Article February 12, 1927 Issue

Pupils' Associations

CONRAD HIBBELER

Without instruction there would be no progress in the world; and without human contact, to share our instruction and blessings with others, selfishness would tend to increase. Our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, realized this and established class instruction in Christian Science as one way of advancing individuals spiritually. And along with class instruction she instituted Pupils' Associations to renew our interest, to strengthen our faith, to reassure our hope, to increase our charity, and to unify and protect the Cause of Christian Science.

After her own healing, Mrs. Eddy devoted herself to a search after the truth which had healed her, so that she could share her glorious revelation with others. In practicing this truth she healed others, and in obedience to divine guidance she began to teach them and to organize them into Associations. These early Associations of Mrs. Eddy's students were evidently intended as a bond for the whole Christian Science movement; for it was at one of her own Students' Association meetings that she, in 1879, made the motion and it was voted, "To organize a church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing" (Church Manual, p. 17). Thus the Church of Christ, Scientist, had its inceptions at one of Mrs. Eddy's Students' Association meetings.

Mrs. Eddy in addressing the National Christian Science Association, in 1890, spoke in a most loving way of the regret she felt for the manner in which this Association had failed to improve an opportunity to ask questions when she gave its members such an opportunity. It is evident, therefore, that in those early days when the workers were few and widely scattered the same arguments came to them that come to us in these days, arguments regarding questions, arguments about attending Association meetings, arguments to prevent our writing articles for the periodicals—arguments to hinder our doing our duty along every right line.

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