The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-26

Speakers at the Tabernacle Discuss
Religion Glasses and Relation
to Public Schools.
DEFENSE OF THEIR SYSTEM
DECLARE THEIR CREED SHOULD
RE-TAUeHT THE YOUNG.

Religion classes Of the Mormon church
with demonstrations of the work done by
the classes occupied the foreground at
the Sunday afternoon meeting held yes
ferdav afternoon iii the tabernacle. Ihe
speakers were William a Morton, Jo-
seph ]. Cannon, Apostle Rudger Clawson
and President Anthem H Lund- Inc Tlrst
two speakers explained the workings OF
the religion classes in detail me other
two speakers explained the church as
poets of the classes. The meeting yester-
dav was in the nature of an aftermath
10 the convention of all religion classes in
the four Salt Lake stakes held yesterday
morning in Barratt hall
After explaining the first steps IN the
religious training of a child in the Nor
mon church William A. Morton, the tlrst
sneaker of the meeting said;
What is wanted now Is not more ren-
Dion hut more religious mothers and
fathers The drawback for the child IS
not inability to grasp, but ms llsulIlCient
tutoring in the doctrines OF ChriStlaIlIty,
After citing several instances IN WhIcn
fathers and mothers had been taught
prayer and the ability of asking for oens-
fits from the Almighty, Mr.. Morton SAID
I've teach children to pray by praying
We turn their thoughts in the right dlrec-
ton. Then they are able 10 ask Ior
themselves. They soon learn tIidt Dy
asking great benefits may be had every
Mr. Morton then explained the method
of teaching children prayer by praying.
Cannon on Sincerity.
what we want the religion classes to
learn above all things is sincerity, Sald
Joseph J. Cannon to whom was Delegated
the task OF explaining Ihe me-. tAScilC 49,, 81
teaching testimony bearing we never
force A child to bear testimony until ne
feels that he is speaking the truth. we
want MIN TO be CONVINCED IN ms OWL OWL
meaning before he utters word OF teS-
tiTnony to the Tightness Of the scriptures
our plan is to teach first the art OF
singing. then prayer ana last testimony
bearing We teach the children 10 speak
in public so that when the divine Fspira-
ton comes they will be able to give pro
per utterance to the dictation OF their
hearts"
Following Mr. Cannon. Apostle Rudger
Clawson spoke on the details or the con-
Venti0n Of the religion classes OF the 1ouT
stakes of the church held yesterday
morning in Bar~att hall He said that
the information gained at the meeting
would be carefully compiled and later
rsed in making the work Of the religion
classes more effective.
Truth. honesty and intelligence are the
vital parts of religion, said Apostle
Francis NJ LYMAN, the next speaker. No
religion u worth having which is not
true Train children to be honest, to be
truthful and then to understand. They
will be moral and upright, religious and
fOrceful then. We take more interest in
the children because they are the favor
ties Just as the baby is the favorite Of a
family We begin the training OF the
child at the earliest possible age because
\ the training then given will be the last
\ ing training. We do not wait until ma
Aturity because no tree may be bent when
2 IT is old and formed. If you would have
good citizens. good fathers and mothers.
good husbands and wives, train your
children in The right wav. Do not delav
It too long, -or there is danger in delay.
Not AGAINST Public Schools.
II want to say that the religion class
movement is not inimical TO the public
schools. 1t is supplemental to the school
training, said President Anthem II,
Lund. Secular training and education is
not enough. The child must be made
religious. Educate the head and the hand
and you have 4 fine machine. But that
is no good to humanity. Educate the
heart as well as the head and the hand
and YOU have a man capable Of welding
influence in the community.
We are attacked becaI Sc we attempt
TO train the child in a religious manner
while he is Yet in school. while he is an
infant, so to speak. II we have not the
right to teach religion to the children Of
other than Mormon parentage, we ask
and demand that we be allowed to teach
our own children the principles which we
believe and know to be right.
Children must be taught mentally.
morally and spiritually. They must know
the word Of God. They must be better
fitted to battle with life than ma
chine They must ne tbirI-ino~ v1-orIrire1
believing individuals, not merely capable
of endeavor without knowledge that there
is a supreme power directing every ef-
fort.
Childhood is he most impressionable
period of life. The heart may be reached
then Later in life the heart turns to
material things. It sees other loves than
Christ love Il becomes weened. If not
trained in the right direction, from re-
liEion- Put the th0ughts Of God into the
young brain. teach the young heart the
love Of Christ"
Wants Religion in Schools.
II am in favor of q certain portion OF
each school day being devoted to re-
ligiOuS training. I am not alone in this
for I see that preachers and teachers of
nearly all other CTeeds are advocating
this same thing We are paying too much
attention to fitting brains and uoI enough
10 the fitting OF hearts.
mo man can be truly moral without
being TO a greater or less degree religious
When, then, is a better time TO make
men moral than in childhood. the most
impressionable time of life? In early life
there is always innocence and belief. Con-
serve that innocence and strengthen that
belief by righ- training
The exercises closed with the singing
by the religion classes Of the four Salt
Lake stakes of the anthem We Thank