| Show SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION ONION the semiannual semi annual meeting of the deseret Def leret sunday school union con veledin in the tabernacle ad 1892 present on the stand eland were president joseph P F smith general superintendent george Q cannon assistant general superintendents george goddard and john morgan all the he members of the deseret sunday school union board and many of the stake superintendents the vast assembly was called to order by assistant general superintendent george Goa goodard dard and the juvenile choir of sunday school children numbering 1000 sang i my 00 country u Us of thee prayer was offered by elder william fotheringham superintendent of the beaver stake praise god in his holiness was rendered by the juvenile choir assistant general superintendent george goddard said it would be IL a source of gratification if all sunday school workers in the immense congregation gre gation would rise rime on their feet whereupon about saints arose the roll of stakes was called by the general secretary showing representatives from all excepting malad snowflake san juan and san ban luis 0 continuing superintendent goddard said nineteen years ago the first sunday school statistical report showed schools 1400 teachers today we will see from the statistical report an inci eafie esse in each year of about twenty schools three hundred and seventy eight teachers ano and two thousand five hundred scholars by these figures an immense increase each year has baa been gai gained ed and today the sunday school institution embraces in its number more than one fourth of the latter day sainta it is the largest organization in zion the speaker felt to glorify god glad for this great and grand movement and the wonderful prosperity which has attend ed ad the labors of the general in and deseret sunday school union onion board general treasurer george reynolds said baid that last laet fall a call was made upon all sunday school teachers achors te superintendents ten dento dents and pupils for a nickle donation from all sunday school workers the result of which has brought in ID about 2000 also last october a grand concert was given by the sunday school undorf which netted to the union cause nearly this means has been expended in the publishing of one thousand book of mormon charts and sets of small cards fac simile book of mormon chartel similar to those of bible charts and cards these charts illustrate the life of N mechi echi from the time he be left jerusalem here brother reynolds showed oue one of the boox BOOK of mormon charts to the audience As the sunday schools have so generously responded to the tha nickel dona tion call the deseret sunday school board decided to give gratuitously to each sunday school in the church one book of mormon char sets of the small cards if schools desire more than one chart it is hoped the superintendents will purchase enough to supply the primary classes and it is also hoped that parents will purchase for their families one or more book of mormon charts these theme charts cost the union more than th three ree d dollars each bu but t I 1 in n ord order er to got get them before the people the union board has decided to sell seft them for two dollars each this is but the first of a series of charts to be published on the book of mormon and history of the prophet joseph smith the leaflets which were out of print are now republished published re and can be obtained by writing the juvenile instructor these leaflets are found to be one of the best means ever adopted for the education of the youth so important are they thay that the church board of education have adopted them iu in the theological classes clae see assistant AMla lant superintendent john mor xan ran spoke upon the important movement inaugurated last fall in regard to sending out sunday school missionaries through the various stakes of zion the rapid growth of the sunday school work has attained such magnitude that the general and members of the union board find it impossible to visit all the ward schools and hence last jast fall about fifty of the leading active and zealous sun day school workers were called upon to go through the various stakes visiting every sunday inday school and also endeavoring to arouse an interest among the saints in the sunday school cause these brethren were requested to furnish a written report to the union board this they have done it is a matter of regret that notwithstanding all that has been done there is probably 26 5 per cent of the latte rd saints children who are not now attendants tend ants at sunday school in some places a still greater percentage perhaps fail to attend this movement of the sunday school missionary work has been decided hy by the union board to be made a yearly labor and each stake superintendent in zion is expected to furnish yearly names of zealous sunday school workers and forward their names to the general secretary tin time for the broth brethren ran to be pre prepared parea and set apart at the october conference of each year for their various stakes the nickel donation has also alao been decided by the union board to be a permanent yearly move and the collection should be made on the firmat sunday in september Septem berof of each year each ward organization should dimmed immediately ia te I 1 y after that date forward the same to the Stake superintendent who will forward it to the general treasurer george reynolds all officers teachers and pupils are expected to donate at least one nickel and any who feel so disposed had bad the privilege of donating larger amounts by being prompt in these important matters and in the getting out of correct and complete statistical reports k ee ping careful records especially of the number lumber of children from six to eighteen years of agea ageana and forwarding promptly all information means reports etc to the general officers and constitution ution building salt lake city they will greatly aid in accomplishing the great object in view viz the education of the youth of zion in the principles ci I 1 M of true religion we we have a complete statistical report for 1891 with the exception of one wake we have reports from all the islands and from the european mission and desire them each year hereafter the juvenile choir sang bang ajae T be god of the nations N assistant AMia tant superintendent georgile goddard said mid that from the missionary reports received from those who visited the various stakes many good suggestions are made in some schools teachers are lacking where this is the case the superintendent should consult with his big bishop and nave active sunday school workers selected for the head of this work in each ward the bishops are very kind in assisting the brethren in this important work there should be a mob athly teachers teacher sJ meeting at the close of the school in which all matters for the improvement of the school should be discussed I 1 goddard said a matter re forred erred to by brother morgan is in very important the vast number of children who absent themselves from sunday schools the union board have adopted a remedy for this they have published the visiting book in which every eligible sunday school child in the ward should be recorded visitors should be appointed for certain districts to labor in securing the attendance of absentees and in this way we may get nearly every child into the sabbath schools where these books have been tried there has been in one instance an increase of 60 50 per ider cent the speaker exhorted all parents and lovers of truth to assist in furthering this great work apostle V F UL BL lyman was very deeply Inte interested reste d in the great sunday school cause from the report re he thought there were many who did nl not attend sunday schools an they should do it to is expected that sunday school workers he be living examples of what they teach they should teach by precept and by example especially should this be the case in the important principles of the word of wisdom and the administration of the sacrament the word wor d of wisdom should be emphasized pha sized in all sunday school gather n example is the very best and strongest stron geet mode made of teaching the word of wisdom if it is possible in the wards to find those who strictly adhere to this principle they should be selected as su and teachers the children seeing their superiors in schools teach what they live up to are apt ant to follow their examples and be come great and good men and women the sacrament is also a very sacred and important ordinance which should be administered every sabbath ith out exception the speaker admonished the saints to see to it that this be not neglected the bi bishops Is hops of the wards are the ones to see that this is attended to every sabbath the speaker said eau he wished to emphasize the importance of teaching by example the word of wisdom and the administration of the sacrament in IB our sabbath schools every sun day there is no BO more sacred ordinance even in the tern tem ples plea than wo that 9 0 of f the sacrament parents should encourage their children to be prompt in attending the sabbath school and uphold the hands of the superintendents and olli officers cers GENERAL AUT authorities the general authorities of the sunday school cause came were presented by the general secretary as fol lowe owe president george Q cannon general super superintendent george goddard first assistant john morgan second general officers sunday school union board george Q cannon george goddard job john n morgan george reynolds reynold abraham H cannon thomas thoma A C grigi P joseph W sum summer mer hay bays levi W richards francis M lyman and heber J ors grant george reynolds general treasurer john ohn M whitaker general secretary all were unanimously sustained the secretary then read the totals from the deseret sunday school U union nion statistical for 1891 apostle 0 J grant was gratified to meet such auch a vast audience of sabbath school workers wor kere it reminded him of an article which appeared some years ago in the north Amer american ioan review written by a gentleman who had for about thirty or forty years been connected with sunday school work in new york and this gentleman gave the statement that one thousand or fifteen hundred high toned church members on fifth avenue A venue could not muster one h hundred u adred sabbath school children the scriptures tell us that by their fruits shall yo ye be known and the presence here tonight as also the vast number of children in these valleys spoke of the virtue of the latter day saints the speaker said the greatest crime a human being could commit was sinning against their own flesh and blood drying up the fountains of life falling failing to fulfil fulfill the commandments of god in multiplying and replenishing ng the earth he was thankful for the showing made by the latter day saints in this direction that they recognize and prove by their labors that they are willing to keep the commandments of god the speaker rejoiced in the glorious work being accomplished complis hed by the sabbath schools and invoked the blessings of heaven upon all efforts made toad to advance vance the youth of zion and assist in redeeming the souls of men president Prel dent george Q cannon then addressed the congregation he bore a strong testimony to the good work done by the sunday schools and said he heartily supported every movement for the advancement of the great cause of the union assistant Awl stant bupt supt geo goddard then said 1 I am going to offer up a prayer 1 I would like response from the whole congregation god blew bless the boys and girls that constitute this juvenile choir with brother stephens stephene as their leader all who feel to back up that prayer say amelm and then thee the vast hall echoed the hearty response from the congregation amen pil the juvenile choir rendered cc the pilgrims chorus 21 2 1 benediction by apostle abraham H cannon JNO M general secretary |
