Joseph Smith as Educator, II–IV

Joseph Smith as Educator 15V PROF. ALFRED OSMOND, HEAD OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF THE BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY II. Intelligence also suggests that in the process of becoming saved one is to obtain knowledge from all available sources. The ultimate source of all knowledge is God. Joseph Smith began his career as an educator by obtaining knowledge direct from this ultimate source. No Christian should question the authority of knowledge obtained from God. The question as to whether or not Joseph Smith had actually access to this ultimate source of knowledge is best answered in the character of his teachings. If the glory of God is not intelligence, what is it? Does any human being know that the soul of man is not immortal? If it is immortal, can it live the larger life without regarding this life as a preparatory state for something higher, nobler, better, purer than the preparatory state can give? If man is saved faster than he gains intelligence, how is it done? Is his natural nature suddenly wrenched from its mortal moorings and transformed at once into a state of spiritual exaltation? How could this be? Does not the change involve the secret, silent activity of all the conditions of growth? It seems to me that nothing short of dense ignorance or moral depravity could lead any one to believe that man could be saved faster than he gains intelligence. This doctrine was revealed by God and taught by a true prophet. But this is not all. It finds its ultimate justification in the valid experience of human life, and in the fundamental laws of human thought. The process of becoming saved is so complex that the candidate for salvation should have access to all available sources of knowledge. Joseph Smith taught that the candidate for salvation should obtain knowledge from every available source. The Lord speaks through Joseph Smith as follows: "And set in order the churches, and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people.'' (Doc. and Cov. 90:15.) "And verily I say unto you that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scripture and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, the laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion." (Doc. and Cov. 93 :53.) Good books are of inestimable value to the candidate for

JOSEPH SMITH AS EDUCATOR 361 salvation. Milton tells us that a man who destroys a good book commits a kind of murder, because the book contains the spiritual essence of its author, and is not subjected to the natural laws of change and death. If these passages that I have quoted do not lay the foundation for a broad and liberal education, it is impossible to establish such a foundation. The learner has been directed to the path that leads to eternal life. The nature of the process of becoming saved has been carefully explained. To encourage him to be studious and patient, he has been told that his salvation depends on the progress that he makes in his studies. He has been given access to all available sources of knowledge, and has even been commanded to gather information from every possible source. III. It requires a life-time to obtain an education such as I have described. Getting an education is identical with becoming saved. Those who "endure to the end" are to be saved. It is true that in one sense we begin mortal life in a saved condition. The little child is guiltless. Condemnation presents no claim against innocence. But as children begin to understand the difference between right and wrong, they begin to be lost to the extent that they yield to the wrong. The saving process should, therefore, be introduced early in life, that the disasters of sin may be avoided. It is much easier to avoid sin than to subdue it after it has made so many great conquests over the human soul. Joseph Smith understood this and explained that the saving process should begin early in the life of a child. "And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ, the Son of the living God, and of baptism, and of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents." (Doc. and Cov. 68:25.) "And again, you shall be ordained to assist my servant Oliver Cowdery to do the works of printing, and of selecting, and writing books for schools in this Church that little children also may receive instructions before me as is pleasing unto me." (Doc. and Cov. 55:4.) Parents are thus made responsible, as they certainly should be, for the proper training of their children. As soon as they manifest the capacitv to obtain knowledge, instruction that will lead them to eternal life should be given. The introduction to the process of becoming saved is plain and simple: faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ., repentance of sins, etc.

362 IMPROVEMENT ERA Had Joseph Smith neglected to provide ample means for the education of children, his system would have been very incomplete. Had he placed more emphasis on the study of history, language, geography, etc., than on the elementary conditions of obtaining divine knowledge, he would have simply followed well established precedents. Having, however, established a proper foundation, he goes on to explain that his students must be conducted into all the fields of knowledge. They are not to be so captivated with the beauty and dignity of the spiritual idea as to become impracticable. On the other hand, his system provides that the justification of the practical is found in its inestimable contributions to the ideal. His students are not to be seduced by the wealth and splendor of the means of life. As they move with firm and unfaltering step toward their worthy ideal, they are becoming great, because they are becoming strong and pure and brave. They feel it incumbent upon them to live the very best life that they are capable by nature of living. This life gives due attention to the law of self-preservation, but it also recognizes the fact that self-sacrifice is a higher law — that self-sacrifice is really an ideal form of self-preservation. They are very careful to put the emphasis on the higher law. Selfishness impoverishes the soul, but self-sacrifice adorns it with the wealth of celestial glory and immortal life. If they understand the educational system of their great teacher, they know that giving cannot improverish the soul. Giving is an ideal form of receiving. Not in the sense that you give something now that impoverishes you, but that in time God rewards you for your generosity by giving you something more valuable. This may be one effect of generous giving, but the vital point in the process is that generous giving involves the exercise of one of the noblest activities of one's nature, and spiritual growth is the reward. One of the greatest incentives to learning that has ever been given to man is found in the following promise : "Whatever principles of intelligence are attained in this life will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life, through his diligence and obedience, than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come." (Doc. and Cov. 130:18, 19.) Many will doubt the validity of this promise. This fact, however, does not decrease its value. This is an age of scepticism. I am convinced, however, that most people still believe in the immortality of the soul. If the soul is immortal, why should it seem strange that knowledge is eternal? An immortality that does not involve memory can hardly be real ; it certainly cannot be of any value. I must remember that I am I, in order to get the benefit of my experiences and to recognize my friends. It is true that

JOSEPH SMITH AS EDUCATOR 363 there has been a lapse of memory in my transformation from the pre-existent state to the present one; but, even in this case, I have no reason to believe that I shall never be able to recall the experiences of my pre-existent state. They even come to me now in my best moments. It is true that their forms are shadowy and vague, but this is because they are spiritual experiences. I feel certain that some day they will come back to me in all the splendor and vividness of their native glory. But in the resurrection why should I remember who I am, and still forget what I am ? Those principles that I have learned are no longer separate, abstract principles. They are wrought into the fibres of my constitutional life. Those actual experiences are no longer isolated facts. They have become part of my structural self. When I rise from the couch on which I took my long and peaceful sleep of death, I must come forth with my knowledge and experience with me. I blame no man for having rational doubts. The justification of doubt is found in the fact that false doctrines as well as true ones are presented to the mind. Doubt may be so used that it becomes an instrument of service in separating the false from the true. It does no one any good to believe that which is not true. This is, in fact, an understatement. It does positive injury. We should remember, however, that it does no man any good to doubt the truth. There is a God. I, of course, understand that the fact is not established by my statement. But my knowledge that there is a God helps me, because, as a matter of fact, there is a God. The soul is immortal. Knowledge is eternal. Joseph Smith taught these principles. When one comes to know that they are true, they make contributions of inestimable value to life. According to this doctrine, my learning is of eternal value to me. It teaches me how to live before I die. But as 1 am to live after the resurrection, it teaches me how to live in that future state of existence. In the light of the ideal that I have defined in this paper, I cannot excuse the ignorance of an educator. I expect the teacher to make his instructions practical; but, if he loses sight of my ideal, I shall dismiss him from service. The man who is educated in the way that I have indicated he should be, will be strong in the hour of temptation, and valiant on the great battlefield of life. He not only believes that God exists, but he loves him and trusts him. He is, in short, a practical idealist, and his capacity for service is not impoverished by imperfect vision or sordid desires. IV. An adequate- system of education must provide a proper form of government. Modern educators have made a great improvement in methods of instruction. The question of government,

364 IMPROVEMENT ERA however, is still unsolved in many of the great schools of our country. If the system of education established by Joseph Smith has the internal harmony and external comprehensiveness that' I have claimed for it, it must have something authoritative to say on this important subject. An evasion of the question would indicate moral weakness and cowardice. A false step here would impoverish the utility of the whole system. This is true, because there is nothing in this life more important than government. The monarchical form of government is not the ideal type. The aristocratic type seems to suggest improvement, but it is a mere make-shift at best. When we come to the popular forms of Republicanism and Democracy, we hastily conclude that these must be ideal types of government, because the source of authority is with the people, and the majority are always in power. But the question of how the people are governed is far more important than the question of who is to govern. If government officials are just and intelligent, the question of numbers is to be determined by the amount of work to be done. While it is perfectly true that some of our social and civil interests must be under the direction of these institutions of government, the ideal form is not found in any of the types named. The ideal form of government is self-government. Home government does very well, but it improves in form as it becomes centralized into self-government. When Joseph Smith was asked how he governed his people so successfully, he simply said, "I teach them correct principles, and let them govern themselves." It is amusing to hear strangers attempt to account for the unity of the Latter-day Saints. They dislike to admit that the leaders of the Church are intelligent, but they are forced to do so in order to explain the conditions. The leaders are imposters and the people are sincere, but ignorant, these critics say. The people, however, love their leaders and are not easily deceived by others. It is strange, indeed, that such mechanical explanations should satisfy any one who has sufficient mentality to trace ordinary effects to their actual causes. The true explanation is that in the gospel of Christ men are always taught correct principles and commanded to govern themselves. Why should I not have the government of myself in my own hands? Am I not better able to attend to this matter than any one else? Even if some one could govern me better than I can govern mvself. it is a sin to put me out of employment. The serious business of my life is to govern myself, and I can never amount to much in this world or any other until I learn the art of self-government. A man who can govern himself, and is willing to do so, is entitled to all the libertv that he needs in the educational process of becoming saved. Just as fast as the child shows the capacitv and inclination to govern himself, the restraints of protection