Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, wisely made specific provision for the instruction of the children in the Christian Science Sunday School. Rules for teaching are found in Sections 2 and 3 of Article XX of the Church Manual. First of all, Section 2 requires that "the Sabbath School children shall be taught the Scriptures, and they shall be instructed according to their understanding or ability to grasp the simpler meanings of the divine Principle that they are taught." It is obvious then that the children can be taught anything in the Scriptures or anything in Christian Science that they can understand, so long as the instruction is presented from the standpoint of the lessons as specified in Section 3.

Section 3 provides for the first lessons of the children and for the lessons that are to follow. The first lessons, which are the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer with its spiritual interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy, and the Beatitudes, are basic. The truths of these lessons underlie all the teachings of Christian Science. Hence, the next lessons, consisting of questions and answers suitable for youth, which may be found in the Quarterly Bible Lessons, are virtually a continuation or an unfoldment of the first lessons.

Under the Manual provisions the Sunday School children should become well acquainted with the Scriptures. While there is no provision for teaching a chronological course in Bible history in Sunday School, events and episodes in Biblical history have an important place in illustrating the lessons. As Mrs. Eddy points out in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 139), "From beginning to end, the Scriptures are full of accounts of the triumph of Spirit, Mind, over matter." Children should become familiar with the great characters of the Bible who through the cultivation of Godlike qualities have furnished outstanding examples of man's God-given dominion, examples of the operation of divine law in human affairs. The teacher need not wait for certain Scriptural references to occur in the Lesson-Sermon. Anything in the Bible may be presented whenever it will serve the teaching of the lesson. And it is entirely proper that a Biblical narrative be presented with some regard to its chronological place in history. Besides the narratives, such Bible passages as parables, proverbs, prophecies, and psalms may be used effectively.

Many teachers, feeling the need of broadening their own knowledge of the Bible in order that they may improve their teaching, find it helpful to use a Bible dictionary in preparing for the classes. Several Bible dictionaries are sold by The Christian Science Publishing Society and may be purchased through the local Reading Rooms.

The question is sometimes asked, Does the scope of the Sunday School lessons permit teaching the children about our Leader, her life and works, or teaching them about the Christian Science movement, its government, its activities, and its achievements? All of these subjects have a place in the Sunday School teaching. On page 560 of our textbook, in explanation of the first verse of the twelfth chapter of Revelation, Mrs. Eddy emphasizes the importance of entertaining a correct estimate of God's messenger. Here she states, "Again, without a correct sense of its highest visible idea, we can never understand the divine Principle." Christian Science is the final revelation of Truth, and it is important that the children should understand its revelator.

In the Preface to her textbook (p. xi) Mrs. Eddy tells us that God called her to proclaim His gospel to humanity and that at the same time she was charged with the planting and watering of His vineyard. The children should thoroughly understand this. They should understand that because she was a diligent seeker for Truth and a faithful listener for His voice, Mrs. Eddy grew to the spiritual stature which enabled her to become the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. If the children understand our Leader and her mission, they will not be misled by the various systems claiming to be the same thing as Christian Science, or similar to Christian Science. If they do not understand clearly that Mrs. Eddy was called of God to present Truth in this age, just as Christ Jesus was called of God to present it in his age, they may regard Christian Science merely as another religion instead of the second appearing of Christ on earth, and they may regard Mrs. Eddy only as one of a number of great religious leaders rather than the one whom God anointed to present the Comforter of Biblical prophecy.

The divine origin of Christian Science as set forth in our textbook should be kept before the thought of the children. And when they can grasp the significance of it, teachers may well explain that just as Mrs. Eddy received from God the truth presented in our textbook, so also she received from God through revelation and demonstration the plan set forth in the Church Manual for spreading the truth and preserving the purity of her teachings. When these important facts are clear to the pupils they will love the Sunday School and will look forward to membership in the Church established by our Leader.