Since the earliest days of the restoration, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been encouraged to pursue learning and education. There are numerous verses of scriptures that affirm this, such as D&C 88:79, 118, and 130:18. In October 2009, Elder Uchtdorf stated, “For members of the Church, education is not merely a good idea—it’s a commandment.”
There are many avenues for a person to pursue a secular education, whether formally or informally. The Church has invested a great deal into the three BYU campuses, Ensign College, and Pathway to promote secular and spiritual learning in tandem. In addition to that, the Church spends a lot of time and money in order to spiritually educate the youth and young adults via the seminary and institute programs. These programs are vital to the spiritual growth of our young members.
When it comes to religious education, there is little formal instruction provided for adults beyond the Young adult age range. There is, of course, our weekly or even daily Come Follow Me home study, as well as Sunday school every other week. We can also acknowledge that many adults may find that personal study and research are all that they need to learn. Still, there is, without a doubt, a group of adults within the church, all over the world, that are being underserved with this existing setup.
Before going any further, it must be said that when pointing out a potential need, this is not meant to suggest that the Church as an institution needs to be the one to pick up the “slack,” so to speak. Individual members of the church have the responsibility to help where we can, and one such opportunity may be to organize private institutions or informal groups to help promote and encourage spiritual learning.
Unquestionably, there are some members who will be opposed to this idea. There has already been some significant pushback online on social media platforms like X with regards to the Latter-day Saint podcast sphere, particularly over podcasts focused on Come Follow Me content. Some are of the opinion that too many people rely too heavily on podcasts for their spiritual learning and do not spend enough time doing personal study. This criticism is not without merit. Can any resource be overused so that it eventually impedes further personal growth? Yes. Does this make those resources, including podcasts, inherently bad? No. Should we rely on them more for understanding than church manuals, other official resources, personal study, or revelation? Also no.
With that said, There is still a need for more worldwide accessible resources provided by members to help other members learn church history and gospel principles. Not all adults had the opportunity to attend seminary or institute, especially if they are converts later in life. Furthermore, certain parts of the world have limited access to additional published content like the books written by prophets, apostles, or other bright Latter-day Saints. The importance of getting a substantial religious and spiritual education can be undermined if a person does not have access to many resources and doesn’t know how to proceed. These types of individuals could benefit from an educational structure similar to an institute to learn more about the gospel, even if just online. In fact, there is likely more that all of us can learn or benefit from such a setup.
Now, an important question: Is there justification for creating such institutions or groups that are not directly overseen by the church when teaching and studying church doctrine? It seems that way. The church does not have the ability to do everything, and if we want to further the cause of Zion, we have to help.
D&C 58:26-28 states:
For Behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in no wise lose their reward.
These verses of scripture are very powerful and make a strong case that we have the responsibility to help uplift and instruct others, as we are meant to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause.” We have to find those causes for ourselves without being told to do so. What is a better cause than helping others understand the history or principles of the restored gospel?
With all of this said it is likely that such an endeavor would look different in different parts of the world. Cultural differences alone can impact how gospel material needs to be shared in order for it to be effectively received or understood. This article is meant to provide a very general idea to start the conversation on how members can best serve one another through gospel instruction and study in more structured or formalized settings, especially online. It is important to note that for a formal unaffiliated institution to succeed at this, they must ensure that they align themselves with church teachings and focus on doing this to further the work of the Kingdom of God. Such an endeavor will only succeed if the focus is kept in the right place and on the right things. Hopefully, some of us will be inspired to see ways in which we can expand the opportunities for members around the world to have access to rigorous and spiritually uplifting content that helps them gain a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Written by: K.T. Martin
Guest Contributor at the Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Cover photo: https://www.ldsdiscussions.com/revelations-joseph-smith
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