Seminary Advice – Aug 2008 (These thoughts are solely my opinions and might even need correction!) Always start on time. If you keep starting later and later – then the students will le…

While researching Skyped seminary, I found this old post on Early Morning Seminary at Segullah. I got really tickled. It's always a pleasure to hear other

I'm an early morning seminary teacher to 31 awesome juniors & seniors. Join us on our journey through the Book of Mormon.

Even those who would study at home, can't you see the benefit that comes from having gospel discussions with others and sharing insights?

Students hate Seminary for many of the same reasons they hate school. I know I hated school, and there were times I didn't like Seminary, either. Below

One of the things I like to do during the summer time is prepare a few “super lessons” that I can use throughout the school year for seminary.

Seminary Advice – Aug 2008 (These thoughts are solely my opinions and might even need correction!) Always start on time. If you keep starting later and later – then the students will le…

Mormon teens all over the world attend religious instruction each day called LDS Seminary. Some of these teens attend this class in the early morning before their school starts.

Last year, I was released from my calling as an early-morning seminary teacher in Caldwell, Idaho. I taught for four years and so I know…

Did you know I teach seminary? It is a scripture study program for high school aged youth in our church. In most areas these youth attend seminary every day, usually early morning before school sta…

I'll get straight to the big news. I am now an early morning Seminary Teacher!!!! It is a clear example of being careful what you pray for. When we made the decision to move across town to a new Ward and Stake, I prayed that I would be prepared to serve in any manner the Lord needed. After years of being very busy and involved in my Church callings, the past few years, I have not had callings that require a lot of time or preparation. At some points this was a blessing because I was able to be heavily involved as a leader in School, Civic, Community, and Charity events. The Seminary Teacher who started the year with this class needs to step back and may not be able to complete the year. Before I even knew that, the spirit told me I would be teaching Seminary. I quickly responded to the spirit that there was already a Seminary teacher in place for the year and I dismissed the thoughts promptings as perhaps something down the road...like next year! Minutes after those promptings came, I was met by the current Seminary teacher who asked me to substitute for a day, week, month, or longer. Well, it is for longer. The Stake President met with Ron and me and made it official. I am the new early morning Seminary Teacher for 24 INCREDIBLE teenagers. They will teach me more than I teach them. I have taught them for the past 2 weeks at 6am every school day. I am considering starting a separate blog to keep track of the things that work (and maybe don't work so well). This way I will have a "go to" place when my ideas run short. I want to use Friday as a change of pace day. Perhaps games, activities, etc. to reinforce what we have covered during the week. Today, I had them leave the classroom and as they entered the Cultural Hall, I taped the name of one of the books of the New Testament on their backs. There was no talking allowed and no one was to ask or tell anyone what was taped on their backs. Without talking, they had to line up in the order they are found in The New Testament. It was great to see the dynamics of the group work together. Once they were in order, I had another student (who missed getting a name on his back) confirm they were correct. Then they placed the names on the front of their shirts and we sang "The Books in The New Testament" from The Primary Children's Songbook. Very effective and fun way to reinforce what we are learning. After this we played another game (see next post). Games are an effective fun way to bond as a group and reinforce principles and information we are learning.

LDS Seminary Class ideas, Young Men and Young Women ideas for lessons and activities

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When we first met the seminary teacher of our church, and asked how many students attended early morning seminary class my jaw literally dropped! I was amazed when she mentioned that there were 20 kids attending. With Lexie that made 21. Lexie seemed a bit excited, and a bit unsure on how to take this news. She was so used to a small group of kids back in our old congregation which was usually anywhere between six to eight kids. And now, there are 21 kids! A week before seminary began we had a fireside for the parents, and children for those taking seminary this year. I was really impressed with how well this fireside was put together, and how caring the seminary teacher is, and if you don't mind I'm going to boast about her for just a bit. Sister Dearden is one of the most kindest sisters I've ever met, and is going on her eighth year of teaching seminary to the youth, and doesn't in the least look burned out! She was so insightful with her words, and the way she expressed the love for the gospel was so sincere. She converted to the church when she was 18, and has such a deep appreciation for teaching the gospel, and getting to know the kids. All of her children are grown, and out of the house which makes her an empty nestor, but having these kids every day in her home for 45 minutes brings a smile to her face. Knowing that these kids are learning about Christ's teachings truly brightens her life, and it shows every time I see her. The bishop even mentioned how she definitely is a morning person, and I could see that she is every time we come to church. She's always jovial! Well, a week of seminary has passed, and so far Lexie is loving it. One thing she loves about the whole seminary set up in Sister Dearden's home is that she has chairs as their desk. It's totally set up like a class at church. She loves that set up because it prevents her from falling asleep. Her teacher before had a long table which was so easy for the kids to put their head down, and conk out! Not this set up! If they do fall asleep they will literally fall out of their chair. The remarks our Bishop gave that evening were one of the most inspiring remarks I've ever heard in a long time that I really needed to hear. I think we all did. His remarks were inspiring, and were focused on having a love, and commitment to The Lord in learning all about His life. His compassion that was expressed when he mentioned finding ways to get all the kids to seminary was super impressive! I saw a light in him that shined so bright because of how passionate he is to get all the kids to seminary. He really wants all the youth to attend, and emphasized how important, and beneficial attending seminary can be in their lives. He mentioned that although there will be a lot of school work, and extracurricular activities that will exhaust them, attending seminary will be something to help them deal with all they have to face in a world that teaches us what's not good! Spencer W. Kimball said, "Of all treasures of knowledge, the most vital is the knowledge of God, his existence, powers, love, and promises." I wholeheartedly agree, and because of seminary I get the chance to ask Lexie all about her morning, and somewhat learn with her. This year they all learning the New Testament, and believe me I have a lot to learn when it comes to that book. Because of converting at the age of 20 I didn't take seminary as a youth, and so every time one of my children takes seminary gives me the opportunity to study with them. How wonderful it is to hear your child speak so fondly of the Lord, and his gospel. Sure there are times where Lexie would like to sleep in she is extremely grateful to have seminary in her life because it does strengthen her, and helps make her days at school more tolerable, and fun. She loves her teacher, she loves the class, and the gospel, and I have a feeling that seminary this year will be exciting for her!

The Message: Begin Again I don’t think that our Prophet, President Monson, had the opportunity to go on a full time mission when he was young. He did experience the profound calling as a Mission President in Ontario, Canada. This great little memory of his demonstrates to me the creative side of missionary work…a perfect example of the value and the blessing of taking what is not working for us and “Beginning again.” CHURCH HISTORY GEMS - 22 SEPTEMBER 2010 Kingston, Canada "No one baptized in Kingston. Just ask any missionary who labored there. Time in Kingston was marked on the calendar like days in prison. A missionary transfer to another place—any place—would be uppermost in thoughts, even in dreams. "While I was praying about and pondering this sad dilemma, for my responsibility then as a mission president required that I pray and ponder about such things, my wife called to my attention an excerpt from the book A Child's Story of the Prophet Brigham Young. She read aloud that Brigham Young entered Kingston, Ontario, on a cold and snow-filled day. He labored there about 30 days and baptized 45 souls. Here was the answer. If the missionary Brigham Young could accomplish this harvest, so could the missionaries of today. "Without providing an explanation, I withdrew the missionaries from Kingston, that the cycle of defeat might be broken. Then the carefully circulated word: 'Soon a new city will be opened for missionary work, even the city where Brigham Young proselyted and baptized 45 persons in 30 days.' The missionaries speculated as to the location. Their weekly letters pleaded for the assignment to this Shangri-la. More time passed. Then four carefully selected missionaries—two of them new, two of them experienced—were chosen for this high adventure. The members of the small branch pledged their support. The missionaries pledged their lives. The Lord honored both. "In the space of three months, Kingston became the most productive city of the Canadian Mission. The grey limestone buildings still stood; the city had not altered its appearance; the population remained constant. The change was one of attitude. The label of doubt yielded to the label of faith." Thomas S. Monson, "Labels," Ensign, Sept. 2000, - ------------ My Comment on President Monson’s Mission story -- There is always a time when all else fails, or we go back to old habits, that, like the Bishop turns to a young Priest who has made a mistake in a Sacrament Prayer- He says, "Begin again"... sometimes that is all it takes. If he makes another mistake in the Sacrament, the Bishop gently responds- “Begin again.” Our good friend and now missionary Elder JJ Simonsen' often helped me fix my computer with one word- “Reboot” or in other words, “Begin again.” That is what the Lord wants us all to be able to do. That is the whole message of repentance...of the atonement. We have The opportunity to close down what we have been doing, and start fresh. From a person who makes many mistakes during the day, and often loses everything from keys to important calendared events- I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for this principle- this promise that we can begin again. D and C 18: 13 Great is the joy in the soul that repenteth. - Lessons Learning… January 30, 2011 We have been teaching the Adult Seminary class in our stake now since we returned from our mission. It has been about five months- a very fine experience. When we were traveling home from Denmark, we stopped to visit the homes of some of our ancestors in Moss, Norway and Preston, England. One of my great grandmothers met the missionaries over 100 years ago in the town square of Preston, England. When she heard their inspired message she went home to tell her sons and asked them to see if they would check to see if they thought the missionaries were telling the truth. They all joined the church, but their father- who was a caretaker and grave digger for the local church- was fired because he had become a “Crazy Mormon.” - Every weekday morning we gather with between 20 to 30 “crazy Mormons” at 6:30 in the morning to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are studying the Doctrine and Covenants- a collection of revelations given mostly to Joseph Smith and other prophets during the past 100 years. What a fun pursuit this is? We are driven. We love to learn, and teach each other. I have read the D&C many times but this time I have discovered lots of new things. It is a great way to begin the day…with a bunch of "crazy Mormons" who love to learn and study as much as I do. I have promised to put some of our little thoughts online to remember the lessons that we are learning. Here are a few of our own Wilberg “Mormon Ads.” (to make 8 by 10 copies of these pictures- click to enlarge and then copy and paste into word or adobe photo shop or other photo files). - Soon I will add some of the stories and ideas that I used as I taught these lessons from the amazing sections in the Doctrine and Covenants as well as the great stories from the history of the Church of Jesus Christ in the last days. It has been such a privilege to teach all of you who fill our classroom every day with such enthusiasm for learning. Love your strong spirit. It is my favorite part of the day. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -

God bless Seminary Teachers. Whether they are full-time, early-morning, or some other flavor, Seminary Teachers are front line troops, first responders in the n

I'll get straight to the big news. I am now an early morning Seminary Teacher!!!! It is a clear example of being careful what you pray for....

The more I read the Book of Mormon, the more I recognize how the Lord requires the inhabitants of this highly coveted Promised Land to be worthy of it's possession. This free land has been preserved for a righteous people for a specific purpose. The work of the gathering of Israel was meant to originate from this land in the latter-days, and the freedom of this land must be protected. The restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ occurred on this land. Records of the early inhabitants of this land were buried in this soil. The Lord requires us to serve Him while on this soil, or be swept off of it. The Book of Mormon contains a record of two groups of people who were swept from this land because of their refusal to worship God. Today we discussed the sad scene at the end of the book of Ether of a king named Coriantumr. He has been educated on the "arts of war and all the cunning of the world" (Ether 13:16). He refuses to repent of his worldly ways, and so do his people. Secret combinations are prevalent everywhere, war is continual, and many lives have been lost. The prophet Ether has been sent to Coriantumr and warns him that: "if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give unto him his kingdom and spare the people— Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household save it were himself. And he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning another people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them; and every soul should be destroyed save it were Coriantumr." As recorded in Omni 1:21, Coriantumr did, in fact, live to see another people (Nephites & Lamanites) receive this Promised Land as their inheritance. The priviledge was taken from the Jaredites. Coriantumr's pride to be the most powerful, worldly king overshadowed his judgment to honor the land and the God who blessed him with it. The Book of Mormon has made me more aware of the land I live on. The Lord gave the Children of Israel the land of Canaan as their inheritance if they would worship Him. They were scattered from it because of their wickedness. There are priviledges associated with honoring God on the land He's given us. The land doesn't come free of obligation. He needs us to serve Him and build the kingdom of God on the earth. Our blessings come through the land. Our prosperity is revealed through prospering with the growth of families and relationships on the land. As the righteous gather, they are required to build temples, make covenants, and receive instruction on how to rise above worldliness and become more like Him, with the promise of exaltation to follow. Something I learned, and something to ponder.

My Book of Mormon seminary year is almost over and I'll be taking down my boards in the classroom in about 4-5 weeks. I thought I'd take my...

I wanted to give some tips for how to get kids to write in their journals. These are tried-and-true things I figured out over 13 years of teaching seminary.

There Are Only Two Ways: To Act Or Be Acted Upon What I Learned From Teaching Seminary- About Teenagers- 1. They can be fully engaged one day and have no recollection of your lesson the next day. 2. They feel incredibly vulnerable. 3. They want to discuss on a deep level. 4. They need more connection to their Savior, Jesus Christ. 5. They need motivation to read the scriptures on their own. 6. Those who come from homes where spiritual matters are openly discussed have a stronger foundation. About Teaching- 1. When you are prepared as a teacher you have less to beat yourself up about when things fall apart. 2. Praying is essential. 3. The longer you teach the more there is in your vessel for The Spirit to work with. 4. Plan readiness activities in advance and have them at hand. 5. Don't be afraid to wait when you ask a question. 6. Use journals and make them important by writing in them often during the week, glue-in quotes and pictures, give open journal quizzes to insure they record information correctly, and at the end of the year pass them around to record last testimonies and thoughts from their peers. 7. You can be obsessed with teaching during the year and completely forget how to teach seminary during the summer. 8. Keep yourself focused by reading the whole Book of Mormon every summer. About the Holy Ghost 1. He can high- jack your lesson and it is absolutely divine. 2. Sometimes he assists your teaching even when you don't deserve it because your students do. 3. He can connect pieces together when your lesson is dis-jointed. 4. He can teach your students a different lesson that you thought you did. 5. He can flood you with joy and make you feel whole.

Teaching Tools for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints working in Primary, Young Women's, Seminary, and Relief Society.

Using The Proper Tools The first week of class, we discussed the each student's role as they attend/participate in class, read scriptures, and study the gospel. The following activity illustrates the importance of using the proper tools of prayer, obedience, an open heart, an open mind, inviting the spirit to our lives,listening to the spirit, an application of the principles taught in the scriptures When you use the correct tools, you will get the full blessing. Just having the scriptures (the pudding) is not enough. We need to open them, pray, invite the spirit, apply the principles, etc. I asked the class if any one would like to have some pudding. They could even choose...chocolate or vanilla. After the enthusiastic hands went up to volunteer, I chose 3 students to come up front to eat the pudding. I gave each student a container of pudding that was still sealed tight and told them to go ahead and start eating. Make sure whatever food item you use is still closed and needs to be opened and eaten with a spoon in order to get it all out of the container. The obvious was first: They need to open the pudding before they can eat (compare to opening their hearts and minds when they open the scriptures) Once they were open, I told them to go ahead and eat. The next observation: They need something to eat with. So I gave them some utensils (tools) that I brought from home and told them to go ahead and eat... Of course I gave them utensils (tools) that were larger than the opening of the pudding cup and were nearly impossible to eat with. Next I gave them utensils (tools) that were somewhat smaller but still awkward. Finally, I gave them a small plastic spoon and they were able to eat all of the pudding. At the end of the lesson, each student received their first *Seminary in My Pocket item for the new year... Yes, plastic spoons (your local ice cream shop may give you a few of their small sample size spoons if you say please and buy a scoop of ice cream in the process) *Seminary in My Pocket is back by popular demand. I had almost decided to NOT continue with this but how could I not when most of my students brought their pocket filled with items from last year on the first day of class. They were explaining each item to some of the new students. So, yes, it is back, and yes, it must have been effective.

This morning I am thrilled to share a guest post written by my amazing mother, Christie Frandsen. Christie is a gifted teacher, leader and speaker, and has taught early morning seminary, Institute, and adult scripture classes for many years in Southern California. She has also been involved in Girl Scouting for decades in many significant leadership capacities. She

SUPPLIES NEEDED: a timer numbered pingpong balls (one per student) list of scripture mastery key words students' individual scriptures inde...

A Blog About Starting Over, Rethinking, Exploring, and Finding New Ideas

As we enter Holy Week, I hosted a Passover Seder for my LDS Seminary Students. The 45 minutes in the morning goes quickly but I managed to pack a lot in. Note a place was set for Elijah and we left the door closest to him open in hopes he would join us for dinner. This post is filled with a lot of photos. Click on any of them to enlarge. Living in South Florida, Passover food items and information are easy to find. I am blessed to have dear Jewish friends whom I have spent Passover Seder with and they loaned me their Seder Plate and set of Haggadah books. Note at each place setting, there is a Haggadah for each student. These were available complimentary from our local grocery store, Publix. It was fun for the students to look through their own Haggadah and see that it read backward to them. I asked them to find page 1, then 2, and so on. I had all the traditional foods on the Seder Plate and as I explained the symbolism of each, I passed a dish around with that item. I asked them to at least try each item. Most of them were good sports. We learned about cleansing your home and getting rid of all the chemetz before Passover. We learned what is and is not acceptable food and why. Not all Kosher foods are acceptable for Passover. The packaged Kosher food items must say "Kosher For Passover" on the label. I read a few sections of the Haggadah and had them follow along. Here is the Seder Plate my friends loaned to me. Here is a close up of the Seder Plate. I placed each of the food items in the appropriate place and the 3 Matzo Crackers in the 3 slots below. Some families place the 3 Matzo Crackers in the fold of a napkin. Here are a few Haggadah books from my friends. I showed the students that they each had food stains on them as they have been used at several meals. Make sure you use Grape JUICE, not Grape WINE. We used the Grape juice on the right. They were the most hesitant to try the Horseradish. Here is a new Haggadah set that my friends use. Each family member has a personal one and there are plenty for guests. We enjoyed using these as we were guests at their Passover Seder. It was a very spiritual experience for us to share the Passover Seder in our Jewish friends' home. We feel honored to share this high and holy holiday with them. Charoset. This was their favorite. Apples, Nuts, Honey, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Grape Juice (not wine as the traditional recipe calls for) Fresh Parsley. I had cups of Salt Water for them to dip the Parsley and Celery, not once, but twice. Coconut Macaroons. Kosher for Passover, purchased at Costco. My Macaroon recipe would not be acceptable even if I baked it in a cleansed home and kitchen because it has sweetened condensed milk in it. Oops..rotate photo...or tilt your head. This is Kosher for Passover Salt, not just Kosher Salt. I used this to make the salt water for dipping the parsley and celery. Matzo Crackers. Lamb Bone. Easy to find this time of year. Our butcher has small Lamb shanks out and packaged specifically for Passover. Celery. The complimentary Haggadah available from Publix Supermarket here in South Florida. Roasted Lamb (cut off the Lamb shank) This was the second most hesitated item to eat. Most of the students had never eaten Lamb. Another complimentary Haggadah available at Publix Supermarket and provided by Maxwell House. I like the illustrations in this one but did not use it. Even if you do not have a Jewish friend to borrow Passover Items from or have never attended a Passover Seder, you can find oodles of information with a google search. Some of the words I used in searches were: Passover Food, Passover Seder, Passover Meal, Passover Recipes, How to host a Passover Seder, etc. You will find more information that you can possibly use. I have a great love for my Jewish brothers and sisters. This strengthened my love for them and for my students as I prepared this special feast for them. The next time I do this, I will have yarmulkes for the boys to wear. That would have been a fun added touch. Happy Holy Week, Happy Passover, and Happy Easter to all. We are on Spring Break until after Easter.