Messenger Magazine

Public Schooling vs. The Prophets

Posted on 3/3/2004 at 3:00:20 PM

The intent of this article is not for the readers to judge the choices of others regarding their children’s education. We cannot fully know the circumstances and challenges other parents face, but we can study the teachings in this article and pray for ourselves to find how relevant and important they are to us personally, and how we might best implement them.

Home schooling children is not a modern idea. Throughout the world’s history it was the norm, and produced famous names like Newton, Edison, Einstein, Graham-Bell, the Wright Brothers, DaVinci, Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Churchill, Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. Before the advent of state schooling (and often after) the greatest inventors, scientists, artists, novelists, political and religious leaders received their education from their parents, from their own enthusiasm to learn, and from the religion with which they were associated.

The American experiment in public (state-provided) education began as early as the 1830s, and was started by those men who admired the Prussian system of schooling, which seemed to them to provide that country with obedient soldiers and little dissension amongst the working classes. Those businessmen and social reformers who sponsored these early schooling systems made it clear that their aims were to either create compliant workers or to spread the new and seemingly less troublesome atheistic religion of humanism.¹ It didn’t take them long to convince the states that it would also be in their interests to have an influence in the upbringing of children, and the compulsory education system was born (which never had anything to do with providing greater knowledge or opportunities). From these beginnings there is now a massive schooling system, with tens of millions of students, taking billions of dollars in taxes, and staffed by teachers, psychologists, security guards, and non-teaching staff of every description.²

Despite this uninspired history some might assume -especially due to the unusually high percentage of Mormon parents who send their children to public school that there has always been some policy of supporting and working within such institutions, but even if that were true now it has not always been the case.

Wilford Woodruff who recorded more of the Church’s history than any other individual wrote in his journal that “Joseph Smith spoke very strongly against the Saints sending their children to Gentiles schools. The Lord would hold the Parents responsible for it.”³ In Joseph’s words there is little room left for recommending state schools, which are by their nature truly Gentile schools. Not only this but the Prophet told the Saints they would be accountable for the consequences that came with putting their children in public education.

This passage was written many years after Joseph made the statement though, and is not quoted in any Church manuals or magazines, so some members might question the accuracy of the statement. Indeed it wouldn’t be wise to base our conclusions on such important matters on a single recollected quote. Fortunately Joseph Smith’s successors were not silent on this subject either. Brigham Young gave the Saints his own counsel on this subject:

“It is the will of the Lord our God that we teach our children the way of righteousness from the Holy Scriptures and there is no better method than for mothers to teach them at home, and in the Sunday Schools.”⁴

If we are to accept Brigham Young as a true prophet and consider that he was speaking as inspired to do so then this means that the Lord Himself expects mothers to be responsible for the education of their children. This may seem like an overwhelming responsibility for many women, especially if they try to replicate all of the facilities and programs modern schools offer (which assumes there would be any benefit in doing this). But Brother Brigham felt that his sisters in the gospel were deserving of the confidence he placed in them to teach their own:

“I want to enlist the sympathies of the ladies among the Latter-day Saints, to see what we can do for ourselves with regard to schooling our children. Do not say you cannot school them, for you can.”⁵

“The duty of the mother is to watch over her children, and give them their early education, … It is the experience of people generally, that what they imbibe from their mothers … is the most lasting upon the mind through life… Children have all confidence in their mothers; and if mothers would take proper pains, they can instill into the hearts of their children what they please.”⁶

After the remarks above President Young referred to the two thousand young men described in the Book of Mormon, who owed their faith and success to the teachings of their mothers.⁷ Nevertheless many parents believe that they can accomplish the same degree of education (or at least one that is good enough) through trying to be involved with the school their offspring attend, that by choosing the school carefully, monitoring its programs, and participating in its activities where possible, that public school can still be beneficial to their children, and offer more than they can. This raises the question, “can public schools ever be good enough?” to which one of the early prophets of this dispensation answered:

“I would rather have my child taught the simple rudiments of a common education by men of God, and have them under their influence, than have them taught in the most abstruse sciences by men who have not the fear of God in their hearts.”

“That education which but amounts to a little outward appearance and applies only to a few conveniences of this life is very far short of that education and intelligence which immortal beings ought to be in possession of.” (John Taylor)⁸

Scriptural prophets left similar warnings -

“… nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.” (Nephi)⁹

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Paul)¹⁰

Schools which are not organized on a religious basis, which are in the control of the state, where the teachers are not good Latter-day Saints, and cannot teach Gospel principles, can never compare to the education a parent can give its child or a group of parents can ensure by setting up their own school built upon their faith, and operated by the Spirit. This was plainly taught by the Prophets John Taylor and Wilford
Woodruff:

“Shall we employ teachers that will turn the infant minds of our children away from the principles of the gospel and perhaps lead them to darkness and death? … I would like to know if a Methodist would send his children to a Roman Catholic School, or vice versa? I think not. Do either send their children to ‘Mormon’ schools, or employ ‘Mormon’ teachers? I think not. Do we object to it? No, we do not; we accord to all classes their rights, and we claim rights equal with them. Well, shall we, after going to the ends of the earth to gather people to Zion, in order that they may learn more perfectly of His ways and walk in His paths, shall we then allow our children to be at the mercy of those who would lead them down to death again? God forbid! Let our teachers be men of God, men of honor and integrity, and let us afford our children such learning as will place our community in the front ranks in educational as well as religious matters. But would we interfere with other religious denominations? No. Prevent them from sending their children where and to whom they please? No. Or from shipping where they please? No. I would not put a hair in their way, nor interfere with them in any possible way; they can take their course, and we want the same privilege.” (John Taylor)¹¹

“We feel that the time has arrived when the proper education of our children should be taken in hand by us as a people. Religious training is practically excluded from the District Schools. The perusal of books that we value as divine records is forbidden. Our children, if left to the training they receive in these schools, will grow up entirely ignorant of these principles of salvation for which the Latter-day Saints have made so many sacrifices. To permit this condition of things to exist among us would be criminal. The desire is universally expressed by all thinking people in the Church that we should have schools where the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants can be used as text books, and where the principles of our religion may form a part of the teaching of the schools.” (Wilford Woodruff) “sdfootnote235anc”>¹²

As far as this author is aware (after considerable study on the subject), no prophet has ever encouraged the children of Latter-day Saints to be educated in public (state) schools in preference to religious schools or by home schooling.

We cannot expect those not of our faith, or who work for the government, to be expected to give them a Gospel perspective on the subjects they are told to teach. Nor can we fully shelter our children from the world’s philosophies if we entrust our children’s education to such places.¹³ Gentile teachers can never be qualified enough to teach our children, no-matter how well studied in their subjects. From ancient to more modern times God’s servants have taught this same principle:

“And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.” (Mosiah)¹⁴

“Get the very best teachers we can to teach our children; see that they are men and women who fear God and keep his commandments. We do not want men or women to teach the children of Latter-day Saints who are not Latter-day Saints themselves. Hear it you Elders of Israel, and you school-trustees! We want none of these things. Let others who fear not God take their course; but it is for us to train our children up in the fear of God. God will hold us responsible for this trust. Hear it, you Elders of Israel and you fathers and you mothers!”

“We do not want outside folks to teach our children, do we? I think no. We do not want them to teach us how to get to heaven, do we? If we did, it would be of no use, for they do not know the way. Well, then, we do not want them to tamper with the minds of our little ones.” (John Taylor)¹⁵

This is why the scriptures state we should “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”¹⁶ But we relegate this responsibility to others, and then are still surprised when it results in our children going astray so often.¹⁷

Some might argue, “how can our children compete in the world with getting degrees and diplomas?” But it is easy to forget that God does not judge us by these pieces of paper, which have no value to Him. He does not want us to become part of the world, or to compete with one-another when we should be co-operating. The scriptures and prophets of God have often been dismissive of the value of worldly
education:

“O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.” (Nephi)¹⁸

In fact the prophets have taught us that - if we had the choice to do so - we should refrain from supporting state schools with any of our money. The Constitution in support of this gives no authority to government to institute educational systems, their philosophies, and oblige children to conform to them. The schools preach a religion we should not be asked to support financially.

“I am opposed to free education as much as I am opposed to taking property from one man and giving it to another who knows not how to take care of it … Would I encourage free schools by taxation? No!”

“To call a person a poor miserable apostate may seem like a harsh word; but what shall we call a man who talks about free schools and who would have all the people taxed to support them.” (Brigham Young)¹⁹

” … all these burdens are placed upon the tax payers of the state to teach the learning or education of this world. God is not in it. Religion is excluded from it. The Bible is excluded from it. And those who desire to have their children receive the advantages of a moral and religious education are excluded from all these state organizations, and if we will have our children properly taught in principles of righteousness, morality and religion, we have to establish Church schools or institutions of our own, and thus the burdens of taxation are increased upon the people. We have to do it in order that our children may have the advantages of moral training in their youth.” (Joseph F. Smith)²⁰

So how did compulsory education get such a foothold in a Mormon state like Utah? History tells us it was forced upon the Saints by the Edmunds Tucker act of 1887, and with men such as Judge Beatty who proposed it as a way of undermining the influence of Mormonism:

“The Mormon Church is a hostile power in our very midst. But the most serious question is how to combat it. … There is but one most peaceable and efficient solution of this entire problem. It is by means of education. … Compulsory attendance would assure the presence of the Mormon children. Enlightenment would soon remove that plague spot, polygamy, from our moral life, and would reduce to a minimum the influence of the
Mormon priesthood.”²¹

Thus we see one example of the real intent behind the governments interest in our childrens education.²² It came not from the intent of providing the children of the Saints with useful skills for learning, but was intended as a course of indoctrination and brain-washing. The First Presidency did not stay silent about this assault on
its youth:

“Our children should be indoctrinated in the principles of the Gospel from their earliest childhood. They should be made familiar with the contents of the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. These should be their chief text books, and everything should be done to establish and promote in their hearts genuine faith in God, in His Gospel and its ordinances, and in His works. But under our common school system this is not possible.”²³

What would be the result of disregarding this counsel for our children?

“We go and deliberately turn our children over to whom? To men who do not believe in the gospel, to men according to your faith, are never going to the Celestial Kingdom of God. They will get as big a glory as they are prepared for, but they are not going there. And you will turn your children over to them. And you call yourselves Latter-day Saints, do you? I will suppose a case. You expect to be saved in the Celestial Kingdom of God. Well, supposing your expectations are realized, which I sometimes doubt, and you look down, down somewhere in a terrestrial or telestial kingdom, as the case may be, and you see there your children, the offspring that God had given you to train up in his fear, to honor him and keep his commandments, and perceive that between you and them there is a great gulf, … And supposing they could converse with you - which however they could not - but if such were the case, what would their feelings be toward you? It would be Father, Mother, you are to blame for this. I would have been with you if you had not tampered with the principles of life and salvation in permitting me to be decoyed away by false teachers who taught incorrect principles. And this is the result of it. ” (John Taylor)²⁴

In contrast the blessings that come from ensuring our children have a Godly education give us youth that more often stay in the faith, are more likely to maintain a good relationship with their parents, and better help build up God’s kingdom more effectively.

“Let our teachers be men of God, imbued with the Spirit of God that they may lead them forth in the paths of life, and warn them against the various evils and iniquities that prevail in the world, that they may bear off this kingdom when we get through, and be valiant in the truths of God. Teach them how to approach God, that they may call upon him and he will hear them, and by their means we will build up and establish Zion, and roll forth that kingdom which God has designed shall rule and reign over the nations of the earth. We want to prepare them for these things; and to study from the best books as well as by faith, and become acquainted with the laws of nations, and of kingdoms and governments, and with everything calculated to exalt, ennoble, and dignify the human family. We should build good commodious school-houses, and furnish them well; and then secure the services of the best teachers you can, and thus “˜train up your children in the way they should go.’ Solomon said, if you do, “˜when they are old they will not depart from it.” (John Taylor)²⁵