Seminary
Preparing for Future Education and Employment: Overview


“Preparing for Future Education and Employment: Overview,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual (2025)

“Preparing for Future Education and Employment,” Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Teacher Manual

Preparing for Future Education and Employment

Preparing for Future Education and Employment

Overview

The Lord commanded us to seek learning and education. This helps us become more like Him and prepares us for future opportunities. Through the Church Educational System, the Lord provides options that can help us prioritize spiritual learning as we pursue education. With His help, we can prepare and make plans for education and employment.

Prepare to teach

The following information provides you with ideas of what you may need to prepare in advance for each lesson.

The Importance of Education

Pacing suggestion: Consider teaching this lesson toward the beginning of the school year. Doing so can help students see the importance of taking their education seriously. If Doctrine and Covenants 88 is taught toward the beginning of the school year, you could consider teaching this lesson during that week.

Lesson purpose: To help students understand the importance of education.

  • Student preparation: Invite students to have a discussion with an adult or leader about the importance of education. They could discuss educational opportunities that have been most valuable to them and why.

  • Handout:The Importance of Education

Education for the Whole Soul

Pacing suggestion: If you have students in their final year of high school or secondary school, it would be best to teach this lesson before they begin applying for colleges or post-secondary options. For example, the priority deadline to apply for the fall semester at BYU is in the beginning of November. For BYU–Idaho and BYU–Hawaii, the priority deadline for fall semester is in the beginning of February.

Lesson purpose: To help students make a plan to continue religious education while pursuing their future secular education.

Discovering Your Strengths and Abilities

Pacing suggestion: This lesson should be taught before the lesson titled “Developing Skills and Abilities.” If your teaching schedule necessitates combining lessons, it could be effective to teach these two lessons together.

Lesson purpose: To help students prepare for future roles and employment by recognizing current strengths and abilities they need to develop.

  • Student preparation: Consider inviting students to identify strengths and abilities they have that could prepare them for future roles and careers. They could do this by reading their patriarchal blessing or counseling with family members.

  • Handout:Skills and Abilities Self-Evaluation

Developing Skills and Abilities

Pacing suggestion: This lesson should be taught after the lesson titled “Discovering Your Strengths and Abilities.” If your teaching schedule necessitates combining lessons, it could be effective to teach these two lessons together.

Lesson purpose: To help students make a plan to develop skills and abilities that will prepare them for future employment and other roles.

Student preparation: Invite students to think about skills and abilities they might need to develop for future employment or roles. They could refer to those they identified in the lesson titled “Discovering Your Strengths and Abilities.” Invite them to think of ways they could develop these skills or abilities during their teenage years.