SLC 13 Goodman.Indd

Chapter 13 Correlation: The Turning Point (1960s) Michael A. Goodman orrelation has a long history of starts and stops, successes and Csetbacks. Often misconstrued as solely related to curricular issues, correlation has had a much broader focus from the beginning. President Harold B. Lee stated that one of the primary purposes of correlation was to place “the Priesthood as the Lord intended, as the center core of the Kingdom of God, and the auxiliaries as related thereto; including a greater emphasis on the Fathers in the home as Priesthood bearers in strengthening the family unit.”1 Though the vision has been large as eternity, the work of the kingdom for the first century was largely local in focus and readily directed by the presiding brethren at Church headquarters. Though missionaries were sent throughout the world starting as early as 1830, most converts were encouraged to emigrate soon after their conversion. Though some converts stayed in their native lands, the Church’s international Michael A. Goodman is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. 259 Salt Lake City: The Place Which God Prepared Correlation: The Turning Point (1960s) presence was relatively small. The work became far more challeng- Amalgamated Correlation–Social ing as the Church continued to expand both numerically as well as Advisory Committee. The com- geographically. The auxiliary organizations were created in an effort mittee members worked for to better serve the needs of an ever-expanding membership. Relief several more years before being Society, Sunday School, Young Men, Young Women, and Primary released in 1922. became vital organizations to help the presiding authorities meet The next effort at correlation the needs of the members worldwide.2 By the end of the nineteenth focused largely on Church cur- century, the administration of the Church had grown much more riculum and again involved Elder complex, and at times the leaders struggled to minister to and man- McKay. In 1928, while serving age the growing membership and organizations meant to serve them. as both Apostle and the general Correlation in the twentieth century served as one of the primary superintendent of the Sunday means of helping the presiding authorities in Salt Lake City guide School, Elder McKay announced the Lord’s work. that the curricula of all quorums and the Sunday School would be reviewed and authorized by a Early Attempts at Correlation common committee.8 In 1938, President Joseph F. Smith began the work of correlation at the President David O. McKay, chair of the the First Presidency organized the beginning of the twentieth century. He created the General Priesthood General Priesthood Committee and Church Committee of Correlation and Committee on Outlines on April 8, 1908, and appointed recently correlation. (© Intellectual Reserve, Inc.) Coordination and asked three called Apostle David O. McKay as the chair.3 The committee’s major members of the Twelve (Elder assignment was to write the curriculum for priesthood quorums and Joseph Fielding Smith, Stephen L Richards, and Albert E. Bowen) to groups. The committee was also tasked to help the priesthood “under- take the lead.9 This committee worked together for only a few years, stand its duty, . assume its own responsibility, . magnify its calling, and little was documented regarding the work they accomplished. and fill its place in the Church, to the uttermost.”4 In 1912, President March 29, 1940, proved to be a watershed moment in the cor- Smith organized the Correlation Committee and once again assigned relation efforts of the Church. President J. Reuben Clark Jr., under Elder McKay as the chair.5 “The purpose of the committee was to assignment by President Heber J. Grant, called the leaders of the prevent the unnecessary and undesirable duplication of work [of all Relief Society, Sunday School, Young Men, Young Women, Primary, kinds] in the various auxiliaries of the Church. and for the general and the Genealogy Society together and presented detailed instruc- purpose of unifying the work and advancing the cause of each organi- tions on correlation principles. A follow-up letter entitled the zation.”6 By 1916, the Social Advisory Committee was formed with Memorandum of Suggestions and signed by all three members of the Elder Stephen L Richards as chair.7 The work of this committee over- First Presidency was sent thereafter.10 This memorandum largely sum- lapped with the work of the Correlation Committee. As a result, by marized past and current correlation challenges and outlined sugges- the beginning of 1921, these two committees were merged to form the tions on how best to address each of them. The principles contained 260 261 Salt Lake City: The Place Which God Prepared Correlation: The Turning Point (1960s) in this document still guide correlation work today. At this meeting, Beginning of the Modern Era of Correlation President Clark announced the formation of the Union Board of the On March 24, 1960, the modern era of correlation officially began. Auxiliaries with President George Q. Morris, then general superin- With the continued national and international growth of the Church, tendent of the Young Men Mutual Improvement Association, as the the challenges of ministering to an ever-increasing membership from president. Church headquarters in Salt Lake City also continued to grow. The Four years later, the First Presidency again set up a committee to First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve sent a letter authorizing evaluate all Church publications. In a letter dated August 9, 1944, the the General Priesthood Committee, directed by Elder Lee, to begin First Presidency formed the Committee on Publications, made up of a study of the curriculum of both priesthood and auxiliary organi- Elders Joseph Fielding Smith, John A. Widtsoe, Harold B. Lee, and zations. In September 1961, Elder Lee and the General Priesthood Marion G. Romney. “The function of this Committee is to pass upon Committee organized the All-Church Coordinating Council (ACCC) and approve all materials . to be used by our Church Priesthood, made up of several members of the Twelve, the Presiding Bishop, the Educational, Auxiliary, and Missionary organizations in their work of heads of each auxiliary, secretaries, and ultimately the heads of each of instructing member of the Church.”11 The First Presidency also named the four standing priesthood committees.15 Elder Lee, the members of a Reading Committee to assist the Committee on Publications. The the Twelve who would be chairs First Presidency gave strict guidelines that were to be used to evaluate all of three age-group correlation published materials. committees, and their secretaries One of the final attempts at correlation in the first half of the formed the Correlation Executive twentieth century began on December 15, 1947. The First Presidency Committee (CEC).16 Antone K. assigned Elder Lee to head a committee of Apostles to look at work in Romney, brother of Marion G. the Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and the auxiliaries and recom- Romney and a BYU education mend changes.12 In 1948 and again in 1949, Elder Lee suggested a professor, served as secretary.17 redesign of the ward teaching program to bring it under the super- At the first meeting of the vision of the Quorum of the Twelve.13 Nothing was changed at the ACCC on October 11, 1961, time, however. With the end of World War II, the Church began to Elder Lee announced the creation expand internationally at a dramatically faster rate. This expansion fur- of three age-group correlation ther exacerbated the challenges facing the Church. As Elder Lee once committees headed by a member stated, “The problem of correlation becomes more acute as the Church of the Twelve, each supported by grows and develops.”14 a staff-level secretary.18 The chil- Though many correlation ideas would have to wait until the 1960s dren’s committee was to direct and 1970s to come to full fruition, the principles were taught as early the correlation of all curriculum as the first decade of the 1900s. And when the needs became acute, the for members from birth to age President Marion G. Romney, member work of correlation was set to proceed on the foundation laid over the eleven; the youth committee, of the All-Church Coordinating Council. first sixty years of the twentieth century. age twelve to roughly twenty; the (© Intellectual Reserve, Inc.) 262 263 Salt Lake City: The Place Which God Prepared Correlation: The Turning Point (1960s) adult committee age twenty and older. Marion G. Romney was named on four major initiatives throughout the sixties: home teaching, family chairman of the adult committee, with Reed H. Bradford as secretary, home evening, priesthood training and enrichment, and curriculum Richard L. Evans was named as chairman of the youth committee with correlation. This history will discuss these four major initiatives. Daniel H. Ludlow as secretary, and Gordon B. Hinckley was named chairman of the children’s committee with B. West Belnap as secretary. Home Teaching These committees, functioning under the guidance of the CEC and ACCC, became the primary mechanism to bring about a correlated Though correlation would ultimately entail many aspects of Church curriculum in the Church. Their stewardship included correlating all governance, in the early 1960s it centered on what would come to be curriculum developed for the priesthood quorums and the auxiliaries. known as home teaching. The original name of the home teaching In June 1962, Elder Lee stressed the importance of fully defin- program was the Priesthood Correlation Program.22 ing the priesthood and its scope. He said, “When you get the priest- Home teaching actually dates back to the very beginning of the hood fully defined it is going to be comparatively easy for us to define Church.

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