Remembering Seminary

I've told the story before, but when I went to school in LA Unified, students started and ended each semester. I was a winter student, meaning I started school in February and graduated from high school in January. We also had a junior high format, so high school was only 10th, 11th and 12th grades. For that reason, I started going to seminary when I was in the 2nd half of 8th grade, because that was the fall start of the school year - and Salt Lake had no clue about the way they ran our system.

This photo is from our A-9 Pin Day - which would take a lot of explaining - suffice it to say, we all got pins that we proudly wore through the 2nd half of 9th grade, setting us apart as role models I suppose!

But I digress - as is my wont - we had the Seminary Sacrament Meeting program today, and it got me thinking about seminary.

Seminary then was quite different from seminary now, but it was a good experience for me nonetheless. I think I would have thought I'd died and gone to heaven if they'd had Scripture Chase - I would have aced that one totally!! But we didn't, so there's no point in bemoaning the fact. We also didn't have donuts, let alone Seminary Breakfasts or Morningsides or Scripture Mastery.

That first year of seminary was in the San Fernando building - a 20 to 30 minute drive - for a 5:45 a.m. class - so you know how early we had to get up. And then my dad had to take us to 3 different schools! He would bring a blanket and sleep in the back seat of the car while we were inside. Don't ask me why - I'm sure he thought it was the best use of his time - and it probably was!

A funny story about that year - I was sure my dad had awakened me - I was dressed and pressed and ready to go - I went in to tell him I was ready - and he said, "It's 4 a.m.!" Some how I'd gotten up at 3 I guess and back then, getting ready meant I'd taken the curlers out of my hair and was wearing an ironed cotton full skirt with a full-petticoat underneath. It 's kinda tough to go back to bed in that regalia, let me tell you. Not sure why I didn't notice that no one else was up!! Maybe I was sleep-walking!

My first seminary teacher was Sister Ina Easton. She had had polio as a child and walked with a very noticeable limp. She would stride back and forth in front of us, limping the whole way. We met in the Cultural Hall - the chairs were in a semi-circle - and she read and talked and exhorted us daily.

She was a powerful teacher - and kept us all spellbound as she spoke about the Book of Mormon. She didn't have visual aids and there were no slide shows or recordings to listen to - I don't even think we had a blackboard. She had a testimony, and she bore it with great emphasis. We had some big Samoan boys in the class who were football players. If they weren't prepared, she could light into them fiercely - and they cowered at her upbraiding - and didn't do it again!! She was my teacher for 2 years, and I count it a great blessing in my life to have been taught by her.

After San Fernando, we were meeting at the Institute Building across from what is now Cal State Northridge. My teacher was Sister Ida Ellis. In retrospect, I'm thinking she was in the beginning stages of pregnancy about mid-way through the year. She would lean on this grand piano that was in the room where we met and have us go around the room reading. It was somewhat mind-numbing. My heart goes out to her now, thinking about getting up early when you are nauseated - and then facing a room full of teens - some of whom were not excited to be there. I don't remember too much about that year, but in later years I would run into Sister Ellis in the temple. She always made it sound like we'd had a fine time - so I went along with her!

My last year of seminary was taught by Brother DeManranville. He was young and handsome - and married of course, but that didn't stop me from having a major crush on him! He was more like what seminary teachers are now - lots of activities in class, slide shows, visual aides, and he always had stories to tell. He also challenged us to read the scriptures every night - and you need to understand that it hasn't always been a given that someone would feel incomplete at the end of the day if they hadn't prayed and read their scriptures.

I immediately took the challenge - and I remember him saying that I wouldn't last a month reading every night. I kept it up all year - and then he moved to New Zealand to teach in the church schools there - so I kept reading, thinking that he'd be back and I wanted to say he was wrong and I was still doing it!!

I've never seen or heard anything about him - but I kept up my every night streak for about 5 years before I faltered - and it's been a challenge ever since!! (I wax and wane with my diligence, I'm afraid, although I've done better the older I get!)

I had a semester of high school left, the fall semester, but I was finished with the 4 years of seminary instruction, so my last semester meant I had to find a ride to school every day!! I don't recall "missing" seminary - mostly I missed the automatic ride to school - most days I could time it so I went with my dad when he went to pick up my siblings and take them to school - by now we were having seminary in a local Granada Hills Ward building and we all went to the same school.

I don't have lots of specific memories about seminary, but I'm pretty sure it was a good influence in my life. They also had Senior Seminary Day - something I looked forward to and was not disappointed when it occurred. Many stakes combined for a day-long event on a Saturday - my year it was in Long Beach - classes, lunch, and a testimony meeting that I still remember to this day. There was probably a keynote speaker too.

All of our kids have gone to seminary and had good experiences. You might say we are a Seminary Family. (Dad didn't go to seminary as a youth, but he has taught seminary more than enough times to make up for that!)

It's good to remember those early mornings.