Testimonies of Witnesses...

We have had a wonderful first week in Seminary.  The class is on time, awake, alert, and PARTICIPATING!  I am thrilled to have grown our class from 14 to 20 in the first week!  I already love each one of them.  If there is someone you know who should be in seminary, but is not attending, please make an effort to invite them. Feel free to invite your friends to join us in seminary.  Everyone is welcome, including parents if you should ever wish to attend.

Every student should be working towards accomplishing the following goals (which are the basis of grades) in Seminary this year:

1. Memorizing the 25 Scripture Mastery Scriptures.
2. Reading the Book of Mormon Daily and writing in their Scripture journals about it.
3. Attending a minimum of 80% of the class for each semester.  
4. Actively Participating in Class Discussions.

I have asked that the students bring, and LEAVE, a copy of scriptures (all standard works), in seminary.  Their scriptures will be kept in our closet.  I would prefer that the set that they use in seminary is the one that they might consider taking on their missions.  We spent hours marking and cross referencing theses scriptures which would be useful tools to them should they decide to serve missions. They will also need to have another set of scriptures available to read at home for their daily personal study.

The Objective of Seminaries:  

"Our purpose is to help youth and young adults understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessing of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven."

I know that fatigue will set in soon, but I am really enjoying myself this first week!  We have had lessons about the role of the learner in seminary, studying scriptures, the Plan of Salvation in the Book of Mormon, The Title page, Introduction, and Testimony of the Witnesses of the Plates. This year we will be studying, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ in great detail. 

 The Prophet Joseph Smith’s testified that ‘I told the Brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."  (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). 
 

President Henry B. Eyring said this about the Book of Mormon:

“Each time I read even a few lines in the Book of Mormon, I feel my testimony strengthened that the book is true, that Jesus is the Christ, that we can follow Him home. … It has been for me the book of books. It is the word of God.

“I pray that we and all those we love will drink deeply and daily from it” (“The Book of Mormon as a Personal Guide,” Ensign, Sept. 2010, 5).

 

President Ezra Taft Benson, taught us more about how the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.  He said:

“There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony”

 “All objections, whether they be on abortion, plural marriage, seventh-day worship, etc., basically hinge on whether Joseph Smith and his successors were and are prophets of God receiving divine revelation. Here, then, is a procedure to handle most objections through the use of the Book of Mormon.

“First, understand the objection.

“Second, give the answer from revelation.

“Third, show how the correctness of the answer really depends on whether or not we have modern revelation through modern prophets.

“Fourth, explain that whether or not we have modern prophets and revelation really depends on whether the Book of Mormon is true.

“Therefore, the only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation” (“The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God,” Ensign, May 1975, 64–65).

For TEN team points, tell Sister Colvin which General Authority spoke in the Mormon Message, and what was the question that he asked the audience.