THIRD GRADE.

CHURCH HISTORY.

LESSON I.

Chapter 1. Young Folk's History of the Church.

"The events which make up the history of the Church in this age are the most important that history can chronicle."-President Joseph F. Smith.

The children of the Latter-day Saints should study the history of the Church, so as to become familiar with its wonderful growth, its periods of sufferings and persecutions as well as brighter days; learn to know, to honor and love the men and women who were the pioneers, the martyrs and the founders of our faith.

We do not feel that any excuse is necessary, in asking the teachers in this grade to take up again the history of the Church. It is not possible that your children have received all that may be obtained from a study of the rise and progress of the most wonderful people in the world.

However, we do not expect you to do the work in the same way as heretofore, we hope by changing the plan of the lessons to add so much to their interest, that teachers and children will find this study the most interesting of all.

We desire that every child in this grade be supplied with a copy of "A Young Folks' History of the Church." They can be obtained from this office for 25c per copy.

Each child should read carefully, at home, the chapter for the lesson and at the meeting the first part of the lesson will consist of a review of the chapter and a short discussion of its topics or main points.

The teacher will read up all that can be found upon the subject and relate the interesting parts to the children. For reference we suggest that every association purchase a copy of the new History of the Church, published by the Church. For other reading, last year's Improvement Era, Cannon's Life of Joseph Smith, Whitney's History of Utah, and Jenson's Historical Record.

We shall add for supplementary work short sketches of the lives of famous men and women of the Church. These sketches will of necessity be short, but they will give opportunity for the teacher

to add and enlarge upon them as time and circumstances will permit.

We would also suggest that a short review of the previous lesson and sketch be given at the beginning of the lesson.

LUCY SMITH.

The Mother of the Prophet.

It is one of our most beautiful and suggestive proverbs that "great men have great mothers." It is, therefore, proper that we should tell something of the mother of the Prophet and Seer, JoSmith.

Lucy Mack was born July 8, 1776, at Gilsum, Cheshire county, New Hampshire. When she was nineteen years old she met and married Joseph Smith, the father of the Prophet.

Soon after the marriage, as the young couple were about to start on a visit to the wife's parents, Lucy re

This

ceived from her brother, Stephen Mack, and John Mudget, his partner in business, a marriage present of $1,000. money was carefully saved and later when trouble came upon the family it came into good use. Mrs. Smith was a woman of great faith in the Lord, was talented and virtuous, very industrious and careful. When the family were in need, through sickness and loss in their business, Mrs. Smith painted oil cloth coverings for tables; this work was so good that in two years' time they were again prosperously situated.

Her life was not a bright one, for she was called to pass through great sorrow and sickness in her family, most of her children and her husband passing into the great beyond before her.

Mrs. Smith was a loving wife and mother and we can imagine perhaps a little, of what she must have suffered when she was compelled to see and know the persecutions which were heaped upon her family because her son had received a revelation from God.

At one time when Joseph and Hyrum were being taken by a mob to Richmond, the heart-stricken mother pressed through the

crowd to the wagon containing her sons, exclaiming: "I am the mother of the Prophet; is there not a gentleman here, who will assist me to that wagon, that I may take a last look at my children, and speak to them once more before I die?" With her daughter Lucy, she gained the wagon, and grasped Joseph's hand, which was thrust between the cover and the wagon bed, but he did not speak to her until she said: "Joseph, do speak to your poor mother once more, I cannot bear to go till I hear your voice." At this he sobbed out: "God bless you, mother."

Mourning and sorrow filled the mother's heart, "but," said she, "in the midst of it I found consolation that surpassed all earthly comfort. I was filled with the Spirit of God." God could comfort her, for was she not the mother of a Prophet!

In common with the rest of the Saints this good woman passed through all the hardships and privations which the Saints suffered in Missouri and Illinois. Many of the sick owed the preservation of their lives to her motherly care, attention and skill, in nursing them. The extent of her work can only be appreciated by those who were called to pass through the dreadful scenes of sickness and distress which followed the expulsion from Missouri.

In June, 1844, she was called to suffer the most awful grief for the assassination of her sons, Joseph and Hyrum. When she was permitted to see their bodies, her sorrow knew no bounds. She remembered all they had suffered and endured, the innocence and sympathy which had filled their hearts. As she looked upon their peaceful, smiling faces, she seemed to hear them say, "Mother,weep not for us, we have overcome the world by love; we carried to them the Gospel, that their souls might be saved; they slew us for our testimony, and thus placed us beyond their power; their ascendency is for a moment, ours is an eternal triumph."

After the death of her children, Lucy Smith lived in Nauvoo, Ill.. until her death, which occurred May 5, 1855.

Memory Gem.

"A perfect woman, nobly plann'd,

To warn, to comfort, and command.”

LESSON II.

JOSEPH SMITH, SENIOR.

The Father of the Prophet.

Chapter 2, Young Folks' History of the Church.

Joseph Smith, Senior, was one of the eight witnesses who bore testimony that they had seen the plates of the Book of Mormou.

He was the first person who received his son Joseph's message that he had seen an angel, and he exhorted Joseph to be faithful and diligent to the word which he had received. He was also the first presiding Patriarch of the Church.

In 1796 he was married to Lucy Mack, and they had ten children.

At the time of his marriage he owned a handsome farm in Tunbridge. In 1802 he rented it and went into business, owing to wicked men he failed in his enterprise and was compelled to sell his farm to pay his debts. He then took up some land in Palmyra, New York, and after clearing two hundred acres, he lost it because he was unable to pay the last payment when it was due.

After that the family moved to Manchester, New York, where they made them a comfortable home, and here they stayed until they joined with the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio.

In December, 1833, he was ordained a Patriarch. He traveled a great deal for the Church and bore many testimonies and performed the ordinance of baptism for many people.

He was imprisoned for the Gospel's sake in Kirtland and shared in the sufferings and persecutions of his people.

During the eventful life of his sons Joseph and Hyrum, he was ever their true friend, wise counselor and loving father. When the shafts of persecution were hurled with cruel force at his beloved sons, he, too, bared his breast to the poisoned darts of bigotry, begotten of the adversary, and suffered in common with them! His life's attitude toward the unpopular cause that his son, the Prophet, represented, even in its tender beginning, is evidence to the careful observer that he possessed deep down in his heart, the God-given assurance that it was of God. This testimony remained with him from the time of that beautiful dav in early spring time, when his 14-year-old Joseph told him of what he had seen in answer to his prayer, until the day of his death.

Joseph Smith, Senior,was a very large man, six feet two inches tall, was very straight, and remarkably well proportioned. His ordinary weight was about two hundred pounds, and he was very strong and active. In his young days he was famed as a wrestler, and, Jacob like, he never wrestled with but one man whom he could not throw. He was one of the most benevolent of men, opening his house to all who were destitute.

The Prophet's father had many strange and wonderful dreams and visions, probably to prepare him for the wonderful work which should be performed through his son Joseph.

He died Sept. 14, 1840.

Memory Gem.

"A wise son heareth his father's instruction."

LESSON III.

EMMA SMITH.

The Wife of the Prophet.

Chapter 3, Young Folks' History of the Church.

born

Emma Smith was July 10th, 1804, in Harmony, Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Isaac Hale and became acquainted with Joseph Smith in 1827, while he was employed by Mr. Josiah Stoal (of Chenango county, New York), in Harmony, Penn. On the 18th of January, 1827, they were married. Owing to the Prophet Joseph's claim that he had seen an angel, Emma's family were much opposed to the marriage, so they had to go away from the bride's home to have the ceremony performed.

After this she

Emma accepted the Gospel as it had been revealed through her husband, and was baptized by Oliver Cowdery. shared with her husband his joys and sorrows, and, together with him, passed through the persecutions of New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois.

In a revelation given through Joseph Smith, she was called "an elect lady" and commanded to expound Scriptures, and to exhort the Church."

When the first Relief Society was organized in Nauvoo, Ill., she was chosen to act as its first president-a position which she filled with marked distinction as long as the society continued to hold meetings in that city.

Lucy Smith, the mother of the Prophet, bears testimony to the faithful manner in which Emma helped and assisted her husband. A revelation was given to the Prophet appointing a nunber of the brethren to go on missions. As soon as this revelation was received, Emma Smith, and several other sisters, began to make arrangements to furnish those who were set apart for this mission, with the necessary clothing, which was no easy task, as the most of it had to be manufactured out of the raw material.