Teach Truth
First and foremost, students at Liberty Hills Academy are learning to recognize truth in everything they study by carefully analyzing materials presented to them. C.S. Lewis once wrote about a boy who was simply studying a textbook and did not perceive all that he was being taught. We teach our students to carefully examine every idea before accepting it as truth.
The very power of Gaius and Titius (writers of curricula) depends on the fact that they are dealing with a boy: a boy who thinks he is 'doing' his 'English prep' and has no notion ethics, theology, and politics are all at stake. It is not theory they put into his mind, but an assumption, which ten years hence, its origin forgotten and its presence unconscious, will condition him to take one side in a controversy which he has never recognized as a controversy at all. The authors themselves, I suspect, hardly know what they are doing to the boy, and he cannot know what is being done to him (Lewis, C.S.)
The very power of Gaius and Titius (writers of curricula) depends on the fact that they are dealing with a boy: a boy who thinks he is 'doing' his 'English prep' and has no notion ethics, theology, and politics are all at stake. It is not theory they put into his mind, but an assumption, which ten years hence, its origin forgotten and its presence unconscious, will condition him to take one side in a controversy which he has never recognized as a controversy at all. The authors themselves, I suspect, hardly know what they are doing to the boy, and he cannot know what is being done to him (Lewis, C.S.)
Search Out of the Best Books
At Liberty Hills Academy, we strive to follow the admonition found in D&C 88:118, “... seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith. Thus, the books in our scope and sequence have been deliberately chosen not only for their nobility and character, but also their artistic merit. We wholeheartedly agree with Kari Jenson Gold that,
Children need to hear beautiful language if they are to speak and write beautifully. They need to hear stories of love and courage and joy and sorrow so their imaginations are fired and their hearts expanded . . . there is no shortage of magnificent children’s literature. Children have little enough time for reading in their busy, scheduled lives. When they read, or when they listen, what we give them should be worthy of their eager, wondering minds and souls (Gold).
Children need to hear beautiful language if they are to speak and write beautifully. They need to hear stories of love and courage and joy and sorrow so their imaginations are fired and their hearts expanded . . . there is no shortage of magnificent children’s literature. Children have little enough time for reading in their busy, scheduled lives. When they read, or when they listen, what we give them should be worthy of their eager, wondering minds and souls (Gold).
Weigh and Measure All Things Against Scripture and the Words of the Prophets
At Liberty Hills Academy, students are taught to weigh and measure every concept against scripture and the words of the prophets. Students are taught that the words of the prophet are authoritative. As they develop discernment, they increase their ability to recognize the philosophies of men. In order to prepare our students for a world that no longer believes in God, standards, or truth, we must be prepared as teachers and administrators to discuss difficult topics.
Shall I sit down and read the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Covenants all the time?’ says one. Yes, if you please, and when you have done, you may be nothing but a sectarian after all. It is your duty to study to know everything upon the face of the earth, in addition to reading those books. We should not only study good, and its effect upon our race, but also evil, and its consequences (Young).
Shall I sit down and read the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Covenants all the time?’ says one. Yes, if you please, and when you have done, you may be nothing but a sectarian after all. It is your duty to study to know everything upon the face of the earth, in addition to reading those books. We should not only study good, and its effect upon our race, but also evil, and its consequences (Young).
Prepare Students for Leadership, the Work of the World, and Future Callings
Students at Liberty Hills Academy learn about the problems in the world but are taught to be part of the solution. To do this, children are encouraged to make academic excellence a daily goal, to come prepared to work, and to do their best. If they will come ready to be anxiously engaged, the education students attain at Liberty Hills prepares them for the work of the world and the work of the Lord, so they will be ready to serve in whatever capacity the Lord calls them.
78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms--
80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you (D&C 88:78-80).
78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms--
80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you (D&C 88:78-80).
Teach Students to Have Hope in Christ
Communism, Darwinism, Secular Humanism, and the philosophies of men are topics that our students learn to recognize and appropriately discuss. Religious liberty, governments, war, crime, and death are themes discussed through the lens of an enduring hope in Christ and the gift of an immediate and eternal atonement.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
Reinforce Moral Principles Taught at Home and Church
We make every effort to respect and support parents and family, including preserving time for families to be together. Our school year and our school days are shorter with the idea that families need more and not less time together. We seek not to divide but unite children with the values of their parents and their faith.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views the family as the most important organization in time and all eternity. The Church teaches that everything should center in and around the family. It stresses that the preservation of family life in time and eternity takes precedence above all other interests (Benson).
Frequently, some young student comes to be greatly disturbed because some statement made by a teacher has expressed doubt of or discredited some principle of the Gospel or some fact recorded in the Bible. Most of these young people are at a receptive age. They have been taught to believe the scriptures are of divine origin... Then to have a teacher ridicule some scriptural incident or doctrinal teaching is to them very disturbing. Having some confidence in their teachers, they find themselves torn by a mental conflict. Are their parents deceived? Is the teacher right? They look upon the teacher as a person of reliability and integrity. This feeling is augmented by the confirmation given in the textbook to what the teacher has said. These conflicts are most serious indeed and the student begins to accept the theories and to reject the teachings of the Church and his parents. If they continue in school with this conflict to contend with, the conviction is strengthened that the text and the confirmation by the teacher cannot be wrong. (Smith)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views the family as the most important organization in time and all eternity. The Church teaches that everything should center in and around the family. It stresses that the preservation of family life in time and eternity takes precedence above all other interests (Benson).
Frequently, some young student comes to be greatly disturbed because some statement made by a teacher has expressed doubt of or discredited some principle of the Gospel or some fact recorded in the Bible. Most of these young people are at a receptive age. They have been taught to believe the scriptures are of divine origin... Then to have a teacher ridicule some scriptural incident or doctrinal teaching is to them very disturbing. Having some confidence in their teachers, they find themselves torn by a mental conflict. Are their parents deceived? Is the teacher right? They look upon the teacher as a person of reliability and integrity. This feeling is augmented by the confirmation given in the textbook to what the teacher has said. These conflicts are most serious indeed and the student begins to accept the theories and to reject the teachings of the Church and his parents. If they continue in school with this conflict to contend with, the conviction is strengthened that the text and the confirmation by the teacher cannot be wrong. (Smith)
Teach Students to Love and Defend Righteous Traditions, Including Loyalty to God, Family, Principles of Liberty, and American Exceptionalism
We teach that it was through diligent study of great and noble texts, especially the Bible, that our Founding Fathers recognized God as the ultimate author of liberty and that real freedom comes only through obedience to His divine law. At Liberty Hills Academy, we emphasize our priceless heritage of freedom and align with President Benson's affirmation of American Exceptionalism when he said,
It is a part of my religious belief that America is a land choice above all others, that we are not just another of the family of nations, but that we have been singled out to perform a divine mission for liberty-loving people everywhere. Those who founded this republic were wise men raised up by our Father in heaven to perform that very task, and the Constitution of this land was inspired by God. We have a divine duty — even a destiny — to preserve that Constitution from destruction and hold it aloft to the world (Benson).
It is a part of my religious belief that America is a land choice above all others, that we are not just another of the family of nations, but that we have been singled out to perform a divine mission for liberty-loving people everywhere. Those who founded this republic were wise men raised up by our Father in heaven to perform that very task, and the Constitution of this land was inspired by God. We have a divine duty — even a destiny — to preserve that Constitution from destruction and hold it aloft to the world (Benson).
Help Students Understand the Importance of Living with Reverence in Order to be Taught by the Holy Spirit
Finally, we teach our students the principle of reverence. Primary children are taught to fold their arms and bow their heads in prayer. As we learn and mature in the gospel, we come to know that everything we do—what we read, what we listen to, how we dress, and act—influences our ability to keep company with the Holy Spirit. We know that we must do those things that will keep us close to the spirit as it is “by the power of the Holy Ghost” we can know “the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5)
This trend to more noise, more excitement, more contention, less restraint, less dignity, less formality is not coincidental nor innocent nor harmless. The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer. Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit (Packer).
It is with these goals in mind that we seek for our students to be instructed in all spiritual and secular truths through their own efforts, inspired parents and teachers, the best books, and the ministrations of the Holy Spirit.
This trend to more noise, more excitement, more contention, less restraint, less dignity, less formality is not coincidental nor innocent nor harmless. The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer. Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit (Packer).
It is with these goals in mind that we seek for our students to be instructed in all spiritual and secular truths through their own efforts, inspired parents and teachers, the best books, and the ministrations of the Holy Spirit.
References
Benson, Ezra Taft. The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft, 1988. Print.
"Ezra Taft Benson." Latter-day Prophets and the United States Constitution. Ed. Donald Q. Cannon. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young U, 1991. 163-210. Print.
Gold, Kari Jenson. "Grim Tales." First Things. N.p., Oct. 2000. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.
Lewis, C. S. The Abolition of Man, Or, Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. Print.
Packer, Boyd K. "Reverence Invites Revelation - Boyd K. Packer." Reverence Invites Revelation - Boyd K. Packer. N.p., Oct. 1991.
Smith, Joseph Fielding. Man, His Origin and Destiny. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1954. Print.
Young, Brigham. "Organization and Development of Man." Journal of Discourses. Liverpool: n.p., 1854. 93-94. Print.
"Ezra Taft Benson." Latter-day Prophets and the United States Constitution. Ed. Donald Q. Cannon. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young U, 1991. 163-210. Print.
Gold, Kari Jenson. "Grim Tales." First Things. N.p., Oct. 2000. Web. 12 Aug. 2015.
Lewis, C. S. The Abolition of Man, Or, Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001. Print.
Packer, Boyd K. "Reverence Invites Revelation - Boyd K. Packer." Reverence Invites Revelation - Boyd K. Packer. N.p., Oct. 1991.
Smith, Joseph Fielding. Man, His Origin and Destiny. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1954. Print.
Young, Brigham. "Organization and Development of Man." Journal of Discourses. Liverpool: n.p., 1854. 93-94. Print.
