From log cabins in Kirtland to academies across the American West and schools spanning Mexico, the Pacific, and South America, Educating for Eternity tells the sweeping story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its nearly two-century commitment to K–12 education. Rooted in a theology that declares “the glory of God is intelligence,” this volume explores how faith, persecution, migration, financial constraint, and global expansion shaped a distinctive system of education. Drawing on extensive archival research, the authors illuminate the vision, sacrifice, debate, and adaptation that defined Latter-day Saint schools from 1830 to 2020—revealing how a people’s eternal vision of the soul shaped the daily work of educating the rising generation.

Expected August 31, 2026