Religious Education Curriculum Change 2

To illustrate my concerns regarding the change in CES/BYU curriculum, let’s look at the study of the Book of Mormon.  Today, students are required to take two classes on the Book of Mormon.  Each religion class meets two hours per week for fourteen weeks a semester = 28 hours per semester, or 56 hours total.  The new curriculum requires one two hour class on the “Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon,” or 28 hours.  Note, the amount of time spent studying the Book of Mormon is cut in half by the new curriculum.  The new BYU study program will be less intensive than the average Gospel Doctrine Book of Mormon study year.

In my opinion, the current BYU BOM curriculum is inadequate.  The Book of Mormon should be studied minimally in two 3 hour classes, not two 2 hour classes, and certainly not one 2 hour class.  Ideally, in my opinion, BYU students should study the BOM for 84 hours (3 hours a week x 14 weeks x 2 semesters), rather than merely 56; the new program has only 28.  No matter how great the teaching of the new classes, it is inevitable that future BYU graduates will be less informed about the BOM than current graduates.

How, in any conceivable way, is this a good thing?