Chapter 16
|| Jehovih had said: Let the order of the labor of My little ones be incremental; half an hour a day at six years of age, one hour a day at eight years, two hours at twelve, and three hours at fourteen.
Nevertheless, you shall temper these times according to their strength and inclination, making labor itself a delightful pastime. ||
And it was so; all avocations were like a change from one amusement to another. And to so great an extent were their capacities developed, to comprehend all things, that at the age of fourteen, they were master of all trades and occupations.
And, of the first thousand children that reached fourteen years, scarcely one could be found who was not master of horticulture, agriculture (with botany), engineering, surveying, landscape gardening, architecture and general mechanics. They knew how to make shoes, hats, clothing (also spinning and weaving cloth), the mathematics of musical instruments; and they were musicians as well.
Tae said: Though they lacked the age and strength of full-grown men and women, yet they had attained to practical knowledge, the like of which had never been known to any adults in all the world. Scarcely anything was known that they could not make, or describe how it should be made. ||
And yet, in all things, hardly any part had been taught to them by means of books, but by practical observation, illustrations, and actual measurements.
Jehovih has said: By My spirit, I move infants to ask questions; answer them, and, behold, they shall become like Gods. For this is a door I opened with My own hand; whoever does not answer them, shuts the door against knowledge, and abuses My loves.
Tae said: With all that our children knew, behold, we still rebuked ourselves because we had not answered half the questions they had asked us. ||
Now, from ages twelve to fourteen, they were initiated into the religious rites and ceremonies of the ancients, after the manner set forth in the Book of Saphah, with explanations of signs, symbols, emblems and the sacred implements; learning the ranks of Gods, Lords, Saviors and archangels; the divisions of the higher and lower heavens; the first, second and third resurrections in atmospherea, as set forth in the books of Knowledge, Discipline, and Judgment; and with the cosmogony of the corporeal worlds; the position and travel of the solar phalanx; with actual observations of the stars, planets and satellites, with their times and seasons, as set forth in the Book of Cosmogony and Prophecy.
And they could point out the constellations; describe the distances and revolutions of planets; explain the zodiac, the polar lights, and the use of telescopes and the spectrum. And, yet, not one of them had been bored or wearied in learning all these things.