Information for Ecclesiastical Leaders and Students

CES recognizes that students are striving to deepen their faith and testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Recognizing that we sometimes fall short of perfectly realizing these aspirations, and in order to encourage continued growth, students are invited to strive toward certain ideals while upholding foundational standards of conduct. As has happened prior to these changes, this allows ecclesiastical leaders to work with students who are trying but may sometimes struggle. It does not mean Church leaders should ignore clear violations of ecclesiastical standards, but it does allow them room to counsel with and help individuals progress.

The student ecclesiastical endorsement has historically emphasized the CES Honor Code and dress and grooming policies. Now the ecclesiastical endorsement questions better align the topics addressed by Church leaders in their interviews with their core ecclesiastical responsibilities. Thus, as an ecclesiastical interview, it focuses on a student’s efforts to grow spiritually and meet ecclesiastical expectations, which is an important part of accomplishing the religious mission of CES institutions. The administration of internal university policies, including the Honor Code and Dress and Grooming, now more fully reside with the CES institutions.

There is a difference in the standard of worthiness to receive saving ordinances in the House of the Lord and being eligible to attend a CES institution as a student. The questions for temple recommend interviews and ecclesiastical endorsements are appropriate for their different purposes.

A student’s actions may violate both the Honor Code and standards established by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, although the student’s actions may be the same, the HCO and ecclesiastical leaders will address behaviors differently. The bishops’ process addresses repentance, sin, forgiveness and worthiness. The HCO’s process addresses principles, integrity, recommitment and good Honor Code standing. The HCO does not evaluate sins or determine worthiness and forgiveness. It certainly incorporates God, spirituality, and the Church into conversations it has with students, but it is not with the intent to help students seek forgiveness or become worthy. Rather, it is to help students reflect and evaluate their behavior within the framework of the Honor Code commitment that they have made as members of the BYU community.

Ecclesiastical leaders are NOT permitted to reveal confessional conversations to the HCO unless the student has voluntarily signed a privacy waiver. A bishop does not share any information with the HCO, and the HCO does not share any information with a bishop or other ecclesiastical leader without a student’s prior written consent.

The BYU employee endorsement system does not sync with the student class registration system. Thus, you will need to complete a student ecclesiastical endorsement in order to register for classes. Please visit endorse.byu.edu to initiate this process.

A student needs to have an active endorsement in order to apply to, continue enrollment at, and graduate from BYU. Endorsements are active for one year.

Students can begin the process to renew their endorsements 10 weeks prior to the expiration date. If the student attempts to renew their endorsement before the 10-week window opens, it will not renew. To see the date when the endorsement can be renewed, please visit mymap.byu.edu or endorse.byu.edu.

The Church’s endorsement system syncs with BYU’s system several times throughout the day. However, please allow up to 24 hours for the systems to sync before troubleshooting. After 24 hours, if your endorsement isn’t showing as complete in MyMap, please do the following: 

• If the endorsement on endorse.byu.edu shows as incomplete contact the Honor Code Office at 801.422.2847. 
• If the endorsement on endorse.byu.edu shows as complete, please contact BYU’s Office of Information Technology. 

Ecclesiastical Endorsements are completed as part of a Bishop’s Priesthood Keys. Thus, a student may seek an endorsement only by the Bishop where they live AND where their Church records reside. If a student moves wards after a request is made, but before it is completed, please call the HCO, so that the HCO can notify the Church to move the endorsement to the appropriate Bishop’s queue. The Bishop can also call the Church’s Ecclesiastical Clearance Office directly. If the leader does not have the ECO’s phone number, they can call the HCO to get it. The ECO is an office at the Church that is staffed to support Ecclesiastical Leaders. They have asked that the HCO not share this information with someone who is not a Bishop, Mission President, or in a Stake Presidency.

If you are planning to graduate soon, please be aware that you must have an active endorsement on the last day of finals for your degree to post. If your endorsement is going to expire prior to the last day of finals, then you must renew your endorsement.

If you are currently in the FLEX GE program you will need what is called an applicant-level endorsement which involves an interview with your Bishop AND someone from the Stake Presidency.

Please refer to the Church Handbook 31.2.2 for a designation on who is able to complete an ecclesiastical endorsement.

Students who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be endorsed only by the bishop of the ward (1) in which they live AND (2) that holds their current Church membership record.

Students who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be endorsed by (1) an ecclesiastical leader of their faith, (2) a Latter-day Saint bishop, (3) the nondenominational BYU chaplain based upon the type of endorsement they are seeking.

Please see the information found in “Types of Endorsements for distinctions on the specific type of endorsement needed and who can provide the necessary interviews.

Endorsement Questions for New and Returning Latter-day Saint Students:
1. Are you striving to deepen your testimony of God, the Eternal Father, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost?
2. Are you striving to deepen your testimony of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
3. What does the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His role as your Savior and Redeemer mean to you?
4. Are you striving for moral cleanliness in your thoughts and behavior?
5. Do you obey the law of chastity?
6. Do you sustain the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators?
7. Do you support or promote any teachings, practices, or doctrine contrary to those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
8. Do you regularly participate in your church meetings and strive to keep the Sabbath day holy?
9. Do you strive to be honest in all that you do, including keeping the commitments you have made?
10. The Church Educational System is supported and funded by the tithes of the Church of Jesus Christ. Are you a full-tithe payer?
11. Do you obey the Word of Wisdom?
12. Are you striving to live the teachings of the Church and keep the covenants you have made to this point in your life?
13. Are there serious sins in your life that need to be resolved with priesthood authorities as part of your repentance?

Students who are not members of the Church have a different set of questions, which Bishops can access once that person’s endorsement request is in their queue.

The ecclesiastical endorsement reflects a student’s current standing and can be withdrawn at any time. Please contact the Honor Code Office with any questions regarding this process. For ecclesiastical leaders seeking to withdraw an endorsement please call the Church’s Ecclesiastical Clearance Office.

The Church has provided the following guidance:

At the ward or branch level, interviews should be conducted by bishops or branch presidents (See Handbook 15.3). In reviewing the ecclesiastical endorsement questions with students, priesthood leaders should not seek to minimize or excuse sin. New student candidates who are not living the requirements, are less active, or who have had formal membership restrictions or withdrawal, should not be endorsed until the issues have been fully resolved and the requirements met. When continuing students are repentant and willing to change, the seriousness of the violation should still be considered, but priesthood leaders have discretion as they consider the individual student’s attitude, commitment, and sincere repentance.

Individuals who have resigned their Church membership are not eligible for an ecclesiastical endorsement.

The decision to endorse or not endorse a student is completely determined by ecclesiastical leaders. Ecclesiastical leaders who are considering a decision to endorse or not endorse may reach out the Church’s endorsement office (Ecclesiastical Clearance Office) with questions. The HCO will not weigh in or give opinions on whether or not a student should be endorsed.

Please visit endorse.byu.edu. Once submitted, the endorsement request will automatically appear in your Bishop or Mission President’s queue. After submitting the request, schedule an interview with your ecclesiastical leader to complete the endorsement.

Once the ecclesiastical endorsement has been completed, please allow 24 hours for this to be reflected in MyMap.

1. Ensure that you have created a Church account. Please follow this tutorial if you need to create a Church account. 
2. Confirm that your BYU account is connected to your Church account by visiting myaccount.byu.edu. At the top of the page there is navigation that says "Home", "Recovery Email" and "Linked Accounts", click on "Linked Accounts". Click on the green button that says "Add a linked account" and then link your church account.  
3. Visit endorse.byu.edu to submit an endorsement request. (Applicant students will select the fifth option that says “New Applicant”.) Continuing Students will need to select the third option that says “Current BYU student”. 
   

4. For continuing students, you need to receive your endorsement from the non-denominational BYU chaplain, Jim Slaughter. To set up an interview with him, please call 801-422-2293 or email james_slaughter@byu.edu.  

   For students who are applying to a BYU or current students applying to graduate program, you need two interviews. The first interview can be completed by a bishop or other denomination church leader.

• If you would like to meet with a local bishop, please visit https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/., Enter your address and the closest building will populate. Once you click on the ward name, a bishop’s name will appear as well as the address to the church. You can message the bishop from here to schedule your interview.   
• If you would like to meet with another denominational church leader you will enter that leaders name and contact information. There will then be a form that you will download and give to your leader for them to complete.   
• The second interview is completed by the non-denominational BYU chaplain, Jim Slaughter. To set up an interview with him, please call 801-422-2293 or email james_slaughter@byu.edu.   

If you have any questions, please reach out to Admissions or the University Chaplain. 

Level 1 Continuing Student Endorsements – Bishop Only

• Continuing students, which is any student that has been enrolled at BYU within the last academic year. These students should initiate their endorsement as a Continuing Student when they are registering for new classes or applying for graduation. 

Level 2 Applicant Endorsements – Bishop and Stake Presidency

• Newly applying students (this includes new freshmen, transfer students, and students applying to a BYU graduate school program). 
• Students who have attended BYU in the past, but not within the past academic year. These students should initiate their endorsement as an Applicant if they are returning to the university or applying for graduation. 
• Students enrolled through the Flex GE program. 
• Students who are on Mission Deferment. Once a Mission Deferment is placed on a student’s account, the student needs to complete the Level 2 endorsement, regardless of the amount of time that has transpired since the deferment was placed. Mission Presidents have the ability to complete the endorsement for both the Bishop and Stake Presidency levels. 

Please note that Service Missionaries complete their endorsements with their homeward Bishop and Stake Presidency; not their Mission President.