Ask me again after Isaiah

September 2, 2026

I have taught five full days of early morning seminary, and I think I’m going to survive.

Maybe even settle in—but I don’t want to jinx it. Also, the next week I teach we are starting Isaiah...so there’s that.

I don’t think I’ve ever talked to someone who taught early morning seminary who didn’t love it. I’m not sure exactly why, but whenever I mention that I’m teaching seminary, former teachers get huge grins on their faces.

“I LOVED teaching seminary.”

“The kids are the best.”

“You’re so lucky.”

That is what I've heard over and over again.

I honestly have a some good memories from teaching seminary 25 years ago, but this time around, my terror of actually getting started overshadowed most of them. There was so much to prepare and remember and figure out that it was hard to imagine getting to the point where I would just enjoy it.

But after a week, I’m starting to understand those big grins a little more.

I already think about our 20 students a lot. I pray for them every night. I want to connect more with each of them, although right now it feels more like a group connection than an individual one. There just isn’t much time during class for one-on-one conversations, and there really isn’t a time outside of class either.

We’ll see how that develops.

I am starting to make my way around to the different groups when they have a group assignment and interact with them that way. This is definite progress because the first few days I would give them an assignment and then immediately and frantically scan my notes to figure out what I was supposed to do next.

Baby steps.

I’m also just really impressed with these students. Their days are FULL. They have school, extracurricular activities, Wednesday night church activities, temple trips, home responsibilites and some of them have part-time jobs. And somehow they are getting up ridiculously early and coming to seminary too.

They are kind to each other. They are smart. They participate (at times, and sometimes with candy bribes, but I’ll take it). And they have already given some amazing devotionals. I genuinely enjoy being with them.

Last week I had an impression about callings sometimes being tender mercies in our lives. And that reminder itself felt like a tender mercy to me.

I’m only one week in, so I certainly don’t know yet what this seminary year will look like. But I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, learn, stretch, connect, and grow.

And maybe—just maybe—I’m beginning to understand why former seminary teachers get those huge grins on their faces.

Ask me again after Isaiah.