It was cold that morning of Dec. 9, 1849, as children began assembling in the home of Richard Ballantyne for the first Sunday School in the Salt Lake Valley.
By 8 a.m., while men combed the deep snows for lost cattle in the surrounding hills, 29 children settled on wooden benches around the large, open fireplace built by Brother Ballantyne, a young Scotsman whose ruddy face was wreathed by a rich brown beard.
It was a humble beginning, wrote Wendell J. Ashton, then chairman of the Sunday School Centennial Committee in the Dec. 14, 1949, Church News. But it was a significant one. From this simple start "flowered" an auxiliary of the Church that has been instrumental in teaching the gospel.
President David O. McKay in an address delivered at a special meeting of General Authorities and General Sunday School Union Board members Dec. 9, 1949, said Brother Ballantyne's concern for children stemmed from experiences as an elder in his church around 1838 prior to his conversion to the LDS Church.
He observed boys and girls neglected and untaught, and expressed his concerns to his minister. The minister, in turn, consented to the organization of a Sunday School by Brother Ballantyne in a farm village a few miles from Earlston, Scotland.
While Brother Ballantyne studied and prepared himself to teach, he "became impressed with the lack of harmony between the teachings of the Bible and the practices and teachings of [his] church, explained President McKay, then a counselor in the First Presidency. He consulted his minister regarding it, and they both agreed that a new organization was needed.
"About this time, two representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told them about the restoraton of the gospel," continued President McKay. "Richard Ballantyne joined the Church, immigrated to Nauvoo, thence to Salt Lake City, and began to build a house on a lot a few blocks from where the foundation of the temple was being laid."
Years later Brother Ballantyne wrote, "I had passed through much and had been sorely tried by friends and foes, and in it all, the gospel had proved such a solace to me that I was very desirous of seeing that all the children of the saints should learn to prize it as I valued it.
"And, more, I saw that the children from the very nature and circumstances of the people were being neglected. I wanted to gather them into the school where they could learn not to read and write, but the goodness of God, and the true gospel of salvation given by Jesus Christ."
Sunday School was held in the adobe home of Brother Ballantyne for about a year until a meetinghouse was completed. Others in the valley followed Brother's Ballantyne's lead, and soon, many Sunday Schools were established by those who felt a keen interest in the spiritual development of children.
About 10 years later, more than 200 Sunday Schools had been organized and were regularly attended by 15,000 youth and adults. These first Sunday Schools functioned independently and devised their own course of study and administrative guidelines.
Seeing the value of a central organization, President Brigham Young and other Church leaders took the first steps toward a permanent organization by creating the Deseret Sunday School Union on Nov. 11, 1867. Elder George Q. Cannon of the Quorum of the Twelve became the first general superintendent. He later became a member of the First Presidency but continued as Sunday School superintendent. A committee of three was appointed at this time to choose appropriate books for study.
In 1877, the sacrament was instituted as part of the Sunday School, a practice that ended in 1980 with the consolidated meeting schedule.
A Sunday School general board was introduced in the 1870s. In 1884, stake Sunday School superintendents began holding monthly meetings of Sunday School officers and teachers for instruction and coordination. General meetings of the Deseret Sunday School Union convened twice a year in connection with general conferences of the Church.
In 1866, before the organization of the general Sunday School, a publication called the Juvenile Instructor was founded privately by Elder Cannon, who served as editor. This publication contained material on the scriptures, musical compositions and aids to gospel instruction and became the official voice of the Deseret Sunday School Union when it was purchased from the Cannon family in January 1901. In 1929, the name was changed to Instructor. In 1970, with the beginning of the children, youth and adult magazines of the Church — The Friend, New Era and Ensign —the Instructor was discontinued.
When President Cannon died in 1901, he was succeeded by President Lorenzo Snow, who died a few months later. He was succeeded as superintendent and as president of the Church by President Joseph F. Smith.
In the early 1900s, new classes were added for the older children and youth. Adult classes followed in 1904. When President Joseph F. Smith died in 1918, Elder David O. McKay became general superintendent. He was succeeded by George D. Pyper, who served until 1943. Other superintendents or presidents included: Milton Bennion, 1943-49; George R. Hill, 1949-1966; David Lawrence McKay, 1966-1971; Russell M. Nelson, 1971-1979; Elder Hugh W. Pinnock, 1979-1986; Elder Robert L. Simpson, 1986-1989; Elder Hugh W. Pinnock, 1989-1992; Elder Merlin R. Lybbert, 1992-1994; Elder Charles Didier, 1994-1995; Elder Harold G. Hillam, 1995 to present.
The Sunday School general board was gradually enlarged with its members traveling extensively around the world to train local leaders. Heber G. Wolsey, general Sunday School board member in the early 1970s, recalled in a Church News interview, "One of the real values of the traveling general board was that it permitted a Sunday School president in Samoa or a gospel doctrine teacher in Chile to share their concerns with Church headquarters. We found members worldwide had common goals, but some of the challenges were different. We found that transportation was a major problem for those living outside Utah where many members lived great distances from meetinghouses."
As the Church grew, an effort emerged to coordinate all Church functions and programs under priesthood leadership. Until this time, the Deseret Sunday School Union had functioned with considerable independence under separate organizational leadership.
Significant changes came to the Sunday School between 1971-1979. The name was changed from Deseret Sunday School Union to simply Sunday School. The title of superintendent was changed to president. Curriculum planning and writing became coordinated and centralized. Separate Sunday School conferences were discontinued and communication to Sunday School leaders was directed through priesthood channels. The frequency of regional visits by general board members was reduced. Materials and programs were simplified and consolidated.
In 1972, the adult Gospel Doctrine class began a systematic study of the standard works focusing, in turn, on the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price.
The scriptures were the only texts and were studied in an eight-year rotation. Soon all Church courses of study were tied to the scriptures. To support the curriculum and encourage individual scripture study, Church leaders supervised the publication of new editions of the standard works, each cross-referenced to the others.
In 1979, Elder Nelson, who was called to the Quorum of the Twelve in 1984, was succeeded as general president by Elder Hugh W. Pinnock, initiating a pattern of priesthood direction by a General Authority, completing the organization's full integration as a correlated arm of the Church.
Attendance in Sunday School has continued to increase throughout the years. By 1990, there were 17,676 Sunday Schools in the Church in the world, with more than 4.7 million members. Today, the Sunday School continues to provide an opportunity to learn the gospel as members attempt to apply gospel principles into their lives.
The Sunday School provides gospel instruction for youth ages 12-18 and adults. Under the direction of the bishopric and the three-member Sunday School presidency, members are called to serve as course teachers.
Some information for this article was taken from Encyclopedia of Mormonism (Vol. 3); Comprehensive History of The Church (Vol. 5, pp. 478-80); Knight of the Kingdom: The Story of Richard Ballantyne; Church Almanac, pp. 81-2.
