Philip Barlow, USU's full-time Mormon studies professor, says that the donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came with no strings attached and will pay for guest speakers, symposia and fellowships for students and will ensure the future of the program.  

Mormon studies programs do not promote or denigrate Mormonism. Instead, they bring methods of academic scholarship and inquiry to the interdisciplinary study of Latter-day Saint traditions.  "The donation speaks loudly to the church’s commitment to quality independent scholarship in Mormon studies," said Brian Birch, director of the Religious Studies Program at UVU. "The church has previously communicated its support for 'deeper and broader' examinations into Mormon history, theology and culture, and its donation to USU is a welcome form of encouragement."