Teens & Seminary

When reading through the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, two particular things seem to happen again and again. As the righteous people in the land, known as the Nephites, follow the Lord’s commandments they are blessed. Their lands produce bountiful harvests, they become rich in gold and silver and many precious things, all as a blessing for doing what is right. At times they are living so righteously there are no poor among them.

Usually when things are going this well two things invariably happen. First, there are those who begin to value the gold and silver, the fine silks and linens, far above helping those who may be in need. They would willingly rebuff those who might come to them for help. Second, there are those who begin to think too much of themselves, not due to their riches, but because of their wisdom. They are learned men who think they know better than everyone, even God.

It is this second group our next scripture mastery verses focus on in the Book of Mormon.

“O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God” (2 Nephi 9:28-29).

To have a love of learning is a wonderful thing. Whether you find yourself focusing on one particular subject, like art or physics, or would rather learn about a variety of things, learning is a good thing. We must never forget, however, that this love to learn, and the ability to do so are granted to us by our Heavenly Father. The danger lies in when we begin to trust more in ourselves more than in God.

In these cycles I mentioned before individuals inevitably became certain that their own ideas trumped the silly ramblings of supposed prophets of God. Some claimed they knew better than the prophets and led many people away from the Lord’s Church. Others claimed there was no God at all, and eventually left the Nephites altogether to join those who opposed (the Lamanites).

When this pride, both of learning and of riches, turned good people toward wickedness, the Lord would begin a path of humbling the Nephites. It would happen through wars with the Lamanites, or famine, or in being brought into captivity. Regardless of the method it was meant to remind the people to whom they owed their vast knowledge and riches. Only after great suffering, repentance, and a sincere change of heart would the people find themselves being blessed once again.

You and I find ourselves in a time when the rich are getting richer while the poor become poorer. People value gold and silver more than their fellow men. Learned men and women expound about how there is no God, or are more concerned with expounding their own words and ideas rather than God’s. We can see the cycle happening even in our world today.

So what can we learn from those who have gone through this before? Keep the Lord’s commandments. Follow the words of His prophets, both those from the Bible and Book of Mormon, and those who reside with us in these latter-days. If you are fortunate enough to come from a family with money, don’t value it over those who are in need. If you have access to books and teachers, be watchful. Consult your Heavenly Father in what He would have you do with this knowledge.

Those who have learned to submit to the Father in all things are perhaps the wisest of us all.

In the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, we find a little clearer description of the purpose of the fall of Adam, and it’s done in two short statements.

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).

When Adam and Eve first resided in the Garden of Eden they were given two commandments. The first was not to partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Both Adam and Eve came to know it was necessary to partake of the forbidden fruit. Only by introducing sin into the world could the earth be made ready for all of us to come and live, be tested, and prove ourselves worthy to return to a heavenly life.

Had Adam and Eve never taken that first bite we would not be here today. Some might say this is a good thing, but our Heavenly Father’s Plan could not have come to pass otherwise. Adam and Eve knew of the second commandment and came to realize if they did not commit the first sin they could not fulfill the second (to multiply and replenish the earth). Their bodies were immortal, unable to bring mortal beings into the world.

There was another purpose to this first sin, which we can find in the second part of the scripture. We were all to come to earth in the hopes of experiencing joy. The word ‘joy’ may have a different meaning to some today, but remember this word was written almost 600 years before Christ came to the earth. Joy does not mean pleasure, it does not mean having tons of irreverent fun.

Joy comes in the most perfect, tender moments of our lives. It comes from knowing someone loves you no matter what. It comes from serving others. It comes from following the guidelines and commandments our Savior put in place so we might maintain that joy. Even when we are being tried and tested we can find joy.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), we have a different view of this ‘original sin,’ as most other churches refer to it.

“We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (Articles of Faith 1:2).

In other words, we don’t need to worry about being punished for the choice Adam made. We certainly have enough to deal with when it comes to our own mistakes and wrong choices. That first sin was a necessary step in bringing about the salvation of mankind. As Christ took upon Him all of our sins, he paid the debt of this first sin.

Adam and Eve broke a commandment of God when they chose to eat the forbidden fruit, but without that choice the entire plan of salvation would have stalled. We would never have had the chance to come here to earth. We would never have known joy. We would never have had the blessing of living with our Heavenly Father again.

I don’t know about you, but I am grateful for that first, difficult choice Adam and Eve made.

Nephi, an ancient prophet whose emigration from Jerusalem to the Americas is recorded in the Book of Mormon, revered two particular Bible men: Moses and Isaiah.

As we read through Nephi’s words we can see that he has taken studying his scriptures quite seriously. It is obvious how much he respects the words of the prophet Isaiah as he quotes entire passages of Isaiah’s prophecies. It is also quite obvious he considers Moses to be one of his greatest heroes, as Nephi refers to him, and the great man he became, time and time again.

His purpose in doing so was to remind himself as well as his family the importance of studying scripture, of learning from the examples and righteous words of the prophets of God, and of likening the scriptures to our own lives.

“And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23).

The written word is sacred, so sacred records have been kept since the beginning with Adam and Eve. Scriptures are a written record of the words of the Lord. How can we truly follow in the footsteps of the Lord if we have not feasted upon His words?

There are steps we can take in our journey of feasting upon the words of the Lord and of likening all scriptures to our own lives. Five steps to help you begin have been addressed by David A. Bednar, an apostle of the Lord and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church).

1. Pray for understanding, and invite the help of the Holy Ghost. How can we learn the things of the Spirit without the help of the Spirit? We are encouraged to pray before we begin studying, as we study, and after.

2. Work. Does that sound a little odd? Take a moment to think about the difference between reading for fun and reading the words of the scriptures. I can often read a 300+ page book in less than a day when it’s purely for entertainment. When it comes to reading my scriptures I find my mind tired after reading a few pages. Why do you think this is? When we read the word of the Lord there is work involved: lessons to be gathered, studying to be done, truth to be unfolded in front of our eyes.

3. Be consistent. Studying the Bible or Book of Mormon every day is a choice. It won’t simply happen. Even if it’s just for ten or fifteen minutes before school or after dinner, we daily need to make the choice to study.

4. Ponder. What do you think of when you read that word?

“The word ponder means to consider, contemplate, reflect upon, or think about. Pondering the scriptures, then, is reverent reflecting on the truths, experiences, and lessons contained in the standard works. The process of pondering takes time and cannot be forced, hurried, or rushed” (David A. Bednar, “Because We Have Them before Our Eyes,” New Era, Apr 2006).

Don’t be so concerned with reading a certain amount every day, like three chapters. Instead make the time you spend studying mean something to you. As you read you might find something catching your eye, like the blessings given to Jacob’s sons. This leads us to the final step.

5. Write down impressions, thoughts, and feelings. I call this a Scripture Journal, and recently took a class where a young lady had put this idea into action. She now has dozens of journals, and has fine-tuned her writings to an art. Revelations about her life have come through this activity. Just as Richard G. Scott, another apostle of the Lord, has taught us:

“You will find that as you write down precious impressions, often more will come. Also, the knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life. Always, day or night, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, seek to recognize and respond to the direction of the Spirit. Express gratitude for the help received and obey it. This practice will reinforce your capacity to learn by the Spirit. It will permit the Lord to guide your life and to enrich the use of every other capacity latent in your being” (Richard G. Scott, “To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use It Wisely,” Ensign, June 2002).

Likening the scriptures to our own lives takes work, but it can only lead to blessing our lives in such a way as to guide us on our journey to becoming more like Jesus Christ.

I’d like to start off our study of Scripture Mastery verses by looking at the Book of Mormon. For those of you who haven’t heard of this book, or have heard a little and aren’t certain what it’s about, the Book of Mormon is an ancient record of the people who lived in the Americas back before, during, and about 400 years after the time of Christ. Those of us in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church) believe it to be another testament of Jesus Christ.

In the first few chapters of the Book of Mormon we’re introduced to a young man by the name of Nephi. One of the first things you’ll come to see, respect, and love about Nephi is his unswerving desire to do what is right. Coupled with this is his resolute faith in God.

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7).

During the course of his life Nephi was asked to accomplish many seemingly impossible things. As you can see from this verse his faith was so great he knew anything the Lord asked of him could be done, because with God, nothing is impossible.

For many of us this is not such an easy concept to put into play in our lives. Satan works hard to undermine our faith in God as well as in ourselves. Echoes of “I can’t do it” resound from person to person, but this is not the Lord’s plan for us.

We are all children of God. This one bit of knowledge holds so much power. If we are God’s children doesn’t it stand to reason that what He asks us to do can be done, no matter what the rest of the world, or even your family, may think?

If Jesus Christ had personally not had a firm faith in His Heavenly Father and His own purpose here on earth, do you think He could have accomplished the impossible? If Christ had believed the constant denials of His heritage, the mocking voices, and the cruel actions of His spirit brothers and sisters here on earth, what would have happened to all of us? We would be eternally separated from our Heavenly Father.

We too are spirit sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. There is a bit of Him in us. We have been blessed with a divine nature. Like Nephi, we too can come to have such a firm faith and knowledge in who we are, who our brother Jesus Christ is, and in our Heavenly Father, that there is nothing we cannot do. Sure there may be times when Satan will work hard to put as many stumbling blocks in our way as possible. Even our Heavenly Father may give us a roadblock here and there, but it is only to help us grow into the person He knows we can be.

Today I want you to take this scripture and in place of Nephi’s name put your own. Make it personal for you. Write it down and put it in a place you’ll see every day. Watch how the constant reminder will begin to bless your lives.

For those who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), the words ‘Scripture Mastery’ have a double meaning.

The first thing we’ll think of is a set of 100 verses of scripture that “have been deemed especially important by church leaders”
(www.mormonwiki.com/Scripture_Mastery). These verses are split up between the four standard works, which are studied in Seminary over the course of four years: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants.

During the year seminary teachers work hard to help teens memorize the 25 verses associated with the particular course of study, coming up with key words, quizzes, and games to make learning them fun.

There’s another aspect to Scripture Mastery that our teens learn, perhaps without even realizing it. Think of what it means to master something: you become an expert, you come know something inside and out, and you are well practiced. Each set of Scripture Mastery verses is a stepping off point in become a master of the scriptures. Why would this be important in the lives of teens?

Teaching anyone to rely first and foremost on the word of the Lord is vital to their eternal happiness. It may not be the first place they’ll turn every time, but as they see it working towards their good they will do it more often. We all can benefit from searching the scriptures in any time of our lives. Whether we’re sad, in pain, confused, in need of answers, or any other conceivable situation we can find something in the Word to help us along. Even if it’s not for our own benefit we can turn to Him for answers. By memorizing scriptures we begin a journey that can help us come to know the scriptures and recall them when needed.

Richard G. Scott, an apostle of the Lord, spoke on why it is necessary to study and memorize the scriptures.

“The Holy Ghost can’t bring to your memory a scripture that will touch someone’s heart if you haven’t studied the scriptures yourself.

“Teaching by the Spirit means there needs to be an investment of time and effort. It isn’t saying, ‘Well, I’m just going to go out there and wait for the Spirit to tell me what to do.’ You have to store the gospel . . . in your mind and heart” (Richard G. Scott and Charles Didier, “Be One of the Greatest,” New Era, Mar 2004).

If we want to be able to recall a needed verse in a moment’s notice we need to put in the work. Start with some of your favorites.

“I suggest that you memorize scriptures that touch your heart and fill your soul with understanding. When scriptures are used as the Lord has caused them to be recorded, they have intrinsic power that is not communicated when paraphrased. Sometimes when there is a significant need in my life, I review mentally scriptures that have given me strength. There is great solace, direction, and power that flow from the scriptures, especially the words of the Lord.” (Jacob 4:10). (Richard G. Scott, “He Lives,” New Era, Dec 2000).

This is why we encourage our youth to begin mastering their scriptures through Scripture Mastery. I hope to share many of these verses, and what they’ve come to mean in my own life. Just remember, these verses are only a starting off point. They are be no means considered the most important nor the only ones to be memorized.

Take a few minutes over the next few days and think about the scripture verses that mean the most to you in your own lives.

There is something truly beautiful about taking a portion of one’s day and spending it surrounded by others with the same purpose: to be taught about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It stands as a fortifier against the evils Satan constantly throws our way, and reminds us of the truly important things in this life.

Mormon youth, or those belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are given this opportunity through the Seminary Program.

In the May 1984 Ensign (Mormon magazine) Gordon B. Hinckley, current President of the Mormon Church, stated regarding the blessings of the Seminary program: “Knowledge of the gospel will be increased, faith will be strengthened, and you will enjoy wonderful associations and friendships with those of your own kind.”

Those who have taken Seminary, and taken it seriously, found themselves blessed in their daily routines. One student related: “After a while, I could tell a huge difference in my attitude and performance for the better between the days I went and the days I didn’t.” When we give even a portion of our time to our spiritual side, in a way feeding our souls, we will find other aspects of our lives settling into place.

I’m not saying our problems will get easier due to enthusiastic Seminary participation. Instead it will be our abilities to handle the hardships of life that are strengthened. Our minds will become clearer and better tuned to the whisperings of the Spirit of the Lord. Making correct choices will become second nature, and as we’ve all been taught, following the Lord’s way can only lead us to greater blessings.

For those lucky enough to have a Seminary building right near their school, it can become a safe haven as well. During lunchtime at the Seminary I attended, the building would be filled with students: chatting with other students or teachers, eating lunch, spending extra time studying their scriptures, or participating in the enthusiastic ping-pong games set up in the main foyer. My friends and I always met together to enjoy the wonderful spirit that resided within the four walls of that blessed building.

President Hinckley said regarding these friends: “I want to say to you, look for your friends among members of the [LDS] Church; band together and strengthen one another. And when the time of temptation comes, you will have someone to lean on to bless you and give you strength when you need it.” This quote came from an address given at an Oregon Conference 15 Sept. 1996.

The friends youth make in Seminary are certainly not perfect. For the most part, however, they are striving towards the same goals like going on a church mission or getting married in the temple.

I know of young men and women who only took Seminary because it was expected of them. They didn’t really listen, never participated, and didn’t really get anything out of the classes. What a loss, I say. They will never realize what an extraordinary experience they let pass by.

Knowledge is power. We try to encourage the youth of the LDS Church to do their part in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. More than that, we want them to consider these classes to be as important as, if not more so, learning about Biology, Chemistry, or English. Knowledge of the gospel will be what carries them through this life.

In most churches seminary is a college where students are trained to become a minister, rabbi, or member of the priesthood. For youth it can also be a church funded high school, called a ‘mini-seminary’, with the specific purpose of training young men to prepare to enter the adult seminary.

Though the seminary is also a school in the Mormon Church (preferably known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS Church), unlike the seminaries of other religions, it is open to all youth belonging to the LDS Church who desire to learn more about the standard works of the gospel: Old Testament/Pearl of Great Price, New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants/LDS Church History.

Each of these works is rotated over the course of four years, allowing new students entering 9th grade to complete the Seminary Program by 12th grade. If any youth between 9th and 12th grade who are not members of the LDS Church wish to join the seminary program they are certainly allowed to do so. At the end of these four years, if the student has made an honest effort to attend class, participate in any activities, and learn Scripture Mastery, they will be awarded a certificate.

In an area where there are many LDS youth, the Church will often purchase land near the schools where a seminary building is built within walking distance. When this occurs released time permits are negotiated to allow students to use one of their electives in order to leave school grounds to attend a seminary class. There can be as many as five or six teachers in one seminary building, with each teaching five or six classes over the course of the day. These teachers are employed by the Church Educational System (CES).

In areas where LDS youth may not be as prevalent or laws don’t permit it, students take Daily Seminary, previously called ‘early-morning’. Classes are held at 6:00 am, occasionally after regular school hours, and may occur at a local church building or a member’s home. Those who teach Daily Seminary do so as volunteers.

In the same pattern set up for the other organizations of the LDS Church, each class has a presidency. Through inspiration a student is invited to be the Class President, and chooses two counselors as well as a secretary.

For those who live in an area where Daily Seminary isn’t viable – the program is not offered or they live too far away – they are encouraged to do a home study program. Just as in any class, students are provided learning materials to help them study the scriptures on a daily basis, as well as to keep them on track with the rest of the program. These students will also meet with a teacher employed by the Church Educational System at least once a week as well.

The objective of religious education in the Church Educational System is to assist the individual, the family, and priesthood leaders in accomplishing the mission of the Church by—

1. Teaching students the gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the standard works and the words of the prophets.

2. Teaching students by precept and example so they will be encouraged, assisted, and protected as they strive to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Providing a spiritual and social climate where students can associate together.

I can personally testify of the amazing guidance and strength that attending seminary all four years provided for me. It helped to keep my spiritual self balanced with the rest of my life.