Teach them correct principles?

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Palerider
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Teach them correct principles?

Post by Palerider » Fri Apr 28, 2017 6:19 pm

Not long ago I heard a GA state that Joseph Smith had learned this phrase from the angel Moroni. So I thought I'd do a little search.
Turns out that back in the day, there was a published assistant for New York teachers (You will remember that Joseph Senior was a sometimes teacher) called The Common School Assistant.
Kind of a long read but here is a quote from the 1836 volume:

"The Government and Discipline of a School

A teacher who loves his school, and addresses his pupils with a smiling countenance and a pleasant tone of voice, exerts a much happier influence than he does who governs by blows and punishments. He who allures his pupils into rectitude and industry by an agreeable, winning address, holds a very different relation to them than he would have by exciting fear and using severity. It is the influence obtained over pupils by kindness and sympathy that produces the highest kind of obedience.
It is a government of goodness and affection that disciplines the moral feelings of the subjects; and it is the lively interest and tenderness felt by a teacher for the happiness and improvement of his pupils which exert that kind of influence that is constantly carrying on a moral discipline. A teacher who has the confidence and love of his scholars may almost, if not entirely, dispense with his "rules" and his "ferules;" his government is a moral one, one that fulfils the law without seeing or knowing it.
A love of doing right, because it is right, is the motive to obedience; and the ability and habit of governing themselves are soon acquired, and the regulations of the teacher are no longer necessary.....
Scholars who are taught and trained in this manner, govern themselves. The teachers authority is superseded by the love of right; his business now is to improve the mind. This is the result of correct moral discipline; and this should be the government and discipline of every school.
The very end and object of all government should be to make men govern themselves."

I don't know but it seems to me that much of what is said in the above is something that could be used (or abused) as a technique for engendering confidence in people....and that's aside from the very odd coincidental wording that we see regarding my title for this post. It seems but a very short jump from this statement to the now famous and very original statement given to Joseph by Moroni. Any thoughts?

ETA: This journal was sent to teachers throughout the state of New York and was likely carried by libraries for those who couldn't afford the very modest fee involved.
"There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily."

"Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light."

George Washington

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