Introduction to Educational Advancement

The Yount Program is more than a service; it is a personal development program for LDS Church members

Education is more than about wanting to get ahead. More education is a commandment for Church members; it reaps blessings in this life and the next. In that context education is a temporal activity that needs to be linked to spiritual growth. The Lord says his temporal commands are also spiritual commands (D&C 29:34). Members should approach schooling with the dignity placed upon them when they were chosen to be part of this dispensation of preparation for the Savior’s return. Continual learning in this life is as important as eternal progress is for the next. Education is part of the bridge between our prior life and our next life. Additional schooling can and should be a spiritual development exercise. The Yount Program for Educational Advancement helps make that connection.

Why does the Yount Program use a new definition of education?

The imparting of heaven’s knowledge for this day of preparation is accelerating. The knowledge explosion in all areas show no signs of stopping (Thousands of new words are added to the dictionary every year). LDS Church members must learn about it to be part of it and contribute to it. Both new knowledge and new technology speed the rate of change is often faster than many are prepared to handle. Consider how cell phones, the Internet, and hand-held devices have created rapid changes in personal relationships in a connected world, whether for the right or wrong reasons. The help versus hurt effect of many new technologies add new learning requirements, both temporally and spiritually. Continual education is essential for economic security and family enrichment as well as spiritual progress. Catching up, anticipating what’s next, and dealing with unintended consequences are three new realms of educational planning. Education is about the whole self and what it is becoming. That requires a purpose that goes beyond self.

How does an LDS church member anticipate and prepare for their future?

In the midst of rapid change, preparing for the future is tricky. Employment wise, thousands of job titles exist today that did not exist ten years ago. Companies are doing more of their own training because colleges can’t keep up or cover the breadth of educational need. Blended majors or a blend of formal and informal education is often required. Specialized online courses are proliferating. And given the knowledge explosion, what are the basics? They used to be “general education’s courses as defined by university “experts.” Employers have a different idea; they clearly state that their basics are the soft skills, including dependability, reliability, initiative, teamwork, etc., plus a high level of basic skills (math, reading, writing, communicating, comoputing, etc.). For Church members the basics relate to core values and core principles of the gospel and their application to daily life.

In today’s world the term “college” includes any type of formal education beyond high school, whether technical or academic. Higher education institutions are being much more flexible in granting degree-related credit. Many are willing to grant credit for work experience toward specialized degrees. Special certificates of mastery are growing in popularity. However, without a better classification system for job preparation, college degrees are still used as the main qualifying factor for good paying jobs.

Today’s degree of uncertainty clamors for more guidance. A career validation experience helps. So does learning the rules and tools of college success. So does faith and trust in the Lord. He knows our individual futures as well as the world’s future. We can tap into and align with both. Pondering one’s Patriarchal Blessing and praying for personal guidance is the ultimate tool for moving ahead with confidence as we approach additional education.

How does the Yount Program personalize Educational Advancement?

No one seminar can cover all of the elements of educational progress. Hence the basic Yount Seminar covers what research has shown leads to proper preparation, entry, and successful completion of post high school education. However, education for LDS Church members never ends. It is a continuum of learning integrated with spiritual development. The spirit is the great personalizer in life’s progress. In addition, the Yount Program uses tracking of educational progress, student networking, and mentors to help personalize the educational experience. The seminar is augmented with firesides and assistance to deal with specific needs of individual Church members based upon their current educational status. No one need go without further education, formally and informally. Everyone has some; everyone needs more.