Welcome to our annual Religious Educator issue sponsored by Seminaries and Institutes, in which we focus on contributions from S&I authors. Though the S&I issue has traditionally been our third one of the year, it has been moved to the first issue going forward. We celebrate this collaborative effort between BYU and S&I and look forward to the contributions made by our S&I teachers each year. Though some articles have a special emphasis on full-time religious educators, the articles should be of value to all gospel teachers in the Church.

Our lead article comes from Elder Jörg Klebingat of the First Quorum of the Seventy. His address provides an eternal perspective regarding how the Savior’s atoning sacrifice pertains to our daily life and, more specifically, to our eternal destiny. Two articles focus on the new Life Preparation lessons announced last year. These articles look at both the influences that led to the Life Preparation lessons as well as how these lessons can be integrated with the Church’s Come, Follow Me curriculum.

In this issue, you will also find three articles focusing on lessons from scriptural events and from events of the early days of the Restoration. One article looks at how Saints in the early days of the Restoration drew inspiration from stories of ancient Israel in the Old Testament. The other two articles focus on events and teachings from the Book of Mormon and the First Vision that can help our students learn for themselves how to navigate the challenges they face in these days.

The final three articles focus more directly on the here and now. They address the importance of using empathy as a key to understanding challenging passages of scripture, the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence presents for religious educators, and the value of following prophetic counsel to magnify the voices of Heavenly Father’s daughters in our work. I believe you will find valuable doctrines, principles, and practices to enhance your own discipleship and help you become more effective at helping those you serve draw nearer to the Savior.

Michael A. Goodman
Editor in Chief