The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-05
NORM IN SUNDAY Schools
EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS
So Says E. C. Knapp of
Hartford After Recent
Visit to Them.

/
west in the interest of sunday-school
work, has sent the following article
to the Hartford Times describing the
! excellent manner in which the Nor
mon Sunday schools are conducted,
and the phenomenal growth of the
Norman church during the last fif-
teen years. The article is as fol-
lows:
The Mormon church is increasing at
an amazing rate, During the fifteen
years from 1890 to 1905, while the Meth
odist, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Con-
gregational denominations increased
between 80 and 40 per cent; the Nor
mon church increased 1O7 per cent.
practically three times as much as
these non-Mormon churches. How do
You account for it?
One reason is because the Mormon
Sunday schools are the best in the
country. I have visited the largest
and best Sunday schools in the United
States, such as the Wanamaker Pres
byterian school in Philadelphia. the
Bushwick Avenue Methodist in Brook
Ign, N. Y. the Calvary Baptist in
Washington, the st. Georges Episcopal,
In New York, the Marion Lawrence
Congregational in Toledo, the Hyde
Park Baptist, and the Moody Sunday
schools in Chicago the Paullst Faith
ers Catholic, the Temple Emmanuel
Hebrew schools in New York, but 1t
was my pleasure on July IA to visit the
Mormon Sunday schools In Salt Lake
City, and | can truthfully say that
they are the best l have ever visited
The Temple Emmanuel Hebrew in
New York comes the nearest to them,
because it meets for the same period,
namely 10 to II on Sunday, and has
separate class rooms and graded sub
ject matter. However, this Hebrew
school has paid teachers while the
Mormon does not. Moreover, the Nor
mon is superior to the Hebrew in that
adults are present in the Mormon
schools in large numbers.
The Mormons have their tabernacle
service Sunday afternoon at ococls,
but the morning is given exclusively to
the Sunday school. Salt Lake CITY is
divided into thirty-three wards. Each
ward has Sunday school building wen
| equipped and a Sunday school session
for two solid hours, from 10 to H. The
Sunday schools are uniform in charac-
ter, each one has practically the same
classes, courses, opening SERVES, etc.
The schools begin promptly on the
minute. The Sunday school Is a school
not playthlng, as in some non-Mor-
mon churches.
| visited the Sunday school in the
Seventeenth ward, / shall tell you
| frankly how / was impressed ! am
! not a Mormon and do not believe In
some OF their doctrines but I admire
them for their zeal, business ability.
and common sense in Sunday school
! work, and ! want to give them due
| credit | arrived a little early and
was given a cordial greeting by three
different parties; 1 was invited to the
platform and given seat at the right
of the superintendent where could
easily see the school For five minutes
the organist played a prelude, not a
rag time selection, but suitable
one. Promptly at 10 o'clock the SUI
perintendent stood in his place and the
school became perfectly quiet. The
doors were closed and late Corners were
admitted only at five or ten minute in
tervals. The attention and orde1S were
excellent. The singing was hearty
and the responsiveness good. There
was worshipful atmosphere unlike
that in the average non-Mormon
school. At the close Of the thirty-mln-
ute opening service about ten minutes
were taken for practiclng one or two
| new songs. The school then separated
into their classes, the majority Of them
going into separate class rooms in the
basement, which, by the way, was by
no means dark and damp. For one
hour the classes met for good, thorough
INSTRUCTION. There were more men
teachers than women teachers, There
were fully as many boys. young men,
and men, as girls young ladies and
women. Each room was well supplied
with blackboard, maps and charts.
Each teacher used the catechetlcal
methods. The boys and girls were
well prepared with their lessons, even
though it was the middle of July.
Visited nearly all the classes, and was
especially pleased with the kindergar-
ten department, equipment, program,
ETC.; was also delighted with the par
ents' class. 1t was refreshing to visit
a Sunday school and see the substan-
tial church element the cultivated men
and women, present in large numbers.
L hold In my hand a booklet entitled
"Sunday-School Outlines of the Par
ents Department" In 1t I read the
following: 1.-THE object of the parents
class is: First, to aid the parents in
general culture; and secondly, to bring
about closer relationship between the
home and the Sunday school, that
parents may give more efficient aid In
the general work of the Sunday
school, Also, 1T Is desired that par
ents will manifest an interest in get
ting children to be punctual, and to be
regular in attendance; to take an ac-
tive part In the singing, and in MEM
DRY work; and above all, that the par
ents will impress their children with
the Importance of preparing lessons; in
brief, parents classes aim to establish
unity between the home and the Sum
day school"
The parents discuss such themes as
Environment, Good and Bad. Habit"
Home Government, etc. The Sunday
l visited this class they were discuss
ling "Children's Duties
The Mormons believe that Christian
character is as important as the AL