New Institute Class Teaches Young Adults How to Find Answers to Their Gospel Questions

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hands holding up signs with questions

Have you ever wished you had a place to ask and find answers for gospel questions?

You’re not the only one. Feedback from institute students shows that many young adults want an environment where they can explore questions they have about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without feeling judged.

The Church has designed a new institute class to meet that need.

Answering My Gospel Questions (REL 280) begins by teaching principles and patterns for asking and answering questions. Young adults then select topics and questions they want to study and discuss for the remainder of the course.

“This course is part of a larger effort to meet the needs of young adults in inviting and relevant ways,” said Chad Webb, administrator of Seminaries and Institutes. “It will allow them to faithfully address current questions and issues, to receive the Lord’s guidance and to feel His love in their lives.”

Students will learn critical lifelong skills, including how to disagree without being disagreeable and how to assess the reliability of resources.

“It’s an opportunity for young adults to learn how to ask questions from a perspective of faith, discuss them together in a spirit of respect and love, and become more informed, articulate disciples,” said Jared Moon, manager of institute curriculum.

Sarah from Uganda said taking this class helped her have better conversations with her nonmember husband. “It was lovely to discuss these topics with him after class and be more educated to have calm, respectful discussions and see his view of the Church change for the positive,” she said. 

Maria from England said the class gave her a strong foundation for finding good resources. “I feel like I am in a much better place to continue educating myself and therefore be able to answer questions and have accurate discussions with friends,” she said.