Quite a while ago, we took a look at the idea of Mormon Catechisms, those questions and answers that Sunday School children were sometimes expected to memorize and recite, whether or not they really understood what they were parroting.
The earliest catechism I have seen is one published in 1848, “for the children of the Latter-day Saints school.” This could only have been directed to British Latter-day Saints, who enjoyed Sunday Schools at least since 1844; Sunday School wouldn’t be introduced to Utah until 1849.
There are more early catechisms, to be posted later.
Questions and Answers for the Children of the Latter-day Saints’ School
Ques. What Sunday school do you attend? – Ans. The Latter-day Saints’.
Why are they called Saints?– It is the name by which the people of God were known in all ages of the world (meaning all the holy persons).
Is the name of the Saints mentioned in the Bible? – Yes, above ninety times.
Can you refer me to any place in Scripture where the name of Saint is mentioned? – Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied that Jesus should come with ten thousand of his Saints; also, Jude, v, 14; Daniel, c. 33, v. 3; Psalm 50, v. 5; Daniel, c. 7, v. 21, 22, 27; Revelation, c. 5, v. 8.
Why are they called Latter-day Saints? – Because these are the latter days.
When was the church of Jesus Christ formed, or organized?– On the sixth day of April, 1830.
Who was the first elder? – Joseph Smith.
Who was Joseph Smith?– A man called of God to be a prophet.
How did God call him? – By present revelation, and the ministration of a holy angel.
What is a prophet? – A man whom God sends to do his work on the earth.
You said Joseph Smith was called by present revelation? – Yes.
What do you mean by revelation? – It means the communication of God’s will to man.
How does God do this? – Sometimes in an audible voice; like as God spoke to Adam, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and many others.
Is there no other way? – Yes, by the ministration of angels; namely, to Lot, to Mary and Elizabeth, and also to Peter, Paul, and John.
Do you read of any other means of communication? – Yes, Job tells us that God speaks to man in dreams and visions of the night. See c. 33, v. 14, 16.
Can you refer me to any one to whom God spoke in this manner? – To Joseph in Canaan, to Jacob his father, to Daniel, and Joseph the father of Jesus, Peter and John the revelator; we likewise read of the Urim and Thummim.
Where was the church of Latter-day Saints first organized? – In North America.
What is a church? – The church of Jesus Christ is the kingdom of God.
What does it require to constitute a kingdom? – Four things: 1st, a king; 2nd, a code of laws; 3rd, officers, or men having authority to execute the laws; 4th, subjects or citizens to be governed by those laws.
Who is the king? – Jesus Christ.
What are the laws? – The revelations given by God to man, from time to time.
Who are the officers? – Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. See Eph., c. 4, v. 11; Cor., c. 12, v. 28.
Who are the subjects of this kingdom?– All who obey the gospel.
What is the gospel? – That message God sends to any nation or people.
Is not the gospel sometimes called glad tidings? – Yes, because it is the power of God unto salvation.
What is required of them who wish to become subjects of this kingdom?– To believe in Jesus Christ, to repent and forsake their sins, and be baptized by immersion for the remission of their sins, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, to receive the Sacrament, to believe in the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
How do you prove that these are the requirements of the gospel? – From the fact that these were the doctrines that Jesus taught, and his apostles preached.
Is there any other proof? – Yes, it has been revealed from heaven in these last days, as the plan of salvation.
How do you prove that Jesus and his apostles taught and preached those principles? – I prove it from the Bible.
Can you refer me to any Scripture to prove this? – The following passages prove that all men must believe in Jesus Christ: John, c. 3, v. 18, 23, 36; and I find the following prove that all men must repent: Luke, c. 13, v. 3; c. 26, v. 47; Acts, c. 17, v. 30; Acts, c. 11, v. 38; and baptism, spoken of about forty-eight times – I will refer you to a few: Matt., c. 3, v. 13, 17; Matt., c. 28, v. 18, 19; Luke, c. 3, v. 21, 22; Mark, c. 16, v. 15; John, c. 3, v. 5.
Can you prove that baptism is for the remission of sins? – Yes; Mark, c. 1, v. 3; Acts, c. 11, v. 37, 40; Acts, c. 22, v. 16.
Prove to me that baptism is by immersion. – Rom., c. 6, v. 4; Col. c. 2, 4, 11; Matt., c. 3, v. 13, 17; John, c. 3, v. 5.
How do you prove that the laying on of hands was for the gift of the Holy Ghost? – From Acts, c. 8, v. 17; Acts, c. 19, v.1, 6; Heb., c. 6, v. 2; Daniel, c. 34, v. 9.
What is to follow the laying on of hands?– The gifts of the spirit, as we read of them in Mark, c. 16, v. 17, 18; Acts, c. 19, v. 1, 6; Rom., c. 2, v. 65, 8; Cor., c. 12, 13, 14.
How are the sick healed? – By the laying on of hands, and anointing of oil.
Can you prove this? – Yes, Mark, c. 6, v. 13; Mark, c. 16, v. 18; James, c. 5, v. 30.
Who are to do these things? – Those who have authority from God, being called by revelation.
That’s way worse than having to memorise the missionary discussions!
I think so too! This is one blast from the past I’m advocating being revived!
Extreme proof-texting. However, at least they were teaching the principals from the canonized scriptures instead of from GA sermons and speeches.
This is pretty intense. Ardis I went back reread the post you linked to, which was really great. It caught my eye in that post that you mentioned the “Question and Answer Cards” for Sunday School. I’ve seen references to these around, but only fleeting. Do you know anything about them? or how they were used? I realize that this is a bit of a threadjack.
J., there are columns of questions and answers, in the style of a catechism, in the Juvenile Instructor in the ’70s and ’80s, usually grouped in themes from the Bible or Book of Mormon or Church History. I haven’t ever compiled them because they’re kind of tedious, like the catechism here.
I think, don’t know absolutely, but think, that the Cannon printing plant must have reprinted those columns, perhaps on cardstock, and packaged them for sale in themed sets. It would have been easy for them to do that, after all, by saving and reusing the type set for the magazine. The Cannon ads and catalogs list sets of those cards for sale. They also offered sets of music cards, which I think were also reprints of music that had appeared in the magazine.
I’ve never seen them in card form, but think that’s what was meant here.