Teaching Seminary

   
     One of the most satisfying and truly joyful things I love to do in my life is to be of service by teaching the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I think, at the bottom of my heart and soul, I’m a teacher and one of the true joys that I have had the privilege of doing is teaching teenagers during early-morning seminary. The teenagers of the church are a truly amazing group of people and when they choose to get up really, really early and come to a religion class way before their regular school begins, it truly warms my heart, because they really want to be there and they really want to learn.

     I was able to have this calling three times. The first was in Anaheim when I first worked for Disney. The next time was in Orlando when I was at Disney World and that was especially a challenge because I had to drive 30 miles to the place where we held the class. Then, in Palos Verdes when I was working at JPD, and that was especially wonderful because I was able to have my own daughter Debbie in my class.

     During each of their four years of high school, the class focuses on a different course of study. Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and finally, Church History and the Doctrine and Covenants. There are in-depth studies of each of those scriptures so by the time a student graduates from high school, they have been introduced to deep discussions on gospel topics that give them, hopefully, a more firm and solid testimony of the reality of how Jesus Christ affects their lives and how He loves and cherishes them. It is a joy to be a part of that process.

     One day, a news reporter came to our class at Palos Verdes East High School and sat in for the whole hour. She took a couple of terrific pictures and wrote an article that wound up on the front page of the religion section of the Palos Verdes Peninsula News.

     I hope you enjoy reading this wonderful little story.

Students Forsake Sleep For Early Bible Study

By Joan Denslow (Religion Editor) and Beth Paullin, Saturday, October 6, 1984

Every school day, about two hours before most Peninsula students have climbed out of bed to quiet a noisy alarm clock ringing in another day, Laura Merrill, a freshman at Palos Verdes High School, is preparing to leave the house.

Like Merrill, PVHS junior Gordon Anderson is also one of a small number of early risers who can be found about 6:40 a.m. weekdays sitting in the Oral Arts room at the Palos Verdes High Estates high school.

Merrill and Anderson are part of a group of some 100 high school students who , as members of the Palos Verdes Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are seminary students who regularly meet for scripture study just about the time most of their high school chums are sitting down to breakfast.

But the early-bird Bible study isn’t as rare as the 12 or 13 participants at PVHS might indicate.

In 1983, according to church records, Mormon seminary students numbered 10,699 including two such classes that meet at another Peninsula public high school, Rolling Hills High.

During the four-year seminary program students review most of the King James version of the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon and another book known as Doctrine and Covenants, which is also accepted as scripture by the Utah-based Mormon Church.

“I love to teach,” said teacher Michael Wuergler during a recent seminary session with his PVHS group.

Wuergler, who follows his early-morning class with a full day’s work as a television producer, added: “Religious education is as important as academic education. My goal is to have the students know and understand the teachings of Jesus Christ so that they will learn to love Him and make Him part of their lives.”

“They think I’m crazy,” laughed Jennifer Davey, another PVHS senior who attends the early morning session, when asked what other students think about the seminary’s early call.

“But I think they respect us too for getting up early,” Davey commented.

Some of the seminary students echoed the feeling of Rolling Hills High School student Dru Morgan. “When I don’t go to seminary the day seems lost,” the student said.

Leisa Hadley, another student who attends the RHHS seminary class, added that the camaraderie of the class group “is like a large and very close family.”

Other seminary teachers in the Palos Verdes Stake in addition to Wuergler are Mark Williams, John Perotti, Antoinette McNeil, Gwen Williamson and Tessie Castillo.

     I truly loved the kids I taught and we became very close friends. I just wish I had stayed long enough in one place to have gone through all four years with them. But, I still have life-long friends that I made in each of the three years I taught this wonderful class.