Is Early Morning Seminary Deprivative?

[Just_A_Guy]

FWIW, on the list of the top ten students in my senior class (ranked by weighted GPA), four of those slots--including the top two--went to Mormons.

This was in a graduating class of (IIRC) about 350, and only ten of us were Mormons.

[Wingnut]

I always prefer to attend General Conference at the chapel, rather than at home. I feel that I get into the Spirit of it and focus much better that way. I have a hard time with the hybrid stake conferences, though. I think it's because I grew up going to the chapel for a GC broadcast, but stake conference has always been live, so it's a tough adjustment. I also think it's important to hear from our local leaders, so I have a hard time when the stake conference message is personalized to my area, not my stake.

[pam]

I hated having my kids go to early morning seminary the first few years. I felt bone tired for them, watching them stay up late to complete assignments after spending literally 12 hours at school with after school sports and activities- then Young Women's and Young Mens activities. It was all too much. BUT all three of my kids have/ are graduating with high GPA's (one kid never got less than an A, even in honors and AP classes) and have gotten scholarships to college. I think the Lord first blessed my chldren with bright minds (they all know there is much reqired of them because of it), but then helped them out also because of their seminary attendance.

I know it hasn't been this way for all their friends. Some have struggled much more with grades. But it truely is amazing how many LDS kids have graduated with honors from our town. So seminary must not be hurting them academically too much.

So now we are moving to a town with released time seminary and I've done a complete 180 over this. We'll miss early morning seminary so much. Not only that but school doesn't even start till almost 9 AM in our future high schools. It will be interesting to see how it affects the younger four kids. Will they become too lazy? Stay up too late and end up with poor grades because they aren't being challenged enough? Time will tell.

Sounds like your family will be the perfect ones to test the theory or the argument.

[Guest mormonmusic]

Sounds like your family will be the perfect ones to test the theory or the argument.

On this note, different people have different learning styles. In my work, I get to hear a lot of people express their reasons for why they are willing to drive an hour to attend a class, when the same class is offered online.

They say "I need the discipline of going there". "I like face to face interaction". I like being able to ask questions of a teacher and get an answer immediately". "I feel all alone when I take a course online; I like to be around people".

Others will say they prefer the online experience because it saves them time with their busy schedules, that a lot of time is wasted in setup and take-down when you attend a face-to-face meeting, and that often, they go to a class and get nothing out of it.

It really depends on learning styles and personal preferences. Naturally, I prefer to the online camp, partly because I spend a lot of time interacting with people this way, and partly because I have so many competing demands on my time.

[missmatalini]

Although I am thankful for seminary and it really does help keep the spirit around during the day, It really does take a toll on my energy.

Thankfully, my seminary starts at 6:45 (or is supposed to, people are always 10 minutes late)

I find it funny though, the teens I know that attend a seminary in their school complain its boring.

I tell them try waking up early to attend it haha.

[Onhech]

Although I am thankful for seminary and it really does help keep the spirit around during the day, It really does take a toll on my energy.

Thankfully, my seminary starts at 6:45 (or is supposed to, people are always 10 minutes late)

I find it funny though, the teens I know that attend a seminary in their school complain its boring.

I tell them try waking up early to attend it haha.

So I took early morning, and I loved it. The went to Institute for a few classes. Went on a mission, came back, now I attend BYUI and take religious classes in school for credit. I much prefer the institute classes that are extracurricular. I am not sure why, but I seem to learn more. Maybe its too much mingling of academic and spiritual. Meaning that now instead of reading cause I love it, I'm reading because i want to get a good grade. I would prefer to have more pure motivations. Maybe the problem is just my mindset though. I feel like i'm almost being compelled to be obedient

[missmatalini]

So I took early morning, and I loved it. The went to Institute for a few classes. Went on a mission, came back, now I attend BYUI and take religious classes in school for credit. I much prefer the institute classes that are extracurricular. I am not sure why, but I seem to learn more. Maybe its too much mingling of academic and spiritual. Meaning that now instead of reading cause I love it, I'm reading because i want to get a good grade. I would prefer to have more pure motivations. Maybe the problem is just my mindset though. I feel like i'm almost being compelled to be obedient

Haha, I've been to a few institute classes with my older cousin, and I would so much prefer to attend a class once a week in the evening as opposed to waking up early.

I learn so much more in those types of classes cause I'm actually alert and awake. >_< haha

[pam]

I got to thinking about this the last couple of days. I think one of the things I appreciate now about early morning seminary is the friendships that I made and still have 35 years later. I started going through a mental list of all the kids from church that I grew up with.

We had two words that combined for seminary in our building each morning. Two different high schools. Those of us that went regularly every morning pretty much still keep in touch with each other after all these years. We may not see each other very often in fact rarely but we are still in touch and know what's going on in each others lives. Those that didn't I've lost total contact with. Even though I saw them at church or school or Mutual, I honestly think also seeing them every morning at seminary helped form even more of a bond. For that I'm grateful.

Much different than say my daughter who took seminary as one of her classes in high school. To her it was just another class.

[lizzy12]

Seminary is nothing but a blessing in my life. It's a time to pray with friends just like me. do you have any idea what its like to go to a school were no only are there so few LDS members but also a school were going around the corner to people making out, talking vulgar ect.

My life goes better when i go to seminary. I know it.

Seminary has know ended but I'm trying to get a summernary going :)

[cassious]

I love seminary! I started going about a week or two before getting baptized. It's awesome. But, I think, at that early in the morning, a lot depends on the teacher. Our teacher is awesome, always wide awake and enthusiastic about everything, which makes it way more enjoyable.

I find, without seminary, I'm not as awake and get very grouchy. I also find it motivates me (scripture masteries!! I've got four left and our last day is this friday. I plan to finish them by then ).

Plus, everything seems way funnier at 6:30 in the morning!

[TL10]

I went to early morning seminary when I was in Grade Nine. Since I've started going to high school, I now go to seminary later in the morning, and I have to say, I've felt way better going to to seminary now at a later time than having to wake up at 5 30 am for it.

[Guest]

School starts at 7:00AM in the Philippines Monday to Friday for 40 weeks of every year for 10 years (not counting Kindergarten). It ends at 4:30 every one of those days too. And since a good majority of those children (I would say around 85%) go to school by public transportation, they have to be up by 5:30AM to make it to school on time. I wouldn't call every Filipino child sleep deprived.

[Fourth_Horseman]

So I came across this article earlier this evening. Then I joined this site. Then I saw this section. So I had to talk about it.

ARTICLE

Basically for those who do not wish to read the thought/argument is put forth:

1)Research shows that most teenagers receive less then the suggested eight hours of sleep per night.

2) Research suggests sleep deprivation is linked with academic performance

3) Seminary could be having depreciative effects on those attendees.

What does everyone think about it? Agree disagree? Why. I'll wait before I weigh in on this one.

Yay first post!

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Lynden Jensen

Check out my blog at:

Know♣Justice

I think it is. Most of the people here probably never had to be in seminary and are all older folk. I can tell you from experience, its blows. Its really an attempt to keep kids indoctinated in mormonism so they don't leave the church prior to going on a mission and doing the churches work on their own pay. By the time they come back from a mission they will be so throughly entrenched in the ideology it takes a serious blow to crack their faith. Then they can be a good tithing payer for the rest of their life. Think about it. Really think about it.

The church is very clever, no?