Where Faith Takes Root: How Seminary and Institute of Religion Are Changing Young Lives  

There is a moment, different for every person, but unmistakable when it comes, when the gospel stops being something you were taught and starts being something you know. For thousands of young Latter-day Saints across the Philippines, that moment has happened inside a seminary classroom or an institute of religion.

Seminary and Institute of Religion are the two pillars of religious education offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its youth and young adults. Seminary serves students from ages 14 to 18, gathering them, often in the afternoon or early evening depending on the schedule, for daily scripture study and gospel instruction. Institute serves young adults ages 18 to 35, including college students and young single adults, offering gospel courses that deepen discipleship during some of the most defining years of a person's life.

Together, they form what one student in Lucena called simply "one of the geniuses of God."

Setting Goals, Building Worthiness

For Aira Marie U. Oyco of Magsungay Ward (Congregation) in the Bacolod Philippines Stake (Diocese), seminary arrived at exactly the right time. As a young woman navigating a world full of distraction and temptation, she was searching for something to help her stay on course.

"Seminary has helped me set goals for myself and for my well-being," she said. "I learned how to set goals with small steps, which has helped me stay productive, be healthier, and take care of myself."

But it was the direction those goals pointed that mattered most. Seminary turned her eyes toward the temple. She began scheduling her temple recommend renewal, setting daily goals to stay worthy, and deepening her understanding of the covenant path not as an obligation, but as a personal pursuit. "Even when my temple recommend expires, or even if I'm not going to the temple yet, I can and will still continue to strive to be worthy," she wrote.

"I Can No Longer Deny the Truth"

Across the Visayas, another young woman from Bacolod came to seminary already carrying the seeds of a testimony and left with a conviction she could not shake.

"Since I began attending seminary, I've grown in ways I never thought possible, and I can no longer deny the truth of His gospel," she wrote. "My desire to serve a full-time mission burns brighter each day, and I know the Book of Mormon is preparing me to share His message with others."

Before she began reading the Book of Mormon regularly, she admitted, "God was just a name to me, someone I knew about, but not someone I truly knew." Through study, prayer, and pondering, that changed. "Day by day, my faith grows stronger, and I know it will never fade."

She extended her testimony to her fellow seminarians with an invitation that carried the weight of personal experience: "I invite you to open the Book of Mormon with faith. Don't just read the words, seek to understand it, pray about it, and let it change your heart. It will prepare you for whatever lies ahead, just as it has prepared me."

Seminary Goes Beyond Scripture, It Prepares Young People for Life

What makes seminary distinctive is not only what it teaches from the scriptures, but what it equips young people to do when they step back into the world.

Recognizing that today's youth face challenges far beyond questions of faith, the Church's Seminary program has woven into its curriculum a series of Life Preparation Lessons, practical, Christ-centered lessons designed to help students navigate the real demands of daily life.

These lessons give students opportunities to apply the Savior's teachings to handle difficult questions and challenging life circumstances, build self-reliance to provide for self and family, become more physically and emotionally healthy, develop skills to succeed in school, make plans to prepare for future education and employment, prepare for missionary and Church service, and prepare to make and keep covenants in the temple.

The lessons are not separate from the gospel; they are rooted in it. Each one is Christ-centered, scripture-based, and guided by the Holy Ghost, designed to help students see that the Savior's teachings are not only eternal truths but practical guides for the challenges they face today.

As President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency observed, too many graduates of seminary fail to qualify for the mission field, and too many faithful students never receive the blessings of the temple ordinances; calling for a higher standard in how the Church prepares its youth. Life Preparation Lessons are the Church's direct response to that call.

For young people like Aira Marie of Bacolod, who credits seminary with teaching her how to set goals for her temple preparation, the impact of this practical dimension is already being felt. Seminary is not just a classroom. It is a training ground for the covenant path.

From Shy to Standing

Seminary has a way of doing something to the people inside it that no classroom curriculum can fully explain. It builds confidence, not the kind that comes from performance, but the kind that comes from knowing.

Jhayciel Sauquillo of Mandaluyong 3rd Ward knows this firsthand. "Dati, feeling ko hindi ko kayang humarap sa maraming tao kasi mahiyain ako," she shared. ("Before, I felt like I couldn't face a crowd because I was shy.") "But as I learned more, I discovered something about myself, kaya ko pala tumayo sa harap and share my thoughts." ("I could actually stand up in front and share my thoughts.")

Seminary did not just teach her the scriptures. It showed her who she was. "I learned to believe in myself, that I can be more than what I imagined," she said. "These are the blessings that seminary has given me."

A Place of Peace and Protection

For Elizabeth Oyardo of Gumaca Ward in the Lopez Stake, seminary became something she did not expect: a refuge.

"Seminary became my escape sa mga bagay na gumugulo sa aking isipan," she said. ("Seminary became my escape from the things that troubled my mind.") "It became my personal peace and protection sa mga nangyayari sa outside world ng buhay ko." ("From the things happening in the outside world of my life.")

When her peers pressured her to drink alcohol, framing it as part of friendship, she held on to something her seminary teacher had given her. "What do I hold on to kapag nangyayari iyon? Simple. My covenant." ("What do I hold on to when that happens? Simple. My covenant.") "Our teacher taught us not to be carried away by worldly things and by things that will not help us."

"When we attend seminary, the broken part of us will be repaired. It will build something beautiful in our life." -- Elizabeth Oyardo, Lopez Stake

Doors Open for Those Still Searching

Seminary's reach extends beyond the already converted. Across Northern Luzon, a series of stories has unfolded in recent months that show how a small, faith-filled invitation  to attend just one class, to come and see can become the beginning of a life changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the vibrant City of Batac, Ilocos Norte, Allyah "Rhyza" Santos (13) and her cousin Cassandra "Cassie" Clemente (13) came to seminary not through a formal lesson, but through a feeling.

The Santos family is a part-member family in the Batac Ward. Sister Joan Santos had been the only member since 1989. Despite multiple invitations over the years, she had struggled to return to activity. On February 5, 2026, two sister missionaries knocked on the Santos door and met Rhyza for the first time. On February 11, they returned and met Cassie as well. Rather than beginning the standard missionary lessons, the sisters felt a clear impression from the Spirit to introduce seminary first.

"We didn't teach them, we just invited them to seminary class on Friday, February 13," the missionaries recounted. "And guess what? They came on their own. They texted us to say they were already at the church at 5:30 p.m., but the building was still closed."

When the class began, they were welcomed warmly by the other seminarians. After class came "Gathering," a weekly tradition in the Batac Ward where seminary and institute students share a meal, fellowship, and play together. The effect was immediate.

"There were big changes in their countenance," the missionaries wrote, noting the difference in Cassie and Rhyza from their first meeting to their first evening among other youth members. Two days later, on February 15, both attended sacrament meeting. It was the first time Cassie had ever been to one. Both told the missionaries: "We will come every Sunday."

Sister Joan returned to church to be with them. Cassie and Rhyza invited a friend to come as well. Week by week, they grew together,  attending church activities, studying the scriptures at home with the missionaries, and deepening their faith in Jesus Christ.

On March 28, 2026, Rhyza Santos and Cassandra Clemente were baptized and confirmed. A month later, on April 29, they performed ordinances for their ancestors in the temple.

"We testify that members of the Church are the key of this work, and this is God's work. Ministering can change lives." -- Sister Missionaries, Batac Ward

Jennifer Camangeg and Xyriel Ranga had a similar story, set in motion by a small, folded note.

They were sitting side by side in class at City of Batac National High School when their teacher, Miss Hanyma, handed them a note and smiled. "Mrs. Rechiel Nalupta would like to meet you," she said. "She's involved with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,  she can help you overcome your fears in life."

Sister Rechiel Nalupta, a Special Needs Education teacher at the school, spoke with Jennifer and Xyriel with gentle warmth, asking about their lives and listening more than she talked. When she invited them to seminary, she made it sound like an open seat at a table. "Come try it for a week," she said. "See what it feels like to open the scriptures with others your age."

Curiosity pulled them back the next morning, and the morning after that. The seminary room was alive with familiar routines, a hymn, a prayer, scripture study, honest questions. Sister Nalupta led the class with steady encouragement, and Jennifer and Xyriel found themselves drawn into discussions about service, faith, and doubt. Seminary, they discovered, was not a set of answers but a place to practice asking better questions.

Sister Nalupta invited them to youth gatherings, service nights, potlucks, and scripture study circles,  where faces became friends and stories became trust. At a service project packing meals for families in need, Jennifer discovered a quiet satisfaction in organizing volunteers. Xyriel, who had once kept his thoughts to himself, surprised everyone by sharing a scripture that had comforted her through a hard week.

Sister Nalupta asked her family for permission to welcome Jennifer and Xyriel into their home as she continued to accompany them through the conversion process. The family responded positively. Sacrifices were made but, as the missionaries noted, they proved worth every one when the parents of both young women gave their blessing for baptism.

Jennifer and Xyriel were baptized on April 25, 2026. They also participated in FSY (For the Strength of Youth Conference) at Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel from April 20 to 25, 2026. The full-time missionaries had already begun meeting with Xyriel's family, who welcomed them warmly and expressed a desire to investigate the Church themselves.

"The real gift wasn't merely the baptism itself but the months that led there: the patient invitations, the seminary class, the acts of service, and the friendships that taught them how to belong."

Xyriel and Jennifer visited the Laoag Institute of Religion (LPIR) with their teacher, Sister Rechiel Nalupta, before they were yet members of the Church. Photos courtesy of Laoag City Ward.

Institute: Where the Journey Continues

If seminary plants seeds, institute cultivates them through the demanding, often turbulent years of young adulthood. And sometimes, institute is not where the journey deepens,  it is where it begins.

In Laoag City, two young women named Nasha Cabillo and Meryle Grace Edu found their way to the Church through the Institute of Religion before they had ever met with missionaries.

Meryle Grace Edu's journey began through a ministering relationship. Angelica Calivoso, a 2024 YSA convert who was studying in Laoag City, had begun attending church irregularly after temporarily returning to her home branch. Her ministering sister, Angelica Ligot, kept in close contact  and when Angelica expressed her desire to reconnect with the Laoag 3rd Ward community, Sister Ligot lovingly extended an invitation: come to an activity at the Laoag Institute of Religion.

"Come to the LPIR," Sister Ligot said and she brought Meryle along.

From her very first visit, Meryle felt something different. She felt welcomed, valued, and a sense of belonging that touched her heart. The warmth of the YSA community made a lasting impression on her. Before the activity concluded, the young single adults of Laoag 3rd Ward invited Meryle to meet with the missionaries and attend a Sunday worship service. With an open heart and genuine curiosity, she accepted.

The following week, Meryle enrolled in institute classes alongside Nasha. She quickly became what those who know her call a "found gem", showing sincere interest, actively participating in lessons, and faithfully attending institute classes, church worship services, and other activities. Week after week, she continued to nurture her faith through learning, fellowship, and obedience. Through prayer, study, and sincere desire to follow Jesus Christ, Meryle made the decision to enter the waters of baptism. She was baptized on March 28, 2026.

Nasha Cabillo first met the full-time missionaries in February 2026, during one of their Interested Person lessons. The sister missionaries invited her to attend Sunday worship services, and Nasha accepted immediately,  she showed up that very Sunday. There she was warmly welcomed and introduced to Precious Agbayani and her siblings, Princess and Pearl, who live in the same barangay and would become her close Church friends.

On that same day, Precious invited Nasha to attend institute classes. She responded positively and attended later that week, officially enrolling in the Foundations of the Restoration and Old Testament courses at the Laoag Institute of Religion. Missionary discussions were conducted there, with several young single adults sitting in to support and fellowship with her throughout the lessons.

"Truly, Nasha is a precious gem found by our sister missionaries," wrote those who worked with her throughout her conversion. Her journey progressed with consistency and faith. She was baptized on March 14, 2026, making sacred covenants and beginning a new chapter in her discipleship.

"From their very first visit, she felt welcomed, valued, and a sense of belonging that touched her heart."-- Laoag Institute of Religion, on Meryle Grace Edu

A Place of Peace and Personal Revelation

For Novelia Diane Boca, the institute became a place where peace was not just taught  it was felt. "Through the lessons and discussions and the examples of others, I felt peace and guidance and encouragement to make better choices," she shared. "I've also felt the Holy Ghost more clearly during and after institute, especially when we have meaningful discussions. That feeling of peace has carried into my daily life."

Yzabela Lina, a college student who often lost herself in academic demands, found in institute a gentle, steady reminder. "It reminds me that you can spare a short amount of time to learn the gospel every day even 15 to 30 minutes of reading and pondering can help you receive personal revelations," she said. "Every after-institute class, may nakukuha akong aral na minsan pa ay nakakatulong sa mga problema at worries na hinaharap ko." ("After every institute class, I gain a lesson that sometimes helps with the problems and worries I face.")

Come Back, There Is Room

Perhaps no testimony of the institute's power is more moving than that of Georgina Castro-Bayani, who returned to Church after years of inactivity. She had married a nonmember and drifted far from the gospel she once knew. It was institute that helped her find her way back.

"Through institute, my faith in Jesus Christ was gradually strengthened," she wrote. "My testimony of the gospel was renewed, and I began to feel hope again, even as life continued to present challenges." She invited her husband to attend institute with her. Over time, his heart softened. He met with the missionaries. He was baptized. "Today, we continue to attend institute together," she said, "striving to learn, grow, and build our lives upon Jesus Christ."

Aliza Leen Quinto had a similar experience of almost walking away and choosing to return. "There was a time when going to institute felt heavy," she admitted. "I started to think that maybe I didn't belong, that I wasn't good enough, or that I no longer needed it."

Then something changed. She listened to others share how institute had blessed them, and she took a small step of faith.

"In those classes, I began to feel Heavenly Father's love in a very personal and powerful way," she shared. "I came to know that He sees me, that He will not let me be lost, and that He is always guiding me back to Him."

"If you ever feel unsure, not enough, or lost, please remember  you belong. And sometimes, all it takes is one small step of faith to feel God's love again”, Aliza emphasized. 

Faith That Outlasts Everything

Of all the testimonies gathered, perhaps none carries more weight than that of Henry Alfonso Gunday Pagkalinawan VI of Lucena 3rd Ward.

Henry graduated from seminary in 2019 and has been teaching in the institute program while simultaneously enrolled as a student. He served a full-time mission. He has loved every moment of learning.

But his journey has not been easy. While still on his mission, Henry was diagnosed with a cerebrovascular disease,  rare for someone his age. After returning home, further tests revealed two rare conditions. He has been in and out of hospitals for consultations, confinements, and procedures, some requiring him to travel to Manila. There have been days when he attended institute while feeling unwell. There have been days he taught while experiencing the same symptoms.

He has never stopped.

"I receive spiritual power and comfort whenever I attend institute," he said, "both as a student and a teacher. It has strengthened my faith in Jesus Christ."

When people ask why he keeps showing up,  why he is always at church, always available, his answer is simple.

"I love my Heavenly Father. I testify of what is written in 3 Nephi 13:33: 'But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.'" -- Henry Alfonso Gunday Pagkalinawan VI

He is still enrolled. He says he always will be. "I believe that learning never ends."

An Invitation

Across Bacolod, Mandaluyong, Laoag, Lucena, Lopez, Batac, and beyond, the pattern is the same, young people walking through a door, often unsure of what they will find, and discovering something that changes the direction of their lives.

Seminary and Institute are not just programs. They are, as Raiver put it, "a reminder that Jesus Christ is our Savior." They are, as Aliza said, "more than just a class, a manifestation of God's love." They are, as Henry testified, a place where "all things are possible to know" by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And they are open to you.