Today, we took turns teaching school. Both Matilda Allison Casper and Harriet Matilda Casper Marchant both taught school.
Matilda taught the school that Harriet attended. Harriet was very good in spelling and was a rather good reader. She was also good at arithmetic.
Many sacrifices were made by Harriet’s family to obtain books, as books were so necessary for children going to school. When new books were brought home, either from the grade school or from the high school, Harriet always found time to read them. Every one of the children in her parents’ home was given the opportunity at home to get a little more education than was available in the schools.
As Harriet grew older she taught school and would board with different families. Each family paid her according to the number of children they had in school.
Albert and Harriet became the parents of 13 children, 9 boys and 4 girls. One daughter died of diphtheria at age 7 and two of their sons died in infancy. The schools were not very good and they did want their children to have an education so Harriet held night school in her home to teach her own children and any others who might like to come. She was always ready and willing to help her children in the evenings after school. They would gather around the table to prepare lessons for the next day and Harriet enjoyed seeing that they prepared their lessons properly.
Also, the first public school in Holladay, afterwards known as the 28th District School, was started by Charles Alfred Harper and Abraham Hunsaker in 1849.
Charles Wesley Hubbard was also involved in securing teachers for his local school when he was serving as Bishop.
In our school, Matilda (Roxanne) was quite the enthusiastic teacher. She did a lot of running around the room in circles, singing random songs, while she was teaching. 🙂
We also lit one of our beeswax candles for the first time! I’m happy to report that it worked well. 🙂
“For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph.
Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom.
For Joseph truly testified, saying: A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins.” (2 Nephi 3:4-6)
I am grateful for all of the sacrifices that the pioneers went through, particularly Joseph Smith, in restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. The restored gospel, and The Book of Mormon really do bring me out of darkness and captivity, into light and freedom.
I am grateful to my pioneer ancestors for pushing forward, even when things were really hard. I’m grateful that they didn’t give up and that the generations between them and me have kept the faith so that I could have it for myself.
“And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.” (1 Nephi 17:13)
We lit one of our beeswax candles for the first time today! I’m happy to report that it worked well. 🙂
