Show AN 49 A ADDRESS delivered by bid elder r P P pratt at the fourteenth ward schoolhouse school house on monday dec 26 the subject or ot education I 1 my friends frienda as we ate are assembler assembled on I 1 I 1 this occasion I 1 desire to speak upon the subject of education I 1 consider that we never lived in a more important time than we do donow now thip the lord has something for e wry every member of his hia church and kingdom to perform for he 6 has a greit great work to do I 1 consider that every fac faculty tilty we possess possess should be called into action and this work is so important no time should be lost hence we see the necessity of schools that wo we and our children may be prepared to perform all that the lord requires of us what kind of a qualification is is nc necessary for us to perform this work the first thing necessary is for us to obtain the good spirit of the lord and than keep it without this we cannot do much pod good if the lord wants a railroad built or any great manual labor performed which the saints ts are not yet able to do he inspires inspire i the nations of the earth to per forni i the work as air they have the he means to do it with 1 notwithstanding andt the natio nations s know not god neither nei tiler do 0 they serve him we are not prepared to do work of god acceptably unless we vm ke keep ephis bis commandments in order to enjoy his bis 9 spirit i it ore e must mast pursue a course of lite life that will meet his hia approbation we must do the things that god requires of us the people may be looking for some mysteries from me today to day but the older I 1 grow I 1 feel to be the more simple what are the means ordained of god for the benefit of our children as well as ourselves I 1 do not now refer to the obeying of the ordinances of the gospel alone for that we alt all know to be necessary for both ourselves our i seles and children but what were those means laid down in 1630 1830 we are informed in the commandments and law of the church given unto us that it is the teachers duty uty to see pee that the church meet together often and nd also see that all the members do their duty do this thi people do this no our children are or should be all members of the church for they should be baptised baptized sed at eight years of acre age but do they meet together often to pray and speak one to another or even lill all the parents of chil children drei they do not then they do not do their duty every officer in the church are teachers except the deacons and they are a assistant baist ani teachers who should be exempt from meeting together often if any exceptions should bo b made it should be the mother with her nursing infant who cannot go all others should meet together often and when they come together the teacher that presides dds should see am that each one takee a part in their turn and do their duty can the teacher find any member either parents or children that dont pray if so he can find those that do not do their duty dut y fur for when you were baptized zid you covenanted to keep the commandments of and he lias has commanded in us to fo pray yes each member should take a part who ofton can find a teacher in our schools that would spend all his time in hearing one or thoe p say their lessons and all the rest feinn lle remain idler you would turn sch a teacher out of doo doors r 0 the lord is not less wise than man imn he aft h w so BO arranged the school for his children that each OM oiw ia i required to do his hf dwy duty As all officers are teachers aebers te it should be the duty of some one the bishop or some someone one under his direction to see that the children and young peppe a as well as itil all the others in each ward are collected together and that they be taught to pray and to speak and be instructed in all things that are necessary for we and our children should learn and understand and improve upon every branch of science knowledge and duty that is is nece necessary smary for us as well as to confine ourselves to any one of those brn branches ches moroni said add it if was necessary for the people to meet together often to pray speak and teach when I 1 go abroad and the people ask me why some of our ewe young people do hot do any better and are so wild I 1 do not know any better answer than that we do not do our duty to them the question arises what is the matter with our children they are fall of vigor and spirit and I 1 they want some seine way to let it out oat but if the 1 latter day saints will do their duty dulty and gather I 1 their children together and train their minds in I 1 I 1 that channel in which they have soon got to walk in following the footsteps of their parents io tearing hearing off the alie kingdom of god we shall hear bear I 1 no DO more complaint about them Is iff th this is a mystery a new thing no it is ace according to the revelations and commandments of god and it should be taught and practised practiced in id every ward in in this city and in every branch of the e church wherever it exists lest we come under con dem damnation nation the people of zion once was told that the they y were under condemnation and would remain under it until they remembered to do the things that were taught them if we met together often and did ou on duty what time would we have to be idle none at all al when all men I 1 women and children meet together to pra pray y and teach they would feel that they must live consistent with their profession and they would in a great measure cease to do evil then how long would it be before the spirit of god would rest upon our children and how bow long would it be said that 1 I am sorry that we have got t to fort up because the children of my neighbours are so bad that they will spoil mine not ot long but it would be said 1 I am glad that we can be together that we can have such good schools and prayer meetings and the children have such a good spirit that it encourages mine to good works we have to be called to this for we have to be tried in all things for if we were not we should not differ from the gentiles who will neither neith r borrow or lend the gentile priests have not been tried in the kenyons kan and many other places as our elders have but we have been tried in a manner that it has taught us ns to help each other and teach each other when our children meet to sing pray and speak some may not want 0 do it they may say it is too greit arret a trial for them yet they can do it with a bittle little practice that feeling will pass away iff if the names of all in in the ward be taken and given to the teacher whether it he be the bishop or any one that takes the lead of the school or meeting and let him call upon each one in their turn to pray tr speak should any young man say that I 1 wish to be excused for I 1 got drunk the other day and would not like to speak you then are the very one that ought to pray and repent and ana do better but what shall I 1 say say that you got drunk and ask the school to forgive you and that you mean to do better if isyou do intend to this would be a good speech it you could say nothing more but if you dont intend to tn do better tell them so say you intend to get drunk every chance you can get and do all the mischief you can can then the teacher will know what to todo tado do with you out cut you off from th tho church and have no more trouble with you let the child ay 1 ai I have been thinking ot of this work and mean to keep the commandments ot of god or something of this kind if he be can bay aay it in truth but speak the truth at all times you could say something lhing and you would increase in confidence some one may think eilf it I 1 should speak or pray I 1 should spoil the english language no matter in your pra prayers yoi do not need to say a great many thi things to make a speech but begin by saying oar father who art rt in heaven then ask for those things that you want and have hav e faith to obtain and not ask tor for a thousand things that you dont expect expect t to get and how many things can we think of that we should thank tb the lord tor no matter how broken your speech epee ch you can i ask for what you want of men but the child does not often ask the parent for anything worth a hundred dollars for they would not expect to get it but they would ask for bread when they were hungry in in confidence and get it I 1 would ask toe the lord for things acco according r di ing to my wants and faith as elijah did yr when en he be asked for rain when there had not been any for and six months what would you think to hear brother pratt pray and saying saving Q lord give me some bread today to day this I 1 have had to do all my lay elifet I 1 ask god daily for those things which I 1 want now do not mock god b by y asking bun for those things you do not expect to get when the ch children ildron come to meeting and any one should stand out and would not speak or pray they will soon come to it for they would not like to be out of fashion and we should make praying speaking and righteousness fashionable then it would not be a trial todo to do olar conr dut duty y then oll 11 ll could be taught and our and errors corrected the teachers should be very particular that eath each member speak peak 8 pray and do their duty what if we should neglect this branch of the kingdom and our children should be called to make their first speech and that should be before congress or before any body of men where it required confidence fi care and wisdom to present their views in na a c lear clear dist distinct inet and understanding manner I 1 would riot not be in that situation for a thousand dollars but let our children commence speaking in I together and learn while ile they are children 1 and their minds should be stored with good bilings 3 in the days of their youth bouth for what goo good d wo would id it do this peo pleto live till the coming of christ if they were not doing the work of god and preparing themselves for it but spending their time in amusement all ot of us may not be called to go on missions but all should live iti in such a macnei manner that they way may be useful in the kingdom of god every woman should help her husband to fulfil fulfill his mission ir if I 1 am an apostle what the then is 39 is i ray MY wife an apostle she may be engaged in in help ing in the apostleship apostle and every ervery sister rister that desires it can find an opportunity of doing good god in tm th kingdom of god how howman many y of you in informer former days have spoken with delight of the work that was promised you r should hould perform in in your patriarchal blessings that you should teach and instruct the Lama not only in the gospel but in domestic la bours this mission is pow now about to open before you 04 I 1 hope all will be ready to fulfil fulfill it and if alf all se set t a good example before them it will do much good but if some set a bad example before them it will do great evil and they will say mormon lise indian good mormon and bad mormon good indian and bad baa indian 2 I 1 have not said anything about our lett letters pre the regency are getting out a new alphabet and when vie we learn our letters ourselves ou selves we will teach others we should improve all our time to a go good d advantage we have no time to spend in if ecung reading novels or false things read the best books the bible book of mormon doc trine and covenants and those thin things 98 that contain truth do you jou think the people read those books en enough gugli no now do not neglect those things we want the knowledge those books contain the prophecies and doctrines ac Is there one thing that we can neglect and do 0 codr ai r duty no for while we neglect those things can we pray for more in faith no can we do our duty as parents by reading novels or permitting our children to do doit it and neglect history prophecy and the revelations of god which contain his commandments unto us and those principles whereby we become exalted and saved in his presence and be purified we cannot may god bless you amen |