Category Archives: Religious Education

A different kind of religious education

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When I was a young lad of seventeen, I attended BYU Idaho. No, I’m not from Idaho or even Utah. I was born and raised in California, where I still live. If you have been to Rexburg, Idaho in the dead of winter, you might wonder why anybody would want to leave the Golden State to obtain an education there. What is the attraction of this school in the Snake River valley?

My two oldest sisters are BYU Provo graduates while my brother, two other sisters and I each attended Ricks College, as it was called at the time. My academic experience at Ricks was not particularly stellar, but my parents said that their money was not wasted. I brought something back from Idaho after just one year that was far more valuable than a transcript.

I’m sure there was some anxiety in my mother’s heart as she sent her children off to this church sponsored school so far away. What did she hope we would obtain there? She must have been disappointed that I did not stick it out to the end of the Spring semester, but I did not hear her complain. She sensed that something had changed in me and I think it pleased her greatly.

Seminary and Institute

In my high school days I went to early-morning seminary. Getting up between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning was not my favorite thing to do. But once I was in class, I appreciated the warm and comfortable spirit I felt there. I will be forever grateful to dedicated seminary teachers who sacrificed to teach the gospel and strengthen the testimonies of their young students.

In my later college years I participated in the Institute program. Seminary was an introduction to the basic sacred texts of the church. Institute classes brought in-depth study of the doctrines found in those scriptures. I enjoyed each of the classes I took, but my favorites had to do with church history. I was fascinated by the background story of the Doctrine and Covenants.

But there were some things about church history that I did not find in the official CES texts. I knew about them because my mother was a church history enthusiast. She had owned an LDS bookstore and had filled our house with all kinds of books that added to the official curriculum. Since mother was a teacher, I got more of my church history from her than from the classes.

Religious education in the home

When the subject of polygamy came up in the early morning seminary classes, I wanted to know more. I asked mother about it when I got home. After telling me a few simple facts, she handed me a book and said, “Here, you can read about it yourself.” That’s when I learned about Joseph’s plural wives. I wondered to myself if the seminary teacher even knew about this.

My mother’s attitude toward the whole issue of plural marriage was one of quiet nonchalance, as if it were no big deal and nothing to get all worked up about, so I didn’t. Although mother was a convert, she had studied this and dozens of other controversial subjects out in her own mind. Because she was not bothered by what she discovered in church history, neither was I.

The next time the subject of plural marriage came up in class, I volunteered a few facts that I had learned and was a little surprised by the reaction of the teacher as well as my peers. The teacher was flustered and my classmates were open-mouthed in surprise. It was obvious that I had said something that they didn’t know and had never heard before. I got quiet real quick.

A mother’s loving instruction

The same thing happened when the subject of translating the Book of Mormon came up. When I asked mother about the Urim and Thummim, we discussed it and then she mentioned that Joseph also used seer stones or peep stones as they were called. She could see I was interested so once again, she handed me a book and said, “Here, tell me about what you find out.”

Do you see the pattern? Mother would not overload me with information. She just answered a few basic questions at my level and then invited me to learn more on my own. I could tell that she knew more than she was sharing. As soon as I got to her level through independent study, we were able to discuss it openly and freely. Sometimes we reached the limit of her knowledge.

When that happened, mother would say, “That’s all I know about it but I’m sure there’s more. Why don’t you take it to the Lord in prayer?” Now this didn’t happen very often and at that point in my life I didn’t really understand what mother was talking about so I didn’t pursue it. I’m sure it frustrated mother and contributed to her desire to have me go to Rick’s College.

My church school experience

Of course it is mandatory to take religion classes at church schools like BYU and Ricks. I didn’t mind. In fact, my Book of Mormon class from Keith Sellers (1966-1995; B.S., M.S., Ed.D., BYU, 1959, 1962, 1965) precipitated some of the most awesome spiritual experiences of my young life up to that time. Dr. Sellers’s enthusiasm for what he was teaching went straight to my heart.

Although attendance at the weekly devotional is not mandatory, it was because I went to these events that I can say that I obtained real and direct revelation for the first time in my life. As President Eyring sat on the stand, I listened in reverence and awe to Elder LeGrand Richards share his wonderfully enthusiastic testimony of the gospel to the students and faculty in 1974.

That night I knelt in my dorm room and prayed like I had never prayed before. I wanted to know what LeGrand Richards knew. I wanted to know what Keith Sellers knew. I wanted to know what my mother knew. The experience is too sacred to share in this format but I can say that I obtained a kind of knowledge that night that changed my life forever.

Revelation changes everything

So many things changed for me with that one experience. I knew that I loved the Lord. I knew that everything I had been taught by my mother about the church and the gospel was true. I knew that what I had been taught by my primary, Sunday School and seminary teachers was true. I knew I wanted to go on a mission. I knew I would only marry in the temple.

After that experience I understood why we don’t share everything we know when we teach the gospel. It’s not that we don’t want to. It’s just that we can’t. The phrase “constraint of the spirit” found in D&C 63:64 suddenly made more sense to me. I found that I could not really talk about what happened that night with anyone who had not experienced it for themselves.

That was not the only time I have experienced direct revelation. There were several others just as powerful that were provided at a time when I was preparing for my mission. I spent a solid six months of intense daily personal study immersed in the gospel as found in the scriptures and supplemented by all those books mother had so thoughtfully provided over the years.

Summary and conclusion

If you look at my official transcript from Rick’s college you might be tempted to say that my parent’s investment in my education was wasted. But mother knew differently. Even though I felt like an academic failure, I carried with me a new sense of purpose and commitment that I did not have before I was taught by Keith Sellers and heard LeGrand Richards speak.

I still had much growing up to do. The mission changed my study habits and taught me the importance of paying the price of hard work in order to achieve something worthwhile. Marriage in the temple blessed my life with covenants that have led to my greatest happiness so far. Years of service in the church have only served to deepen that initial revelatory experience.

When I teach the gospel or speak in church I cannot share everything I know but I don’t have to. When I prepare well and speak under the inspiration of the spirit of the Lord, the Holy Ghost carries the depth of what I can’t say to the hearts of my students and listeners. It is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences to speak under the influence of that sacred spirit.

Priesthood and the Primary boy

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When I was a little boy, I had a hard time in school. Not because I wasn’t smart, but because I was bored. I would finish my work before most everyone else and then start cutting up in class. I was good at getting the other kids in trouble but eventually I got caught.

After a while the teacher would get tired of telling me to behave so she would send me to see the Principal. This went on every year until I got older. I remember the Vice Principal gave swats. Of course, you can’t do that any more in our politically correct world.

My mother was a teacher. When she got called in for yet another parent-teacher conference about my behavior, there was a lot of peer pressure placed on her. I didn’t recognize it at the time but I do remember after every one of these little disciplinary episodes I spent the next week in my mother’s classroom.

This worked fine until I got above the fourth grade. That’s the class that my mother taught. She then decided to send me to the local Christian school, thinking that I needed something religious in my education. It shocked me. Although we were recent converts, we were Mormons and I felt betrayed. I could not believe she would send me to a school that had daily chapel sessions.

Bible stories in school

I think the reason I cut up in school was because I loved my mother and wanted to be with her. I was the youngest of six children and did not get the attention I wanted. I probably got more than the rest of the kids but I didn’t think so at the time. I remember mother was very busy after school grading papers. I knew how time-consuming that could be but didn’t appreciate it.

So when I got kicked out of my school once again and spent the week with my mother, I was just as happy and as well behaved as you please. I learned more about the history of California in those wonderful weeks with mother than I ever learned in my regular school. But the best part of being in my mother’s class was the Bible stories. Bible stories in public school? Indeed.

About two o’clock in the afternoon, mother would say, “Gather around children, it’s story time.” Everyone loved to hear my mother tell Bible stories, especially me. She could tell the best David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s Den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stories I ever heard. I never tired of Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho or hearing about the flood one more time.

Religious education

You can’t tell Bible stories in school any more. The only place you might find the Bible in the school system today is perhaps in a Bible as history class. Even that is going by the wayside. That’s why it is so important that we have our gospel study in the home. Where else can our families receive the kind of help and strength that comes from hearing the word of the Lord?

When I was sent to that private Christian school in the fifth grade, I experienced something I had never felt before. You see, I attended Primary and Sunday School each week in our ward so I knew what the truth was. I recognized it. I was baptized and I had the gift of the Holy Ghost. I also knew what the priesthood was and knew that it was needed to pronounce doctrine.

No, you don’t need the priesthood to teach doctrine but even I recognized at that young age the need for some sort of authority from God in order to preside or officiate in a worship service. I just felt that there was something wrong when we went to our daily chapel service and the pastor got up to preach to the children. There was something missing and I felt it distinctly.

Preparation for the priesthood

I think that experience in the West Covina Christian School in the Fall of 1967 was the beginning of my testimony of the need for priesthood authority. Can Heavenly Father speak to a ten year old boy like me (I was a year ahead in school) and tell me how important it is to have authority to speak in the name of the Lord? Yes. Absolutely yes. My primary teacher also told me so.

Do you see the picture of my Primary bandelo I have included with this post? They don’t use the bandelo anymore in Primary. How about the numbers around the hatchet, the wagon wheel and the arrow; do you know what those represent? Yes, that’s right – the Articles of Faith. We got one each time we memorized another article of faith. Ah, those were happy and fun days.

When I graduated from Primary, I felt prepared to receive the Aaronic priesthood. I looked forward to being ordained a deacon and passing the sacrament like my older brother. My father ordained me. I have a picture of dad with his arm around me taken later that day. He sure looked pleased. I didn’t appreciate it then but I knew there was something to this priesthood.

Foundations of responsibility

My dad ordained me each time I advanced in the priesthood over the years until he ordained me an Elder just before I left on my mission to Central America in 1976. By that time I had come to realize there was a lot more to the priesthood than just passing the sacrament, collecting fast offerings or helping my dad do home teaching by preparing a lesson. I began to feel different.

The interview with the Stake President was a little bit scary. Although I had never talked to him before, I felt prepared. My Bishop had given me a form that had all kinds of scriptures on the back that I was expected to read. I took it seriously and studied them all very carefully. I thought for sure the Stake President would grill me on the oath and covenant in section 84.

He didn’t, but the act of studying those many scripture references made a deep and lasting impression on me. To this day, sections 20, 84 and 121 are associated with wonderful memories of those days spent preparing for my mission. I learned to honor the priesthood because my primary teachers taught me about it and my father showed me that priesthood means service.

Using the priesthood today

Today I am a High Priest and have been for many years. I was ordained the first time I was called into a bishopric. All the time I was serving in various bishoprics and on the High Council I always said, “When I’m released from leadership positions, I hope they call me to the Primary.” Guess what? They did! I was so ecstatic. It has absolutely been my most favorite calling.

I was sad when I was released as a Primary teacher so I could serve as a ward clerk to the local singles ward. As much as I love the young people in our stake, I miss teaching the gospel each Sunday. I would rather teach than sit in leadership meetings any time. You don’t need the priesthood to teach Primary but that influence in reaching the 11-year old boys can be powerful.

I exercise the priesthood every day in my home as I kneel in prayer with my wife each morning and night. She often calls on me for priesthood blessings which are always a sanctifying and sacred occasion in our lives. Each time we go to the temple and participate in the ordinances there, I feel so grateful to bear the priesthood and exercise it on behalf of someone else.

Summary and conclusion

If you are not a member of the LDS faith, I have probably used many words and phrases that may be confusing. I invite you to click on some of the links I have included in the essay that will take you to web pages that have more information. If you are a recent convert, please don’t feel that you have missed out on anything because you did not have the priesthood growing up.

If you are a woman who feels left out of having the priesthood, please don’t. My mother and my primary teachers, who were all women, did more for me as a young boy because they loved me and taught me about the priesthood. Well, mother didn’t teach me much about it because she didn’t understand it much herself, being a recent convert. But she taught me to love the temple.

I know the priesthood is a real power. I have felt it most strongly when giving priesthood blessings and when ordaining or setting members apart for callings. Some of the sweetest blessings were setting apart young women as class leaders when I served in Bishoprics. It is on those occasions that I can feel how much the Lord loves his daughters and wants to bless them.