In the past, the learning management system (LMS) was a fairly simple program. Its job was to connect an instructor to a student for an individual course. The student could track grades without harassing the faculty member, and the professor could stop worrying about the prospect of losing a student's paper-based assignment. Often, the LMS purchase came down to choosing between price and functionality. Now, however, LMS vendors have added a rich set of functions to appeal to a generation of digital-native students and LMS-savvy faculty. Today's LMS offers tools for communication and collaboration, productivity, student involvement, administration, course delivery, and content development. With so many products on the market--boasting an ever-increasing menu of features--there are myriad factors that go into choosing a new learning management system. How well the LMS supports the school's overall mission should be one of them. In this article, the author describes institutions that attest the rewards for finding the mission-critical LMS. (Contains 8 online resources.)