Recently, a leader in the Jewish community in Florida visited Salt Lake City. He was interested in knowing how the LDS Church’s seminary program functions so that he could try to implement a similar model for Jewish youth in Florida schools. He was taken to a local released-time seminary in Salt Lake where he could ask questions to the local seminary principal and observe some seminary classes. As he sat in the back of one class, the seminary principal leaned over to explain to him what was going on, but when he started talking to the Jewish leader, the man put up his hand to signal to him to stop. Not fully understanding, the seminary principal tried to re-word what he had started to say, and as he began to speak, the Jewish leader turned to the seminary principal and said, “Shhh. I want to listen to what is going on here.” Surprised, the seminary principal noticed the Jewish visitor was visibly emotional, with tears welling up in his eyes. To the seminary principal, this was just another average seminary class with students discussing the scriptures and learning the gospel, to the Jewish man, it was a miracle. Afterward, the Jewish leader asked the seminary principal,”Does this happen every day?” to which the principal said, “Yes. And often, more powerfully.” The Jewish leader then said something interesting. He said, “You have an amazing thing going on here. Do you realize what you have in this program? This….This is a miracle.”
It is that time of year when LDS high school seniors are graduating from seminary, and when underclassmen are getting ready for summer and signing up for the upcoming school year. We felt that it is a good time to remind ourselves “what we have going on here” with the seminary and institute program and to invite all the youth who read this post to ensure that you are enrolled in seminary and institute for the upcoming school year (or, if you are a parent or youth leader, to encourage your youth to do the same). Here are some reasons why we should be involved in seminary and institute:
