The last few
weeks have seen some dissenters express anger at a minor mistake in the new printed
version of the “Come, Follow Me” manual on the Book of Mormon, which is being
studied in Sunday School classes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints this year. (One critic called it a “dumpster fire” and another confused
“inerrancy” with loyalty.) While these little ruckuses come and go and are
nothing more than a tempest in a teapot, they do unfortunately provide critics
and activists with a temporary platform to express their anger to a larger
audience. Some even proclaim their faithfulness in their critical posts—!?!?!?.
Therefore,
it seemed to me that it might be a worthwhile time to share some quotations
about Church Correlation and Curriculum writing from a book I compiled years
ago called Determining Doctrine, which has an entire chapter on the
subject. These quotations from the First Presidency and apostles and prophets might
help give some readers a broader perspective, and also an improved viewpoint
from which to evaluate the dissenters’ criticisms:
President Boyd K. Packer:
The Council of the First Presidency
and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is the Correlation Committee, with the
President of the Twelve and the two senior members acting as the executive
committee. (“All-Church Coordinating Council Meeting,” 18 May 1993 , 3.)
The First Presidency:
The
Evaluation Division of the Correlation Department is responsible for the review
and evaluation of all proposed activities, programs, policies, procedures,
practices, plans, terminology, and other materials intended for use throughout
the Church to ensure that they are consistent with doctrine and with approved
policy and procedure. These materials include, but are not limited to
handbooks, course materials, supplements, notices, magazine articles, seminar
materials, internet, and audiovisual materials. The responsibility of the
Correlation Department has been expanded to include content review of general
Church communications utilizing electronic and digital technologies. All of
these items, prepared by the general Church departments and organizations and
intended for use throughout the Church, are without exception to be submitted
for review and evaluation.
(Note: this quotation is not in my Determining Doctrine
compilation but is newer.)
President Dallin H. Oaks:
The Church does approve or
disapprove those publications that are to be published or used in the official activities
of the Church, general or local. For
example, we have procedures to ensure approved content for materials published
in the name of the Church or used for instruction in its classes. These procedures can be somewhat slow and
cumbersome, but they have an important benefit.
They provide a spiritual quality control that allows members to rely on
the truth of what is said. Members who
listen to the voice of the Church need not be on guard against being
misled. They have no such assurance for
what they hear from alternate voices. (“Alternate Voices,” Ensign,
May 1989, 28.)
Encyclopedia of Mormonism:
Correlation is the process of
identifying the role of each part of the Church, placing each in its proper
relationship to the others, and ensuring that each functions properly. The parts include doctrines and ordinances,
organizations and agencies, programs and activities, meetings, and printed and
audiovisual materials….
Correlation is a unifying process in
which each organization of the Church subordinates limited views to the good of
the whole Church. It is not censorship
in the sense of inhibiting or channeling free expression and creativity. Rather, it is the way the Church ensures
suitable and effective use of its resources.
Correlation serves under the
direction of the First Presidency and the Twelve. It provides order to the many parts of the
Church and systematic reviews of proposed action. It helps organizations avoid unnecessary
duplication. Correlation ensures that
Church programs, materials, and activities… * Use the scriptures and the words
of the prophets as the basis for teaching. * Comply with policies and meet
standards approved by the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles….
As the programs and activities of
Church organization expanded in number and complexity, they came to have their
own general and local officers, curricula, reporting systems, meetings,
magazines, funding, and lines of communication.
Part of the role of correlation was
to maintain order among these organizations.
In 1907, the First Presidency appointed the Committee of Correlation and
Adjustments; in 1908, the Correlation Committee and the General Priesthood
Committee on Outlines; in 1916, the Social Advisory Committee (combined with
the Correlation Committee in 1920); in 1939, the Committee of Correlation and
Coordination, and in 1940, the Union Board of the Auxiliaries. Relying on the mandates found in latter-day
scripture, these groups were to correlate Church organization in their
structures, curricula, activities, and meetings.
In 1960, the First Presidency
directed a committee of General Authorities to review the purposes and courses
of study of the priesthood and auxiliaries.
The work of this committee laid the foundation for present-day
correlation efforts. The committee
identified the purposes of each organization from its inception, traced its
expansions and changes, and reviewed its courses of study and activities. On the basis of the committee’s
recommendation, the First Presidency established three coordinating committees
in 1961—one for children, one for youth, and one for adults—and a coordinating
council that directed the activities of the three committees. The council and committees, each headed by a
member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, were to correlate the
instructional and activity programs of priesthood quorums, auxiliaries, and
other Church agencies….
In 1972, the First Presidency
created the Department of Internal Communications to plan, correlate, prepare,
translate, print, and distribute instructional materials and periodicals. As part of the reorganization, the First
Presidency created the Correlation Department and placed all organizations,
curricula, and periodicals under the direction of the priesthood….
In 1987, the First Presidency
restated the role of correlation. All
proposed official Churchwide materials, programs, and activities must be
submitted for evaluation by the Correlation Department. Moreover, no proposed item could be developed
under Church auspices or placed in formally authorized use without written
direction to do so from the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the
Twelve.
During the 1990s, the focus of
Church correlation shifted from maintaining order among Church entities to
simplifying and reducing programs and materials, and to limiting volume,
complexity, and cost.
The present (1990) correlation process
at Church headquarters permits representatives of departments and auxiliaries
to propose annually the materials, programs, and activities they want to have
considered. An originator proceeds with
that proposed item only after it has appropriate concept and final production
approval.
From Church headquarters, all
communications are transmitted through a simple priesthood line from the First
Presidency and Council of the Twelve to stakes and wards and thereby to
families and individuals. (Frank O. May, Jr., “Correlation of the Church,
Administration,” Encyclopedia of
Mormonism, 5 vols. [New York and Toronto: Macmillan Publishing Company,
1992], 1:323-25.)
What is the
counsel from the church when a rare error finds its way into curriculum, as in
this (publicized) case?:
Now
brethren, in conclusion, in a church as vast and far-reaching as ours, there must
be order. We must have, in addition to the scriptures and modern revelations,
guidelines and procedures for the Church to move forward around the world in an
orderly manner. There are some elements of bureaucracy which cannot help but
occasionally produce some irritation and perhaps frustration. We ask you to
look beyond any irritations or inconvenience in Church administration. We ask
you to focus and concentrate on the simple, sublime, spiritually nourishing,
and saving principles of the gospel. We ask you to stand steady. We ask you to
be faithful in your stewardships. . . .
It is my
belief, and I have no hesitancy in so saying, that if church members, on their
own, really and prayerfully searched and studied and poured over the standard
works, and made strong and continual use of the study aids (the Topical Guide,
Bible dictionary, footnotes and cross-references, JST, etc.), and equally
deeply drank from the teachings of modern prophets and apostles, that the church
would need no curriculum writers and very little correlation evaluation. There
would be no need for (or existence of) “Come, Follow Me” as church curriculum because
its purpose, to encourage strong deep continuous study of the scriptures (and
keeping of the commandments), would already be met. Members would have
unshakable testimonies.
In the
final analysis, the Lord and His prophets want members of the church to hold
fast to the iron rod, eat of the fruit of the tree of Life, and then not to stumble
away into forbidden paths and mists of darkness when shamed by those in the
great and spacious building. Church curriculum is simply a means to an end—get
church members to drink of the living waters and eat of the fruit of the tree
of Life, and endure to the end and be saved.
But the
church as a whole is not on that high of a spiritual level and so we need
“Come, Follow Me.” Those members that I know of that study the scriptures in
depth often, that keep the commandments, that pray in faith, that attend the
temple, that study the teachings of modern prophets closely, that have the
spiritual gift of discernment, and that are orthodox in their views, etc.,
don’t really need the current curriculum (or any manual) and would inherit
Celestial glory with or without it. Whether the church provided curriculum or
not, they are like this:
Yea,
verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would
be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been
shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts
of the children of men.
Behold,
he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other
sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.
(Alma 48:17-18)
But in
these last days, when the devil is running amuck among mankind, most members
need “Come, Follow Me” or something like it to help them keep holding fast to the
iron rod, the word of God. The Lord knows this and has given His Church this
necessary crutch—even if the printed version has a flaw.
Interested
readers can read below the further quotations about Correlation and Curriculum,
some of which is older and obsolete, but which can still educate on the why and
how and what of Correlation in the Church. From what I have seen, there are
some folks who could really benefit from perusing this material:
Ezra Taft Benson:
Just
a word to you who work in the correlation review process. There is a principle
given in the scriptures that applies to what you do. The principle is that
"in the mouth of two and three witnesses shall every word be
established" (D&C 6:28 ).
I have seen that principle work time
and time again in the administrative councils of the Church. There is great
safety in witnesses. This is also true of the review of our lesson materials
and programs. It is through the eyes of two or three and many more that the
curricula and programs are prepared, reviewed, and approved; and because of
this process, we are, as a Church, more doctrinally sound and better correlated
than ever before in our history. With recent refinements, and your continual
cooperation, we will continue to improve. (Interdepartmental Meeting, Salt Lake
City, Utah, 7 September 1982; cited in Ezra Taft Benson, The Teachings of
Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 160.)
First Presidency Letterhead
To: All General
Authorities
Dear Brethren:
In the temple meeting on Thursday,
March 29, there was read a statement entitled “Routing Procedures for Materials
to be Correlated.”
Attached to this letter you will
find a copy of this document which should give you direction in implementing
these procedures.
Sincerely,
Harold B. Lee
N. Elder Tanner
M. G. Romney
The First Presidency
Routing Procedures for Materials to be
Correlated.
All materials intended to be used in
the programs, magazines, and curricula of the various organizations and
departments of the Church should be sent for correlation to Daniel H. Ludlow,
the Director of Instructional Materials.
Brother Ludlow will then assign these materials to one of the following
correlation secretaries and task committees:
1.
Adult
Curriculum Correlation Secretary and task committee
2.
Youth
Curriculum Correlation Secretary and task committee
3.
Child
Curriculum Correlation Secretary and task committee
The respective correlation
secretaries and their task committees will then read the materials and submit a
written report concerning each item to Brother Ludlow. These reports will be considered by all
correlation secretaries in a regular weekly meeting.
If no problems of correlation or
doctrine exist, the material will be processed and published. If a correlation or doctrinal problem is
found, the Correlation Secretary will try to resolve it with the originating organization. If they are not able to resolve the problem,
Brother Ludlow will refer it to Brother Fyans for consideration by him and his
associates in the Department of Internal Communications.
If the problem cannot be
satisfactorily resolved by Brother Fyans and his associates, it will be taken
for a solution to a committee of the Council of the Twelve consisting of Elder
Thomas S. Monson, Elder Boyd K. Packer, and Elder Marvin J. Ashton. The committee of the Council of the Twelve
may wish to take the matter to the full Council of the Twelve for their
consideration.
First Presidency Letterhead
To: General
Authorities and Heads of Church Departments and organizations
Dear Brethren and
Sisters:
The First Presidency has appointed a
Correlation Executive Committee in the Council of the Twelve and has organized
the Correlation Department of the Church to ensure more effective correlation
of all activities and programs of the various priesthood and auxiliary
organizations and Church departments without exception.
The Correlation Executive Committee
consists of Elder Mark E. Petersen as Chairman, with the following as members:
Elder Howard W. Hunter, Elder Thomas S. Monson, Elder Boyd K. Packer, and Elder
L. Tom Perry. The Presiding Bishop
(Bishop Victor L. Brown) will attend the meetings of this committee.
The Correlation Department has been
organized with Elder Neal A. Maxwell as Managing Director and with the
following three divisions: (1) Correlation Review, (2) Long-Range Planning, and
(3) Evaluation. This department has been
given the responsibility to review and evaluate all proposed activities,
programs, policies, procedures, practices, plans, terminology, and other
materials intended for use throughout the Church. Thus, all such proposed items prepared by
general Church departments and organizations should be sent to the Correlation
Department for evaluation. The
Correlation Department will not establish any policies whatsoever but will
ensure that the policies approved by the First Presidency and the Council of
the Twelve are consistently and uniformly applied.
Attached are two approved documents:
(1) the exact wording of the document approved in the temple meeting, and (2) a
statement outlining the “Routing of Materials Sent to the Correlation
Department.” We would greatly appreciate
it if you would read and carefully observe the procedures outlined in these
documents. [These documents were not
attached to this particular copy of the letter used by the compiler.]
The First Presidency and the Council
of the Twelve have placed the Coordinating Council under the direct supervision
of the Correlation Executive Committee.
Policy changes and other pertinent information will be communicated to
heads of all Church departments and organizations in regular meetings of the
Coordinating Council, and those to attend will be notified.
We feel this organization, which is
effective immediately, will assist us in helping the Church to become one as
our Master has counseled.
Sincerely yours,
Spencer W. Kimball
N. Eldon Tanner
M. G. Romney
The First Presidency
First Presidency Letterhead
To: General
Authorities and Heads of Church Departments and Organizations
Dear Brethren and
Sisters:
Responsibility for
Correlation Reviews
The Correlation Department has been
given responsibility to ensure more effective correlation of activities and
programs of the various priesthood and auxiliary organizations and church
departments.
This department is responsible to
review proposed activities, programs, handbooks, curricula, policies,
procedures, practices, plans, terminology, training and leadership materials,
and other materials intended for use throughout the Church for content,
doctrine, and correlation. Thus, such
proposed items prepared by general Church departments and organizations should
be submitted to the Correlation Department for review.
The Correlation Department is not an
origination nor implementing organization, but it will ensure that the policies
approved by the First Presidency and the Twelve are consistently and uniformly
applied.
Spencer W. Kimball
N. Eldon Tanner
M. R. Romney
The First Presidency
Requirements for Submitting Items to
Correlation Review
Explanation of the
Major Categories used by Correlation Review Committees.
1. CORRELATION in a broad sense
includes matters pertaining to (1) doctrine; (2) Church policies, procedures,
and practices, and (3) factual accuracy.
Thus, items listed in an evaluation report in this category include:
a. Doctrine of the
Church, consisting of (1) the teachings of the scriptures; (2) the clearly
defined interpretations placed on the scriptures by the prophets, seers,
revelators and [sic] this dispensation; and (3) the exact and appropriate
rendering of scriptural references.
b. Policies,
procedures, and practices of the Church, involving correctness of a
proposed statement as compared with the statement approved by the General
Authorities on such matters as policies, procedures, practices, organizational
structure, and the content of handbooks and guidelines.
c. Factual
accuracy, including such items as correctness of dates, names, places,
historical events, etc.
2. INTERPRETATION pertains to
problems in one of the following categories:
a. Items not clearly
defined nor determined by the General Authorities.
b. Items containing
assumptions, inferences, or implications relating to doctrine or to principles
of correlation.
c. Items which might
cause misunderstanding or confusion among different national, cultural, or
ethnic groups.
d. Items which might
contain material that might be questionable in such areas as (1)
appropriateness of content, graphic design or art, (2) length, (3) level of
audience, (4) method of presentation, and (5) cost of production.
The First Presidency
(Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark Jr., David O. McKay):
On
February 29, 1940 ,
the First Presidency drafted a letter to Franklin L. West, Church Commissioner
of Education, which said in part:
"As
forecast by President Clark, speaking for the First Presidency at Aspen Grove
on August 8, 1938 ,
the First Presidency has, after careful and mature deliberations, reached the
following conclusions.
"1. Institutes and Seminaries will
hereafter confine themselves exclusively to the following work.
"a. Fostering and promoting the
work of the auxiliary organizations of the Church….
"b. Teaching the principles of the
Gospel as set out in the doctrines of the Church.
In this work the teachers will use,—The
Old and New Testaments; The Book of Mormon; The Doctrine and Covenants; The
Pearl of Great Price.
"These
four constitute the 'Standard Works of the Church' and are the ultimate
authority on all matters of doctrine, save where the Lord shall have given or
shall give further revelation through the prescribed source for such, the
President of the Church.
"Teachers
will do well to give up indoctrinating themselves in the Sectarianisms of the
new Divinity School
"In
their teaching, the teachers will use verbiage and terminology which have
become classic in the Church….
"Furthermore,
teachers will not advance their own theories about the Gospel or Gospel
principles.
"Profane
history may be used when necessary and contributive, but when used it should be
obtained from reputable and recognized authorities, not from propaganda
sources….”
In
1944 the First Presidency appointed a Church Reading Committee and a Church
Publications Committee as indicated by the documents following. Their duties
are defined in the documents. Personnel of the committees are given at the head
of the documents. [Reference given below.]
Elders Joseph Fielding Smith, John A.
Widtsoe, Harold B. Lee, and Marion G. Romney.
Dear Brethren:
As
you are aware, the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve
approved, by a formal action, the setting up of a committee on Publications as
proposed by the First Presidency. You Brethren were named and approved to
constitute that Committee.
The
function of this Committee is to pass upon and approve all materials, other
than those that are purely secular, to be used by our Church Priesthood,
Educational, Auxiliary, and Missionary organizations in their work of
instructing members of the Church in the principles of the Gospel and in
leading others to a knowledge of the truth. No non-secular materials will be
used by any of these organizations that do not receive the approval of your
committee. This assignment will cover reference books prescribed or placed at
the disposal of our youth by any of the organizations named, as also books used
in reading courses.
To
meet the required standards for use by Church organizations, such materials
must:
1. Clearly set forth or be fully
consistent with the principles of the Restored Gospel.
2. Be wholly free from any taint of
sectarianism and also of all theories and conclusions destructive of faith in
the simple truths of the Restored Gospel, and especially be free from the
teachings of the so-called "higher criticism." Worldly knowledge and
speculation have their place; but they must yield to revealed truth.
3. Be so framed and written as
affirmatively to breed faith and not to raise doubts. "Rationalizing"
may be most destructive of faith. That the Finite cannot fully explain the
Infinite casts no doubt upon the Infinite. Truth, not error, must be stressed.
4. Be so built in form and substance as
to lead to definite conclusions that accord with the principles of the Restored
Gospel, which conclusions must be expressed and not left to possible deduction
by the students. When truth is involved there is no place for student
preference or choice. Youth must be taught that truth cannot be blinked or put
aside; it must be accepted.
5. Be filled with a spirit of deepest
reverence. They should give no place for the slightest levity. They should be
so written that those who teach from them will so understand.
6. Be so organized and written that the
matter may be effectively taught by men and women untrained in teaching and
without the background equipment given by such fields of learning as
psychology, pedagogy, philosophy, and ethics. The great bulk of our teachers
are in this untrained group.
Courses
on "comparative religion" have no place otherwise than in the
Post-Graduate School to be established at the Brigham Young University and
there only for the purpose of developing and demonstrating the truth of the
Restored Gospel and the falsity of the other religions of the world, and
thereby build the faith and knowledge of post-graduate scholars. The subject is
one for careful, prayerful study by the mature mind, not for the framing of the
thought and belief of the youthful mind.
The
work of all these Church organizations must have as their purpose the building
up of firm testimonies in the minds and hearts of the Saints, particularly of
the youth,—testimonies of the truth of the Restored Gospel, of the Messiahship
of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, of the divine origin of this Church established by God and His Son by
and through the Prophet, and of the fact that this is and always will be the
Church of Jesus Christ with all that this connotes,—all to the end that the
Saints may have and enjoy these testimonies, that they may live in keeping with
the commandments of the Lord, that they may constantly increase their knowledge
of the Truth, thus enabling them so to live that salvation, exaltation, and
eternal happiness in the Celestial Kingdom may come to them, and lastly that
they in turn may lead others of the world to a knowledge and testimony of the
Truth both by their precept and by their example, so bringing to them these
same blessings.
No
assignments for the preparation of text books or lessons for use by any of the
named organizations shall be made without prior consultation with and approval
by your Committee. All texts written and lessons prepared are to bear the name
of those who write or prepare them. All such materials must have your approval
before they are used by any of the organizations of the Church.
In
the preparation of all these materials prime consideration should be given, by
those undertaking it, to our own Church history and doctrinal literature. In
the rather recent past these sources have been too little considered. Sectarian
views and doctrines have had too large a place and consideration; the
paganistic theories and tenets of the so-called “higher criticism” have not
been without their influence; none of these have a place in our Church. They
should be wholly eliminated from our literature.
The
leaders of the Church have from the beginning been men of stalwart spiritual
integrity, righteous in their living, virile in their thinking, profound in
their knowledge of the Gospel, and with undoubting faith. They have left
sermons and writings which in good part are original sources and should be so
dealt with. In recent years they have been too little consulted and too
infrequently used. Not mere sectarian scholarship, but Church scholarship
coupled with unwavering faith and a deep knowledge of the Gospel should be the
test of fitness for the preparation of the materials involved in this
assignment. As we have already said: worldly knowledge has its place, but it
may not be substituted for revealed truth, nor the inspired utterance of God's
prophets. Ethics and philosophy are found in the Gospel, but it is far more
than these; whenever either or both of these are used, they must be used with
great care and caution, and for the sole purpose of indicating that human
wisdom, when sound, supports the divine Gospel truths. All secular knowledge
used should be so set forth as to support the Gospel truths.
The
discussion of mysteries and of doctrines upon which there is not a recognized
accepted view, should be avoided. The aim should be to present the simple
truths of the Restored Gospel in as plain and understandable a way as possible.
Care should be taken that the Gospel teachings are not cast in an ethical mold.
Ethics are man made and vary with man's concepts and development; the Gospel is
God's truth and is unchanging through the eternities. Teaching the Gospel as if
it were an ethical code will breed questions in the minds of the youth as to
the relationship of the Gospel to ethics, to the possible destruction of faith
in the divinity of the Gospel.
We
are naming a Reading Committee to assist you brethren in your labors. This
Committee will operate under your direction. It is contemplated that the
Reading Committee will, in the first instance, read all the materials covered
by this assignment and then bring to you Brethren of the Committee on Publications
their recommendations thereon. It will be the duty and responsibility of your
Committee finally to pass upon and approve or disapprove all such materials….
In
making this assignment to you Brethren of the Committee on Publications and of
the Reading Committee, we wish to assure you that in our view the work you are
now called to do is of the very first importance to the Church membership as a
whole, and to the youth of the Church particularly. The assignment is given
with the intention that no other Church work shall take precedence over it,
that you will begin your labors at once, and will prosecute them with vigor and
constancy, having an eye single to the glory of God and to the upbuilding of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on this earth, and to the
salvation and exaltation of God's children in the Celestial Kingdom.
Praying
that the blessings of the Lord may attend you in the carrying on of this
important work to which you have been called, and that constantly His spirit
will be with you to inspire your minds and give you wisdom in your labors, we
are Faithfully your brethren,
HEBER J. GRANT, J. REUBEN CLARK, JR.,
DAVID O. MCKAY, First Presidency. [See
following for source.]
Dear Brethren:
The
Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve unanimously decided,
by formal action, at a recent meeting, to set up a Committee on Publications
for the Church. The function of that Committee is to pass upon and approve all
materials, other than those that are purely secular, to be used by our Church
Priesthood, Educational, Auxiliary, and Missionary organizations in their work
of instructing members of the Church in the principles of the Gospel and in
leading others to a knowledge of the Truth. No non-secular materials will be
used by any of these organizations that do not receive the approval of that
Committee. This assignment will cover reference books prescribed or placed at
the disposal of our youth by any of the organizations named, as also books used
in reading courses.
The
Committee on Publications is made up of the following Brethren:
Elders Joseph Fielding Smith, John A.
Widtsoe, Harold B. Lee, and Marion G. Romney.
At
the same meeting the Council approved the setting up of a Reading Committee to
assist the Committee on Publications in its work….
Faithfully your brethren,
HEBER J. GRANT, J. REUBEN CLARK, JR.,
DAVID O. MCKAY, First Presidency.
(James R. Clark,
comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75], 6:208-15.)
Encyclopedia of Mormonism:
The Church provides a standard set
of curricular materials to all of its units throughout the world. Some matters of basic curriculum had been
formatted and distributed to the Church membership since the early days of the
Church but as the auxiliary organizations were formed, such as the Sunday
School, Primary, Relief Society, and the Young Men and Young Women, each
developed its own curriculum to help teach members. Eventually it became desirable to coordinate
curriculum materials among these auxiliary organizations to avoid undesirable
duplication and to insure the coverage of important topics at all age levels….
The gospel of Jesus Christ, as
expounded in the scriptures and supplemented and interpreted by living
prophets, forms the basis of LDS curriculum….
In 1961, Elder Harold B. Lee, then
of the Quorum of the Twelve, described the objective of the Church curriculum
as “building up a knowledge of the gospel, a power to promulgate the same, a
promotion of the growth, faith, and stronger testimony of the principles of the
gospel” (Lee, p. 79). He also announced
a new emphasis on correlation, citing a need for better coordination among the
courses of study and for a reduction in new courses of study each year. The outcome of this charge was an all-Church
coordinating council, three coordinating committees (one each for children,
youth, and adults), and an extensive curricular planning guide.
In 1972, the Church formed the
Internal Communications Department and gave it the responsibility for
curriculum planning and writing. All the
curricular materials were examined, and from that assessment developed
Curriculum Planning Charts. The purposes
of the charts were two fold: to measure existing materials, and from the
measurement to plan a well-balanced future offering. The actions resulted in the formation of an
Instructional Development Department and the establishment of numerous writing
committees, whose responsibility is to plan lesson content and methodology for
courses in all age groups within the priesthood and auxiliary
organizations. Once again, the primary
curricular resources are the scriptures, supplemented by quotations from modern
prophets. (Wayne B. Lynn, “Curriculum,” Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. [New
York and Toronto: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992], 1:347-48, 351.)
Carlos E. Asay:
Church curriculum is not a “hit or
miss” proposition, nor something that has simply evolved. It has been carefully designed.…
It is in the family setting and the
home that members receive their basic gospel training. This training includes reading the
scriptures, praying, holding family home evenings, serving one another in a
spirit of love and unity, and doing all else that lays the foundation of
Christian living.
Many resources have been made
available by the Church to assist families in this home training. These resources include the LDS editions of
the scriptures, the Family Home Evening
Resource Book, the Church magazines, and many other aids….
The scriptures of the Church
constitute the heart and core of the curriculum. Simplified scripture stories
are used with the very smallest children to help them understand who they are
and how they relate to our Heavenly Father, to the Savior, and to their parents
and family. Later, as the children
prepare for baptism, they are exposed to the first principles and ordinances of
the gospel through the use of the scriptural accounts.
When youth enter the Aaronic
Priesthood or Young Women program, they receive further understanding of the
gospel and are introduced to additional scripture study aids. These study aids
are used as the young men and women probe deeper into the scriptures and seek
to develop testimonies. The adult
curriculum is based upon a systematic, four-year study of the standard works
supplemented by the inspired utterances of modern prophets. One year the Old Testament is studied; the
next year the New Testament is featured; the third year, focus is turned to the
Book of Mormon; and year four centers upon the Doctrine and Covenants and
Church history. In fact, the standard
works have replaced all other materials as the basic texts in the adult
curriculum of the Church. (“‘For the Perfecting of the Saints’: A Look at
Church Curriculum,” Ensign, January
1986, 14-15 [at this time, Elder Asay was
Executive Director of the Church Curriculum Department].)
Carlos E. Asay:
The curriculum of the Church is
correlated. Careful and prayerful
plotting of gospel principles with the use of planning charts and computers has
enabled Church workers to correlate the Church curriculum….
Weekly Sunday School lessons for the
adults in the Gospel Doctrine class provide a systematic study of the
scriptures in their historical setting.
This broadens our in-depth study of the scriptures by helping us
understand the context in which they were written. Simultaneously, priesthood and Relief Society
offer a more extensive study and personal application of the doctrines taught
in the scriptures. One series of lessons
support the other, and together they constitute a well rounded program of
searching, understanding, and applying the scriptures. (“‘For the Perfecting of
the Saints’: A Look at Church Curriculum,” Ensign,
January 1986, 17 [at this time, Elder
Asay was Executive Director of the Church Curriculum Department].)
Carlos E. Asay:
The “Church magazines are essential
tools in our gospel teaching program.” (First Presidency Letter, Oct. 2,
1972.) This fundamental curriculum principle
has been in place for some years and grows in importance as the Church expands
throughout the world.
Church publications (the Ensign, the
New Era, the Friend, and the International Magazines) are referred to as the
voices of the Church and the official line of communication from the First
Presidency and the Council of the Twelve to the members of the Church. Each month a First Presidency message appears
in the Ensign. Home teachers are
expected to discuss this article with all assigned families. Quite obviously, the curriculum would become
stagnant and lose its relevance if we failed to hear the voices of living
prophets.
One of the most significant of all
Church publications is the conference edition of the Ensign magazine. This important issue carries the current
written messages of the Brethren conveying the mind and will of the Lord. Included with each conference issue is a
chart suggesting how these addresses might be used to enrich courses of study
currently in use by the various organizations.
(“‘For the Perfecting of the Saints’: A Look at Church Curriculum,” Ensign, January 1986, 17-18 [at this time, Elder Asay was Executive
Director of the Church Curriculum Department].)
Dean L. Larsen:
I Have A Question: Questions of
general gospel interest answered for guidance, not as official statements of
Church policy.
Question: Should that which is
written in Church publications and lesson manuals be taken as official
doctrine?
Church publications fall into four
general categories: (1) materials related to the curriculum, such as lesson
manuals, teachers; supplements, and student materials; (2) magazines; (3)
administrative documents, such as handbooks, leadership training materials,
organizational guidelines and bulletins, etc.; and (4) missionary discussions,
tracts, and support materials. All of
the materials within these four categories are prepared under the direction of
some officially recognized Church agency, and they are reviewed and cleared by
the Church Correlation Review committees before they are published and issued
to the Church.
A wide range of hardbound books,
pamphlets, and other printed materials is constantly being printed and placed
on the market by independent publishing companies. Many of these materials deal with religious
matters. Some are written by Church
members, including General Authorities.
Publications that fall into this category are not generally authorized
by the Church. The authors, compilers,
and publishers assume full responsibility for the content and do not seek or
receive official Church endorsement.
Over the years a careful selection
of these hardbound, independently published books has been made and approved by
the First Presidency and the Twelve for placement in Church meetinghouse
libraries. They are to serve as approved
resource materials for priesthood leaders, teachers, and the general
membership. Any additions to this
“authorized list” of hardbound books must be approved by the First Presidency
and the Twelve. The number of books on this
list is small. They can be identified by
meetinghouse librarians.
While the content of the approved Church publications identified
above does not claim the same endorsement that the standard works receive,
nonetheless they are prepared with great care and are carefully screened before
they are published. Writers of
curriculum materials must be cleared by the First Presidency and the Council of
the Twelve. Their product is reviewed
closely by the heads of the organizations that are responsible for their
implementation. Correlation Review
committees check carefully for doctrinal accuracy and for harmony with
established Church policies and procedures.
The General Handbook of Instructions is not only reviewed by
Correlation, but also receives a close auditing from each individual member of
the First Presidency and the Twelve.
Church magazines draw their content
from a wide range of authors and contributors, in addition to those who serve
as professional staff members. Those
items that are published in the magazines receive not only the scrutiny and
judgment of the editing staffs, but are also subject to clearance by the
Correlation Review committees. Committee
members are called as a result of their expertise in such areas as Church
doctrine, Church history, and Church administration, and serve three different
age groups: adult, youth, and children.
Much care is exercised to make
certain that the official publications of the Church carry messages that are
sound in doctrine and fully in harmony with currently approved policies and
procedures. A constant effort is
maintained to upgrade and correct the content of these materials so that they
can merit the confidence and approval of Church leaders and the general membership.
(“I Have a Question.” Ensign, August
1977, 38 [at this time Elder Larsen was a
member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and Managing Director of Curriculum
Resources].)
Some older
examples of the type of doctrinal evaluation performed:
Harold B. Lee:
Some years ago I served the Publications
Committee, charged with the responsibility of reading all manuscripts proposed
for study by the various organizations of the Church. We had a committee from one of the general
boards who were preparing a set of lessons for study in one of the classes, and
it was supposed to be an interpretation of the teachings of the Savior. When it came to us for a reading, we were
amazed to find that the interpretations followed the sectarian interpretation,
rather than that in the Book of Mormon and in the Doctrine and Covenants, in
which in some instances there were actual revelations interpreting some of
these things not in harmony with the sectarian belief. Well, it was clearly an evidence that these
brethren who had studied had forgotten that we have this perfect model by which
their teachings could have been measured, and they would not have fallen into
the pitfall that some of our teachers allow themselves to fall when they have
what I shall call, shall I say, religious education without true gospel knowledge. Now, we need a model. False doctrines shall arise. The Lord said that was one of the signs of
His second coming. False prophets will
show great signs and wonders. If it were
possible, he said, they shall deceive the very elect, and then the inspired
translation adds this significant clause, “who are the elect according to the
covenant.” Now, that means members of
this Church are in danger of being deceived.
How important it is then! Just
like I tell you, this group of fine men were deceived because they hadn’t
followed the model. Just so, we as
teachers can be led into the same trap if we do not have the understanding and
knowledge necessary to save us. (“The Place of the Church,” Address to Seminary
and Institute Faculty, Brigham
Young University June 24, 1960 ,
10.)
Bruce R. McConkie:
Pursuant to your request I have read
the Sunday School lesson…and have the following comments:
Throughout these lessons the
expression “Heavenly Father” is frequently used when it would be far more appropriate
and accurate to refer to the Deity involved simply as “the Lord.”
Lesson [ _ ] sets out to show that
we should have faith in our Heavenly Father the creator of the world. Wouldn’t it be better to follow the Articles
of Faith and teach that we are to have faith in Christ and as Brigham Young
expresses it “through him in the Father” and also teach that Christ is the
Creator.
Page [ _ ] speaks of the Father
telling Abraham certain things. Actually
Christ is the Deity here involved.
Page [ _ ] It is not quite accurate
to say that Adam and Eve were happy in the Garden of Eden. See 2 Nephi 2:22-25….
Page [ _ ] This page shows the
extreme to which these lessons go in attributing everything to the Father. It even says that the “Heavenly Father told
Joseph that none of them was the true church.”
Also it would be better to say that Joseph and Oliver had the power to
baptize people for repentance after the visit of John since nearly a year was
to elapse before there was a Church.
Page [ _ ] I doubt very much if
Joseph and Oliver baptized each other using the same words that thereafter were
revealed for use in the baptismal service.
In any event no one has any way of knowing what words were used….
Page [ _ ] I think the statement
that the Holy Ghost is a member of the Father’s family should be deleted. Who knows whether this is true or not?
Page [ _ ] The reference here to the
appearance of the Spirit of the Lord to Nephi and identifying such spirit as
the Holy Ghost is at least controversial if not highly questionable. Some of the Brethren have taught that is was
the Holy Ghost, others have categorically denied this. Why not skip the matter entirely?
Lesson [ _ ] It would be very
profitable to insert in this lesson an explanation of the difference between
the Holy Ghost and the Gift of the Holy Ghost and also an outline of what it
means to work by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Some of Joseph Smith’s statements could be used and also those of
President Joseph F. Smith in Gospel Doctrine.
Lesson [ _ ] Why not add in this
lesson that the miracles such as the crossing of the Red
Sea took place because of faith resident in men who held the
priesthood. It was not just
priesthood. Faith is the power
involved….
Lesson [ _ ] This lesson does not
clearly set out whose plan was involved in pre-existence. It should show that the plan of salvation was
ordained and created by the Father; that he presented it to the hosts of his
spirit children; that he called for volunteers so that a redeemer might be
chosen who would operate according to the terms of the Father’s plan; that he
received two offers—one from Christ and one from Lucifer; that Lucifer wanted
to modify the plan of the Father and deny men their agency. Properly speaking there were not two plans;
Christ did not offer one and Lucifer another.
Christ offered to follow the Father’s plan and do his will. They did not talk over the matter in
pre-existence and give forth their ideas and suggestions as is found on page [
_ ]. The ideas of the plan itself originated
with the Father; it was Christ’s plan only in the sense that he adopted what
the Father had announced.
Page [ _ ] Repentance calls for
people to do more than try to do better….
Page [ _ ] speaks of the Father
telling Solomon something when in fact it was Christ doing it….
Page [ _ ] I do not believe the
statement that the fire which surrounded the Nephite children was just a
heavenly light. Why not delete this?
Page [ _ ] It has never occurred to
me that the Indians thought the Great Spirit was Jesus; I always assumed they
thought it was the Father. The Great
White God they did think apparently was Christ.
What is meant by “the Great White Spirit” I do not know.
Page [ _ ] It may be inaccurate to
say that it was at the time of the grand council in heaven that we learned that
an earth was to be created etc. It well
could be that we were taught this ages before the formal council.
Pages [ _ ] These pages contain a
mythical story about someone named Mark and his dealings with Jesus. It seems to me wholly inappropriate to create
mythical stories of people who had contact with the Lord. Children will not be able to distinguish
between the myth and the fact. Why not
delete the story?...
Lesson [ _ ] This lesson on the salt
of the earth is not nearly as good as it might be. Why not write it from the standpoint of the
revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants which teach that those who are the
salt of the earth are the faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ
Page [ _ ] A story is here recited,
presumably a true one, of the Prophet anointing the throat of an ill person
with consecrated oil. Since this is
contrary to the [current] counsel and practice [of the Church] and since it leaves
the impression that it is proper to anoint afflicted parts of the body with
consecrated oil, perhaps this illustration should be deleted.
Page [ _ ] Reference is here made to
three wise men. This is a sectarian
tradition. The Bible account does not tell how many wise men there were. Signed, Bruce R. McConkie.
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