Primary Organization Time Line

Providing definitive dates for firsts can be challenging. It is important to note that many of the activities associated with the Primary (or other children’s programs) initially began in the wards and stakes and then were adopted by the general organization.

This time line is not comprehensive but provides a basic understanding of how the Primary organization started and evolved to meet the changing needs of a global Church.

1878 – First local Primary meeting held in the Farmington (Utah) Rock Chapel with Aurelia Spencer Rogers

1880 – Primary organized at the general Church level, with Louie B. Felt called as Primary General President

1890 – Free Public School Act passed in Utah₁

1895 – Primary begins dividing into grades, first with the Salt Lake City Eleventh Ward₂

1902 – Children’s Friend first published₃

1905 – The Primary Song Book published₄

1908 – Grades implemented in Primary organization (grades 1–5)

1913 – Twelve- to 13-year-old boys begin attending Young Men Mutual Improvement Association (Y.M.M.I.A), with the option of staying in Primary₅

1915 – Term “grade” replaced with “group”

1919 – The Art of Teaching teacher training course introduced₆

1921 – Primary Children’s Hospital opened in Salt Lake City

1922 – Seagull program introduced for girls ages 12–13

1922 – Fundraising program “Birthday Pennies for the LDS Children’s Convalescent Hospital” (Primary Children’s Hospital) introduced₇

1925 – Trail Building program introduced for boys ages 10–11

1928 – Children’s Jubilee held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Primary₈

1929 – “Religion” classes discontinued; Primary takes over spiritual education for children

1930 – First Primary handbook printed₉

1930 – Primary joins in the June conferences held by the Mutual Improvement Association (M.I.A.)

1934 – Twelve- to 13-year-old girls begin attending Young Women Mutual Improvement Association (Y.W.M.I.A.)

1936 – The Guide Patrol, a youth group designed to prepare boys to receive the priesthood, is introduced

1939 – Ward and stake funds begin financing local Primary organizations

1940 – Primary seal, colors, and themes introduced

1941 – First nursery class (children under four years of age)

1941 – Mural of the first Primary placed in the Farmington Ward chapel

1946 – Children’s Friend of the Air first broadcasted over radio₁₀

1946 – Children collected 122,794 articles, including children’s clothing and toys, to Saints in Europe

1947 – Primary children donate 33,000 nickels to help fund This Is the Place Monument₁₁

1948 – Junior Council television show first aired₁₂

1949 – First Primary teachers’ manual published₁₃

1949 – Primary children donate dimes to the “Buy a Brick” campaign to raise money for the new Primary Children’s Hospital; the children donate more than $20,000₁₄

1950 – Eleven-year-old Primary boys become involved in the Boys Scouts of America

1951 – The Children Sing introduced₁₅

1952 – Arnold Friberg Book of Mormon paintings commissioned, the first appearing in the Children’s Friend in 1953 and the last in 1960₁₆

1952 – Opening of new Primary Children’s Hospital; children help with donating pennies, purchasing bricks, and saving money to purchase President Heber J. Grant’s silver dollar paperweights₁₇

1952 – Cub Scouting assigned to Primary

1955 – Reverence project introduced; it is replaced by a reverence standard in 1958

1956 – Primary Script newsletter introduced (continuing through 1973)₁₈

1956 – The name “Younger groups” is changed to “Junior groups” (3- to 6-year-olds)

1957 – New song “I Am a Child of God” introduced

1960 – Three Steps to Good Teaching, a resource for Primary teachers, introduced

1961 – The name “Junior groups” is changed to “Skylets” (3- to 6-year-olds)

1966 – The How Book, a resource for Primary teachers, introduced

1966 – Dividing of singing time for large Primaries

1970 – Introduction of new correlated program for Primary children

1970 – Sing with Me published₁₉

1970 – CTR ring introduced₂₀

1971 – Priesthood Preview program introduced₂₁

1971 – Friend magazine replaces the Children’s Friend

1973 – Primary Script becomes the Primary Dispatch (through 1980)₂₂

1975 – Last general Primary conference held

1976 – Primary children in the United States hold bicentennial celebrations to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

1978 – 100th anniversary of Primary celebrated by Primaries around the world₂₃

1979 – Birthday Pennies program discontinued₂₄

1980 – New consolidated ward meeting schedule and new Primary curriculum; sharing time, as part of the new consolidated schedule, introduced

1980 – Achievement Days begin as a quarterly activity for girls

1981 – Sharing time ideas included in the Friend

1982 – Gospel in Action award introduced₂₅

1984 – Teaching the Scripture Readers introduced

1988 – Themes for sacrament programs published in the Friend magazine

1989 – Children’s Songbook published

1993 – New song “If the Savior Stood Beside Me” introduced

1994 – Special First Presidency broadcast “Focus on Children” aired; “Teach the Child” video introduced during the broadcast

1995 – New structured curriculum introduced₂₆

1995 – Eight- and nine-year-old children included in Gospel in Action and Achievement Days₂₇

1995 – “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” issued

2002 – Special video presentation for Primary by President Gordon B. Hinckley₂₈

2003 – Faith in God program introduced, replaces Gospel in Action and Achievement Days₂₉

2003 – 125th anniversary of Primary commemorated by a special satellite broadcast₃₀

2004 – 75th anniversary of Cub Scouts

2009 – Gospel Art Book published

2018 – Change in age advancement₃₁ 

2019 – New Children and Youth program introduced₃₂

2019 – New song “I Will Walk with Jesus” introduced₃₃

2019 – Discontinued partnership with Boy Scouts of America

2019 –Any baptized member of the Church can serve as a witness of living person baptisms

2020 – With the new two-hour block schedule, singing time replaces sharing time

2020 – As part of the new Children and Youth program, Achievement Days and Faith in God programs are replaced with Primary Activities₃₄

Sources: