The following is a timeline of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint Seminary programs:

• 1888: The Church General Board of Education was established.

• 1890: Religion classes began. These classes were designed to supplement secular learning by adding a class in religion at the close of the regular school day. By the close of 1893 classes were established in every ward of the church which continued until 1929.

• 1911: Joseph F. Merrill conceptualized seminary during a Family Home Evening. As second counselor in the Granite stake presidency, he proposed that a seminary program be established near Granite High School. His plan was approved by the stake presidency and the Church General Board of Education.

• 1912: Joseph F. Merrill’s proposal for seminary was approved by the district and state boards of education. Construction on a building began and the Granite Seminary opened in the fall as the Church’s first daily released-time seminary program with 70 students. Thomas J. Yates was hired as the first teacher and taught afternoon classes.

• 1920: Seminary enrollment was 2,982.

• 1925: Seminary enrollment was 8,527.

• 1938: J. Reuben Clark gave “The Charted Course of the Church in Education” at Aspen Grove as part of summer school for seminary and institute teachers. There were 98 functioning seminary programs in the following states: Utah (64), Idaho (23), Colorado (1), Wyoming (4), Nevada (1), and Arizona (5).

• 1950: Ray L. Jones was sent to Los Angeles to begin the early-morning seminary program in California. The first early-morning seminary classes were taught before school in church meetinghouses near public schools. There were six classes and a total of 200 students. Seminary enrollment was 28,677.

• 1953: Early-morning seminary was expanded to states outside Utah and California.

• 1962: Early-morning seminary was introduced to Finland and Germany (a total of 34 students) in response to requests for programs outside of the U.S. and Canada.

• 1963: William E. Berrett visited Europe to investigate the possibility of establishing other seminary and institute programs outside of North America.

• 1967: Don Bond was sent to the Midwest to pilot the home-study seminary program. The first home-study classes in scattered rural areas for secondary students were held in Iowa, Indiana and Illinois.

• 1968: The home-study seminary program was expanded to include five more locations in the United States and two international locations. John Madsen was sent to England and J.L. Jaussi was sent to Australia to launch their respective home-study programs.

• 1970: The Church Board of Education announced that seminary and institute programs would follow the growth of church membership throughout the world.

• 1975: Seminary enrollment was 183,670.

• 1980: Sequential Scripture Teaching was introduced emphasizing the importance of using the scriptures more directly in teaching and making application of the scriptures in the lives of students.

• 1988: The Professional Development Program was introduced to provide instruction for teachers in understanding the foundations of religious education.

• 1992: The Church Educational System Fireside for Young Adults began as a worldwide satellite broadcast.

• 1996: The seminary course of study was made the same throughout the world. Prior to the 1996-1997 school year, the seminary course of study for students in the Northern Hemisphere non-English areas was different from the course of study for students in the Northern Hemisphere English speaking and all Southern Hemisphere areas.

• 2000: Seminary enrollment was 380,386.

• 2003: The current teaching emphasis was introduced, focusing on teaching the scriptures by the Spirit, and helping students identify, understand and apply doctrines and principles of the gospel. Students were encouraged to explain, share and testify of these principles in order to deepen their understanding and conversion and better prepare them to teach the gospel to others.

• 2010: Seminary enrollment was 369,373.

• 2014: The church adopted a practice of testing students, requiring competency to earn graduation certificates from seminary.

Source: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.