At least $800,000 in taxpayer money went to faith-based vendors offering religious products and services in the past year through Utah’s school voucher program.
Those purchases account for less than 2% of the money spent as of March in the first year of Utah Fits All, according to data provided to The Salt Lake Tribune.
That tally doesn’t include voucher dollars spent on tuition at religious schools. Utah families collectively spent about $24 million on private schools, many of which are faith-based.
Last year, 10,000 students received an $8,000 scholarship through Utah Fits All to spend on a range of educational expenses, including homeschooling supplies, private school tuition and extracurriculars.
The Tribune analyzed more than 180,000 transactions totaling $61.5 million of the program’s more than $80 million budget.
[Read more: Here’s how Utah parents are spending their kids’ school vouchers.]
That analysis found parents largely spent the money on private schools and other academic pursuits. It also found that $800,537.12 went to 129 faith-based vendors, all of which offer services or products — such as homeschooling materials — rooted in a religious mission or worldview.
Here are the top 10:
1. The Good and the Beautiful
Accounting for more than half of all faith-based expenditures, this locally owned “Christian curriculum” company received $542,763.45 in voucher dollars last year. The Good and the Beautiful was founded by Latter-day Saint musician Jenny Phillips in 2015.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said The Good and the Beautiful is not “owned, operated or endorsed” by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nor does it sell materials for “religious studies.”
“Our courses teach the core subjects from a general Christian worldview,” the spokesperson said.
The Good and the Beautiful was a “qualified provider” last year, meaning that families could pay for products directly through their scholarship account, rather than paying out of pocket and requesting reimbursement later.
While the data provided to The Tribune did not reveal exactly what families bought here, there were 2,877 individual transactions. Nineteen of those were for at least $1,000.
2. Christianbook.com
Utah families spent $155,664.17 at Christianbook.com, a site that offers everything from Bibles to faith journals and homeschool materials. None of the more than 800 transactions noted what was purchased, though at least 10 were for more than $1,000.
The Massachusetts-based company was a qualified provider for the Utah Fits All scholarship last year and is an “approved vendor” in five other states with similar programs, a spokesperson said. Those are: Arizona, Idaho, New Hampshire, North Carolina and South Carolina.
3. Deseret Book
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Deseret Book in Sugar House is pictured on Friday, July 18, 2025.
Families spent $32,891.48 in voucher funds at Desert Book, a company owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that offers “content and lifestyle products” to support members of the faith.
Some of that went to Seagull Book, a sister company that is merging with Desert Book, according to its website.
The largest single transaction was for $701.02, though most were smaller, ranging from $40 to $80. There were 446 individual transactions total.
4. Millennial Standard Press
The Millennial Standard Press is a monthly, illustrated magazine for children that focuses on the Latter-day Saint faith through stories of “history, art, culture and character,” according to its website.
Utah parents spent $11,146.21 across 86 individual transactions. The single largest purchase, data shows, was for $562.29.
Millennial Standard Press was also a qualified provider last year.
5. LDS Bookstore
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Angel Moroni atop The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bountiful Temple is pictured on Friday, July 18, 2025.
Families spent $7,802.27 at LDS Bookstore. Along with books, the company sells Latter-day Saint faith-inspired gifts, jewelry and decor.
There were a total of 35 individual transactions ranging from $160 to $495.
6. The Red Headed Hostess
Utah families spent $7,570.38 on products such as “gospel learning” kits and more through this locally owned business.
Founded by Shannon Foster, a former full-time seminary teacher for Utah’s predominant faith, The Red Headed Hostess offers a variety of religious guidebooks, journals and other Latter-day Saint-inspired materials and goods.
The 150 individual transactions ranged from $11 to $213.
7. New Life Christian Fellowship
New Life Christian Fellowship, a church in Tooele, received $5,225 across 19 individual transactions — each for exactly $275.
The records provided to The Tribune don’t note what exactly was purchased, but the majority of the transactions noted “educational experiences” or “field trips.” The church has offered summer camps that cost $275.
8. The Mindful Heart
The Mindful Heart is a nonprofit that provides Latter-day Saint-aligned homeschool curriculum, according to its website. The organization also offers classes.
Families spent $3,392.71 at The Mindful Heart, which is not affiliated with the church but was founded by Mindi Eldredge, a member of the faith and former elementary school teacher, its website states. Eldredge had previously created the math and science curriculum for The Good and the Beautiful.
There were 14 transactions, the largest for $800.
9. Not Consumed Ministries
Families spent $3,052.80 at Not Consumed Ministries, which offers a number of products to help families “grow in faith,” its website states.
Items range from Bible studies to daily devotionals to homeschool curriculum.
10. Generations
Rounding off the list is another Christian-based homeschool resource called Generations, which raked in $2,181.49 in voucher funds.
The company was founded by Kevin Swanson, who leads Reformation Church in Elizabeth, Colorado, according to the church’s website.
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— Tribune staff writer Megan Banta contributed to this report.