The seminaries and institutes of the Church Educational System have always focused on teaching the scriptures and the words of the prophets in order to deepen the faith, testimony and conversion of the youth of the Church.
They are also encouraging the youth to obtain a good secular education.
Efforts have been refined recently in response to President Gordon B. Hinckley's call for youth to get all the education they can. "Be Smart" is one of the original six "Bs" — Be grateful, Be smart, Be clean, Be true, Be humble, Be prayerful — included in counsel he gave during an address to youth on Nov. 12, 2000.
To further support President Hinckley's charge and to help youth pursue better lives, CES has prepared a special lesson titled "Education: Your Key to Opportunity" with an accompanying DVD presentation. The seminary instruction also goes hand-in-hand with the "besmart.com" Web site on the Internet.
Each school year, seminary students again learn about the value of continuing their educations, spiritually and temporally. Responses, gathered by CES, of students to the instruction have been positive, as reflected by those who received it last year.
"It gave a simple, easy approach on how to get a good education," said Josh Spencer of the Crystal Lake 1st Ward, Buffalo Grove Illinois Stake.
Emily Padilla of the Manassas 1st Ward, Centreville Virginia Stake, said, "I'll probably take school more seriously. If it comes from a prophet's mouth, I'm going to do my best to abide by it. I'll study and prepare more for SATs and ACTs."
Mary Ord of the Beaver Dam Branch, Madison Wisconsin Stake, said, "I like this lesson because I never really thought about college. I figured I didn't need college because I would someday have a husband who would take care of all the money. ... Now when I go to school, I will work hard and learn."
The seminary lesson includes class discussion and activities, the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet, and quotations from President Hinckley and Elder Neal A. Maxwell who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve until his death in 2004.
The DVD is generally popular among seminary students. Two sections — "Your Path to Continuing Education" and "Your Guide to Continuing Education" — are hosted by a young man and young woman who play the roles as students' peers. Production values of the presentation are professional and the tremendous load of information is presented clearly, with generous portions of visual and verbal humor to entertain.
The first section explains the value of education and offers six tips to prepare for college. They are: 1. Take college prep classes; 2. Get good grades; 3. Take (ACT/SAT) tests early; 4. Get involved; 5. Start saving money now; 6. Explore career options.
The second section introduces CES options available to the students after they finish high school, including Church schools and institutes adjacent to non-Church colleges and universities.
Chrisse Cook of the Dardenne Ward, St. Louis Missouri North Stake, said, "I really enjoyed the DVD because it showed so many options that are open to students. It has helped me think about where I want to go to college and it has helped me realize that no matter where I go, I can have the opportunity to have religious experiences."
Megan Roper of the Madison 4th Ward, Madison Wisconsin Stake, said, "The lessons on the DVD were incredibly straightforward and easy to follow, but also fun and enjoyable to watch."
Todd McAdoo of the Centralia Ward, O'Fallon Illinois Stake, said, "I thought the DVD was teen-friendly and easy to understand. It really gave you a feel for what the schools were like."
Mario Aguilera of the Chicago 2nd Ward, Chicago Illinois Stake, said, "The thing I liked about the DVD is how they were talking about how we can help ourselves in high school to move on to college."
Through the classroom lessons, the seminary students are encouraged to explore the www.besmart.com Web site where they can find additional tools to help them plan for future education.
The site includes information on Church schools — BYU, BYU-Hawaii, BYU-Idaho and LDS Business College — as well as institute programs. Admission requirements are covered. Other topics on besmart.com include ACT/SAT testing, career exploration and financing college.
Olivia Woolley of the North Shore 1st Ward, Wilmette Illinois stake, said, "If you are unsure about how to choose a college, then this Web site is extremely useful because it answers every possible question that a future student might have." She added, "I would definitely suggest that students use this Web site as early as possible. ... If students use this site earlier rather than later in (the process of preparing for college) I think that they can benefit from the inviting and stress-free way in which all its information is presented."
Finally, there are Be Smart firesides held each fall at various locations around the United States and Canada. They cover topics similar to those of the classroom lessons including reasons for pursuing and ways to prepare for higher education, and options within the Church Educational System.
Joel Richards, an instructional designer in CES Training Services, said the lesson is best taught during autumn before college admission, scholarship and entrance exam application deadlines arrive.
E-mail to: ghill@desnews.com