Seminary

January 30, 2024 10:50 AM MST
This expansion to seminary curriculum will include new ‘life preparation lessons’ and will be implemented beginning this month in some areas of the United States and Canada.
1 Min Read
August 30, 2023 05:25 AM MDT
Here are five tips that I believe can help both you and your child get off to a good start with seminary and make the most of the opportunity to come closer to Christ.
4 Min Read
February 06, 2023 12:45 PM MST
These updates are meant to help instructors create experiences that will help deepen students’ conversion to the Savior Jesus Christ.
1 Min Read
November 10, 2022 02:05 PM MST
The new board includes representatives from the Deaf community and various Church departments.
2 Min Read
November 02, 2022 12:34 PM MDT
Elder Carlos A. Godoy’s story comes to life with clever and nostalgic animations reminiscent of the aesthetic and pop culture of the 1970s.
1 Min Read
April 14, 2022 09:10 AM MDT
Eager to see the class unfold, I positioned my achy self at the top of the steps, out of flu-sharing range but where I could secretly watch what was going on.
4 Min Read
December 16, 2020 07:05 PM MST
Beginning January 1, 2021, seminary students can expect some changes to their course of study. Changes include the following:
1 Min Read
February 11, 2020 05:00 PM MST
The room was filled with teachers from Seminaries and Institutes, and although Elder David A. Bednar was facilitating the discussion, he pointed to the importance of having the true teacher present.
6 Min Read
By  LDS Living
December 09, 2019 05:12 PM MST
Craig almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.
4 Min Read
June 14, 2019 03:39 PM MDT
Seminary and institute teachers today received instruction and guidance from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during an annual worldwide training broadcast designed to help them fulfill their roles as teachers and mentors for young members of the Church.
3 Min Read
June 04, 2019 03:17 PM MDT
At a Global Faculty Meeting, Chad H. Webb, Administrator for Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, announced additional changes to the seminary program coming in 2022 and expounded on the changes coming in 2020.
2 Min Read
March 22, 2019 03:17 PM MDT
In a significant shift to the curriculum followed by seminaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, seminary study will now align with that of the Come, Follow Me curriculum and schedule, the First Presidency announced Friday.
1 Min Read
By  LDS Living
December 19, 2018 02:21 PM MST
Latter-day Saint cancer survivor and seminary janitor Cheryl Stewart is always working. Whether she's working as a lunch lady for Teton High School in Driggs, Idaho, cleaning the school's seminary building, or cleaning the U.S. Forest Service Building, Stewart spends most of her time working.
1 Min Read
By  LDS Living
December 07, 2018 05:00 AM MST
Dakota and Ream Nelson were cleaning their garage on Saturday, July 11. Dakota left for just a moment to put some tools away. When he came back, Ream was on the ground, unconscious and not breathing.
1 Min Read
September 26, 2018 02:39 PM MDT
“Gone are the days when a student asked an honest question and a teacher responded, ‘Don’t worry about it!’ President Ballard said during the 2016 announcement for the updated seminary curriculum, doctrinal mastery. “Gone are the days when a student raised a sincere concern and a teacher bore his or her testimony as a response intended to avoid the issue. Gone are the days when students were protected from people who attacked the Church.”
1 Min Read
For several years now, we have collected hundreds of personal stories from young adults in the Church telling us how they were taught about sexuality. We are particularly intrigued by how frequently we are told by young people that their parents and Church leaders used object lessons to teach them about the law of chastity. Much can be learned from understanding the metaphors and messages that are intentionally—and unintentionally—expressed in these types of lessons.
9 Min Read
By  LDS Living
May 09, 2018 10:00 PM MDT
With seminary graduation just around the corner, these 10 gifts are the perfect way for seminary teachers, parents, and loved ones to prepare youth for their next adventure and help them celebrate the spiritual milestone they have reached.
2 Min Read
October 26, 2017 03:10 PM MDT
David Palmer, or Brother Palmer as his students know him, was discussing the importance of missionary work in a seminary class he taught several years ago when a student asked, “It’s true that you don’t have to go on a mission to go to the celestial kingdom, right?”
1 Min Read
September 08, 2017 02:48 PM MDT
Justin Su’a has gone from the seminary classroom to the sidelines and dugouts of NFL and MLB teams to inspire professional athletes to be the best that they can be.
1 Min Read
Fun
August 16, 2017 08:55 AM MDT
Elvis didn't relish his title of King. As he said, “there is only one King, and that is Jesus Christ."
2 Min Read
August 16, 2017 07:34 AM MDT
1. The founder of the program experienced a crisis of faith during his schooling.
7 Min Read
November 18, 2016 12:59 PM MST
Our prayers are with Kevin Jhostyn Regalado's family.
1 Min Read
October 25, 2016 04:25 PM MDT
"(The children) still say their sweet little prayers that Daddy will get better, and we explain to them that he’s getting more sick," says Erica Means, whose husband was given about 12 weeks to live.
1 Min Read
By  LDS Living
September 29, 2016 06:10 PM MDT
The seminary council for the Syracuse High School in Utah had an idea—create a music video focused on this year's seminary theme.
1 Min Read
September 09, 2016 01:00 PM MDT
Early-morning seminary offers wonderful blessings for your teenagers. But after a summer most likely spent sleeping in, the first few weeks of early-morning seminary can be a little difficult to get used to. Here are a few stages of getting up and getting ready for early-morning seminary that you and your teenagers may experience the first few weeks of the school year.
1 Min Read
June 29, 2016 06:47 PM MDT
“This is revelation,” said Elder Kim B. Clark, General Authority and Commissioner of Church Education. “This is the Lord moving us to a position to educate and develop the rising generation in a more powerful way than we have ever done before.”
1 Min Read
June 07, 2016 04:45 PM MDT
With social media and internet access, latter-day youth are constantly exposed to content that can challenge their faith. That is why the Church is rolling out a new program to help them answer tough doctrinal questions.
1 Min Read
March 01, 2016 02:10 PM MST
“Many of our young people are more familiar with Google than with the gospel, more attuned to the Internet than to inspiration and more involved with Facebook than with faith,” Elder Ballard said during a devotional. He talked of how youth will increasingly come face to face with challenging topics within the gospel, and that, as leaders, teachers, and parents, we must not be afraid to openly discuss such topics and encourage youth to ask questions and search them out using reliable media.
1 Min Read
September 22, 2015 05:51 PM MDT
MR says: The LDS Church raised the standards for seminary graduation last year. Check out how this change has impacted LDS teens.
1 Min Read
July 08, 2015 04:59 PM MDT
Though most places don’t hold seminary classes during the summer months, families can work together to keep the gospel fire that seminary ignites burning all summer long. Here are five ideas to help you keep the seminary firing burning.
1 Min Read
Fun
April 13, 2015 09:00 AM MDT
Though these videos are not new, the messages in these classic seminary shorts are just as powerful as when they were first released. Relive your seminary days or share you favorites with your kids, and let us know which one was your favorite in the comments below!
1 Min Read
February 09, 2015 10:21 PM MST
Photo from Seminary and Institutes of Religion “Tests? In Seminary? Tests in Seminary?” As a seminary teacher, that’s what went through my mind when I heard the announcement of the new Seminary graduation requirements. And if you have a student in Seminary and didn’t think about it before, you might be thinking that now. Along with a few other questions, like, “What does it all mean? How can you help your student graduate from Seminary? Is there a study guide for the test? What happens if they don’t pass it? How can I help my student be ready? What exactly does my student have to do to graduate?”
4 Min Read
February 04, 2015 06:02 PM MST
I've had the opportunity to work with youth inside and outside the LDS church in a number of different capacities throughout my life. During those times, I've often been approached by other leaders/counselors who have said things like “there’s something different about LDS youth” or “your youth are just so good.” While I absolutely do not claim that LDS youth have a monopoly on goodness, I think there is something to my friends’ observations. What is it that makes LDS youth stand out? In the end, I believe it stems from a firm knowledge of God’s plan for them and a strong conviction to live the principles of the restored gospel. Although the basis for most of this learning starts in the home, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a number of programs that support parents and help LDS youth put those principles into practice.
1 Min Read
January 21, 2015 09:45 PM MST
Whether it is getting up early or staying late, choosing to take seminary rather than another class at school, or setting time aside each day to spend time in their “virtual classroom,” the youth of the Church are making gospel study and learning a part of their everyday lives.
1 Min Read
January 12, 2015 10:39 PM MST
Remember the good ol’ days? It was one of your favorite classes in high school. With the object lessons, the Tom Trails slide shows, the songs, and the touch of spirituality that added to every day. But now, it seems like your teenager hasn’t yet grasped how fun and important seminary can be and simply doesn’t want to go. Is there anything that you can do? Here are a few things you might try.
2 Min Read
By  LDS Living
December 30, 2014 09:49 AM MST
In October, the Church released a transparent video explaining the sacred nature of temple garments by comparing them to religious clothing worn by people of other religions. The video generated a lot of public interest, drawing the attention of major news outlets such as the Washington Post and USA Today and becoming explosive on social media where it generated a lot of positive feedback.
5 Min Read
November 14, 2014 06:50 PM MST
LDS mothers with children at home are now eligible for full-time employment as teachers in the church's seminary and institute programs.
1 Min Read
September 15, 2014 06:34 PM MDT
Post by LDS Seminary.
1 Min Read
September 11, 2014 05:56 PM MDT
“With all the advances in technology in independent study courses, as well as online courses everywhere, we began to have conversations about if there would be a more effective way to help young people in these kinds of situations have a better experience,” said Kelly Haws, an administrator who oversees online seminary. “So we began thinking about ways more students might be able to participate in seminary.”
1 Min Read
August 18, 2014 06:01 PM MDT
New requirements for seminary graduation are meant to “elevate learning” and better prepare students for lives of service and discipleship. The changes are being implemented throughout the world beginning this school year with this year’s course of study — Doctrine and Covenants and Church History.
1 Min Read
By  PJ Howland
June 20, 2014 08:30 AM MDT
There are countless studies discussing the relationship between religion and teens' habits. In short, teens that are raised in a religious home are more likely to stay away from debilitating habits and develop healthier ones.
3 Min Read
June 05, 2014 03:28 PM MDT
As Joseph F. Merrill prepared to launch the first released-time seminary program at Granite High School in 1911, the future LDS apostle knew certain qualities would be vital for long-term success in the teaching position.
1 Min Read
By  PJ Howland
May 24, 2014 08:30 AM MDT
Having doubts about higher education? Maybe you're thinking about attending college but wonder whether it's worth the cost. Or maybe you're already a college student and are worried about whether you'll be able to get a good job in your field. You're right to be thinking about these issues.
3 Min Read
May 20, 2014 12:30 PM MDT
Last year, Chase Nelson and Taylor Compton were asked to serve on Logan (Utah) High School’s Seminary Council.
1 Min Read
March 27, 2012 04:01 PM MDT
The seminary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrates its 100th birthday this year. What started as a response to the public school system that gradually replaced private, church-owned academies in Utah, the seminary program was designed to supplement a secular education with LDS religion class, according to the book, “A Miracle in Weekday Religious Education,” by William E. Barrett.
1 Min Read
February 10, 2012 04:27 PM MST
After working for a year as a substitute, Brad Howell was hired as a full-time LDS seminary teacher in 1987. During summer training, he was introduced to President J. Reuben Clark’s classic 1938 address, “The Charted Course of the Church in Education,” which charged teachers to take students into the scriptures every day. Initially, Howell balked. It sounded good on paper, but he had his doubts.
1 Min Read
February 10, 2012 03:36 PM MST
1 Min Read
January 25, 2012 04:13 PM MST
One hundred years ago, in a building adjacent to Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, Thomas J. Yates served as the teacher of the first seminary class in the Church, a revolutionary undertaking for the time. Today, a century later, much has changed—Granite High School has closed, for instance. But seminary classes are still held at the site where seminary was first offered in 1912—and they are as innovative as their early predecessors. Here Nathan Van De Graaff serves as the coordinator for American Sign Language (ASL) seminary. In this role, he teaches standard seminary curriculum in ASL to classes of up to nine students each—students who are participating from their homes across the United States.
1 Min Read
January 20, 2012 03:09 PM MST
1 Min Read
January 20, 2012 02:48 PM MST
In 1912, adjacent to Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, Thomas J. Yates assumed the challenging task of organizing and teaching the first seminary class of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). Yates, a Cornell University trained engineer and a power plant employee, rode his horse at midday from his full-time job to teach the 70 students enrolled in the fledgling program.Yates recognized the demanding nature of the new educational pursuit. “This was a new venture,” he stated in his autobiography. “It had never been tried before. We could see wonderful possibilities; if it were successful it would mean a complete change for the Church.”
1 Min Read