“Introduction,” Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (2012), ix
“Introduction,” Gospel Teaching and Learning, ix
Introduction
The Church Educational System
The Church Educational System (CES) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates under the direction of the Board of Education and the Boards of Trustees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the First Presidency, selected members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and general officers of the Church are members of the Board of Education.
Individual entities within the Church Educational System include Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University–Idaho, Brigham Young University–Hawaii, and LDS Business College.
Seminaries and Institutes of Religion
Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) provides weekday religious education for youth and young adults. Seminaries and Institutes of Religion also supervises elementary and secondary schools in some areas outside the United States.
In Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, our task is not just education—it is religious education. Religious education has eternal implications and requires the influence of the Spirit of the Lord. Speaking to seminary and institute teachers, President J. Reuben Clark Jr. taught: “You teachers have a great mission. As teachers you stand upon the highest peak in education, for what teaching can compare in priceless value and in far-reaching effect with that which deals with man as he was in the eternity of yesterday, as he is in the mortality of today, and as he will be in the forever of tomorrow” (The Charted Course of the Church in Education, rev. ed. [1994], 9).
Thousands of seminary and institute teachers and leaders throughout the world are helping the youth and young adults of the Church learn the gospel of Jesus Christ and live according to its principles.
To assist teachers in their efforts, this Gospel Teaching and Learning handbook has been provided. It is a resource book. Teachers should be familiar with its contents and refer to it again and again, focusing on those areas that would be of greatest help to them. As teachers study this handbook and seek direction from the Lord, He will inspire them in their preparation, strengthen their relationships with students, magnify their teaching, and bless them with the Spirit to more fully accomplish His work.