In honor of #ThrowbackThursday, LDS.net is throwing it back to the first ever seminary class organized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over a hundred years ago, in 1911, the first released-time seminary class started at Granite High School in Salt Lake City. The amazing thing is that this started as an experiment by an LDS stake, but has now grown to a world-wide official program of the Church.
Deseret News reports that the inspiration for starting a seminary class came from one family’s simple Family Home Evening. Joseph F. Merrill, the father of the household, listened as his wife taught their children from the scriptures one Monday evening. He was impressed with the way she taught. When asked where she learned to teach like that, Merrill’s wife responded that while attending Salt Lake Academy she took James E. Talmage’s class. Trent Toone of Deseret News wrote:
Impressed by his wife’s actions and drawing on his own educational experience, Merrill proposed that a facility be built near the school and students could be temporarily released to attend religious classes. The idea was presented to church and community leaders and approved, Griffiths wrote.
While supervising the construction of the building and developing the curriculum, Merrill sought to identify the right man for the job. The first seminary teacher chosen was Thomas Yates.
The Church reports that since Yates’ first seminary class, the program has now grown to teach over 700,000 students in 143 different countries. Seminary classes are taught by 50,000 full-time, part-time, and volunteer teachers and administrators. The reason the Church has instituted an international program geared toward high school-aged youth is to help them to learn, understand, and apply the teachings of Jesus Christ as they rely on the Atonement. Doing so will help them qualify for the blessings of the temple and bless the lives of others. Youth in Utah have the option to participate in released-time seminary, where students are released from school for around 45 minutes to attend a class. Youth who are not given the option of released-time seminary are provided the opportunity to attend early morning class which meets before the students begin their school day.I hope every one of you goes to seminary. I am glad you do. It is good for you. Go there to learn and become acquainted with the gospel. Some day every one of you is going to have to defend this Church, to explain it to others. Now is the time to prepare. – President Gordon B. Hinckley
Deseret News reported Brad Howell, who oversees the training of seminary teachers, saying:
“To think that you may have played a small role in helping a young man or woman to establish their faith, that’s fun…It’s a very rewarding career.”
Students who receive credit for four years of seminary instruction are given a diploma to recognize their accomplishment. Share some of your fond seminary memories in the comments below.
