Education and Employment
Stake Conference, Leadership Session,
September 21, 2024
Brothers and
Sisters, thank you so much for making the effort to be here with us today. Each of you are in leadership positions with
our wards and stake and can make a difference in the lives of our members. I hope as you listen to the training we are
receiving today that you will know of those within your stewardship or friends
or neighbors that could benefit from what you have learned. You are the ones that can influence their
lives. As I was writing my talk, I kept
switching back and forth between my audience being our leaders that will teach
these principles and those that the principles are taught to. I think both exist in this audience today so
hopefully I am consistent and you can take what you need for yourself and what
you need to share with others.
As I meet
people throughout the stake, I can see those that have challenges in life that
could be addressed with better education or employment. I also see our young people in some cases not
being prepared to support themselves in the world. It is increasingly difficult to survive
economically today. Often our members
must look at their situations and decide if further education or enhanced
employment opportunities would make a difference.
Fortunately,
the church has provided some resources to help.
There is also a growing source of assistance coming from the community.
The Lord has
always taught us to be educated. In
Doctrine and Covenants he mentions this many times. In D&C 88:118 he says, “seek ye
diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best
books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
In D&C
90:15 he says, “and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books,
and with languages, tongues, and people.”
D&C
109:7 ”seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye
out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by
faith;”
Education
begins when we are young and continues throughout our life. There are so many different opportunities now
to learn in interesting and new ways that were not available just a short time
ago. When I was a young boy, public
education was really the only alternative.
You nearly always went to the school within your boundaries. As I visit with people now, I have found many
who go to public schools outside their boundaries for the purpose of language
immersion or other academic pursuits.
There are those that choose from a wide variety of charter schools and
other forms of elementary and secondary education. There is also a vast array of online
resources for those that choose to educate their children at home. I have talked to several people lately who
have chosen this approach and have found great success. There are many online services that can help
with funding, curriculum, and support groups to help you. Whatever sort of education structure works
best for you and your children, the important thing is that our children become
educated. They need to emerge having a
solid ability to read, write, and communicate effectively. They need to have a basic knowledge of math,
science, history, cultural arts, social studies, and as much more as
possible. Having a wide range of
knowledge will benefit them throughout their lives and make them better people.
Now
education is not only secular but religious as well. For our young people, their efforts to earn a
degree, pursue athletics, and accomplish as much as possible in High School, should
not result in a neglect of their religious studies. Seminary will be a very important part of their
education. As they study the things of
this world in context with the things of God, they will discover many precious
truths. Help them keep their mind as
spiritually focused as it is career focused.
Do all you can to encourage seminary attendance. They will be much more successful in their
careers if they have the companionship of the Holy Ghost with them. Precious knowledge of God’s truths to guide their
endeavors.
I may have
mentioned before one of my favorite stories of President Nelson. This story applies to so many principles, but
we can apply it here. The story is about
a time when he was to perform heart surgery.
It was a complicated situation, and he really didn’t know what he was
going to do. As the surgery proceeded
and he opened the man’s heart, in his mind he saw exactly what to do. He saw every nip, tuck and stitch to make to
repair the man’s heart. Now President
Nelson had to be extremely educated about the science of the heart and the
function of the human body to even understand that vision. But he also needed to have continued in his
spiritual studies and kept in close contact with the Holy Ghost for that
revelation to be received.
Once we have
arrived at the point of a high school diploma, signifying our completion of a
proper secondary education, then the question of further education arises. President Hickley has said, “You face great
challenges that lie ahead. You are moving into a world of fierce competition.
You must get all of the education you can. The Lord has instructed us
concerning the importance of education. It will qualify you for greater
opportunities. It will equip you to do something worthwhile in the great world
of opportunity that lies ahead. If you can go to college and that is your wish,
then do it. If you have no desire to attend college, then go to a vocational or
business school to sharpen your skills and increase your capacity.”1
Again, we
must guide our young adults to pursue additional education of some sort. Opportunities abound for further
education. Bro Curfew has shared the
wonderful BYU Pathways Worldwide
program.2 This is such an
affordable and convenient way to gain additional credentials. Even if you want to pursue higher education at
a college or university and are waiting to save up some money, this is a
program that can lead to waiving some of your future required classes and keeps
you focused on having a learning mentality.
It also contains an Institute component that will augment your personal
spiritual studies. It demonstrates for
us the perfect balance. Teach our young
adults that they should seek out an institute class no matter where they are
going to school or even if they are not attending school and are already
employed.
There are
resources within the community that can help.
Elders Quorum Presidents and
Relief Society Presidents, you should be talking to your members about the
interests they have for pursuing a career and if they know how to pursue it. If they are unsure how to proceed, you will
have the combined experience of the Ward Council to help you find answers. I know of a few people who have been able to
finish training in one of the trades with the help of community, union, or
employer assistance. Someone will help
put you in touch with these people to share with you their experiences and
point you in the right direction.
There is so
much that can now be learned online that can lead to degrees, certificates, or
other credentials. Sometimes it can just
be for our own edification. The more we learn, the more we can help the world
around us. As we pursue lifelong
learning, we are preparing ourselves for future service opportunities in this
life and in the life to come. The Lord
has promised us that, “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in
this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
And if a
person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence
and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to
come.”3
Education can help our people to start in a
satisfying career or help to advance their career options. I think one of the most unused resources we
have in the church is the LDS Employment Services. The opening statement on the Employment
Services website says, “No one should go through a job search alone. At
Employment Services, we have a team of experts, support groups, webinars,
workshops, and other resources available to help you achieve your self-reliance
goals.”4
Employment
services is available both online and in-person. A simple Google search for LDS
employment services will take you to the church website. You will find resources for job seekers,
employers, and church leaders like you that are helping those with employment needs,
either new employment or improved employment opportunities.
Finding a
job is itself a job. And just like any
other job, there are certain skills and talents that will help us to be more
successful at performing our job. Many
years ago, I found myself unemployed and turned to Employment Services. At the time, my preconception was that
Employment Services was for people looking for entry-level jobs or part-time
work. I had a lot of work experience at
that point in my life and wanted a more advanced professional job that would
allow me to support my family. I found
that they offered just what I was looking for.
They offered classes and training for people in my situation who were
looking for work. I took a class in
resume writing, in another we learned interviewing skills, recorded mock
interviews, and then critiqued them. The
wonderful thing about this experience is that I not only developed skills that
helped me find a good job, but I have been able to teach those skills to others
over the years. I have helped mostly my kids and their spouses with writing
resumes, cover letters, and other things to help get an interview.
If you know
of someone within your stewardship that is trying to find a job or needs to
find a better job, take the time to look at LDS Employment Services. If you go onsite to their office over by the
Deseret Industries, the service missionaries that are there can help guide you
through all that they have to offer. Go
over to the employment center. See what
they have to offer. I think you will be
amazed at all they can do to help in a job search.
Brothers and Sisters, as you go back to your presidencies and councils, think about those people in your wards that could benefit from some of these things. As we become more educated and self-reliant we become better able to serve the Lord and build His Kingdom here on earth. I pray that you will have the courage to move forward in your stewardship, that the Lord will guide and direct you and that you will know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become better people. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
- “Converts
and Young Men,” Ensign, May 1997, 49–50. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1997/04/converts-and-young-men?lang=eng#p60
- https://www.byupathway.edu/
- Doctrine
and Covenants 130:18-19 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/130?lang=eng#p18
- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/life/employment-services?lang=eng
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