Every morning a horde of children wake up an hour before school and make their way to the Thom chapel across from Shadow Ridge High School for a religious class called Seminary.            Senior, Ethan Fisher, describes Seminary as, “Just another class that helps us [members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints] further our study of our religion and grow closer to Christ.” 

The class starts at 6:00 a.m. sharp and ends, depending on the teacher, between 6:40-6:50, except for Wednesdays when most kids do not have class, but instead, an at-home assignment that is completed online. Every day’s lesson consists of reading verses from both the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon, and then discussing what the verses mean.

Fisher says the so-called ‘Mormon Mafia’ is a “Fun nickname that we use for the sea of kids that flood the four-way stop every morning before school.” 

The nickname itself is not at all new. The ‘Mormon Mafia’ has been a part of the Latter Day Saints community at Shadow Ridge for years, and according to legend, these crosswalk-crusaders have been hit multiple times.

Fisher says the walk from church to school is nothing short of hazardous. Each day these kids risk their lives dodging the early morning traffic.

Fisher stated, “The treacherous thing about it is the risk of getting hit by a car in the four-way stop which has happened to some people.”

Students are given about 10-15 minutes to make their way to school. It is a five-minute walk and a 10-minute drive considering the traffic. Most members opt to leave their cars in the church parking lot but for those who park at the school, there have been issues with not having enough time to get to and from the church parking lot. 

Fisher says Seminary is great because it introduced him to a lot of friends who have the same morals and beliefs that he does.

He says, “It makes it easier to be myself and make good choices.” 

Even though the journey is perilous, and the class is early, it is clear that most other seminary students will agree with Fisher. The classes are fun-filled and bond students together with outside activities ranging from temple trips to pool parties, and depending on the class, sometimes members or teachers will bring early morning snacks.