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Are Mormon children required to attend seminary, what age, how often and why?
During their high school years, Latter-day Saint teenagers are invited to attend hour-long classes on a schedule that roughly corresponds to the school year. The course of study is a four-year cycle focusing on one volume of Scripture each year: Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants. Attending seminary is strongly encouraged, but not required.
The most common format is an early morning class starting around 6 or 6:30. “Release-time seminary,” with classes held during the school day, is available in some places where there’s a high concentration of Mormon youth (Utah, parts of Idaho, even the Spokane Valley). The Church also offers a home study version for youth in areas where it would be logistically difficult to gather for classes, and they’re starting to experiment with online groups, too.
As for the “why” part of the question, the simplest answer is kind of obvious: to help youth become familiar with the Scriptures and, through them, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As youth spend time reading and studying the Scriptures, they gain a greater understanding of Christ, his teachings and his Atonement. In seminary classes, youth memorize verses, study, discuss, and apply the scriptures to their own lives, helping them feel the Spirit and bringing them closer to Christ.
When I was in high school, I felt that early morning seminary started my day off right. Before anything else could crowd in, I spent an hour studying God’s word every day and that really set the tone for the rest of my day. I’m the first to admit that there were days that I slept through seminary, sometimes in my bed and sometimes in class, but the scriptural knowledge I gained in those four years was invaluable.
