**This was originally written and posted several years ago when the seminary program changed and began requiring personal reading and passing an assessment in order to get full seminary credit.
The New Seminary Requirements
As a stake seminary coordinator I was surprised and excited about the new requirements for seminary. Prior to the beginning of the school year, the teachers in our stake determined to be positive as we presented the new requirements to the students and parents. As the year progressed, and particularly when some students did not pass the assessment, some of the teachers started hearing negative comments and getting resistance from both students and parents. Not long afterwards, I had the opportunity to address the youth at a seminary activity. I determined to speak to the youth about why the requirements have changed and the blessings of that change to hopefully to help people view it as a blessing rather than simply another requirement. The following week I was visiting with a friend in another stake and shared some of what I talked to the youth about. It seemed to help her as a parent understand and so I decided to write this blog post to share my thoughts and hopefully help others understand the potential positive impact of the new requirements.
When I mentioned to my husband what I was going to be talking to the youth about, he told me I should tell them that the new requirements are their fault. He was even pointing his finger as he said, “It is all your fault.” I didn’t really like where I thought this was going, but listened thinking, there was no way I would do or say that. Then he added, “It’s your fault because if you hadn’t been so valiant before you came to earth, you would have been born when I was and you wouldn’t have to worry about the new requirements!” Well, suddenly I liked where that was going! When I shared that story with the youth their skeptical faces quickly changes to smiles. I did a quick search on lds.org for a quote and the first one I found was exactly what I needed. It was given by then President Ezra Taft Benson clear back in 1979!
He said, “In all ages prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—this is a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been so well organized. Now is the great day of the devil’s power. But now is also the great day of the Lord’s power…”
Those words, “never before on the face of the earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been so well organized” kept coming to my mind. A lot has changed since 1979, and we can continue to see the organization and strength of the forces of evil. What may have been adequate defenses then are simply not sufficient now.
The youth today have been prepared and are continuing to be prepared for the evils in the day they live, and also for the good that is required of them. In 1995 the Primary curriculum changed drastically. My oldest was then 4 years old, and was learning about the First Vision on his second week in Primary. The nursery children now receive that lesson. . Later, Activity Days for girls was introduced, as was a renewed emphasis on earning the faith in God award for both boys and girls. Personal Progress has seen major changes over the years, and now young men focus on the Duty to God program. The Sunday school curriculum also changed twice in the last 10 years or so. The first change came as the older youth began the adult curriculum for Gospel Doctrine. Then just 3-4 years ago the curriculum changed again to “Come Follow Me”, which involves much more than sitting in a class and listening to a set lesson, but encourages participation, following the spirit in preparation and also increasing youth participation and teaching opportunities. So while the adults are still in the same Gospel Doctrine classes with the same manuals, the youth curriculum has once again changed to increase the opportunities to feel the Holy Ghost and increase learning.
The 2013/2014 school year saw the first of the new seminary curriculum. It is fantastic! There are continual updates on-line with links to media, and current teachings from our leaders. Not only is it a lesson manual, but it gives continual teacher improvement hints each lesson. Certainly an emphasis is on improved teaching as well as learning. This school year we have the new requirements for seminary completion. We are seeing a continual pattern of improvement…”the forces of good have never been so well organized.”
In Alma we read in chapters 48 and 49 about the way the Nephites prepared themselves from possible attack under the leadership of Captain Moroni. On the Lamanite side, wicked Amalakiah prepared his armies unlike ever before. They had shields, breastplates, and garments of skin to protect themselves. Because of that preparation and the greatness of their numbers they supposed that they could easily overpower the Nephites and came to battle. I love to read their response in Alma 49:8 when they saw the preparation the Nephites had made, “But behold, to their uttermost astonishment, they were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi. Now they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle after the manner of the instructions of Moroni.” I like to visualize the faces of the Lamanites as they saw the banks of earth and the pickets and the towers that had been built to fortify their cities. The Lamanites tried attacking multiple cities, but because of the preparation already in place, they could not come upon them. Alma 48:23 reads, “Thus the Nephites had all power over their enemies.”
We know that the Book of Mormon was written for our day. I spent years wondering how and when all those war chapters would be used for battle in the last days. Thankfully I have realized that those war chapters apply as much to us right here and now as any other chapters in the Book of Mormon. The war we are fighting is fought every single day–we are fighting the biggest battle that has ever existed, the battle against good and evil.
Wouldn’t it be great to re-word Alma 49:8 to read, “But behold, to the Devil’s uttermost astonishment, the youth of the latter-days were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known among the children of the covenant. Now they were prepared for the evils of the last day after the manner of the instructions of our prophets and apostles.”
Like those Nephites, the youth of today are being prepared. Under the direction of our leaders, the requirements for seminary have changed. It isn’t simply to challenge them, but to prepare them, to give them the tools to resist the adversary and to fulfill their role in hastening the work in the last days.
My favorite new requirement is the requirement to read each of the books of scripture we are studying. I KNOW the scriptures bring power to our lives. We need that power every single day. Studying the scriptures changes us. It helps us to see and discern things that are often hard to detect in todays skewed world. More than ever before we each, youth especially, need the power that comes from the scriptures. In order to stay spiritually strong, reading the scriptures daily is a requirement–not just for seminary.
The other new requirement, passing the learning assessments may be the most difficult requirement for the majority of parents, students and even teachers to understand the necessity for. I have seen a difference though in the learning of my class this year. Because they are now expected to learn and not just be present, they are being better learners. They are paying better attention and taking notes. As they show that they are willing to improve their learning, they will see an increase in the things revealed to them. Both Richard G. Scott and David A. Bednar have spoken quite a bit about the role of the learner and how taking an active role in learning increases the capacity to learn tremendously as well as invites the influence of the Holy Ghost in testifying. Just showing up is no longer adequate preparation.
The assessments are also making us as teachers step it up a notch. We are getting the clear message that it matters what we teach. What we teach and how we teach will effect out students. It helps us to see what the most important doctrines and principles are and make sure there is an understanding going on. The curriculum no longer includes a weekly class to scripture chase or play other games, but there are more lessons, so we have more opportunities to invite the Holy Ghost into the lives of each student.
How blessed we are to have prophets who truly are seers and know what we need, even before we need it, and to have leaders who are inspired to make changes that aren’t popular or convenient, but changes that we need to prepare for days ahead.
President Benson said on another occasion, “Never has the Church had a finer group of young people. They are choice spirits—sent to earth in this most challenging and important period of the world. Charged with the great responsibility of building up the kingdom of God on earth, they have an awesome challenge.”
We know from prophets that they are up to the challenge. And as a whole they will succeed! BUT, success won’t come just from speaking it, but from action. Success comes from continual improvement and strengthening. Their lives will be blessed from the new requirements as they learn of the Savior and feel more profoundly the influence of the Holy Ghost in their lives.
Family is Everything 