Digital Only: Young Adults
When Life Was Hard, I Found Comfort at Seminary and Institute
Since joining the Church, I’ve gone to seminary and institute to nourish and strengthen my faith.
I came to know the restored gospel when I was 11 years old.
My older brothers had joined the Church when they were younger but had stopped attending. One day the missionaries visited my older brother and invited him to come back. He did, and through the process I ended up coming to church, accepting the gospel, and getting baptized.
The next few years were hard for a variety of reasons. I was exposed to many paths that were contrary to the teachings of the gospel. Even though my parents were supportive of our church attendance, they were not members of the Church and didn’t have the same standards. So I didn’t have a foundation at home for spiritual growth.
During that time, attending seminary and connecting with my youth leaders really helped me push through the hard times and stay committed to the gospel. I grew spiritually, thanks to the efforts of teachers and other members of the Church who loved me and cared about my growth.
Eventually, with encouragement from my Young Men president and other leaders, I served a mission. Those two years were an incredible blessing to me and to my testimony. I put into practice all the things I’d learned in seminary, and I shared the gospel with many people.
However, when I returned home, I faced more difficult trials.
Coming Home and Learning to Trust
Maintaining your faith, your testimony, and your spirituality after a mission can be hard. But one thing that helped me stay firm after my mission was institute.
I made a goal to try and attend institute classes each week, and that decision was extremely important for my life.
I was also looking for a job, but nothing was working out. The anxiety of being jobless was eating away at me, and at one point a friend of mine invited me to come work with him. The job involved handling alcohol inventory and working Saturday nights—the same night I had institute, so I was hesitant to take it.
I turned my friend down, but he kept inviting me to work with him. I was running out of money, and his job offer was the only one I had. So I started considering taking the job.
I decided to ask Heavenly Father what I should do. I felt the Spirit testify to me that if I didn’t go to institute, my testimony would likely weaken. I felt the Spirit confirm to me that I shouldn’t take the job, and I declined my friend’s invitation once again.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if I didn’t get a job soon, but I put my trust in the path Heavenly Father wanted me to keep following.
That next week at institute, I learned about a job opening as a self-reliance coordinator. I applied, interviewed, and got the job. I know the Lord placed that opportunity in my path.
Where I’ve Found Solace and Strength
The experiences I’ve had while attending seminary and institute have strengthened my faith in Jesus Christ and changed my life, just as President Russell M. Nelson promised the youth and young adults of the Church: “What, then, will help you become such a devout disciple of Jesus Christ? One answer is seminary and institute—not just attending but actively participating in class and faithfully following through with any assignments given.”
Since getting a job, life still hasn’t been easy. But I make sure to prioritize the Lord and attend church, cling to the Book of Mormon, magnify my calling, partake of the sacrament, and attend institute. These things help me find solace, even when my life is complicated. I’m so grateful for all the resources we have in the gospel of Jesus Christ!
I hope institute can help you find solace and hope in the Savior like it has for me.