Paramount Importance of Church Schools

I certainly feel, my brethren and sisters, that to stand up in the presence of this vast congregation of people is a very serious responsibility, and I could appreciate the words whispered to me a few moments ago by Brother Golden Kimball. I suppose he felt that I would be called upon to occupy a portion of the time of this meeting, and he whispered in my ear, "Brother Joseph, brace up; you have my sympathy." I feel that I need the sympathy, the faith and the prayers of this vast multitude, If I am to say anything that will be of advantage to you who have assembled together in this conference to worship the Lord. ¶

There is a responsive feeling in my soul to the words that have been uttered by the brethren who have occupied this position during the conference. My heart has been made glad, and I have felt that my spirit was in harmony with the Spirit that actuated the brethren in the instructions they were led to impart; and I hope that, through the kindness of my Father in heaven, I may be prompted by the same Spirit. ¶

In connection with the brethren, I marvel at the wonderful development of the work of the Lord and the manifestations of our Father's divine favor on every hand in the remarkable advancement being made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While sitting here today I have wondered what the feelings must be of strangers in our midst, who have been told all manner of falsehoods concerning the Latter-day Saints. I have had some experience as a missionary in the world, and among those who had not investigated the doctrines of the Gospel I found almost universally the feeling that the Latter-day Saints were a priest-ridden people, held in a condition of ignorance and of bondage, and that they had to be kept in such a state, lest they might break away from the priestly rule that dominated them. I have often wondered what the feelings of the people could be who visited us in our mountain home and discovered that this chief city of the Saints is a city of peaceful and happy homes, and splendid schools. ¶

Beautiful buildings have been erected here for the education of the rising generation; and while it is true that they have been built by the united effort of all the citizens of this city, "Mormon" and non-"Mormon," it is nevertheless a fact that the desire to give education to the youth of the Latter-day Saints has always been a prominent feature in the building up of Zion. The foundation of "the education now so richly given in this state of Utah was laid by the Latter-day Saint pioneers. The great University that stands upon the brow of the hill, overlooking this city, was founded by our people in the days of their poverty; and in establishing it they looked forward with the eye of faith to the future educational necessities of the children and the development of the country. Traveling through the various Stakes of Zion, we find in almost every settlement costly and beautiful buildings that have been erected for educational purposes. When we think of what has been accomplished in this direction, we should be exceedingly glad in our hearts. If we are judged by our works, it will be very difficult for honest, observing men and women to go away from this community with the feeling that the Latter-day Saints are opposed to education. ¶

I had the privilege recently of taking a visit with Apostle Cowley through some of the outlying Stakes of Zion — the Stakes in Arizona and Mexico — and I was greatly impressed with the efforts being made by our people in those Stakes in favor of education. In St. John, Ariz., where it has been almost impossible for the people to live, because of the lack of water, the mineral in the soil, and the difficulty of controlling what little water they had, we found in spite of such obstacles, and other discouraging features, a Stake academy that would ornament any street in this city, erected principally by the free will offerings of the people, notwithstanding their poverty and their distressed condition. Similar conditions prevail in other Stakes. An Academy building is nearing completion in the Snowflake Stake, which is a credit to the people of the Stake, an excellent and commodious building has been erected in Juarez and an Academy in St. Joseph Stake, at Thatcher, which is said to be the largest school in the Teritory of Arizona. An acquaintance with the condition that prevails in Colonia Juarez relative to education led me to think that it was not an unmixed evil. .They are not blessed with the assistance of public taxation for the support of the schools, such as we have in the United States, but the people there have imposed upon themselves an income tax of six per cent., that they might have in their midst a school for the education of their children. I may say here that we were very much gratified to learn that in the Juarez Stake there is an almost entire absence of profanity among the young men, and that ninety per cent of all the people of the Stake observe the Word of Wisdom. We were there in the interest of the Mutual Improvement Associations; and during our visit of several days in the town of Juarez I do not think we discovered one young man with a cigarette in his mouth, and we never heard one word of profanity. I feel that this may be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that, because they support their own educational interests, they are privileged to have God in the schools, and the teachers, being filled with the Spirit of the Gospel, are as anxious concerning the moral and spiritual development of the students as they are for their mental development. It is a blessing to any community to have the privilege of inviting into the schoolroom the servants and handmaidens of the Almighty, to impress upon thechildren the truths of the Gospel. I felt in my heart to bless the brethren who were engaged in this goodly work, and who had so great an interest in the proper education of their children that they were willing to impose a heavy tax upon themselves for that worthy purpose. ¶

I have sometimes thought that we have given greater attention to the mental development of our children than to their moral and spiritual development. Advancement is the spirit of the age. In the State Fair now being held in this city we can witness the improvements that have been made in our stock. There seems to be a strong desire on the part of our farmers and stockraisers to have the best kind of stock, which is very commendable. There is a growing tendency, also on the part of the people generally, to improve the architecture of the public buildings and houses of worship. Then in all the towns and villages of the Saints there is a disposition manifested on every hand to build beautiful homes. Away down in Mexico we found elegant homes that would adorn the most beautiful residence part of Salt Lake City. This feeling to advance and to improve is abroad in the land. Now, ought we not in our educational matters to try and keep pace with this general improvement? We have great schools here. I would not desire to say aught that would detract from the importance of the public school system of Salt Lake City. We ought to be proud of it.and every citizen should rejoice that he has been privileged to have a part in bringing the school system of this city to its present standard. I am thankful that the Latter-day Saints have always been willing to vote Yes on every reasonable proposition of taxation for the benefit of the schools. I am thankful that the Deseret News, the Church organ, published in this city, has always advocated the advancement of the schools and encouraged the people to vote in favor of everything that was for the improvement of the system. ¶

There is one thing in connection with education that I desire to draw your attention to, and that is that we have , in our midst a Church school system, where the children of the Latter-day Saints are brought under the influence of men and women who have the love of the everlasting Gospel in their hearts and the spirit of the missionary in their educational labors; men and women who feel that mental advancement is not all that should be looked after in the education of the young, but that it is highly important, if not the most important feature of education, that young people should be impressed with the fact that there is a living and true God, and that He has established Upon the earth His Church, in fulfillment of the prophecies that have been delivered by the ancient servants of God concerning the dispensation of the fulness of times. ¶

I think there should be a greater interest on the part of the Latter-day Saints in regard to the Church schools. We have found in some Stakes that the Stake academies are struggling for an existence, and that there has been a coldness manifested by some in regard to their support, perhaps for the reason That they could send their children to the public schools free of cost, or perchance because the academy was not located in the place where they desired it. I feel, in connection with the improvement of our public buildings, our homes, our farms, and our stock, that above all these things should be the spiiitual as well as mental improvement of the precious "sons and daughters that our Father has committed to our care. It is written in the revelations that our Father will hold us responsible for the education that we give to our children; and He has given us a commandment that we should not only i seek wisdom from good books, but also by faith. We must have faith in the requiring of information. But faith to a very large extent has been shut out from the public school system. The organization of the earth, the creation of the inhabitants thereof, and all such things are accounted for by science so.called independent of God; and the result has been in many instances that young people have graduated from seminaries of learning without any faith in God and entertaining infidelic ideas. Brother Kimball told us yesterday of fathers who felt there was great need for missionary work in families. I would like to suggest to the fathers and mothers of Israel, if they desire missionary work in their families, no better work of this character can be accomplished than by placing their sons and daughters in the institutions that have been established for the education of the children of the Latter-day Saints. It will be a very rare thing for a son or a daughter to go to a Church school for two, three or four years, and come away from it without faith in God. Such a thing, I believe, is almost unheard of in our Church schools. Young men and young women of a skeptical turn of mind have oft times been sent to these schools, and faith has been established in their hearts. There is no experience that I know of that equals the education given in our Church schools for establishing faith in the hearts of the rising generation,save only the experience that is gained abroad by the missionaries in preaching the everlasting Gospel. When I am brought in contact with a class of young men in one of these Church schools, I always feel as though I was in the company of a number of missionaries in some conference abroad. There is the same spirit in these instituions that accompanies the missionary. That spirit can be felt when we come in contact with the professors who are engaged in teaching. Therefore, I say, if we love our children we will give them opportunities in these educational institutions that have been established for the express purpose of planting faith in the hearts of the young. It is not sufficient that our children should go to the Sabbath school for an hour or two once a week; it is not sufficient that they should go to the Improvement association or to the Primary association for an hour or two once a week, and all the rest of the week be brought in contact with influences that are opposed to the work of the Lord. They will be strong boys and girls and blessed indeed if they can devote eight or nine hours every day to the study of things wherein God is not mentioned, and one hour a week to the study of theology, and yet have their feet firmly established in the right path. "We should be anxious for them to have all the opportunities for gaining a knowledge of the Gospel that surround us; such advantages abound throughout Zion. There never should have to be a report made by any Stake Presidency that the Church Academy in their Stake is in a languishing condition. The story all the time should be, give us more room; the students are filling our halls, and we do not have sufficient accommodation. "With every Church academy it should be the story that they have the largest attendance of any school in the Stake. There should be greater interest in these Church schools, because better results flow from this education than from any other that is given in the land. It ought to be this way, because God is in the movement, and the Spirit of the Lord rests upon the teachers. ¶

Across the road from here is an elegant building that has been erected as a part of the Latter-day . Saints' University by the freewill offerings of a number of men in the community whom the Lord has blessed with means. I think I heard a report made when the building was dedicated, that the Presidency of this Stake and a number of other brethren met together and appointed a committee to solicit subscriptions for the erection of the building, the land having been donated by President Lorenzo Snow as the trusteein-trust, and in a few days $30,000 was given for that purpose. I look upon that building as a monument to the men who contributed the means, and I would like to see a tablet placed in the Latter-day Saints' Business College with their names engraved upon it. The money that erected that building is a contribution to the youth of Zion— to my sons and daughters and to your sons and daughters, that they may have a place to go where they can be educated, not only in the learning of the world, but also in the learning of heaven. I feel grateful to the men who donated the means for the erection of that building, and their names will live in the history of this people. Recently there died in this city a young man, Brother Samuel Barratt, who had had it in his heart to assist this same institution, but he was cut off before he accomplished what he desired, and the heart of his mother went out to the son and to the educational interests of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, with the result that she contributed something like $25,000 to erect a building to be known as Barratt hall, for the benefit and blessing of the youth of Israel, and in doing so she has reared a monument to her son and has made it possible for his name and her name to live for generations in the hearts of the people, though the perpetuation of any name is but a small thing in comparison with the blessing that will come to thousands of the youth of our community by reason of this liberality. Brother Ezra T. Clark, of Davis County, has also contributed $1,000 of his means toward the establishment of a library of Natural Science in the Latter-day Saints' University. Other members of the Church have given freely for the support and encouragement of our church school system. Their names will also be held in honorable remembrance among the people, and I believe they and their children after them will be blessed because of this liberality. ¶

I would like to say to all the rich men among the Latter-day Saints: If you desire to live in the hearts of the people, if you desire to have men and women stand up in the future and bless your names and your memories, let a portion of your substance which God has given you be consecrated to the blessing of the youth of Israel, that their feet may be established in the straight way. ¶

There are many examples of this character among those who are not of us. In the southeastern part of this city, is a magnificent structure — the Kearns' St. Ann's Orphanage — for the blessing and comfort of the orphans of the Catholic Church (and, for aught I know, the orphans of any church), to erect which Mrs. Kearns contributed McMURRIN, 49 $50,000; and the name' of Kearns will, by reason of that, live in the future history of Utah. Although the citizens of this State have honored Hon. Thomas Kearns with the greatest political gift they had to give, and have sent him to represent them in the Senate of the United States, the name of Kearns will be remembered in connection with this orphanage long after the fact that he was Senator of the United States shall have been for gotten. "We hear of other men in this community who have contributed $10,000 each toward the erection of the Catholic cathedral now being reared in this city; and I say that their examplt is worthy of imitation. ¶

We ought to be willing and anxious, if God has blessed us with an abundance of this world's goods, to give of that substance for the benefit and blessing of the people. President Young set the example. His name will live forever with every instructor and every student in the Church schools. Can they ever forget Brigham Young, the man who established the Brigham Young College and the Brigham Young Academy; the man who left a valuable block of land as a site for a Latter-day Saint University, the proceeds from the sale of which are to be used to erect the Brigham Young Memorial Hall on ,the ground of the Latter-day Saints' University? Men talk about his opposition to education. Why, in giving his means so generously he demonstrated that he stood foremost in the midst of the people in favor of education. The Latter-day Saints have nothing to fear from proper education. God Almighty has commanded us to seek for wisdom by faith and by study. If we desire to honor God and keep His commandments, the more education we obtain, the greater will be the glory that we will bring to our Father in heaven. We ought to be an educated people. It is the decree of God that we shall be. There should be houses of learning, wherein the principles of the Gospel can be taught, springing up in every part of the land. This educational work was commenced by the Prophet Joseph Smith. He got learned professors to teach the early Elders of the Church, that they might have understanding concerning science, history, and languages. This Church is and always will be opposed to ignorance. The uplifting of our sons and daughters should be above all else. I desire to impress upon you, my brethren and sisters, this fact, your children who attend Church schools can be advanced in every line of education. In science, art, literature, and in every other desirable branch of book learning. In addition to this they are trained in a knowledge of God. To know the Lord, and to have faith in His work, is of the utmost importance. Let the children receive a part of their education in institutions where these precious things are taught. ¶

I thank God for this conference and for the glorious instructions that have been imparted. I thank the Lord with all my heart for a testimony concerning the truth of this work, and that I can join with these my beloved brethren in bearing record of its divinity, that Joseph Smith is a mighty Prophet of the Lord, that the authority of the Holy Priesthood has been restored to men upon the earth, and that it is the decree of our Father that we shall continue to spread out, to colonize, to build up and to increase in strength and power in this promised land, under a government which has been established by the inspiration of the Spirit of God and by His commandment, that all men might have liberty, and that His work might be accomplished. God help us to be true, faithful and steadfast to the covenants that we have made, and in our allegiance to our Father in heaven, and also in our allegiance to and support of His Priesthood and servants who lead us in this dispensation, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶

The choir sang the anthem, "Light and Truth." ¶

Benediction by Elder Charles O. Card. ¶

AT THE ASSEMBLY HALL. ¶

An overflow meeting was held in the Assembly Hall, at 2 p. m. Elder Anthon H. Lund presiding. ¶

The Temple choir and congregation sang: ¶

"Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation, No longer as strangers on earth need we roam." Prayer was offered by Elder Thomas E. Taylor. The Temple choir sang: "Our mountain home so dear." ¶