The Vital Point in Education

The beginning and the end of all education is God. It has been truly stated that all civilized people have held this fact to be true. Jesus Christ taught the value of it when, in his agony before the hour of his death, he prayed the Father to glorify him that he, the Son, might also glorify God, exclaiming, "And this is life eternal, that they [mankind] might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." Knowing and revealing God, and doing his will, were the beginning and the end of the achievements of our Lord and Sav- ior. He being our example, it is as reasonable as it is certain that the basis of all teaching of the young must and should be founded on the moral and spiritual principles that shall lead their minds directly to the thought of God as we comprehend him through Jesus Christ. As it was with the Savior, so it is with us. It is our duty "to glorify God" that, like Jesus, we, too, and our children may be glorified with the glory which we had with God before the world was. To do this it is necessary that we understand him, and that the beginning and end of the education of our children shall lead to a true understanding of our Heavenly Father. Logically, all religious teaching of this kind is excluded from our public schools. In the main, we must agree with the wis- dom of this arrangement and with the principles of our national Constitution that seem to so provide. We feel obliged to accept the situation as the best for all, and really see the wisdom in our readiness to do so. But have we learned to realize what this means to our chil- dren, and what responsibility it places upon us as parents? In our public education we are much at sea, largely, as has been stated, for the want of some great and fundamental princi- ple, such as a staunch belief in and a knowledge of God would provide. This view, of course, would not seem to agree, much less to be in accord, with a public school system from which virtually all reference to God is excluded. And because of existing con- ditions, there appears no way at present through which the methods of our public schools in this respect may be changed.

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What, then, shall we do to give our children a living and true knowledge of the great and essential aim of education to know the only true God whom to know is life eternal? Fathers and mothers among the Latter-day Saints must real- ize their responsibility in this matter. We have our Church schools, we have our sacrament meetings, our Sunday schools, our mutuals, religion classes and primary organizations. We are perhaps better equipped for public religious training than any other community in our country. These are all very good, but let it be remembered that in these commendable and essential organizations, our children spend only a small part of their time, and in some of them, as in the Church schools, only a relatively small per cent of our young people ever enter. Then, again, in all of them, only a portion of the precious, short time for teach- ing is devoted to God and religion. Obviously, then, the duty and responsibility of teaching God is imposed primarily upon the home. For if He is the basis of all education, and His Name is not mentioned in the public schools, and inadequately taught in our Church organi- zations, upon father and mother in the home rests the greatest task of education. They must devise a plan for performing this essential work, and do it in a way that is best for them and for their children, and besides be very sure that it is not neg- lected. One home evening a week with their children devoted to this vital duty, and also a daily worship in the home through simple and earnest prayer, would appear essential, and the least that they can do. Parents, mothers especially, should be engaged in bearing the burdens of this tremendously important task which true education imposes upon them. It is of greater moment than languages, the "ologies" and philosophies, than public speaking, clothes, manners, music, dancing, physical training, or what not.

Messages from the Missions

Great Admiration for "Mormon" System of Education Elder A. R. W. Hintze, of Hastings, New Zealand, has received a letter from R. Latham, secretary of the G. H. Swan Memorial Children's Paddling Pool Committee, of Napier, New Zealand. In this letter, Mr. Latham in- forms Elder Hintze, who is a professor in the Latter-day Saints Maori Agri- cultural College, of Hastings, that they will be please4 to accept the offer of the college for the students of the college to give a musical entertainmnt in the Municipal Theater, of Napier. The concert was given on the 25th of July. Mr. Latham expresses to Elder Hintze his "keen appreciation of the kindly spirit in which the offer was made," and says that "Mr. Swan, for whom the memorial is organized, was mayor of Napier for fifteen years, and a great lover of children, also a generous helper of the distressed." He says

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further, to Elder Hintze: "May I take this opportunity of expressing great admiration for the system of education you adopt in the Maori Agricultural College? You not only aim at giving a sound moral and mental training, and also a technical training to fit the young men to become skilled work- ers in the main industry of the country, but you develop the social side of their education as shown by the entertainments the students give. This, I think, is a most important and beneficial aspect which is unfortunately neg- lected in the national system of New Zealand. Opportunity will be taken at the entertainment to publicly refer to your excellent work." The committee having the Children's Pool in charge is composed of a representative number of leading citizens of Napier, so that the compliment which has been paid to our agricultural college in Hastings is one of great importance, and shows the excellent work and standing of the college in that community, as well as the splendid ideals of social life which the teachers practically put before the people. *

An English Congregation President Geo. F. Richards of the European Mission, with President Jas. Gunn McKay, and congregation of London conference, the most populous conference in the world, comprising over twenty million souls! Taken at "Deseret," London (Stamford Hill), the central headquarters. In center, sitting near front: President Geo. F. Richards of Salt Lake;

Exclusive Photo by Percy Percyval, London. Taken July 26, 1917

standing, last row, at extreme right: President Jas. Gunn McKay of Ogden, Utah, head Oi London conference; standing, last row, in khaki, fourth from right, Sergt. ¥m, A. Carroll, formerly of Salt Lake, injured at battle of Somme, now still drilling soldiers as "Bandmaster Carroll," in England, one of the heroes of this great war. Extreme right, just back of soldier, Elder A. G. Holland, of Rigby, Idaho.

A Good Word for the Bureau of Information Elder Leon M. Strong, writing from Freeport, Illinois: "These four elders are doing country work without purse or scrip in northern Illinois,

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with headquarters at Freeport. They have made several enjoyable visits among the country people, and they find that prejudice is fast giving way to the truth about 'Mormonism.' Many from this district have vis- ited Salt Lake City, and the courteous treatment afforded them by the Bureau of Informa- tion in their visits to the Temple grounds and the organ recitals, has gone far in allaying past prejudice and in dispelling argu- ments against the elders. We have a number of investigators ready for baptism, and intend to organize a branch here this win- ter. Our street meetings are well attended, from 100 to 150 people being present at each meeting. causing tav- We have some good Saints here who practice the gospel, thus Saints are doing orable comment from all who know them. Some of the they much trading themselves which is very helpful to the elders since an audience often where an elder cannot. Elders from left to can obtain right: Ray Watkins, Midway; Leon M. Strong, Kaysville; front: Wood- Franklin, Idaho. ruff Rust, Hurricane, Utah, and Milton Woodward,

Los Angeles Conference From left to right, front row: Verne S. Weight, John P. Greene, Alfred A. Robison, Peter J. Alder, Diamon D. Bodily, Harrison Hedger, George Olcplhcrrv Western (mis- Second row: Gladys Huish, Thomas M. Irvine, Myron L.

sion secretary), President Joseph E. Robinson, Conference P^ident M. H. secretary), Verda Egbert. Ellison Clifford R. Cummings retiring Quist (mission house matron), Third row: Irene Winward, Anna B.

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Julia Cherry, Flora Belnap (stenographer), Francis M. Western, Emma C. Christensen (stenographer), Violet Gardiner, Mrs. Reuben Davis. Fourth row: Elva Hunt, Florida Robbins, Wilford Wheelwright, Wil- liam A. Taylor, Arthur W. Grix, Robert A. Huntington, Laura A. Clyde, Reuben Davis, Celia Eldridge.

Sisters of Tahitian Mission

Papeete, Tahiti. Sister Rossiter, wife of President Ernest C. Ros- siter and Sister George A. Comp- ton and her baby, Marama, who was born at Tahiti.

Street Meetings Abandoned Owing to Prejudice Van F. McBride, writing from Christ Church, New Zealand, July 6: "We find the people here very much prejudiced against our cause. Hence, it is almost impos- sible to obtain a hearing or to pre- sent the truths of the gospel to the inhabitants of this city. On sev- eral occasions we have attempted to hold open-air meetings, but were opposed to such an extent from all direc- tions, and were finally followed home by a mob on several occasions, that we were compelled to abandon the idea of street preaching. Since then we have spent most of our time in trading, visiting Saints and friends, and holding some few Sunday schools in our own quiet way. Elders, left to right: Ben E. Young, Ogden; Alonzo E. Cox, Provo; Van F. McBride, Tooele."

The "Y. M. M. I. A. Hand-Book" Superintendents should see that each wardis supplied with a copy of this Hand-Book. Every officer who deisres to know something about the Mutual organizations should read carefully the Y. M. M. I. A. Hand-Book which contains answers to a thousand questions that arise in our work. One dozen is sold for $2.40 cash with the order. Separate copies 25 cents; order from the Improvement Era, 22 Bishop's Building, Salt Lake City, L'tah. Send it to your friends abroad and inform them what the Latter- day Saints are doing for their young people.