In a day and age where far too many youth are lost to crime, drugs, and a host of other problems, the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Gazette recently ran a story about a group of youth doing something that helps them through each school day.
These youth, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or “Mormons,” as they are often called), rise extra-early every morning and gather for their early morning seminary class at 6:00. From there, they continue on to their regular school classes.
It may seem like a tough regimen, but these youth have plenty of good things to say about it. “Starting out in a spiritual way sets the tone for the entire day,” Shane Murphy, a senior at Mattawan High School, said to the Gazette. “You perceive things differently when you’ve been into the scriptures for an hour before school even begins.”
“Most of my friends are really tired when they get to school,” said Matt Brandt, a Portage Central High School freshman, also to the Gazette. “People think I drink a lot of caffeine before school, because I’m not (tired). But it’s seminary that does it. It really gets me going and gets me ready for the rest of the day.”
According to Meghan Decker, director of public affairs for the LDS Church in southwestern Michigan, last year approximately 362,000 students participated in seminary across the world. Seminary is not a mandatory program for LDS youth, but it is highly encouraged. There are four years of curriculum, one for each year students are in high school: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants with Church history.
“Some people are surprised to learn that Mormons study the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon,” said Decker, who taught seminary herself for four years. “We believe that they both teach us the Gospel.”
The lessons themselves are based on the scriptures, but each teacher invariably has his or her own style. This particular class, taught by Courtney Banton, had the students beginning a study of the ministry of Joshua in the Old Testament. The teacher asked for volunteers to stand in an extra large pair of shoes, and explained, “Can you imagine how Joshua felt when Moses was gone and he took over? The only leader they had ever known was Moses — for 40 years. Joshua had very big shoes to fill.” Then she had them write letters with advice and encouragement to Joshua, and then share them with each other.
“The whole objective for the seminary program is to help students develop their own testimony of Jesus Christ,” Banton said. “We do this through the study of Scriptures.”
Seminary is a wonderful opportunity for youth to study the scriptures, build friendships with other youth, and turn their hearts to the Lord on a daily basis. President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was serving as prophet and president of the LDS Church at the time of his death on January 27, 2008, said this of the youth participating in seminary programs around the world:
“As we look to the future, I see our young people in the Church. I see a lot of them. I see them all over. And I am absolutely enthusiastic about the quality of their lives, their strength, their goodness, their faithfulness. I haven’t the slightest concern about the future of this Church as I see our young people. They study the scriptures. They go to seminary …They pray about their decisions. They socialize among themselves in a wonderful atmosphere of faithfulness. They are on their way to becoming strong, and faithful, and able Latter-day Saints, who will deliver when they are called upon to do so” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Messages of Inspiration from President Hinckley,” Church News, Dec. 2, 2000, 2)
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