Young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Dundee and Fife have graduated from a four-year course of religious instruction and celebrated this week at a presentation ceremony held to celebrate their achievements. On Friday 1st July there will be a Ball held in their honour.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Rebekah McPhee, Lucy Keogh, David Johnson, Rona Brown and Chelsea Cameron travelled to the Church’s regional centre in Dundee to join 40 other graduates from the Dundee, Fife and surrounding areas for an evening presentation of certificates, an inspiring address by Church leader President Ian Snee and guest speaker Michael Wood, Executive Director of Children and Family Services. From August to June the 52 students participated in the educational courses known as ‘Seminary’ and “Institute”. The Seminary students got up at least an hour early whether in winter or spring, sunshine or snow so they could be ready at 7.00am to read set scriptures and work through various activities and still be finished before the start of school.
The specially written programme of learning, designed by the Church to help teenagers cope with the pressures of a modern world, is offered free of charge. It is delivered by volunteers and focuses on teachings from The Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Church history.
Church spokesman, Robert Richardson said: “We appreciate our brilliant young people and congratulate them on their achievements. There aren’t many teenagers in the UK that would do what they did so early in the morning, for so long, to pass the course. The spiritual strength that they gained as a result of learning and applying gospel principles in their lives will benefit them. They will more easily be able to withstand and even enjoy the physical, intellectual and emotional rigours of school, social and family life.”
‘Seminary’ is part of a worldwide programme of the Church which includes more than 4000,000 students enrolled in many different countries.