The School of the Prophets and South America

We recently received a comment that caused us a light-hearted moment, since it was a criticism that our South America Land of Promise was not mentioned in the School of the Prophets. Other than being received from a Reader who identifies himself a firm believer in the North American models, we are hard pressed to quite understand the purpose and intent of sending us this article to criticize our writing about South America.
    However, we will answer it, in case others out there think that South America, not being mentioned in the School of the Prophets curricula is a damaging blow to our support of South America.
• Reader: “It is very noticeable that there is no mention of South America during Joseph Smith’s School of the Prophets teachings.”

Response: It is interesting that most members of the Church today have little understanding of the purpose and breadth of the teachings involved in the School of the Prophets that was initiated during the winter of 1832-1833. In this, the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to organize a school for the purpose of training the brethren in all things pertaining to the gospel and the kingdom of God. In fact, between 1833 and 1884, leaders from time to time organized schools for instructing members in Church doctrine and secular subjects and for discussing political and social issues relevant to the Church's mission. Although they varied greatly in form and purpose, these schools were called Schools of the Prophets, or sometimes Schools of the Elders.
    From the initial school came many of the early leaders of the Church. Another school of the prophets or the elders was conducted by Parley P. Pratt in Jackson County, Missouri (D&C 97:1-6) and similar schools were held shortly after the Saints migrated to the West; however, these were soon discontinued.
    The early lessons were mostly lectures of theology (Lectures of Faith), though their instruction was to include both sacred and secular topics, with Sidney Rigdon the main teacher, but according to Heber C. Kimball, “a certain number were appointed to speak at each meeting.” The discussions dealt with quoting scriptural passages that dealt with the subject. On one occasion, Elder Kimball spoke on a personal experience, and there was a focus on secular subjects.
    However, the school expanded, and eventually offered a combined curricula during the period, which included theology, English grammar, writing, reading, common arithmetic, mathematics, geography, history, debating, singing, foreign languages including Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. Elders Sidney Rigdon and William E. McClellin were the teachers of the Kirtland School, being paid $18.00 per month to teach. The school was conducted under the immediate care and inspection of Joseph Smith, F.G. Williams, Sidney Rigdon, and Oliver Cowdery, who were Trustees. Their notice stated: “The Trustees of this institution design introducing the higher branches of English literature, at as early a period as possible.”

According to the Journal History (22 Dec), “a grammar school was organized and commenced in Kirtland, Ohio, taught by Sidney Rigdon and Wm. E. McLellin.  It was held especially for the benefit of the young Elders of the Church, many of whom lacked the necessary education as representatives of the Church and missionaries to preach the gospel to the world.” In fact, “T. Burdick’s arithmetic, S. Kirkham’s grammar and J. Olney’s geography have been used, with N. Webster’s dictionary, as standard.”
    It was said at the time, “Speaking of Church members…They had been previously commanded to seek learning and study the best books, and get a knowledge of countries, kingdoms, languages, etc., which inspired them with an extravagant thirst after knowledge.” William McEllen stated: “Since the year 1827 I have taught school in five different States, and I have visited many schools in which I was not engaged, as teacher; but in none, I can say with certainty, have I seen students make more rapid progress, than in this. I expect myself to leave the institution, but yet, I have a great desire to see it flourish. I therefore most cheerfully recommend it to all those whose circumstances and situation will allow them to attend, as being a place where strict attention is paid to good morals as well as to the sciences.”
    In fact, other schools were established to meet the growing needs of the Church members. Women and older children were invited to attend. There were several sessions of the Elder’s School, a Hebrew school was established; and a variety of evening schools were offered.

A major purpose of the School of the Prophets was to increase the faith of Church members: “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118). The Setting in which the School of the Prophets was established was a world at the beginning of monumental change.  In his 1991 book The Birth of the Modern, Paul Johnson insightfully described the period between 1815 and 1830 as a time in “which the matrix of the modern world was largely formed.”
    In addition, at this time in the state of Ohio, which became a state in 1803, the population zoomed from 72,000 to over 800,000 by 1826, yet there was little opportunity for education.
    Around this time, on December 27, 1832, a conference of High Priests assembled in the translating room in Kirtland, with Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Orson Hyde, Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, N. K. Whitney, F. G. Williams, Ezra Thayer and John Murdock present. Joseph Smith stated that “to receive revelation and the blessing of Heaven it was necessary to have our minds on God and exercise faith and become of one heart and of one mind.” 
    The result of this was their receiving a revelation (D&C 88), which called for the organization of the School (70-77,117-119), the mission statement and curriculum of the School (77-80), the rues of personal student conduct (120-126), rules of classroom conduct (127-133), and the ritual of initiation (134-141). Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams were stated to be equal to Joseph in the administration of the School (D&C 90:6-8).
    In 1834, ministerial training resumed under the name Elders School or School for the Elders, with additional sessions held in the winter of 1835-1836.

In all of the curriculum of the School of the Prophets, the Elders’ School, etc., the location of the Book of Mormon peoples, the location of the Jaredite Kingdom and the Nephite Nation, are never mentioned. It was not a topic of the school. So having no mention of South America as the location of Lehi’s landing should not be a surprise to anyone. Yet at the same time, since part of the curriculum was geography, no doubt someone at some time mentioned South America, as well as Central and Mesoamerica.
    Finally, it is interesting that this Reader talked about no mention of South America, when they ignored no mention of the name Cumorah regarding the hill in New York. Joseph’s own words in describing this initially were: “Convenient to the village of Manchester, Ontario county, New York, stands a hill of considerable size, and the most elevated of any in the neighborhood. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, under a stone of considerable size, lay the plates, deposited in a stone box” (Joseph Smith—History 1:51, emphasis added). And again, “The messenger…told me that I should come to that place precisely in one year from that time, and that he would there meet with me, and that I should continue to do so until the time should come for obtaining the plates. Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and received instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews, respecting what the Lord was going to do, and how and in what manner his kingdom was to be conducted in the last days” (Joseph Smith—History 1:53-54, emphasis added).
    In fact, in all of Joseph Smith’s History, the name Cumorah is never mentioned. Nor was it mentioned in the School of the Prophets; nor, in fact, was any site given for Lehi’s landing, the lands of the Jaredites or the Nephites described or suggested in the Schools.