1. Q. What are Mormon catechisms?A. Catechisms used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — very popular in the 19th century, but now mostly forgotten.2. Q. OK then, what is a catechism?A. According to Kenneth L. Alford, a catechism can be "a series of questions and answers" that are used for religious instruction and memorization or it can also mean just "a series of questions."3. Q. Like this article?A. Yes, but usually better written.4. Q. Did Mormons invent them?A. No. "Catechisms come from a rich Christian tradition," Alford said. Catholics, Lutherans and other denominations used catechisms.__IMAGE1__5. Q. Who is this Alford you keep quoting?A. Alford is an associate professor of church history and doctrine at BYU. He spoke about Mormon catechisms on Feb. 26 at BYU's Church History Symposium.6. Q. So Mormons adopted the use of catechisms?A. Yes.7. Q. How is a catechism used?A. Alford explained that they were read out loud. A teacher would read the question; another teacher may read the answer. Then the students would try repeating the answer. This would go on in wash-rinse-repeat style until the students could recite the answer correctly.8. Q. How long would that take?A. As long as it took.9. Q. Yikes!A. That is not a question.10. Q. Are there any examples of catechisms in the LDS Church?A. Alford said several catechisms used to be in the Doctrine and Covenants: The Lectures on Faith were a collection of lectures used in the School of the Prophets. At the end of some of the lectures were a set of questions and answers: a catechism.11. Q. Why a catechism?A. Oliver Cowdery said that they discovered the class made greater progress with a catechism.12. Q. Any other catechisms?A. Alford said the Articles of Faith follow a catechism format with implied questions such as "What kind of God do Mormons believe in?" Section 134 of the Doctrine and Covenants is another example.__IMAGE3__13. Q. That means Mormons still use catechisms but just don't know it, right?A. Right.14. Q. But did the Mormons ever use full-blown catechisms?A. A very popular catechism was created by John Jaques for children in 1854 titled, "The Catechism for Children" "This becomes the most influential catechism book published in the history of the church," Alford said. It is used not just for children, but also for general instruction and study about the doctrines of the church.15. Q. How popular was Jacques' catechism?A. More than 35,000 copies were sold in at least 10 printings. "This is the 19th century church. This is not a very big church, yet he is selling 35,000 copies of the book. It is in Danish, Dutch, German, Hawaiian, Samoan and Swedish ... and it may have been in other languages," Alford said. "That's one copy of this book for every five members of the church. ... This is one of the first mega-bestsellers in the LDS Market." To get the same penetration of the church today, Alford said an author would have to sell almost 2.7 million copies of a book.16. Q. What was its impact?A. "He tries to cover the basic doctrines of the church. And in so doing, in putting this down in a catechistic form, he helps formalize, to a large measure, Latter-day Saint doctrine," Alford said.17. Q. Is this the only catechism book?A. No. Other Mormon authors such as Eliza R. Snow wrote various other catechism books. There are even collector card versions. Alford showed a series of catechism cards that were very popular, but of which only a few are known to still exist.18. Q. Should we bring back catechisms to teach our children?A. "This is pre-TV," Alford said. "I don't think this would work real well today." "I've envisioned trying to (use catechism drills) with our 9 and 10-year-olds." Alford said. "I think I would be tied up and duct-taped to the wall. But that is the way Primary and Sunday school for the youth worked in the 1880s." Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve was one of several voices at the turn of the 20th century who spoke out against the rote memorization of catechisms in favor of class discussion and thinking skills.__IMAGE2__19. Q. Are there any more surviving catechisms in the church?A. Alford pointed to hymn number 11, "What Was Witnessed in the Heavens?" He also said the song "He Sent His Son" in the "Children's Songbook" follows the format. "Preach My Gospel" and "For the Strength of Youth" also have catechist forms intact or implied.20. Q. What about that other type of catechism, the one that is just a list of questions?A. Alford said a list of 27 questions was used during the 1856-1857 Mormon Reformation to increase devotion to the church. Temple recommend interviews are this type of question-only catechism.21. Q. So, catechisms had a big effect on the church and they still have some influence today?A. No question.
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