BY GEORGE Q. CANNON
PUBLISHED AT
JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
1900
In sending out this little work, the author hopes with all his heartthat he has made interesting and instructive a subject that has been asource of inspiration to him. The book was called forth mainly by theneed of the Sunday Schools for such a publication. In many schools theauthor's Life of Joseph Smith is being used, but that book was notwritten as a text-book for children. This little volume can be put tosuch a use, and can be placed in the hands of the children themselves.Teachers may gather new material to give them from any source theydesire, but the children have a foundation furnished here.
In this book there may be words that a child of ten or twelve yearswill not understand; but the child's vocabulary would never grow ifhe met no new words. However the author believes there are few if anyplaces where an intelligent child cannot gather the meaning from thecontext. The work is purposely arranged in forty chapters, as that isthe number of Sundays, fast-days excluded, in the year; but if possible,a little time once a month should be given to review work. Specialattention is called to the chapter headings, which may be used as thetopics on which different members of the class may prepare to talk. Themaps and illustrations will be found valuable in aiding the child'sunderstanding. While these suggestions apply to the use of this volumeas a text-book, it has also been the aim to have the history suitablefor general reading as well.
It has been the author's desire through life to aid in giving the youngLatter-day Saints so much that is good and pure in literature that theywill have no excuse for reading that which is trashy or improper. Goodbooks, if not the strongest outside influence, are at least very strongin the building of character. The story of life upon the earth isbeautiful and has absorbing interest if that life is natural, that is,in harmony with the will of our Father in Heaven. The real experiencesof a bold missionary of Truth should be and are of the highest interestto all right-minded Mormon children of either sex. Hence the authorhas seen fit to regard this little work as the beginning of a seriesof biographies of the Presidents of the Church, which he has undercontemplation. He believes that the data of the history of the Churchcan be given as completely in the lives of the men who have led it asin any other way. There are some additional advantages: a biographyhas greater unity and consequently children can grasp it better; theyobtain a deeper understanding, too, of the Church and its principles,when they see the life-history and growth of a man under the influenceof the Gospel; and they become intimately acquainted with the noblestcharacters that have ever lived upon the earth. Besides this, thehistory of the Church is divided into periods that correspond with thetime that each man has been President. Each may almost be consideredan epoch. The Church was organized and its members grew to be a strongpeople in the life of Joseph Smith; they became pioneers and colonizersin the life of Brigham Young; John Taylor's presidency was marked bythe dark struggles which threatened the very existence of the Churchitself. Wilford Woodruff's by the wonderful progress of the Saintswhen given liberty. Lorenzo Snow's already promises to mark a new andeventful period.
THE LATTER-DAY PROPHET is now sent forth, with the fervent prayer thatit may create in the hearts of the children of Zion a greater love forthe man who made of human life a