Build Your Testimony BONFIRE HIGH!

Five more days left! I hope you can figure out how to sleep in the last few days of school after seminary ends on Friday!

MONDAY devotional by Jameson. (Happy 18th birthday to Kris!)
TUESDAY Steven.
WEDNESDAY Devin.
THURSDAY Michelle.
FRIDAY Kris.
(Kyle did last week, and Stewart did many, many devotionals this year!)

We will miss you, seniors!

Encore firepit bonfire on Friday! Come with hoodies so you stay warm, or sit close to the fire. Think about what things you can do over the summer to keep your testimony growing and full of light. Shiny, sparkly, happy, glowing, joyful feelings.

4 Combined Seminary Activity!

Thanks for participating! We had a great time--but wish I had taken MORE pictures! The Time Travel Tunnel, your arm bands into tribes, the weapon practice area...textile bracelets are all over my house. Glad the ancient Nephite art of macrame has made a come back!









I hope you know the impact on your participation in activities like this. The younger kids were STRONGLY disappointed they weren't included (only seminary-aged kids) and they were very HOPEFUL that we do this when they are old enough to be in seminary...

Say NO to Secret Combinations! NO Kings!

Because of the testing going on for High School Assessments next week (somehow the kids always know about days off before parents)...

I have given all the students 4 days worth of seminary make-up work. The first page reviews early Ether scriptures, and the last 3 are in Moroni.

THERE WILL BE SEMINARY NEXT WEEK every day.

We will be studying Moroni, and food-refreshments provided for several of the chapters (read them and see if you can figure out what I will feed you! Remember Jacob and the olive allegory? Well, it gets better!).

WEDNESDAY the day that nobody has HSA tests there will be a seminary send-off-the seniors breakfast, celebrating those who will be leaving us and moving on to Institute. If you would like to contribute to the pot-luck breakfast, please bring something for all 24 of us.

For the days that YOU have a HSA test, you have to be at school normal time and coming to seminary will help you "Choose the Right."

For those who DON'T have tests, and don't have to go to school until 10am or so? If your ride MUST go and take a test, and you would be hanging out that early anyway at school waiting for school to start, come to seminary and than you can hang out here and watch seminary movies for make-up work, or WII play until you need to go to class. Bro Landbeck will be here to supervise (since I have to leave at 7:30 am for work).

If your carpool situation DOESN'T have a HSA test to force them to be to school early, and you are a sleeping-in-kind of person, the 4 days of MAKEUP work is for you. Turn in all 5 pages (two for Thursday-the word search and clues of what to look for are on 2 pages) by next SUNDAY the 23rd May for makeup work for M, T, TH, F.

If you are borderline in 80% attendance, COME TO SEMINARY all week May 17-22 and the 4 days of makeup work that you turn in will be in your favor towards passing this year! Stay and watch seminary movies, and each 45 minutes of movies = a makeup day.

Originally I mentioned seminary done early--but the stake wants us to continue to teach up to the 28 MAY Friday. So TWO more weeks of seminary, and then done for the year. (so that means IF you have had stellar attendance AND you turn in the 4 days of make-up work for next week, then you COULD pass with taking 4 days off 24-28 May, but we would miss you.)

The end is near. It has been a fun year. We need to work on memorizing the scripture masteries a little harder. I still have things to hand out to you, more to tell you before your summer off begins. Some challenges to make (including starting to read the Doctrine & Covenants over the summer so you will be DONE before seminary starts in September!!!). And some invited guest speakers will be showing up the week of 24-28. Things you won't want to miss.

Missing you already, but looking forward to handshakes and eye contact each Sabbath I see you during the summer!

Sister Landbeck

Missionary Companions

Dear Seminary Students and Families:

We are getting down to the end. Monday morning we will cross the deep sea with the Jaredites by light of glowing rocks. I have been moved to tears reading this section of the Book of Mormon again and the serious, sober stories, the warnings, the testimonies, the sadness.

BE GOOD! Grow up strong, holding on to the Iron Rod with both hands! Prepare to go to the temple! Go on missions! Get married to an amazing, strong-testimony Saint, someone who will help you live the Gospel and raise your family righteously.

My parents are newly arrived on their mission in St. Croix (rhymes with "boy"). Their adventures include a tour of the Church building and finding 3 dead lizards in the baptismal font, (because the elders really like it when they have beach baptisms...as that is the ONLY way they can get in the water).

I have believed for a long time that the ideal missionary companionship is a husband and wife, the way they can compliment each other's talents, build on one another's strengths, do things unitedly but differently based on their talents and natural abilities. It felt right teaching the Gospel that way when I was 21 (doing zone leader splits, always 2 elders and one sister in my mission back then)--and I know that was preparation for future FHE lessons for my own children. Now, I look forward to serving a mission with Bro. Landbeck. Not just us writing back and forth for two years, but serving together. It is going to be amazing!

That companionship, that trust and working together-united-wonderful feeling can be yours now, as you live worthily to have the Holy Ghost be near you. Things of the world offend him-contention is a guaranteed way to make the Spirit leave you. Dirty words, ugly thoughts, foul language, selfish-lustful-not-waiting-for-temple marriage-to-be-intimate sexually and rude actions--they all drive the Holy Ghost away, and you are left feeling hollow, alone, sorrowful, depressed, guilty, shamed, and not wanting to pray (quick--think Scripture Mastery 2 Nephi 32:8-9!).

I want so much for you to have beautiful, joyful lives! I want you to feel the love that I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for you youth! I want to see you with your arms around your spouse when we bump into each other after a temple session, and we will smile at each other, knowing it is worth the awkwardness of being different, of being modest, of talking softly and being good.

Hang in there! Finals and HSAs and graduation and big projects are here. You can make it. I know you will be blessed as you sacrifice sleep for seminary. You can feel the spiritual renewal and flow of intelligence as you make it clear about your commitment to obeying the Lord. He will help you. You just need to ask. Sincerely ask. Ask with faith--which we learned last week means ACTIONS! We have to do something, believing we will get an answer. Seek help knowing He will help you.

Keep coming! There is still more good stuff ahead!

General Conference Game?

I am trying to figure out how to make a seminary game/activity from this General Conference, either "taboo" style, trying to guess the speaker name, or more topic related, what students think the Ensign title of each talk will be-what phrase summarizes the talk...and see how many the students get right when the May issue comes out?

Any ideas?

I want students to immerse themselves in the words of modern day prophets. If they missed the sessions, I want to figure out a way to get the messages and counsel from conference into YOUR hearts and minds.

Great summary of talks on my brother-in-laws blog:

Photo Shoot for Local Paper!

Matt, you are hiding! Missing one student, but impressive teenagers!

Temple Trip 4-21 NO SEMINARY 4-22

Susquehanna Ward youth have a temple assignment on Wed April 21st, so NO SEMINARY the next morning, Thursday 04-22-10.

And in case you are planning your calendar, ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS: 7 weeks left. The last day of this Susquehanna Seminary is Friday the 28th of May.

Which means please read 11 pages a day EVERY DAY to finish up The Book of Mormon (if you haven't started, it's NOT too late!).

Stake Seminary Graduation is Sunday 6th June at 7 PM STAKE CENTER. I will accept make-up work that morning for you to qualify for a year certificate of achievement.

The Generation of Excellence stake requirements asks for scripture reading, journal writing, and knowledge of the scripture mastery scriptures. How do you prove you know them? Fill in the blanks? Physically find them in your scriptures? Memorize word for word? The interpretation of that is left up to us teachers.

Endure to the end!

5:55 am class starts!