155 years ago today - Jan 31, 1859

... President Young spoke upon the subjet of [Deseret] Alphabet. ... I would put books into the hands of Children in this Territory printed in the Deseret Alphabet. I dont want many Books to learn Children.... . I do not believe in putting Books into the hands of Little Children to pour over & make them sit on a hard Bench untill they ake all over. If I was a Teacher I would make them rise up & march around the house and I would try to interest their minds so they would delight to learn.

But many persons who have learning sufficient to teach a school yet they are not fit to teach Children. As soon as a Child does sumthing that does not pleas the teacher He begins to pound the child with a ruler over the Head & back or slaps him in the side of the Head with his hand. This is not the way to treat Children.

You put a work into the hands of a Jerman Frenchman Dane or Sweed or any other Nation printed in the Deseret Alphabet & in a little time they will all read and spell alike much sooner than they Could learn a new language. Several of the brethren spoke. D. H. Wells said that he was satisfied that the Lord had inspired the mind of President Young in this matter.

[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

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