Next year, LDS seminaries around the world will be implementing a new Doctrinal Mastery that will replace the existing Scripture Mastery.

Instead of having students memorize specific scriptures, the new Doctrinal Mastery program will focus on doctrinal topics to help students learn to study, ask questions, and teach one another. It will help the youth make connections between the doctrines of the gospel and how to apply them in their everyday lives so that they can become spiritually self-reliant.

“These young people are immersed in a digital world where they are literally bombarded every day with voices and messages from the world,” said Elder Kim B. Clark, Commissioner of Education for the Church. “Many of those voices and messages raise questions and issues of the day directly related to what we believe.”

For the youth of the Church today, asking questions and being asked questions is common. The desire is that students can bring their questions to class and instructors can teach students in a setting of faith with someone they can trust instead of just going to the internet to find their answers.

Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “More than any time in our history, your students also need to be blessed by learning doctrinal or historical content and context by study and faith accompanied by pure testimony so they can experience a mature and lasting conversion to the gospel and a lifelong commitment to Jesus Christ.”

Learn more about this new program in the article “Seminaries to Implement New Doctrinal Mastery Initiative.”