Seminary and scripture study are two sure ways to invite the Spirit into your life. "I think that having seminary at the start of the day helps bring the Spirit," explains Brandon G. "Just starting the day off reading the scriptures and being around people with the same standards, it's a reminder that there are other people like you," he explains.
Brandon meets in a member's home with about 12 other seminary students. They all agree that having a chance to study the gospel with friends from church is a great way to start the day. It's especially important to these teens since most of them are one of only a few members in their entire schools.
Alvin L., who recently graduated from high school, says: "When we graduated from seminary our teacher gave us this pocket-sized Book of Mormon, and now that I am in university I always keep it in my backpack. When things tend to become crazy during the day and it gets busy and I'm running all over the place and when things get heavy for me, I just remember it's in my backpack."
Alvin says that when the rush of the day becomes overwhelming, he takes out his Book of Mormon and sits down for a short break. As he reads from the scriptures, he is able to feel the Spirit return, which helps him feel calm and at peace again. "I don't have to read for very long, maybe a minute or two," he says. "But I always have that Book of Mormon with me. It just reminds me of who I am."
Ariel shares a similar experience: "One day I was rushing to school, and I don't know why, but something told me to take my scriptures with me. So I quickly put them in my bag and went to school." She goes on to say, "It just so happened that I had a really bad day. I think I was in the last class of the day, and I was looking in my bag and saw my scriptures there. Just seeing them made me happy and brought the Spirit to me, and I knew that this bad day wasn't so bad and that everything would be okay."
Megan C. likes to carry her Young Women Personal Progress booklet with her to school. In her wallet she also carries the small version of For the Strength of Youth. She says that when she needs to feel spiritually recharged, "I'll take it out, and people sometimes ask me what it is. And I'll say, 'Well, it's standards that I follow.'" So sometimes reading these inspired guidelines from the First Presidency can be a missionary opportunity to share her beliefs. But for Megan, every time she reads about the standards "it brings the Spirit to me when I'm having trouble during the day."
"Faith comes by the witness of the Holy Spirit to our souls, Spirit to spirit, as we hear or read the word of God. And faith matures as we continue to feast upon the word."
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "The Blessing of Scripture," Ensign, May 2010, 35.