| OCR Text |
Show arwiaimtstsuwwiwu Church Section SALflAKE CITYk UTAH, JANUARY 2 1, 939. CHURCH LDUCATION' m - And Philosophy Bcnnton In the tftt were in part pet up The niali body of tlid .thesis is a description of theif;M hools in Utah (1817 lt33 together with tj account of tbq factor s which conditioned ' Iheirf at igin ami development' JuxUflmtiop For Sul A Hluily ; Ihere 1st wldestpi ead ini eat in religioua f ccUon today ( I) Ross, deferring to the clptpatlon of religious inalructipn from Adwrfcan schools' say that the school has thWcjby font mut If of the character forming powef that originally pave It a claim on f (2) Dean Emeritus Atheitrn pf Boston Imiverslty urges the critical need lnj America of a fomprehensive religious education pro. j gram,! He says: lUnless society can build ah effective ijsfcra of religious education tp match Its system of secular schools, our nation will prpthble just aa certainly as did xJreeee a rut Rome, and for phe same reasons. .. The; Ameiican pepple are becoming iroused, wise and far seeing leaders In all . religious bodies are calling the people to j prfcat crusade in tpe interests of moral ! and J religious education (3) The increase in juvemle dellnquoncy and 4crifne Iwhich has occurred in America poncur-Terjtlwith the increasing expenditures for education has led many to challenge the ef- fic4cyof schools which, exclude all ifeligious 4 i I ins ruction. j j pilch consideration would seem to Justify a study of a system of education which holds Chi Litian character to be its supreme goal. education as here used Includes character education. (SUPERVISOR OF SEMINARIES) kdtlwr's Note - In this (rrm o articles betR. Brnnion ginning today bring, to readers j Hf ( hurch Section, the corn pir-t- and vivid story of Chunk Education, tie combines its history and philosophy in ten chapters that are a valuable addition to Church literature because of the thoroughness and manner of treating the subject, i- INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I , THE V vpked Mot (non Church liaa devised a unique od comprehensive program of religion education tjirough its schools and auxiliary This program embraces the organisations ! earliest of childhood and attempts jeers ! to fit every individual to become a life long participant in the manifold activities of the phurth and community. Such a . program has been built up under a theo-democraRc tjpcj of organization comparable In tnahy respects to the theocracy formed by the early New fingtftnd colonists, froth whom' the Mormon pioneers were, in the main, descend- ed As .tlie earlier New England colonists ; sought to provide religious education through su hools so the leaders of this move-- 5 j their ment assigned to their schools the task of In--; tegrating reiigious and secular education. The Problem I This monograph Is an attempt to trace the origin,, growth and development of the i educational program of the Mormon Church. It Includes not only a story of their schools but also a description Of the educational philosophy according to which their educational sysjera was developed. Tt is doubtful if there Is an organization In existence that more I ' - -I 1 . I J i 1 A. Rbss. Social Control, ,,, Ja S. At heat n. An 31. , Education, r. r I Adventure in t Re-- i If Pr- I'Vnr Bennion branches of the piurch springing tip in a number of New England states. It was not, however, the happy lot of the Mormons to establish permanent pomes and schools in New .England. Joseph Smith's claim to revelation Wakened determined opposition In an atmosphere already surcharged With! sectarian difference, As the Church continued to grow-- , in membership, bitter arose. This precipitated the west-Ifa.migration Which ft decade later culminated in (he colonization of Utah. In the Jnteijim, Several vigorous attempts were made f ctabush eduational JnstHutlons in thb temporary settlements of Ohio. Missouri and llimpis. , "j Secondary Kdarelie Ip Ohio and Missouri! The initial migration if the main body ojf t ne was tje Ktrtland, Ohio, and her t te first attempts at higher education in an organised fashion were made. The first issue of thje Evening and Morping Star, June Contjiined the following item on education: appointed to select and j Those books for the use of schools, will atA tend ftp that subject, as soon as more weighty matters are finished. But' the pareritS and guardians in the Church of ChHsjt, need not wait it is all Important that children, to become good should be v f dl-vi- ne nf ; , ml pre-pm- taught so. le f j5) Not only were the Mormons intent on, fijirnifehlng schools for their Children, but d letned it ail important that every they man lhem should prepare himself to 'leach the gospel, m This goal is aild, n the following:! Waft was created fe diess the earth, mdWculiivale his rolnjl, and glprify God. It therefore cannot la amiss for us at ' thl early period, to urge the chbeiples of our jliird, to study to show themselves ap-.proved in all things. for, when a duel-pleducated, even as Paul at tne feet of Gamaliel, is guided by the Holy Spirit, he not only edifies, ids fellow beings correct- - ' hcfacultie agreeable jhe improve W ill of God. (71 1 liant to this intensely religious fteal a trained ministry, h educational insti ow n as The School Of the Prophets was ere ipd in 1833, which enrolled aliout Mu tents the first term. (8) sityThe initial members fere all aldult males Inlatten nee for the avowed purpose of bet- ter filti themselves fo4 tjie arduous duty of prod fining an unpopular message to the w rld, ft this school, the Riders of the Chunji Wre commended to teach one an jot ter th doctrines of thl hlftgdom, They Uq instructed Wre ittore perfectly tn th fory, id principle, In doctrine, in the law of the fSoipel, In all things that pertain unto thp klngodm of God." They were1, told to sbek diligently out of the best books, words of wisdom and learning even by study and ' ' also by faith. (9) , HI1 A leather was selected from tlie class j at thosew-hwere entitled to attend were officerp of the Church, beginning at two j rh j i i t - J ! ef The Church Office Building in Salt Lake Ctfti where the headquarters of the preut Church Education Department ar e located and from where the vast Pro is I gram directed, directs the educational people than does the Mormon Church The educational program of the Church today is a consistent expansion of the theories promulgated by jits founders. This study describes the aature of this program particularly those phases which are tinique and which appear to offer contributions to the field of religious, education. The riy chapters attempt to bring together out pf rather meager data the story of Mormon educational endeavor during Several decades of persecution, privation, and dire hardship J 'eastern America and Ip Utah, During this preUlah period tfte educational theories of Mormoni.un were formulated by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church, and the models for the school system that later do- - EARLY BEGINNINGS IN frmpietely EDUCATION i i I V , PfW t il -I 1830-184- 7 KR It 1830. men including Jiieplt their leader1, met at Fayette, In S i Smith, westqrnj New Votk, ami oiganizot the Church jof Jesus Chriiat of Eatier-daSajinls. Amoiig Ute earliest jnstruc lions received fythe members were severpf pertaining to ctlucatiot)., Two leading elders were assigned in 1831 to "4o the wotk of prtnUng and of selecting .and writing books for the schools of ithis Churqh, Jthat little, children also may rcbclte h j Inatructftis." '(4) I, AS 4 result of strenuous proselyting,! the menqberi hip of the Cirutjth Increased fap dly; J y , j Continued On Page S i fi ? T : ,J i U, |
