looking for faith and to have a relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. “And they know that seminary and institute can help them with that,” said Brother Webb.
Seminary and institute Invite a Friend initiative
In the spring of 2025, seminaries and institutes — in collaboration with the Missionary Department — began an “Invite a Friend” initiative, encouraging students to invite others to attend class with them.
“When a young person personally invites a friend to join an institute class or activity, it carries special power,” Brother Webb said during the 2026 annual training for seminary and institute teachers. “Their authentic testimonies and friendships are essential in welcoming all to attend.”
Earlier this year, President Oaks promised a series of special blessings for this generation of young adults and youth who attend institute and seminary.
He then encouraged youth and young adults to invite their friends to enjoy those same blessings.
These simple, individualized invitations are working. During a Church News podcast earlier this year, Yaw Danso, associate administrator of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, spoke of an institute in Brazzaville, Congo, with about 3,000 students coming every week.
“More than half of them are friends of the Church,” said Danso, “and they come to institute, they feel the Spirit, they learn about Jesus Christ, and they continue coming. So it’s just been an incredible thing to see peers inviting peers, and they come.”
In that same episode, Brother Webb noted this is happening everywhere. “[There are] friends of other faiths who come and join us in classes all over the world.”
In 2025, more than 72,000 friends of other faiths enrolled in seminary and institute. “And that’s not just coming once to a class with a friend or to an activity. They actually are enrolled in the class — 72,000 worldwide, and many of them do eventually become baptized members of the Church,” said Brother Webb.
In an interview last year about the growth in seminary enrollment, Brother Webb noted that about 1 in every 3 who enroll in a seminary or institute class will eventually be baptized.
It can be an easy invitation for the youth and the young adults to invite their friends to a class or activity or to come grab food at the seminary or institute building, said Brother Webb. “And then these friends have a chance to start to study the gospel, and they feel some things and are drawn to want to come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through the things that they’re learning.”
New resources to invite a friend
Updated resources are now available to help students make invitations, either in-person or online, according to the notice published on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. These include:
- New posters and door clings.
- Seminary and institute patches to be given to friends attending for the first time.
- Photo-wall designs that recognize and welcome friends.
- Templates for social media posts, stories and reels.
- Customizable materials for local languages and cultures.
Additional invitation ideas can be found on the ForStrengthofYouth Instagram account for youth, YA Weekly young adult Instagram account, local seminary and institute accounts and international youth-facing Church channels.
The new resources are available in the Invite a Friend Guidebook in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese and can be adapted to local needs.
Those interested in enrolling — whether they are a member of the Church or a friend of another faith — can find a class near them through MySeminary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and MyInstitute.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
