Dyer, Alvin R.

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• ⋮Actions for “Counselor in the First Presidency (5)”

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  Counselor in the First Presidency Question: How might the role of the educator fit into the Church program as the time is approached when the saints will live the law of consecration? Answer: I think this is a very good question. Those who go to the temple now enter into a covenant to live the law of consecration, which concerns their time and talents. While this law is not completely placed upon us at the present time, the time will come when those chosen will be called upon to do so, as we come closer to the redemption of Zion, wherein we will be called upon to give of our time and talents for the building up of the kingdom of God. This will, of course, apply to the educator the same as the farmer, the doctor, and the industrialist. He will have a place as a part of the cross section of the type of society that will be established. For instance, the first city of Zion which will be established as a pattern will thereafter affect all of the cities of Zion that will come under that same pattern. This concept might raise some additional questions in your minds. Question: Will there be a formal education system under the law of consecration and what might it be like? How would one envision or describe it? Answer: In this regard I suppose many have heard me talk about the city of the New Jerusalem and its temple complex composed of 24 temples—buildings which will house various orders of the priesthood. This complex will no doubt be erected to serve administrative purposes in the governing of the earth during the period of the millennium. It is to be noted that in the Plat Plan that was submitted by Oliver Cowdery and Frederick G. Williams under the direction of the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning the city of Zion there were no separate school buildings. This means, and it is suggested too by other writings, that the schools will be in the temples. There are no separate places of worship either, so the temple becomes the house of worship, the school, and the temple. This is the facility through which the teacher will function in teaching the principles of the gospel and also such things as will need to be taught during the period of the millennium. Now there will be a vast broadcasting system. Three of the temples have been noted to be the media through which the laws will go forth unto all quarters of the earth. Undoubtedly there will be many principles and laws of the millennial reign that will be broadcast to people all over the earth that they may conform to the same things that are being conformed to in this city. So three of these buildings will be dedicated to an order of priesthood that will broadcast unto the world so that all people will hear the voice at the same time. This will be a marvelous method of teaching. There’s the initial thought on these three questions. Question: Since the temple is going to be used for both a school and a worship center and other places of education are apparently not envisioned in this plan, is it likely that in the city of Zion a good deal of the teaching will be done right in the home as some modern educators are now suggesting? Will there be a teaching function over some instruments that could tune into these broadcast centers? Will the home become a place where the child will learn? Some educators even now are beginning to say the school as a building is really becoming outmoded, and we are going to be able to let the child learn most of what he needs to know right at home. What are your thoughts on these concepts? Answer: I think that during the millennium we will evolve to that situation. I think that by the end of the millennium, for those who will occupy the celestial kingdom, the home will be the only media of teaching children. Teaching will be through the family. You may note that Jeremiah said that the time will come when no man will teach his neighbor. To me this means the teachings will come fundamentally through the unit of the family. But I think there will be central places where instruction will go forth, directed to the family level. Thus there will no doubt be sources of information for the family. In the family it will be the father and the father’s father who will be doing the teaching. In ancient times the fathers were the instructors, meaning the patriarchal fathers—it will be the same during the millennium. We have learned of Abraham’s sojourn into Egypt where he became an instructor to the people of Egypt. And this is true in the ancient patriarchal order, as I understand it. We will come back to that same method of receiving instruction. Question: When we get this vision of what it is going to be like during the millennium, then we take a look at where we are today, it doesn’t appear we can make that transition all at once. Answer: Yes, it will be a slow transition; but you see, the revelations of the Lord already are teaching us these principles over and over again. For example, the statement that it is the duty of the parents to teach their children to walk uprightly before the Lord is taught to us over and over again. This was the inspiration behind the family home evening. The family home evening, of course, in and of itself, is not the answer; it is merely another medium to get the family on the basis of communicating with each other, so that family matters of vital importance can register on the family level. The family home evening is an instrument to bring this about as are other approaches.

  President Alvin R. Dyer

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  • Dyer, Alvin R.

  21 Oct 2026