General Sunday School Organization

Historical records indicate that some form of Sunday school was held by Latter-day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, and Nauvoo in the 1830s-1840s. However no formal organization was established until 1849. In 1849 Richard Ballantyne invited students into his home, we know approximately 30 children between the ages of 8-13 attended. The local organization Ballantyne belonged to (the Salt Lake Fourteenth Ward) adopted Ballantyne's Sunday School program. The Sunday School, at this point, was completely autonomous and under the direction of the local Bishop. On 11 November 1867 President Brigham Young met with Church leaders to bring a standard structure and organization to the over 200 independent Sunday schools that had been created in wards throughout the Church. He, along with Daniel H. Wells, George A. Smith, Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, and Brigham Young, Jr. met and organized the Parent Sunday School Union. Cannon was appointed first general Superintendent. In 1872 the Sunday School organization was renamed the Deseret Sunday School Union. The 1970s then saw a change within the Sunday School. In 1971 the name was changed to simply Sunday School, and the Sunday School general "superintendent" was renamed the general Sunday School "president". Learn more