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Charting the Course in Education
Latter-day Saints have always been interested in education, believing that knowledge has eternal significance. During President Heber J. Grant's administration, however, serious questions were raised concerning the nature of the Church's educational program and what direction it should take. These concerns arose because of the economic burden of operating a system of schools and because of worries of the possible adverse effect of purely secular scholarship on the faith of young Latter-day Saints.
The Saints have turned to revelations received through the Prophet Joseph Smith in order to support their commitment to education. Frequently cited passages include: "The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth." "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance." (D&C 93:36; 131:6; see also 130:18-19.) Although the foregoing passages refer primarily to spiritual knowledge and attainment, the following injunction refers more clearly to the importance of gaining a broad education: "And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom .... [And] of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms ....
Yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." (D&C 88:77, 79, 118; see also 90:15 and 93:53.)
Consequently the Saints organized the School of the Prophets in Kirtland, one of the earliest programs for adult education in the United States. Upon arriving in the Great Basin they quickly established local elementary schools and a territorial university. In the 1870s Brigham Young inaugurated a system of "academies" or Church high schools, which grew to more than two dozen schools from Canada to Mexico during the following decade. To promote and give direction to these schools, the Church organized its board of education in 1888.