Joseph Smith: America’s Greatest Educator (Book)

The story of human education is the story of life itself; it is the story of every child and every family. To live is to experience learning and teaching, following and leading. Where these are not, we are not. Living is experiencing. This is a domain shared by everyone; it is the substance of all that we think, feel, and do. Education is the core of every person’s life; it is both unique and something that can be shared without fear of depletion. The more we give, the more that what we have is enhanced. Like life itself, the most useful, enduring and desirable origin for personal education is in the family and the culture that sustains the family. Wherever there are humans, there is education, and the vastness of that story is hard to imagine – let alone encompass. And history suggests that the story of education can only be told in fragments and with limited illustrative commentary. Nevertheless, the topic is a vital story that needs to be told over and over again because we are all part of the story. Nothing is lost by this continual endeavor, and there is much to gain. The story fragment in this document focuses on Joseph Smith, a boy born in the eighteenth century frontier New England, who came into the world amidst poverty, humble circumstances and without fame or fanfare. His life, like all others’, was shaped by education; but in his case the consequences of his education are quite unique. The nature of what he did, how he did it, and the way his education affected the education of others is certainly worthy of serious consideration. This essay is written to all those who might find interest in exploring the relationship between the American education and Joseph Smith and the American Prophet. It is addressed to anyone who loves education and finds interest in the thoughts and writings of Joseph Smith, as well as to those who love Joseph Smith and also find interest in theory and practice of education.