April 2005 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

CHURCH EDUCATION
AROUND THE WORLD
Church universities and colleges 56,000 students
Elementary and secondary schools 9,000 students
Seminary and institutes of religion 735,000 students
Continuing-education programs 450,000 members
Countries involved 140 countries
Volunteers 35,000 members
keep up in making the programs
readily available as the
Church grows.
Elder Kerr said that he is
Elders Russell M.
Nelson and Joseph B.
Wirthlin of the
Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles officially opened a
new exhibit celebrating the
life of Joseph Smith on
February 4 at the Museum of
Church History and Art.
The exhibit, Joseph Smith:
Prophet of the Restoration,
was organized to commemorate
the bicentennial of the
Prophet’s birth and includes
several rare and historically
significant items from his life.
Among other things, the
exhibit displays an original
Book of Mormon manuscript
page with Joseph Smith’s
handwriting, original copies
of section 10 of the Doctrine
and Covenants, a book of
Moses manuscript, wall fragments
from the Liberty Jail,
surgical instruments similar
to those used on the Prophet
during a leg operation when
he was seven years old, and a
touchable plaster cast made
from Joseph’s death mask.
excited about his new
appointment because it gives
him an opportunity to work
with the young people of the
Museum Begins Anniversary Year
with Joseph Smith Exhibit
Joseph Smith’s journal, a
letter he wrote from Liberty
Jail, and the first transcript of
the Word of Wisdom revelation
are also part of the
exhibit.
Elder Marlin K. Jensen
of the Seventy, who is the
executive director of the
Church. “I love education,
and I love youth,” he said.
“My career has been primarily
focused on the age groups
served by CES.”
The Church Educational
System has a special place in
his heart because Elder Kerr
was involved in CES programs
as a young man. He
graduated from seminary and
institute and acknowledges
how his life was blessed by
them. “I enrolled in at least
one institute class every term
Elder Russell M. Nelson introduces the new Joseph Smith
exhibit during an open house at the Museum of Church
History and Art. The cloak Joseph Smith wore as general
of the Nauvoo Legion is on display.
Family and Church
History Department, said he
thinks the exhibit will help
people gain a better understanding
of the Prophet. “I
think one of the main benefits
for people who visit the
exhibit will be the sense of
reality they get,” Elder
of my undergraduate study at
Utah State University,” he
said, “and it was a marvelous
blessing to me.”
Elder Kerr said faithful
seminary students receive the
same kinds of blessings. “We
find that homes and families
are substantially blessed as
the young people attend seminary,”
he said. “Some choose
not to participate, thinking
it’s too great a sacrifice, but in
the long run not participating
is the greatest sacrifice.” ■
ENSIGN APRIL 2005 75