Why is institute boring??


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I'm ganna start with a preface. I loved seminary! I thrived there, I took 3 seminary classes my junior year of highschool (officially only one). My senior year I only had a few classes so when I was out of class with school in session, I was in the seminary :)  I was even on Seminary Council growing up.

After graduation, that love transferred to institute! Then I went on my mission and developed what I felt was amazing study habits and tactics, I learned to ask hard questions and get strong answers, I became accustom to deep discussion about basic doctrine in training meetings that broke the 'why' of missionary work down to the very core. And then seeing results in the work.

When I got home, I jumped back into institute. I'm now at a college in Utah taking an institute class and I have been very dissappointed with my experience. I felt like I was back in seminary where only a few participate and no one is wanting to ask any hard questions. It's just a resesitation of the same doctrine that I have been learning the last 20 or so years. One day I found myself thinking "Why am I even here?"

I do the readings, Inparticipate, ask questions and all that, smile at everyone and talk to all those around me... But I often dislike being there... 

What can I do to change this???

im prepared for a rebuking so have at it :) I know my experience is up to me and not the others in class. Constructive feed back would be great :D

Edited by Fether
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Today's "I'm doing some Deep Thinking" is tomorrow's "Wow, I really had no idea of what I was talking about, did I?" And every time you come back to the principles you learned about in Primary and realize you understand it in a way you never did before, you really have managed to dig one shovelful deeper. So don't worry if you think others in your institute class aren't where you are at. They probably aren't. Many of them have not yet dug as deeply as you have; some have already dug much deeper. One of the small but important miracles we witness every week is how fifty people at fifty different levels of spiritual development and understanding manage to sit in the same class, yet each of them gains from the lesson.

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May I ask how important institute attendance is?  While i was very active in the singles ward and i was active in seminary, i know that i virtually did not attend institute at all and did not really give it much thought at the time.  Fether's question kind of brought to mind the fact that there are people who are taking institute very seriously, and perhaps i missed something bigger than I thought?

(Ok, now you can rebuke)

Edited by DoctorLemon
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@DoctorLemon Thou child of Hell!

jk ;) I always saw institute attendance super important, I know that if I didn't go I would miss out on spiritual nourishment (even if I'm bored). Though I don't get intellectually fed, the spiritual blessings I received throughout the day are pretty clear.

@Vort Totally agree!

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9 hours ago, Fether said:

I'm ganna start with a preface. I loved seminary! I thrived there, I took 3 seminary classes my junior year of highschool (officially only one). My senior year I only had a few classes so when I was out of class with school in session, I was in the seminary :)  I was even on Seminary Council growing up.

After graduation, that love transferred to institute! Then I went on my mission and developed what I felt was amazing study habits and tactics, I learned to ask hard questions and get strong answers, I became accustom to deep discussion about basic doctrine in training meetings that broke the 'why' of missionary work down to the very core. And then seeing results in the work.

That's fantastic!

9 hours ago, Fether said:

When I got home, I jumped back into institute. I'm now at a college in Utah taking an institute class and I have been very dissappointed with my experience. I felt like I was back in seminary where only a few participate and no one is wanting to ask any hard questions. It's just a resesitation of the same doctrine that I have been learning the last 20 or so years. One day I found myself thinking "Why am I even here?"

I do the readings, Inparticipate, ask questions and all that, smile at everyone and talk to all those around me... But I often dislike being there... 

What can I do to change this???

im prepared for a rebuking so have at it :) I know my experience is up to me and not the others in class. Construction I've feed back would be great :D

First of all, I applaud your approach here: you're faced with a difficulty and you're taking initiative to face it (rather than just complaining).  You really have a great attitude here.

To be honest: a lot of what you learn in institute is repetition of what you learned in seminary.  And seminary was a lot of repetition of what you learned in senior primary.  And senior primary was a reputation of junior primary (minus the coloring).  And junior primary was largely a reputation of nursery (minus the "we don't bite our friends" lessons). 

The root core of the Gospel is simple, and doesn't change.  If you grew up in the church, those most important foundation lessons were taught when you were in diapers.  As a missionary, you taught these foundations to others.  But once a foundation is taught once, that doesn't mean we never taught about it again-- like how many times did you teach the same investigator about listening to the spirit?  And if you read the words of the apostles, you're read how they (re)learned the same lesson again as apostles!   

A lot of the times going deeper into a subject means digging a deeper and stronger foundation.  That's what the repetition is for.  

You touched on another great point in your OP- the importance of you doing the readings and having great study habits yourself.  That is super important for a mature person in the Gospel: to be able to gather spiritual food and feed ourselves.  As you continue to mature in the Gospel you're find that you're do lots of this spiritual cooking yourself- answering the questions you have, addressing your needs, etc.  But just because you can and do feed yourself doesn't mean you should skip the family meals (aka institute) even if the cooking is of lesser quality than yours.  We are a family in the gospel, and we need to stand as a family-- supporting each other, learning from each other, including learning of joy of a simply cooked meal.  

 

* PS-- thank you for this post.  I needed this.

 

 

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Sometimes, when I am in a class or listening to a talk, and feeling somewhat disengaged, I start to think how I would teach the same lesson. For example, how would I illustrate the point that the teacher is trying to make, what scriptures and examples would I use? Or perhaps more time could have been spent taking the lesson in this direction rather than that direction. Or what are some alternative conclusions that can be drawn from the same lesson material? That's usually enough to get me thinking more closely on what is being taught or talked and how its being taught. 

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17 minutes ago, askandanswer said:

rebuke. REBUKE REBUKE ReBuKe Rebuke Re-Buke  REBUKE Re Buick rebake 

Thanks DoctorLemon, I felt the need to rebuke someone and your post provided a convenient outlet :) 

#thugmormon

Edited by DoctorLemon
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I would give a lot to be able to go back in time and live your life, Feather.  There would be evil I never did, people I never hurt, pain I never experienced.  Boredom looks pretty good from where I'm standing.

That said, enduring boredom for boredom's sake isn't all that high on my list either.  If you choose to end your institute time, make sure you fill those hours with something worthy of the light and knowledge that lives in you.

Edited by NeuroTypical
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@Fether

First, I found both my institute classes and my religion classes to be pretty good.  I believe you may have just gotten some "less interesting" teachers.  It's the luck of the draw.  You got the short straw.  I have sympathy.

Second, the re-hashing of the same principles is nothing new.  We all know that we're supposed to keep learning the basics because none of us has it perfect.  We've been told this many times.  So, let me tell you something I just heard to confirm it.

I'm fairly early in my training in a particular martial art.  The school master asked us to practice a few white belt forms until we got them right.  He gave us 15 to 20 minutes to repeat them again and again.  He then noted that several students had stopped practicing them.  Their response was that they already had them down and didn't need further practice.  He asked if they knew them perfectly.  They said "yes".  He responded,"I don't have them down perfectly.  Do you honestly believe you can do them perfectly?"

These were white belt forms.  He is a 6th degree black belt.  Sometimes because we have them in our heads, we believe we are practicing them perfectly.  But the fact is that we aren't.  He's the highest level of anyone in the school partially because he's humble enough to know that he always needs more practice.  Those yellow belts who felt they had the white belt forms down perfectly will suffer later on if they also don't learn the same humility.

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Perhaps you could take a notebook and record your spiritual impressions to the lesson as some people do with general conference? Perhaps, you could summarize part of the lesson and disseminate it on Facebook? It would be nice if those with a good background in gospel principles had a regular feature on their Facebook page, 'This week's institute class' with a related scripture. Perhaps part of the lesson is a message that the family or individuals that you visit/home teach need to hear? You could pray before the lesson and ask to have the purpose of this lesson for you and your life to be revealed to you. Maybe you are being prepared to be a dissemination of information?

i do not have your depth of knowledge put perhaps you are being told 'feed my sheep'? Facebook is a wonderful tool for disseminating information.

Edited by Sunday21
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On 12/25/2016 at 11:08 PM, Fether said:

...When I got home, I jumped back into institute. I'm now at a college in Utah taking an institute class and I have been very dissappointed with my experience. I felt like I was back in seminary where only a few participate and no one is wanting to ask any hard questions. It's just a resesitation of the same doctrine that I have been learning the last 20 or so years. One day I found myself thinking "Why am I even here?"...

This article talks of introducing the gospel topic essays to Sunday School classes. I'm going to assume that these essays will probably be added to seminary and institute classes too. This might make LDS church classes a little more interesting.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865669945/Essays-on-Mormon-history-doctrine-find-new-visibility-in-official-app-Sunday-School.html

M.

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Guest LiterateParakeet
36 minutes ago, Maureen said:

This article talks of introducing the gospel topic essays to Sunday School classes. I'm going to assume that these essays will probably be added to seminary and institute classes too. This might make LDS church classes a little more interesting.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865669945/Essays-on-Mormon-history-doctrine-find-new-visibility-in-official-app-Sunday-School.html

M.

Thanks Maureen!  I hadn't heard this and this is wonderful news.  

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Guest LiterateParakeet
On 12/25/2016 at 10:08 PM, Fether said:

When I got home, I jumped back into institute. I'm now at a college in Utah taking an institute class and I have been very dissappointed with my experience. I felt like I was back in seminary where only a few participate and no one is wanting to ask any hard questions. It's just a resesitation of the same doctrine that I have been learning the last 20 or so years. One day I found myself thinking "Why am I even here?"

I do the readings, Inparticipate, ask questions and all that, smile at everyone and talk to all those around me... But I often dislike being there... 

What can I do to change this???

Remember that the greatest truths and insights come from the Holy Ghost...whether the teacher says them, or the Holy Ghost speaks them directly to your mind/heart is of no consequence.  

So my suggestion is to change your mindset.  Instead of looking for your teacher to wow you with new ideas, or your fellow students to spark your imagination with  their questions, go into class with a pray in your heart, "Lord, what do you want me to learn from this lesson today?"  Be patient.  For me it often feels like the Spirit is testing my resolve, to see how serious I am, before this sort of thing bears fruit.  But if I stay focused, the answers do come.  And believe me, the best insights are the ones the Holy Ghost gives you that are pertinent to your life and your questions.

Do you remember when Elder Eyring (???) said that he even takes notes when children speak in Primary, because the Spirit can speak through them too.  I'm not there....but if our Leaders can get inspiration even through Primary talks, then surely you and I can get inspiration through Institute and even Sunday School, Priesthood/Relief Society and Sacrament talks.  The key is to listen to the right source. 

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Guest LiterateParakeet
44 minutes ago, Sunday21 said:

@LiterateParakeet New Years pledge: I am going to try to do this, rather than let my thoughts drift!

That's awesome.  Thanks for telling me!  I think you will find it very helpful,  I know I have.  I mean, I'm not perfect at it, but those times that I work at it consistently, it's very fulfilling.  

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  • 9 months later...

Pardon the resurrection, but I came here because I've been missing Institute.  I only took about 2.5 years of seminary and didn't start Institute until after I graduated (a Catholic) college.  In seven years, I graduated Institute twice and got an advanced achievement certificate or two.  It really enhanced my study to have others able and willing to discuss scriptures; I haven't had that in my life for a few years, and my scripture study has suffered greatly.  (I really wish online groups had the same effect on me as a classroom environment.)

Anyway, our Institute Director decided it would be a good idea to format the summer course to always be The Gospel and the Productive Life to help integrate graduating seniors into the program and real life.  The first summer was great, and I learned quite a bit the second summer that I had missed the first time around.  By the time the third summer came around...I noticed I was a little begrudging about attending.  Thankfully a coworker from my part time job had just graduated from high school and was also attending.  This helped me realize that, while there may not be much left for me to learn from the materials, there may have been insight I could offer to those in attendance.  I stopped asking, "What can I get out of this?" and started asking "What can I contribute?" 

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