Ensign College

Ensign College

Former names	Salt Lake Stake Academy(1886–1890) LDS College(1890–1901) LDS University(1901–1927) LDS College(1927–1931) LDS Business College(1931–2020)
Type	Private college
Established	November 15, 1886; 137 years ago(1886-11-15)
Parent institution	Church Educational System
Accreditation	NWCCU
Religious affiliation	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
President	Bruce C. Kusch
Academic staff	19 faculty, 92 adjunct faculty
Students	2,200[1]officially enrolled
Other students	Also about 2,500BYU-Pathway Worldwidestudents,remote learning[2]
Location	Salt Lake City , Utah , United States 40°46′16″N111°53′57″W / 40.771187°N 111.899177°W /40.771187; -111.899177
Campus	Urban, 10-storybuilding, 151,582 square feet (14,082.4 m2)[3][4]
Colors	Forest Green, Gold[5]
Mascot	Lion[6]
Website	www.ensign.edu

Ensign College(formerlyLDS Business College^[7]) is aprivate collegeinSalt Lake City, Utah. The college is owned bythe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(LDS Church) and operates under itsChurch Educational System. It also includes anInstitute of Religionand is accredited by theNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.^[8]

TheSalt Lake Stake Academywas founded in 1886, with high school,normal, business and college courses of study. The school had 84 students upon its opening.^[9]By 1895 was offering a four-year course of study culminating in aPh.B.degree.

LDS University never became a fully functioning university and was displaced as the church's preeminent higher learning center byBrigham Young Universityin the early 20th century. The college was closely linked withLatter-day Saints High School, which counted among the graduatesGeorge W. Romney(1926) andGordon B. Hinckley(1928).

In 1927, the name of LDS University was changed toLDS Collegeand then to LDS Business College (LDSBC), as the other higher-education functions were gone. Two of the school's presidents wereJames E. TalmageandBryant S. Hinckley.^[10][11]

For many years, the college was located in aformer mansionseveral blocks east of theSalt Lake Temple, at 411 East South Temple. As part of the LDS Church's efforts to revitalize downtownSalt Lake City, it moved to theTriad Centerin 2006.^[12]

Russell M. Nelson, the LDS Church's currentpresident, initially took classes at LDSBC but later transferred to theUniversity of Utahto complete his studies.^[13]

The college is named afterEnsign Peak, whereLatter-day Saint immigrantswaved a flag two days after their first arrival in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake in 1847.^[2]The college's slogan is "Developing capable and trusted disciples of Jesus Christ."^[2][14]

On September 1, 2020, LDSBC was renamed Ensign College. In the fall of 2021, Ensign College will begin offering four-yearBachelor of Applied Sciencedegrees inbusiness management,information technology, andcommunications.^[2][15]

The following is a list of presidents of the institution:^[16]

• Karl G. Maeser(principal in charge): 1886–88;
• Willard Done (acting principal): 1886–88;
• James E. Talmage: 1888–92;
• Willard Done: 1892–99;
• Joshua H. Paul: 1899–1905;
• Willard Young: 1905–15;
• Guy C. Wilson: 1915–26;
• Feramorz Y. Fox: 1926–48;
• Kenneth S. Bennion: 1948–61;
• R. Ferris Kirkham: 1961–86;
• Kenneth H. Beesley: 1986–91;
• Stephen K. Woodhouse: 1992–2008;
• J. Lawrence Richards: 2008–17;
• Bruce C. Kusch: 2017–present^[17]

• List of colleges and universities in Utah
• LDS Philanthropies

• Beesley, K. H. (1992). LDS Business College. In D. H. Ludlow (Ed.),Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan.

• Official website