Item Detail
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26924
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0
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0
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English
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Joseph Smith : America's Greatest Educator
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Provo, UT
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Brigham Young University
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220
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Wherever there are humans, there is education, and the vastness of that story is hard to imagine--let alone encompass. And history suggests that the story of education can only be told in fragments and with limited illustrative commentary. Nevertheless, the topic is a vital story that needs to be told over and over again because we are all part of the story. Nothing is lost by this continual endeavor, and there is much to gain. The story fragment in this document focuses on Joseph Smith, a boy born in eighteenth century frontier New England, who came into the world amidst poverty, humble circumstances and without fame or fanfare. His life, like all others', was shaped by education; but in his case the consequences of his education are particularly unique. What Joseph Smith was and is, and what he did are potentially relevant to the lives of all those who have been or are yet to be born on this planet. The nature of what he did, how he did it, and the way his education affected the education of others is certainly worthy of serious consideration. His personal story envelops the process of educational thought and practice that continues to grow and mature. He sought, received and acted upon "wisdom from God." It is an ever-developing saga. He initiated in his day a view of where we came from, who we are and what our potential destiny might be. He laid the foundation and prepared the platform for an educational enterprise that continues to expand in the twenty-first century, and is destined to continue to unfold into the millennial era. His impact began in a day where there was no electricity, no motors, no radio, no TV, no airplanes, and no Internet; yet his educational influence continues to thrive in a day of computers, cell phones, iPads, Facebook, Skype, Twitter and all manner of digital apps. It is this proposition that sustains the title given to this document: Joseph Smith - America's Greatest Educator.