Institute of Religion

Local institutes may function in church meetinghouses but may also have a stand-alone building situated adjacent to colleges or universities (especially those found in the Mormon Corridor areas in the Western United States and Canada).

The LDS Church describes the purpose of the Institute program as "weekday religious instruction for single and married postsecondary students.

In addition to offering classes, Institutes often sponsor activities, such as dances, aimed at the needs of postsecondary students between 18 and 30 years old.

In areas with a large LDS population, there are often special-needs Institutes that serve adults who have mental or physical handicaps.

At times Institute directors may be based at a large university with many LDS students and multiple classes where other teachers assist them, but they may also teach an institute class once a week at one or more other universities in the same general area with fewer LDS students.

These new institute classes were generally taught by volunteer instructors under the same lines of supervision as seminary teachers.

The others included an activity council that would plan activities geared towards outreach, full-time missionaries who focused on reaching out to men and women of their own age group, and a senior missionary couple that would provide practical and spiritual guidance for the endeavor.