"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Thank you, Mildred. Did everybody mark the roll? I can see you did.

Class, as you think about the scripture that Mildred just read, how has the Lord directed your paths as you've put your trust in Him and leaned not unto your own understanding? Yes, Lydia? I find that when I'm unsure about a decision, when I trust in the Lord, I always end up where I need to be. Mildred? Well, I also believe that God sometimes has a greater plan for us than what we can plan for ourselves. Indeed, He does. I love in this scripture where it says, "In all thy ways acknowledge him." How do we do that? How do we-- Back in 1980 when I was first called to serve as the commissioner of education, I remember that the feelings of inadequacy that accompanied that call were overwhelming. The Church's system had grown from 70 students in 1912 to over 192,000 with some 9,000 teachers. How was I to help such a vast number? Early in that assignment, someone handed me a small roll book. It was from the first class of seminary taught in the Church from the year 1912. That first class met in a small building across the street from Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. In this roll book appeared a name that I recognized--a young lady who was 16 years old back in 1912. She was one among many students who was learning the gospel. Her name was Mildred Bennion. Teaching those very first seminary students was Thomas Yates, a Cornell University graduate who, in the afternoons, rode his horse from the Murray power plant to that little building across from Granite High School in order to help those students come to know the scriptures and rely on the Savior. Mildred Bennion, Thomas Yates, and many others like them laid the foundation of this rich and glorious history of seminary and Church education. Much has happened in 100 years. In 1912 there was but a small number of young people enrolled in seminary. As I mentioned, one of them was Mildred Bennion. Twenty years later, that beautiful young lady, Mildred Bennion, would become my mother. She was the daughter of a man we would today call less active. Her mother, my grandmother, was left a widow in the autumn of 1913. Some thoughtful individual in that day must have invited Mildred to seminary. Someone caught a glimpse of how this program would bless the lives of each and every young man and woman in the Church. And that one seminary teacher cared enough about Mildred Bennion and prayed fervently enough that the Spirit put the gospel down into her heart. That teacher blessed the lives of tens of thousands of unseen individuals because of the message he taught one girl. What happened in that first classroom is what happens today and will continue to happen time and again, however large our numbers grow. The one will be touched, a testimony will be found or strengthened, and generations to come will be blessed for it. It's a program made specifically for the youth. It's made to prepare us to go out into the world every single day. We come to study this constant beacon of truth, the scriptures, and we can rely these books to keep us centered on what we're aiming for, which is drawing closer to Christ. Definitely read the scriptures. Ponder them, think about them, not just read them, but think about what they mean to you in your life and let the Lord teach you through those scriptures. And reading these scriptures has helped me know that Heavenly Father loves me and He knows me personally and that He only wants the best for me. Through seminary, you'll develop a really sacred and personal relationship with Christ. The Atonement of Jesus Christ, I've learned a lot about this year as I've really pondered the scriptures. And I've really felt the Spirit testify to me that He really did die for me and that He is my Savior, and He is the light and life of this world, and I can be perfect and my sins can be forgiven through Him. Sometimes I still come to seminary maybe not with the best attitude, but I never leave regretting coming. And I think that's the thing I love most is that feeling that it leaves me with and the strength and the courage that it gives me, which sustains me throughout the rest of the day.

In the 100 years of seminary that have come and gone, countless lives have been touched. Our task has been and will always be to teach and to learn so that the gospel of Jesus Christ will go down into the heart of the one, the individual son or daughter of Heavenly Father. Our goal is to teach and learn eternal truth in such a way that a child of God can choose to know and to love our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son.