Primary Celebrates 140 Years of Service to Children

In the year 1862, residents of the small agricultural community of Farmington, Utah, USA were trying to acquire enough funds and material to build a chapel where they could worship.

Everyone had given all they could to the cause, then with prayers in their heart, turned it over to the Lord.

A few day later a terrible storm arose. It rained and rained until the earth was saturated. There was mud everywhere, and just three blocks from where the Saints had acquired a building lot for their chapel, a huge rock slide occured.

The faithful Saints soon recognised the gift from God. The slide had provided all their building materials−beautiful rock along with sand and gravel for the mortar.

Sixteen years later, on August 25, 1878, this pioneer Rock Chapel (as it is still known today) would provide the meeting place for the first organised Primary.

Photo Courtesy of Natalie Miller

Spurred on by rambunctious neighbour boys, Aurelia Spencer Rogers, a 44-year-old mother of 12, felt inspired to create a program that would supplement the parents' efforts in teaching gospel principles, faith, manners and values to the children.

With the approval of President John Taylor, then president of the Church, and the blessing of her bishop, she started to formulate a program for boys and girls ages 4-14.

Sister Rogers with the help of Eliza R. Snow created an organisation called Primary.

Now, 140 years later, the Primary is a global auxiliary organisation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with more than one million boys and girls worldwide belonging.

The organisation is administered by a general presidency currently composed of Joy D. Jones, who serves as president; with counsellors, Lisa L. Harkness and Cristina B. Franco.

Primary children respond to an invitation to serve others.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe even very young children can feel the Spirit of God and learn to love their Saviour as they learn gospel principles in their homes and at Primary.