On this day we honor the pioneers. They came here with a vision of building Zion.

In 2010, a revival of the spirit and mission of the pioneers is greatly needed. Joseph Smith taught, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. . . . The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes.” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 3:390–91)

The vision of Zion encompasses all things, including education, family life, statesmanship--an entire culture. What would a Zion education be like? True education comprises our character, traditions, our all. In the last days, a Celestial vision of education has been restored through the Lord’s prophets. This vision runs counter to the secular world around us and the world’s philosophies of education. The need for this restoration perspective of education is growing more critical each day.

On a Pioneer Day celebration 130 years ago, President John Taylor prophesied: "There are events in the future, and not very far ahead, that will require all our faith, all our energy, all our confidence, all our trust in God, to enable us to withstand the influences that will be brought to bear against us. We cannot trust in our intelligence; we cannot trust in our wealth; we cannot trust to any surrounding circumstances with which we are enveloped; we must trust alone in the living God to guide us, to direct us, to lead us, to teach us and to instruct us. And there never was a time when we needed to be more humble and more prayerful; there never was a time when we needed more fidelity, self-denial, and adherence to the principles of truth, than we do this day."

Shortly after President Taylor’s prophecy, the Saints encountered the trying ordeals of the world’s war against polygamy. Those were trying times. But the days ahead are prophesied to be even more trying. This is a day which is crying for discernment, for standards and a reformation in thought and tradition.

These are materials and resources the the Joseph Smith Foundation would like to spotlight as aids to families and individuals in their quest to build Zion.

Upon arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young and his fellow saints were free to "begin anew" to organize a city and a people according to God's pattern. In Revealed Educational Principles and the Public Schools, author Jack Monnett presents a timeline of the inspired educational system set up by the early leaders. More important than mere events, Brother Monnett points out the principles that were demonstrated and the consequences for obeying or rejecting. Highly recommended for those who want an accurate understanding of what prophets have said and done in the cause of true education.

What are elements of a “good” education?
What should be the role of the father in the education of his family?
Can temporal and spiritual education be separated?
What is the consequence of removing God from educational settings?
What should the role of governments be in education?

These questions, and more, can be found in our Education FAQs with the corresponding answers given through the inspired statements of Prophets and scripture. Clear direction has been given in regard to true educational principles, revealing the Lord's vision for education among His saints. As always, we welcome submissions to add to our database of statements.

Come see the premier history project on the web. History is comprised of two dimensions, time and space. Imagine learning history using both dimensions and all the good media sources on the Internet at your disposal! We live in an age of information overload. The Internet is filled with information, some is critical to understand, most is not essential and the balance is very destructive. Of the critical information, that which is most often overlooked is the inspiring and sacred. Every concerned parent feels an anxiety and responsibility for the proper education of children in the home. The Joseph Smith Foundation has a team of individuals dedicated to finding and organizing uplifting materials from across the world and then making these materials available to families in their own home using the latest Internet technologies. These technologies include:

Timelines can help us organize important information in our minds. They can also be used as a reference. This site uses sophisticated timeline software to permit browsing centuries of events in viewing the history of the earth in ways impossible just a few years ago.

Many people are familiar with the open source Wikipedia site. The Joseph Smith Foundation uses the same MediaWiki software used by Wikipedia but with the added focus on providential history and inspiring and non-trivial information. Additionally, this site's InspiraWiki brings you audio books, e-books, video clips, flash animations and other rich media content from locations across the Internet. The focus is on crucial stories and information as opposed to trivial facts.

Never before has it been possible to tour the globe and move to any location in the world with a few simple clicks. This site employs the Google Maps API to bring you images of the surface of the entire earth. The Joseph Smith Foundation takes you to the most important historical sites in the world and gives you the history behind those locations.

Informed parents are looking for products to support the education of their children in the providential history and learning of the ages. The Joseph Smith Foundation carries educational products which inspire both youth and adults to greatness.

View working beta here!

SUBMISSIONS:

These projects are provided as a service to help strengthen true principles and present an accurate view of historical events and people. If you are interested in helping with any of these projects, we welcome any information you have to share--whether it be a quote to add to our FAQs section, a story for a wiki article, or resources you’d like to share. This can be a great family research project allowing each member to research, write and share what they are learning in a way that can benefit others and change the way our history and culture are viewed. If you are interested in submitting information and stories for the wiki articles, or helping in any way, please contact us.

In Honor of the Pioneers, In Honor of God,
Joseph Smith Foundation Team

© 2010 JosephSmithFoundation.org   All Rights Reserved.