The Church in Action

The Church in Action A Sketch of Its Work in Moral and Religious Education GREAT as the zeal of the Church has been for up- building the public schools, its interest in schools for religious education is even more pronounced. The Chief Aim TtTHAT the leaders and pio- ** neers primarily desired was manhood, character; and since re- ligious truth could not consistent- ly be taught in the public school. Latter-day Saint people began early the establishment of C h u r c h schools; that is, institutions in which spiritual development could be emphasized. Early evidence of their desire for ethical, moral, and religious training was the found- ing, (Oct. 16, 1875) at Provo, Utah, of the Brigham Young Academy. An Early Modern School TN 1877 President Young estab- -*■ lished also the Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah, endow- ing this institution with a valu- able 9,000-acre tract of land near that city. Provisions of the college deed of trust clearly reveal the practical side of this strong man's nature and the breadth of his prophetic view. The deed provides that, in addition to the usual subjects taught in colleges, the curriculum should include practical instruction in what we now call agriculture, manual training, mechanic arts, domestic science, and domestic art. While many institutions are giving instruction in- these branches today, they were rare and novel for a college in 1877. Poverty Did Not Daunt Their Spirit of Education HTHE early Intermoun- tain West was sparsely settled. Assessed valuations were so low and property so limited that it was out By DR. RICHARD R. LYMAN of the Council of Twelve and of the General Superintendency of the Y. M. M. I. A. of the question to create a satis- factory free public school system. This condition gave to the people of the Church an opportunity to satisfy their ideals and desires for education in establishing in the principal cities a system of Church schools. These schools took the form of public high schools. To this day some of them are still con- ducted, even in comparatively large and well-to-do centers of business and population. In these Church schools, stu- dents were responsible out of school hours, as well as during recitations, for their conduct as well as for their lessons. An ef- fort was made to induce students to live in strict conformity with all Church ideals. Temperance and self-control were emphasized. Tea, coffee, liquor, tobacco, and im- proper association were alike for- bidden. At the Brigham Young knowledge. Can we Academy, in the early days of this where a finer record? institution, Dr. Karl G. Maeser, a remarkable teacher and illustrious leader, exercised control over the social activities as well as over the class-room work of the students. A Builder of Character T\R. MAESER was sent to Provo by President Brigham Young to start a school. Boys and girls who came into the institution in its early days, having had extreme- ly limited opportunities, necessarily had narrow vision. Karl G. Maeser opened the eyes of these young people and inspired their zeal, be- sides giving them information with which they laid the foundation for their future. The devotion of this German- trained scholar had much to do with establishing in the hearts of the people unusual standards of character and high ambitions. Many of his students have gone on to successes that have astonished the most optimistic, not a few of them having become important factors in the work of the world. Certain Human Products AT this moment Utah has but one representative in Congress at Washington and two United States Senators. These three and one Justice of the Supreme Court are brilliant examples of this no- table teacher's inspiration. He filled his students with noble aims, and thrilled them with a love for find any- Moscow Institute This educator's aim, also that of the Church, is to teach young people to be honest, chaste, virtu- ous, benevolent; to be kind, long-s uffering, Christian-like, and truly religious. This is the life that gives the greatest joy. An outstanding maxim of these Church schools is that the ages demonstrate such a life to be the only one that brings genuine and lasting satisfaction, and that the first of all virtues is honor. With the people of the Church it is a conviction

The Improvement Era for June, 1930 535 that without religion a superior man or woman is not possible. And now that communities have grown stronger and assessed valu- ations have so increased that local units are able, by the usual forms of taxation, to maintain and have established modern high schools, — the present policy of the Church is to expend whatever means it has for educational purposes in de- veloping institutions limited to giving religious education. L. D. S. View of Education O ELIGION, character, depend- ^ ability — these are the qualities the world most needs; and in the educational system now maintain- ed by the Church the primary aim is to give moral and religious edu- cation. What is the reason that so many people in these days, though scho- lastically trained, lose interest in practical religion? Is it not be- cause their religious development and education fail to keep pace with their scholastic or collegiate training? While attending high school and college, consistent re- ligious training for the many is neglected or wholly ignored. To establish and conduct insti- tutions for giving purely religious training along with and parallel to, or hand-in-hand with, public school and college education — this Logan institute quired to leave friends, home and Church; and still more among those who attend college find it necessary to be away from home and home influences. Devoting himself almost exclu- sively to scholastic pursuits, a stu- dent struggles through four years of high school, and then perhaps through four years more of col- lege life. During these eight years of intense mental development he constitutes the present policy of the oftentimes pays but scant attention Church. to religious thoughts and duties. In order to get a high school With commencement day, his long education many students are re- training is finished, and he is Pocatello Institute — Interior awarded academic honors for his success in scientific and secular sub- jects. When he begins again to give attention to religion, if the only religious views he has are those of his childhood, which have not been consistently developed, then, very naturally, to his well trained and analytical mind, these early views of religion seem crude and simple, if not absurd. A Complete, Well Balanced Growth ^17ITH the hope that the young people of the Church may be provided with an education well rounded out in religion as well as in science and literature, we are aiming high — attempting to bring up a generation perfect even as our Heavenly Father is perfect. For the attainment of this cher- ished ideal, the Church has estab- lished its system of religious train- ing-— -a development that parallels and goes hand-in-hand with the training given in the public schools. The Primary associations give religious training to those who are doing work in the kindergarten and the first six grades of the pub- lic schools. The aim of this asso- ciation is to teach the beginnings of reverence and responsibility to these children and in a happy way to tie their activity up to the Church through service. The idea is, not only to teach correct prin- ciples, but so to lead the younger

536 The Improvement Era for June, 1930 children that they will form sound habits of life, to the end that ideals of religion and habits of industry may be well establish- ed during the years of childhood. Academic Instruction in Scripture HTHE Junior Seminary, in theory at least, is conducted parallel with public school training of the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. The purpose of Senior Seminaries is to teach ethical principles and prac- tical religion to those who are at- tending public high schools. They are established wherever there is a sufficient number of Latter-day Saint students to justify the un- dertaking. Eighty-four seminaries, adjacent to high schools where numbers of L. D. S. students are registered, are now in operation. In these a total of 93 teachers are employed and 13,337 students are taking the work. In connection with col- leges the Church has also estab- lished three institutes. In these, 327 students are enrolled, with three teachers. These institutes aim to provide college students who are members of the Church with a four-year training in the study of the Bible and other scriptures; also to afford them practice in religion and in the essential Christian characteristics — virtue, honesty, and self-control. The Goal of Educational Work HTHE Department of Education of the Church is attempting to secure teachers who are well equip- ped to give this work. Men and women with pleasing personalities and attractive personal appearance are selected. Those having natural ability to teach are placed jn charge. The idea is to make religious edu- cation both effective and attractive. To enable young people to become unselfish, God-fearing, Christian- like, strong, virtuous, upright; to develop them into patriotic and devoted citizens, good neighbors, exemplary Church members, ac- tive and honorable members of so- ciety,— this is the goal of all these efforts. The Interior Mechanism TW" HILE the primary purpose of the organizations referred to herein is to give religious in- struction along with the secular training of modern schools and colleges, the Church has many oth- er organizations or institutions for teaching religious ideals, duties and conduct. In each of the 1,016 wards in the various stakes of the Church, also in many of its branches in the missions throughout the world, five strong auxiliary organizations are operating. A numerous army of volunteer workers is necessary for the successful operation of these auxiliary organizations. They each have definite courses of study, clear-cut outlines, and faithful teachers. Figures showing the numbers of those who are actively engaged in the auxiliary organiza- tions will illustrate roughly the size of this army of workers. In the Sunday Schools, for ex- ample, there are 1,299 stake offi- cers and teachers and 26,505 ward officers and teachers. With the 250,803 students, this makes a total membership of 278,627. In itself a large army, an enormous school, the Sunday School is a mighty educational institution. The Relief Society, like these other major institutions, does work that is educational, but its main function is social service. It could very appropriately be called the mother's organization. Its offi- cers number 10,463, besides 20,- 948 teachers, who monthly visit the homes of the people, going from house to house. At the close of 1928 the total membership of this organization was 62,550. For the Uplift of Youth ''"THE Young Ladies' Mutual Im- provement Association has definite programs with distinctive lines of training, intended primar- ily for the young women. There are 1,157 of these organizations; the officers and class leaders num- ber 10,841; the total membership reaches 54,287. The corresponding organization for the young men has 1,033 units, with 8,667 officers and teachers, and 55,137 members. These as- sociations train young people in debating and public speaking, in biography, and other subjects of interest and practical value in modern life. The aim is to pre- sent materials that are up to date in science, literature, and art; also in health and sanitation. To these two young people's organizations, the Mutuals, is as- signed also the responsibility of di- recting recreation work for the whole Church. The specific aim here is to blend uplift with rec- reation, for those who are well along in years as well as for the youth. They participate in basket ball, base ball, and other kinds of sport and recreation. The pro- gram of the Boy Scouts of Amer- ica is an integral and prominent part of the work for young men. The organization undertakes to provide young people with so much of "the things that are more excellent," with a program so fill- ed with healthful recreation and interesting study, that there will be no place or time in their lives for what is worthless or unwhole- some. Development of the Young Child 'THE Primary Association is the fifth of the auxiliary organ- izations. It provides religious training for the children — a pro- gram carried on parallel with the kindergarten and the first six grades of the public schools. In the Primary the children are taught the cardinal virtues — obe- dience, honesty, faith — with the same sincerity and thoroughness that they are taught language, arithmetic, or geography in the public schools. Character we hold to be more essential to success in life than is scholastic training. Officers and teachers in the Pri- mary aggregate 13,419; the num- ber of organizations is 1,243; the total members, 108,596. The Education of Women T'HE Relief Society, the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association and the Primary, three of the strong auxiliary or- ganizations, are managed almost entirely by women. The work of the women throughout the Church is generally more efficient than that of the men. This may be because they have more time to attend to their Church work than do men, or it may be that they are more impressed with the saving power of religious work. It has been said, "Men may fail, but women never." In Church proceedings women have always voted in the same manner as men. They are edu-

The Improvement Era for June, 1930 537 cated the same — for example, in public speaking. In Church work they are playing a part no less im- portant than that of men. During a hundred years, their help, their prayers, their devotion, have aid- ed greatly the achievements of the Church. As text books these various aux- iliary organizations have used guide lessons and specially prepared manuals. College professors and public school teachers quite fre- quently assist in preparing these texts, and they are often the teach- ers in the various classes. Recent M. I. A. manuals include such top- ics as: "Heroes of Science," "Cap- tains of Industry," "Champions of Liberty," "A Century of Prog- ress." Magazines filled with mod- ern matter intended to grip the in- terest and hold the attention of young and old are issued monthly by these organizations. The practical application of re- ligion for the men of the Church is further provided for in the Priesthood quorums. These are Quorums of Seventies, Elders, High Priests, Priests, Teachers, and Deacons. In these, which are com- paratively small groups, not only are lessons taught and instructions given, but opportunity is provided for exercise in public speaking and for the application of various prac- tical duties. The Gospel of Giving TTHE value of giving, or the hap- piness that results from doing good to others, is an outstanding practice and principle of the Church. Practically all the teach- ers, leaders, and officers of these great organizations serve without compensation. Many of them make contributions in time and ef- fort that money could not pur- chase. A n outstanding educational characteristic of the Church is its missionary system, which is de- voted to proclaiming the teachings of Jesus. In the entire range of human history the sole perfect character is that of Jesus of Naz- areth. Even those who are not members of any Christian denom- ination acknowledge this. Ask non-believers to name the char- acteristics of the life of a perfect human being; most of them will be cited from the life, the teach- ings, the example, of Jesus. At the very age when young people are most likely to waste their physical and mental powers in idleness, carelessness, or sport, this system sends them into the mission field to study and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Under the close supervision and instruc- tion of able mission presidents and leaders, they are required to live in accordance with these teachings and to advocate them. This training is generally given to young men when they have finished high school, or to those who have not completed the high school course but are ready to be- gin their life's work. For those attending college, the aim is, at the end of the sophomore year to have them spend two years in the mis- sion field, reading, studying, ad- vocating, and practising the prin- ciples of the Gospel. Education of the Emotions THROUGHOUT its history. ■*■ while greatly interested in gen- eral and scholastic education, the Church has been more concerned in the education of the heart, in char- acter building. The Church is now but one hundred years old. Its achievements have proved a sur- prise to nearly all thinking people who have given its career careful study. In prominent places near- ly everywhere products of the Church system of education are in evidence. Consider the influential posi- tions held by our representatives in the halls of Congress and the credit that has come to us because of our able representation in the Supreme Court of the United States. We have produced a Sec- retary of Agriculture, the presi- dents of several Agricultural Col- leges, the chairman of the U. S. Tariff Commission, and Directors of several State Agricultural Ex- periment Stations. From our midst have come bankers, managers of big business institutions, the Director of ex- tension work in the Department of the Interior, research experts for various mining and other enter- prises, men prominent in the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, Deans in various departments of State Universities, Editor and Chief of the Division of Publications, U. S. Department of Agriculture, State Commissioner o f Agriculture, presidents of educational institu- tions, members of important com- missions appointed by the Presi- dent of the United States, and the director of the U. S. Veteran's Bureau. In fact we have repre- sentatives of men and women who are leading farmers, scientists, teachers, business men, engineers, and professional men in all parts of this intermountain country. Fruits of the System |"T is a compliment to our educa- tional institutions that we have representatives on faculties of the following universities: Columbia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Chicago, Michigan; professorship and head of a department in Iowa College; three faculty members in the Uni- versity of Ohio; a professorship in the University of Indiana; a mem- ber of the faculty in Peabody Col- lege, Tennessee, in the University of Southern California, the Uni- versity of California at Los Ange- les, University of Illinois, Univer- sity of California at Berkeley, and the ranking man in the electrical department in active charge of the world-famous electrical high ten- sion laboratory at Stanford Uni- versity. We have helped professors to the University of Oregon at Eugene and the President of the Oregon Agricultural College; faculty mem- bers for the Chicago School of Music, and the conductor of music at the Mission Play in California; and a member of the faculty of Cornell University. C'NNLY a few of the positions in ^ the educational world held by products of the educational system of the L. D. S. Church can be mentioned here; but even these suffice to show why the "Mor- mon" people are so well known in every part of the world; and this is the more remarkable from the fact that they are hardly more than half a million in number. A noted traveler, a man of broad experience, Dr. A. E. Win- ship, has said: "Utah County has produced more musicians and art- ists than any other county of its size and population in the United States." H av i n g accomplished these things for education in the first one hundred years of its history, who can predict what will be the edu- cational achievements of the Church during the marvelous cen- tury that is now dawning?