Brigham Young Academy

When Maeser arrived at Brigham Young Academy in 1876 it was dying. Enrollment had declined since Warren N. Dusenberry

Warren N. Dusenberry

Warren N. Dusenberry was the founding principal of Brigham Young Academy in 1876. Dusenberry was only a temporary principal...

 had started the school a few months before. There were only 29 students at the time of Maeser's arrival.

Maeser believed that "Come follow me" and not "Thou Shalt" was the best principle for teaching.

Maeser had a profound effect on his students. One of them, Alice Louise Reynolds

Alice Louise Reynolds

Alice Louise Reynolds was a Brigham Young University professor who is rated among the top-10 BYU professors of the 20th century.-Biography:...

, wrote "He had the ability to inspire. He made his students feel the worth of life; he told us that the Lord had sent each of us to do a special work, and that the proper preparation was necessary for that mission."

Among the students who studied under Maeser were Reed Smoot

Reed Smoot

Reed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...

, George Sutherland

George Sutherland

Alexander George Sutherland was an English-born U.S. jurist and political figure. One of four appointments to the Supreme Court by President Warren G. Harding, he served as an Associate Justice of the U.S...

, William H. King

William H. King

William Henry King was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist from Salt Lake City, Utah. A Democrat, he represented Utah in the United States Senate from 1917 until 1941.-Life:...

,Alice Louise Reynolds

Alice Louise Reynolds

Alice Louise Reynolds was a Brigham Young University professor who is rated among the top-10 BYU professors of the 20th century.-Biography:...

, William Spry

William Spry

William Spry was an American politician and the third Governor of Utah.Spry was born at Windsor, Berkshire, England. He emigrated to Utah Territory with his parents at the age of eleven....

, Bryant S. Hinckley

Bryant S. Hinckley

Bryant Stringham Hinckley was an American author, religious speaker, civic leader and educator. He served as a prominent mid-level leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 20th century. His books were primarily designed for a Latter-day Saint audience.Hinckley was...

, James E. Talmage

James E. Talmage

James Edward Talmage born in Hungerford, Berkshire, England, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1911 until his death in 1933....

, George Albert Smith

George Albert Smith

George Albert Smith, Sr. was the eighth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Early life:...

 and J. Golden Kimball

J. Golden Kimball

Jonathan Golden Kimball was a prominent and well known leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as a member of the First Council of the Seventy from 1892 until his death in 1938. He is considered one of the most colorful and beloved of the Church's General Authorities...

.

California missionary work

In the mid-winter fair in San Francisco in 1893-1894, Maeser had charge of the Utah exhibit. Although this was largely to create interest in Utah, the state and the church were so intertwined that advancing one advanced the other. Maeser and his associates rented a hall in which church members held meetings along with new friends they had developed through the Utah exhibit. This was a key component behind the organization of the California Mission

Mission (LDS Church)

A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...

 of the church. Maeser presided

Mission president

Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...

 over this mission until August 1894 when he was replaced by Henry S. Tanner as president.

Superintendent of the Church Educational System

In 1888 Maeser was made the superintendent of the Church Educational System.

During this same time Maeser served in the General Superintendency of the Deseret Sunday School Union. He was the Second Assistant to General Superintendent George Q. Cannon

George Q. Cannon

George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...

 from July 1894 to January 1899. He then served as the First Assistant to Cannon from January 1899 until February 1901.

Meissen

Karl G. Maeser was born, raised and educated in Meissen

Meissen

Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...

. The house where he was born is present 10, Zscheilaer Strasse. Now, as a result, the two cities share a sister-city relationship. The connection between Provo and Meissen through Maeser was the original inspiration for the sister-city partnership. It is the hope of both cities that the relationship will grow to include the exchange of delegations, including manufacturers, youth, academicians, scientists, artists, associations, clubs, tourists, technicians and others, which will result in enriching the cultures of the respective cities. As of 2001 the two cities have been sending high school age students on a three week long exchange to gain more knowledge about their differences in society and culture.

Song to his memory

A poem turned song was written in his memory. The words were written by Annie Pike Greenwood, with the music by L.D. Edwards. It is titled "Come, Lay His Books and Papers by." This song became an LDS hymn

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hymns

This article is about LDS church hymns in general, for the book, see Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Latter-day Saint hymns come from many sources, and there have been numerous hymn books printed by the Church since its organization in 1830...

 and appeared in the 1948 edition of the hymn book as hymn #338. After the title it states "In memory of Dr. Karl G. Maeser." It is not included in the 1985 hymn book

Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book)

Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official hymn book of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....

.

Quotes

"I have been asked what I mean by 'word of honor.' I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls--walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground--there is a possibility that in some way or another I may escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of the circle? No. Never! I'd die first!"

"The fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom. This life is one great object lesson to practice on the principles of immortality and eternal life. Man grows with his higher aims. Let naught that is unholy enter here" (written on a chalk board during his Nov. 9th, 1900 visit to Maeser Elementary School in Provo, Utah.)

External links

• Utah History Encyclopedia
• Maeser Chalkboards Preserved
• Maeser, BYU Presidents
• www.maeseracademy.com Accredited Online High School
• Karl G. Maeser Website at www.karlmaeser.net

Maeser academy: www.maeseracademy.com