The Juvenile Instructor was an official periodical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) between 1901 and 1929. The magazine began publication in 1866 as a private publication but by the late 1860s served as the de facto official publication of the LDS church's auxialiary Deseret Sunday School Union. In 1929, the LDS Church replaced it with The Instructor.
Contents
History
The Juvenile Instructor was issued monthly and was initially targeted toward the children and youth members of the LDS Church. It consisted of catechisms on the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants; musical compositions; illustrations; stories; editorial teachings; and other aids to gospel instruction. It was the first magazine for children published in the United States west of the Mississippi River.
For much of its history, The Juvenile Instructor was owned by the Cannon family. Its first editor was George Q. Cannon, an apostle in the LDS Church. Cannon and his family continued to publish the magazine privately until January 1, 1901, when the Deseret Sunday School Union purchased the magazine and continued its publication as its official organ. Between 1901 and 1929, the magazine was considered the official publication of the church's Sunday School.
Between 1881 and 1890, George Reynolds was an assistant editor of The Juvenile Instructor. In 1882, he wrote a series of popular articles in the magazine about Joseph Smith and the translation of the Book of Mormon.
Namesake
The Juvenile Instructor is also the name of a popular LDS-themed blog, part of the Bloggernacle or community of Mormon blogs.