Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2491575 in Books
• Published on: 1998
• Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews

review of LDS history of education
This book tells the history of the Church of Jesus Christ's (Mormon or LDS) doctrines on education and mostly concerns Utah only. Non-LDS would probably not find too much of interest here since most of the history is statements from LDS church leaders.

That said, I found it fascinating. The author, Jack Monnett, has a PhD in education. He traces the LDS attitude on education from Joseph Smith onward. Education in the LDS church parallels education in America in large part. As the church is now international (more Mormons live outside the US than inside the US), much of the political history in this book does not apply to the rest of the US and the world.

Joseph Smith felt education was a key component of a perfect society. He urged privately supported schools controlled by parents and funded by the parents of the students. This was the initial approach in Utah.

The book takes us through the change from private to public education. The members of the church essentially rejected their leaders and sent their children to the cheaper, tax-supported public schools.

In response, the church set up a separate education system to complement the public schools. In Utah, every High School has a nearby church seminary building where students are given released time to attend religious instruction. In the rest of the world, there is either early-morning seminary at church before school, or home study.

Of interest is the last part of the book that looks at current schools. A quote from current head Apostle Boyd K. Packer noting that current schools are becoming physically, spiritually and intellectually dangerous, sets the stage for the last part of the book on what to do now.

Home schooling and private schooling seem to be the only answers. Should public funding be used for home or private schooling is not answered. (And that is one of the flaws of the book.) With public funding often comes public controls. Yet vouchers would allow parents to direct funds where they wish. Yet all people pay taxes that support students, so is it fair to take money from all and give it to parents and schools that are not what the taxpayer might wish? But then don't the current public schools represent the same problem - that is taking money from all and using it for a bad system that is harming many students? There are no easy answers.

Overall, I found this book enlightening and recommend it for any LDS parent or student. But any pro-union public teacher or their supporters will not like the conclusions stated here.