The Logan Institute of Religion is the largest institute of religion in the world, and the oldest in Utah. This facility is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is located in Logan, Utah, adjacent to the campus of Utah State University (USU). The institute provides religion classes to young adults aged 18-30, serves as a meetinghouse for local congregations, and sponsors activities for young adults.
History
Original building construction
The Logan Institute was first opened in 1929, and has since been expanded with five additions. This has led to the building-block feel as different sections were added over time.
List of Additions
1929 - When the institute opened, the structure contained a single chapel, lounge, library, and classrooms. 1938 - Addition introduced a ballroom, game room, and two kitchens. An apartment was also added to house the institute director and his family. The director's residence has now been repurposed for use as office space. 1960 - The institute was doubled in size with a second chapel, six more classrooms, a cultural hall, and offices. 1977 - A larger library, student lounge, and instructors' offices were all added. 1990 - The southeast section of the building was added with six classrooms and offices for local church leaders. 1994 - The final addition added a full-size gymnasium used for sports, social events, and weekly devotionals.
2023 rebuilding
In March 2023, the existing structure was demolished. A new 100,000 square feet two-story building is being constructed in its place over the next 18 to 28 months. The building will be u-shaped with a central courtyard accessible from Darwin Ave, and a parking structure underneath will accommodate 170 cars.
The front of the building (facing the Taggart Student Center) will be mostly glass covering 51% of the ground floor area.
Other history
Construction on the Logan Institute began in 1928 as the first institute of religion in the state of Utah. When the building was completed, it was dedicated by LDS Church president Heber J. Grant on Easter Sunday, 31 March 1929. When it opened, there was a total enrollment of 114 students and offered two classes: Bible Literature and Moral Philosophy. The institute's first class graduated on 26 May 1935 and had 21 students. Thomas C. Romney was the first institute director and the only instructor until Milton R. Hunter was hired in 1936.
On 25 January 2012, the building suffered from a minor fire that started in the second floor kitchen. The fire began when a box of apples was left on a stove burner, causing $18,000 in damages. This prompted upgrades to the structure, including adding a sprinkler system to the building's upper level.
Features of the pre-2023 building
Organs
The institute's west chapel contained a hybrid organ built by Anderson Organ Works with twenty-nine stops. Twenty-one of the stops were voiced by six ranks of pipes, with the remaining eight voices provided by speakers located within the swell box. The swell box also housed a rank of chimes, although the chimes were not playable from the organ console.
The institute had an additional three electronic organs: one in the east chapel; one in the gym used for weekly devotionals; and one that traveled with the institute choirs. Throughout the building there were also five grand pianos, and various upright pianos located in classrooms.
Art and artifacts
The Joseph Smith Student Lounge had a 10' x 26' mural of the sacred grove painted by Kent Wallis. The west chapel originally had a stained glass window, but after later renovations the window was only visible from the attic area. The library was the largest in the state for an institute of religion and contained several items of historic value, including an original copy of the Book of Mormon and a 1906 sacrament set from the Mendon ward. Before the building was demolished in 2023, some of the library's contents were moved to the Church History Library.
Student involvement
Student council
Student activities and events at the institute are organized by the local chapter of the Latter-day Saint Student Association (LDSSA). According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, LDSSA is "an organization which sponsors social, religious, and recreational activities for LDS college students and their friends." It was organized in 1966, with Richard Eyre serving as its first president.
LDSSA is led by the Logan Institute Student Council. The student council consists of seven presidencies who each lead a different LDSSA committee.