By Jill Macallister
The storms of life may be individual among the 30,000 people attending Campus Education Week, but the refuge is the same.
The theme of Education Week this year is Finding Refuge from the Storm.
“We selected this theme as a reminder that the Savior is the true refuge from any challenge we are facing,” said Neil Carlile, director of Campus Education Week.
After the events of Sept. 11, the coordinators of Education Week chose a theme that would help people cope with national and international turbulence.
“Finding a refuge from the storm of today”s world is possible by following the teachings of Jesus Christ, who is always at the heart of Campus Education Week,” President Merrill J. Bateman said.
Carlile said, “It”s a time of uncertainty that we haven”t felt in a long time. So I think people have a sensitivity that we may not have the kind of control we thought we had over our lives, and we really are dependent on our heavenly father to help us with the challenges that we face.”
Terrorism, economic trouble and conflict in the Middle East are just a few world events that worry people, but everyone has personal problems which send individual storms though life, said Bruce Payne, Education Week program administrator.
“In our personal lives we have major challenges, and all of these things can combine sometimes to make us discouraged,” Carlile said.
He said some people worry about parenting issues and others worry about international issues. From teenagers to empty nesters, people come here with different needs.
Education week can be a refuge from the storm by giving people the knowledge they need to get through troubled times, Carlile said.
Over 1,000 classes will be taught this week with topics ranging from Finance and Family Life to Gospel doctrine and the dangers of Pornography.
“Find something that you specifically need to work on and look for those classes,” Payne said.
Classes can also give students a spiritual rejuvenation and help them refocus on Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
“Some of these issues can be taken with more perspective, and people can truly feel the peace that the gospel and the savior bring to their lives despite what else is going on,” Payne said.
Many teachers choose to direct their teaching material towards the theme, Payne said.
Some classes that are directly related to the theme include: Using Gospel Doctrine and Knowledge as a Refuge from the Storm, Making Our Homes a Refuge from the Storm, and Finding Peace in a Troubled World.
The campus Devotional by Elder L. Tom Perry will also be based on Finding Refuge from the Storm.
