OBJECTS OF THE RELIEF SOCIETY. Furthermore, I desire to commend the work of the Relief Society, an organization that was effected by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The objects of this organization are manifold. It is not designed to look only after the poor and the needy as to their bodily necessities, but it is also intended to look after the spiritual, mental and moral welfare of the mothers and daughters in Zion, and all who are engaged or interested in female work. I commend the Relief Societies to the bishops, and say, be friendly to these organizations, because they are auxiliary organization's and a great help to the bishops.—Oct. C. R., 1902, p. 88.
DUTIES AND PURPOSE OF THE RELIEF SOCIETY. I will speak of the Relief Society as one great organization in the Church, organized by the Prophet Joseph Smith, whose duty it is to look after the interests of all the women of Zion and of all the women that may come under their supervision and care, irrespective of religion, color or condition. I expect to see the day when this organization will be one of the most perfect, most efficient and effective organizations for good in the Church but that day will be when we shall have women who are not only imbued with the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and with the testimony of Christ in their hearts, but also with youth, vigor and intelligence to enable them to discharge the great duties and responsibilities that rest upon them. Today it is too much the case that our young, vigorous, intelligent women feel that only the aged should be connected with the Relief Society. This is a mistake. We want the young women, the intelligent women, women of faith, of courage and of purity to be associated with the Relief Societies of the various stakes and wards of Zion. We want them to take hold of this work with vigor, with intelligence and unitedly, for the building up of Zion and the instruction of women in their duties—domestic duties, public duties, and every duty that may devolve upon them.—Apr. C. R., 1907, p. 6.
THE RELIEF SOCIETY. I can say the same with reference to the first and most important auxiliary organization of the Church, that of the Relief Society. They have been doing the best they could; but now we have suggested a complete organization of that society, that is, the general authorities of that organization; and we trust that from this time forth, they will be able to begin with renewed energy, judgment and wisdom, the performance of the duties that devolve upon them, even those who are called to take the oversight of this great work in Zion, the Relief Society organization.—Apr. C. R., 1911, p. 7.
OBJECT OF SUNDAY SCHOOLS AND CHURCH SCHOOLS. The object of our Sunday Schools and the object of our Church schools, the great, the paramount object, is to teach our children the truth, teach them to be honorable, pure-minded, virtuous, honest and upright, and enable them, by our advice and counsel and by our guardianship over them, until they reach the years of accountability, to become the honorable of the earth, the good and the pure among mankind, the virtuous and the upright, and those who shall be worthy to enter the house of God and not be ashamed of themselves in the presence of angels, if they should come to visit them.—Apr. C. R., 1903, p. 82.
THE TEACHER ESSENTIAL IN SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK. One of the essentials to a good Sunday School is to have good, pure-minded, intelligent, noble, true and faithful teachers. If you will have a child develop to what he should be, he that teaches the child should be developed to what he ought to be, and until he is developed in intelligence, in faith, in works of righteousness, in purity of heart and mind and spirit, he is not in a very good position to elevate others to it.—Oct. C. R., 1903, p. 99.
THE FIRST QUALIFICATION OF A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER. The first qualification of a teacher in our Sunday Schools is that he be heart and soul a Latter-day Saint. He must believe in and unreservedly accept the doctrines of the Church, otherwise his teachings will be subversive of the very purpose for which these schools are maintained.
It is a self-evident truth, that no one can give what he does not possess, and the teacher who is lacking a testimony of the gospel can never inspire such testimony in his pupils.
The measure of personal liberty allowed by our liberal Church organization in the matter of giving instruction is great; but such liberty must not be degraded into a license to teach as the doctrines of the Church what is but the personal belief of the individual. A teacher finding himself a non-believer in any of the principles or tenets of the Church, will, if he be truly honorable, voluntarily ask release from his position. No one can in righteousness be asked to teach what he does not believe and accept as the truth, nor will one who is sincere in his convictions attempt to do so; still less will any teacher who loves the truth dishonor his position by employing its opportunities to inculcate personal views not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.—Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 49, April 1, 1914, p. 210.
THE PRINCIPLE OF SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHING. There is one point that has rested upon my mind in relation to the Sabbath Schools, and it is this: I think there is nothing in the Sunday School work more necessary or essential than that all the teachers of the Sunday Schools should win the love and the confidence of their pupils. I believe that greater good can be done in the Sunday Schools by the teachers where they have the absolute affection and confidence of their pupils than under any other conditions. You may teach them, you may drill them in concert, and you may have them commit to memory, and labor in every other way that you possibly can to accomplish the good that you desire with your children, but in nothing, in my opinion, can you succeed so well as when you possess their undivided love and confidence. If a child thinks a teacher is harsh with him or her, or unkind toward him, or does not feel a real, genuine love for him, if he feels that the teacher is not taking a real interest in him as one who loves him, he can never be led to possess the right spirit; but when he feels that the teacher loves him, is trying to do him good and to teach him that which will be for his everlasting welfare, then the teacher has an influence over the child, that when he studies he will study with a purpose and with an earnest desire to be benefited and to please the teacher; because he knows and feels in his little heart that the teacher loves him and is seeking to do him good. I have entertained this sentiment from the beginning, in relation to the instruction of the little children. It is a principle that obtains at the home as well as in the Sunday School. If you can only convince your children that you love them, that your soul goes out to them for their good, that you are their truest friend, they, in turn, will place confidence in you and will love you and seek to do your bidding and to carry out your wishes with your love. But if you are selfish, unkindly to them, and if they are not confident that they have your entire affection, they will be selfish, and will not care whether they please you or carry out your wishes or not, and the result will be that they will grow wayward, thoughtless and careless, and although you may drill them, like a parrot, to repeat verses and to speak in concert, and all that sort of thing, they will do it mechanically, without affection, and without its having that effect upon their souls that you desire it should have.—Apr. C. R., 1902, pp. 97-98.
THE STAKE SUNDAY SCHOOL BOARD. As the General Sunday School Union Board represents the First Presidency of the Church and constitutes, under the direction of the Presidency and Council of the Twelve, the highest authority in the Church on Sunday School matters, so the Stake Board, under the direction of the Stake Presidency and General Sunday School Board, represents the highest authority in Sunday School work in the stake. If it were not so, there would be no unity.—Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 43, August, 1908, p. 310.