About Deseret First

Serving Members & Employees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

YOU

KNOW

WHY

Member

Is driven by his or her why
Feels comfortable and understood
Provides feedback on financial desires and goals
Is a partner in member’s financial success

SHOW

HOW

dfcu

Is driven to help member realize his/her why
Provides a safe environment with open communication
Provides unique financial products to support member needs
Is a partner in member’s financial success

Working toward the shared purpose of realizing financial and spiritual potential

Your Personal Why

You are motivated by specific passions and interests not dictated by others. Your goals and individual purpose are what drive you and we love that about you. It’s what makes you authentic and unique. This is your why and we celebrate it.

Learn about some of our members and their personal “why”.

Merita Nu’usa is a young woman excited to start the next chapter of her life as a full-time missionary. She loves and is inspired by her mom.

Ben Rose is a Salt Lake City Fireman who is a cancer survivor. He strives to simplify his life and do things that make him happy.

Tawni Schall is an entrepreneur who dedicates her life to helping others get the resources they need to live and to feel loved.

Reed and Pam Pettingill are learning to navigate a semi-retired life while spending time focusing on the most important people in their life.

Rick and Tammy Clegg combine their love of horses and helping others at their hippotherapy center.

Darren and Cheryl Hall have six children. They love their family and understand the importance of helping their kids prepare to serve missions.

LaDonnia Jones loves making chocolate treats as much as she loves making someone’s day. As a business owner, she works hard to ensure her own dessert shop helps create moments that matter.

At 90 years old, Marilyn and Rupert Gandy aren’t slowing down and their family continues to grow. They love to be around each other and are still laughing.

Our Shared Why

Deseret First and its members share a common why in faith. Our religion-based alignment influences the approach of the credit union and aspects of members’ personal lives including family, service, and community. Financial security provides us all with the opportunity to serve others and we all want to do good. It’s that simple.

Knowing and Showing

We are driven to help you achieve financial self-reliance and the freedom to pursue your personal why, no matter what that might be.

trophy and whiteboard icon, symbolizing goals

Everything we do is centered on understanding your motivations and goals.

We understand that members and employees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have unique desires and challenges and we don’t shy away from discussing those topics.

We provide a safe and comfortable environment to discuss your finances, your dreams, and your personal ambitions.

Combining expertise and unique products with real understanding, Deseret First is ready to work with you, side by side. Let’s do this.

CHANGING PEOPLE’S LIVES

An older couple, the Gandy's, siting and standing while smiling

OUR FAMILY TREE

Husband and wife, the Pettingills, holding hands

ENJOYING RETIREMENT

What is Your Why?

Why do you do what you do? What’s your purpose, your passion? We’d love to hear from you!

Logo Explanation

The two seagulls in the DFCU logo are symbolic of how we view our relationship with our members. The primary seagull represents you, the member, and the other represents Deseret First, flying together in a unified direction, working in sync to make your why a reality.

Our Field of Membership

We understand and embrace the values and culture of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But while we share the same belief system, we also share and celebrate diversity of experiences and perspectives. Our shared WHY creates a foundation for a consistent and trustworthy relationship that ultimately allows you to be you and achieve financial success.

Our Core Values & Principles

photo of a family relaxing together with a text overlay: Provident Living

DFCU provides products and services in harmony with values and principles embraced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

man sitting at his home desk, credit card in one hand, smartphone in the other, with a text overlay: Freedom To Choose

We strive to provide each member with options to meet their specific needs and respective circumstances.

Deseret First staff along with members of the West Valley Community, DFCU's Board of Directors, and many others at the Ribbon cutting of the DFCU Operations Center, with a text overlay: Community Partner

At DFCU, we recognize our responsibility to be active in the communities in which we are located. We love to serve and be involved with our local members and employees.

woman reading a book on the couch, her son laying on her lap, with the text overlay: Motivation to Grow & Learn

Our members deserve up-to-date information on the financial issues impacting our members. We are committed to providing valuable education and place additional emphasis on staff knowledge & development.

group of DFCU employees smiling, with text overlay: Integrity

DFCU staff and volunteers commit to strict adherence to moral and ethical principles.

group of DFCU employees dressed up for Halloween, with the text overlay: Enjoyment & Fulfillment

Our staff fosters a positive experience to ensure members’ needs are fulfilled. We strive to provide an enjoyable place for staff to work that fosters team spirit, enjoyment, and satisfaction.

two business people shaking hands across a table while another one types on the computer. with the text overlay: Professionalism

DFCU is committed to serving its members in a professional manner. We recognize our responsibility to be sensitive to each member’s circumstances. That’s why we provide complete confidentiality.

coworkers brainstorming together, looking at charts, with the text overlay: Progressive

DFCU is an advocate of improvement. We respond to market conditions and opportunities that are beneficial to our members and the credit union. Additionally, we actively seek feedback from our members.

Is Deseret First membership right for you?

Credit unions are unique from banks in multiple ways. Deseret First membership is reserved for those who share the same values we do, providing an ideal and trusted relationship. Our members also enjoy fewer fees and better rates. Sounds pretty great, right? Here’s how you can qualify to join us.

Be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Work for one of our Select Employer Groups

Have an immediate family member who is eligible to join DFCU or is a current DFCU member

DFCU logomark, seagulls flying over a globe

Be a DFCU employee

Become a member

Why choose a credit union?

Credit unions such as Deseret First are not-for-profit cooperatives. This means we are owned by the very people we serve— people like you. We seek the best return for our members, not to enrich a small group of shareholders. Our members also vote for a democratically elected volunteer Board of Directors. It’s democracy in action— for the people, by the people! Credit unions return earnings to their members. How so? We do this in the form of higher rates on deposit accounts, lower interest rates on loans, and little to no fees. Additionally, credit unions across the country work together in cooperation to provide value and easy access to patrons, regardless of which credit union you belong to. As a DFCU member you’ll be able to conduct your business at any one of these 28,000 ATMs or through over 5,600 shared branches.

Our Story & History

In the early 1950s, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognized a need.

Employees in the Church Offices needed financial services so the First Presidency tasked Keith Carroll with creating a solution. On August 4, 1955, the credit union was officially founded as the LDS Church Office Credit Union.

The first board members were Henry Tempest, Fern Dunn, Keith Carroll, LaRue Sneff, and Gordon B. Hinckley. We existed to provide savings and services to the employees of the Church Office. Keith Carroll first operated the entire credit union from his own desk drawers. It was a success! By the end of the year there were 196 members.

The credit union grew to occupy a part of the second floor of the Church Office Building and in 1974 we established our very first branch in Salt Lake City. Credit union membership expanded at this time to include any employee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we changed our name to the LDS Church Employees Credit Union.

Steady growth continued and in the 1980s the official name was changed to Deseret First Credit Union. Our Field of Membership widened again, this time to include all members of the Church.

1955

LDS Church Office Credit Union established

1965

The credit union purchased its first accounting machine. Before this, all the records were kept by hand!

photo of Spencer W. Kimball, Gordon B. Hinckley, & Keith Carroll outside the North Temple branch

1974

Our first branch opened! The North Temple Branch started operating in December. Spencer W. Kimball and Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the building. From here the name changed to LDS Church Employees Credit Union. A name change was due to merging with other departments and select companies. We proudly continue to serve those companies and more today.

DFCU logomark with seagulls flying over globe

1984

The seagull and world logo was approved and replaced their current logo. The world is to give a vision of expansion and more inclusive field of membership. The seagulls represent the community’s pioneer heritage of faith and industry. The field of membership grew to include all members of the Church.

1986

The credit union’s name officially changed to Deseret First Credit Union.

1991

Keith Carroll retired and a new CEO, Kris Mecham, replaced him.

2006

DFCU staff moved to an Operations Center and membership reached over 50,000.

2007

The Deseret First Duel between Brigham Young University and the University of Utah started!

2010

Clint Gurney became the new President and CEO of Deseret First Credit Union.

2012

Clint Gurney retired. Shane London was promoted to CEO of the credit union and remains the CEO today.

2015

Celebrated our 60 year anniversary!

2018

Completed the new Operations Center to house our growing employees.

Today

We’ve experienced much success due to our wonderful members! Today, we have 13 branches from Logan to Saint George to serve our members across the state. We continue to put the unique needs of our members first with our amazing products and services. From personal loans to business needs and car insurance to investments, Deseret First is here for you.

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You’re secure under our wing!