Let our young men and women, prepare themselves for usefulness and business; that the men may enter into merchandise, trading, and other things of importance; the young women may become teachers of various kinds, and otherwise fill places of usefulness.  Parents must turn their attention more to the education of their children.  We mean, to educate them for useful practical business purposes.  Educate them for the Store and the Counting House—­to do every-day practical business.  Consult the children’s propensities, and direct their education according to their inclinations.  It may be, that there is too great a desire on the part of parents, to give their children a professional education, before the body of the people, are ready for it.  A people must be a business people, and have more to depend upon than mere help in people’s houses and Hotels, before they are either able to support, or capable of properly appreciating the services of professional men among them.  This has been one of our great mistakes—­we have gone in advance of ourselves.  We have commenced at the superstructure of the building, instead of the foundation—­at the top instead of the bottom.  We should first be mechanics and common tradesmen, and professions as a matter of course would grow out of the wealth made thereby.  Young men and women, must now prepare for usefulness—­the day of our Elevation is at hand—­all the world now gazes at us—­and Central and South America, and the West Indies, bid us come and be men and women, protected, secure, beloved and Free.

The branches of Education most desirable for the preparation of youth, for practical useful every-day life, are Arithmetic and good Penmanship, in order to be Accountants; and a good rudimental knowledge of Geography—­which has ever been neglected, and under estimated—­and of Political Economy; which without the knowledge of the first, no people can ever become adventurous—­nor of the second, never will be an enterprising people.  Geography, teaches a knowledge of the world, and Political Economy, a knowledge of the wealth of nations; or how to make money.  These are not abstruse sciences, or learning not easily acquired or understood; but simply, common School Primer learning, that every body may get.  And, although it is the very key to prosperity and success in common life, but few know any thing about it.  Unfortunately for our people, so soon as their children learn to read a Chapter in the New Testament, and scribble a miserable hand, they are pronounced to have “Learning enough”; and taken away from School, no use to themselves, nor community.  This is apparent in our Public Meetings, and Official Church Meetings; of the great number of men present, there are but few capable of filling a Secretaryship.  Some of the large cities may be an exception to this.  Of the multitudes of Merchants, and Businessmen throughout this country, Europe, and the world, few are qualified, beyond the branches here laid down by us as necessary for business.