Michaela Cinkaisova was just 15 years old and didn’t speak any English when her family moved from the Czech Republic to Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Michaela knew that life would be different after the move, but she had no idea just how different until she met some Mormon friends at her new school.
“Our history doesn’t limit us, but like a plant’s roots it anchors and nourishes us and is crucial for growth.” So writes Elder Paul V. Johnson in the foreword to the newly published history of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, By Study and Also by Faith—One Hundred Years of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, now available in print and online.
As teachers turn to the online version of the Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion to study and improve their teaching, they will see some new video additions intended to enhance their study experience.
Sometimes we have opportunities to serve others in unexpected ways. And sometimes we discover that we benefited more from these experiences than the people we served.
In his October 2013 general conference address, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles mentioned a specific gift that each of us could give the Savior for Christmas. He stated “that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just ‘one’ between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior.”
Seminary students around the world have been invited to elevate their learning experience by reading and studying the entire book of scripture as assigned for the current course of study. The results have benefitted students with greater spiritual strength and deeper testimonies.