“Mormon” Sunday Schools

Mormon" Sunday Schools [The Era is requested to print the following comments on the Sunday Schools of the Latter-day Saints, and particularly relating to that of the Seventeenth ward, Salt Lake City, over which James Dwyer was superintendent for ten years. He was appointed by President John Henry Smith, then bishop of that ward, and had charge of the Sunday School from 1876 to 1886. He introduced new methods from the start, and the school has been kept in a straight line of progression ever since, maintaining the same high standard under the management of its present superintendent, George S. McAllister, and his splendid corps of assistants and faithful teachers. The bishopric of the ward also take great interest in the welfare of the school. It is one of the schools which all workers who come to Salt Lake City should visit. A stranger from the East gave the following account of his visit to the School, and the Sunday Schools of the L. D. S. in general, which was printed in the Dcscret News, at the time. — Editors.] It is a pleasure to turn, once in a while, from the abuse and villification that flow constantly from the impure anti-" Mormon" sources, to the words of praise and commendation of impartial

704 I M 1'ROV EM ENT ERA observers of conditions in I 'tali. For that reason, says the News, we copy below part of an article in the New Haven, Conn., Journal and Courier, of August 5, 1907, written by Mr. E. C. ECnapp, who is touring the West in the interest of Sunday School work. The Courier copies it from the Hartford Times. Mr. Knap]), alter a few words on the growth of the "Mormon" Church, answers the question, How do you account for it? as follows: One reason is because the "Mormon" Sunday Schools are the best in the country. I have visited the largest and best Sunday Schools in the United States, such as the Wanamaker Presbyterian school in Philadelphia, the Bushwick Avenue Methodist in Brooklyn, N. Y., the Calvary Baptist, in Washington, the St. George's Episcopal in New York, the Marion Lawrence Congregational in Toledo, the Hyde Park Baptist and the Moody Sunday schools in Chicago; the Paulist Father Catholic, the Temple Emmanuel Hebrew schools in New York, and it was my pleasure on July 14th to visit the "Mormon" Sunday Schools in Salt Lake City, and I can truthfully say that they are the best I have ever visited. The Temple Emmanuel Hebrew in New York comes the nearest to them because it meets for the same period, namely 10 to 12 on Sunday, and has separate class rooms and graded subject matter. However, this Hebrew school has paid teachers, while the "Mormon" does not. Moreover, the "Mormon" is superior to the Hebrew in that adults are present in the "Mormon" schools in large numbers. Speaking of his impressions during a visit to the Seventeenth Ward Sunday School, Mr. Knapp says : I am not a "Mormon," and do not believe in some of their doctrines, but I admire them for their zeal, business ability, and common sense in Sunday School work, and I want to give them due credit. I arrived a little early and was given a cordial greeting by three different parties; I was invited to the platform and givn a seat at the right of the superintendent, where I could easily see the school. For five minutes the organist played a prelude, not a "rag-time" selection, but a suitable one. Promptly at 10 o'clock the superintendent stood in his place and the school became perfectly quiet. The doors were closed and late comers were admitted only at five or ten minutes intervals. The attention and order were excellent. The singing was good and there was a worshipful atmosphere unlike that in the average non- "Mormon" school. At the close of the thirty-minute opening service about ten minutes were taken for practicing one or two new songs. The school then separated into their classes, the majority of them going into separate class rooms in the basement, which, by the way, was by no means dark and damp. For one hour the classes met for

"MORMON" SUNDAY SCHOOLS 705 good, thorough instruction. There were more men teachers than women teachers. There were fully as many boys, young men and men, as girls, young ladies and women. Each room was well supplied with blackboard, maps and charts. Each teacher used the catechetical methods. The boys and girls were well prepared with their lessons, even though it was the middle of July. 1 visited nearly all the classes, and was especially pleased with the fine kindergarten department, equip ment, program., etc., was also delighted with the parents' class. It was refreshing to visit a Sunday School and see the substantial church element, the cultivated men and women, present in large numbers. The writer was favorably impressed with the "parents' class." He says: "I hold in my hand a booklet entitled •Sunday School Outlines of the Parents' Department.' In it 1 read the following: 'The object of the parents' class is: First, to aid the parents in general culture; and secondly, to bring about a closer relationship between the home and the Sunday School, that parents may give more efficient aid in the general work of the Sunday school. Also, It is desired that parents will manifest an interest in getting children to be punctual, and to be regular in attendance; to take an active part in the singing, and in memory work; and above all, that the parents will impress their children with the importance of preparing lessons; in brief, parents' classes aim to establish unity between the home and the Sunday School. "The parents discuss such themes as 'Environment, Good and Bad;' 'Habit,' 'Home Government,' etc. The Sunday I vi-ited in this class they were discussing 'Children's Duties.' "The 'Mormons' believe that Christian character is as important as the 'almighty dollar.' Their schools are well equipped because they put money into them. They do not hope to carry on their Sunday school work with 'penny collections,' as some schools do. When the 'Mormons' go in the Church, they contribute one-tenth of the.r income each year, besides giving hours and days to their Church and Sunday school work free gratis. No wonder the 'Mormon Church » growing so rapidly. It can make many another church blush with shame." •Mr. Knapp further draws the following contrast: "After visiting the 'Mormon' school from ten to twelve o'clock. T visited one of the Methodist schools at Salt Lake. I was told it was . nf the largest and best in the city. The contrast was great; mZ\ o beg "ning at 12:15 the school began at 12 25 because the cWh service ran over ten minute. The Sunday School was only