The Juvenile Instructor Office was a printing press established by George Q. Cannon in 1866. At the time, the Apostle and private secretary to Brigham Young was concerned that Utah Territory was being flooded with “Gentile” materials from the East that didn’t align with Latter-day Saint values. To address the issue, he created the press to produce “home literature” specifically for children and emigrant converts. Cannon funded the venture on his own, publishing works such as the Faith Promoting Series, the Juvenile Instructor, and the biography, “Life of Joseph Smith.” The printing office heightened Cannon’s influence, broke the Deseret News‘s monopoly, and was ultimately purchased by the Church, paving the way for pioneer faith-promoting publications and the modern Deseret Book Company.
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“A Publication Suitable for Circulation”: The Need for Specialized Latter-day Saint Publishing in 1880s Utah
— George Q. Cannon founded the Juvenile Instructor Office to give Latter-day Saint youth an alternative to printed materials from the East not aligned with their values.
Why did pioneer Utah need a press devoted to Latter-day Saint materials?
George Q. Cannon founded the Juvenile Instructor and the Juvenile Instructor Office, as a private venture, to provide children wholesome reading material written to the standards of the Latter-day Saints to counter the “stage loads” of “novelettes and illustrated papers containing tales of fiction” flooding the territory.
He often condemned the reading of fiction, as stated in an editorial from an early issue of the Juvenile Instructor:
As you value your children’s future, banish novels from your habitations. Discourage the reading of fiction. It poisons the mind; it destroys the memory; it wastes valuable time; it warps the imagination…
George Q. Cannon
When did publication of the Juvenile Instructor begin?
Cannon, perhaps the most influential LDS Church leader in the late 19th century, started publishing the Juvenile Instructor in 1866.
What did it initially focus on?
Based on Lawrence Flake’s analysis of the magazine, the content broke down into roughly three categories:
- Religious content (61%)
- Secular content (31%)
- Other content (8%)
The final category dealt mostly with Sunday School Union concerns. Secular articles discussed science, nature, history, geography, and travel.
What was the primary goal?
Furnishing children with a religious education through its pages was a major goal of the magazine. It was intended to supplement what children learned in Sunday School and from their parents.
In about 1879, the Juvenile Instructor Office began publishing books on faith-promoting subjects to increase their impact on Latter-day Saints. The publication of these books greatly increased the amount of reading material tailored to Latter-day Saints beyond the scriptures and missionary materials.
What did Brigham Young think?
He strongly supported the magazine. When George Q. Cannon first issued the Juvenile Instructor, he was serving as Brigham Young’s private secretary and had been a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1860. So, he had Young’s blessing and close association with the new endeavor—an effort designed to benefit and teach the youth of the LDS Church.
Brigham Young even wrote his son and European Mission president, Brigham Young, Jr., in Liverpool, asking that he procure woodcuts from printing houses in London for Cannon’s “children’s paper.” He instructed that the engravings be sent with returning missionaries along with an invoice for payment. Brigham Young again wrote a later European Mission president with the same request.
George Q. Cannon: Founder, Publisher, Editor
— George Q. Cannon started the Juvenile Instructor Office with his own funds, served as its editor, and exercised strict editorial control.
What experiences made Cannon uniquely suited to launch the Juvenile Instructor Office?
Liverpool publisher and editor
George Q. Cannon brought to this enterprise the recent experience from 1860-1864 as editor of the Millennial Star, one of his duties while on a mission to England.
During this mission, he also printed three books bearing his name as publisher in Liverpool.
Western Standard editor and scripture publisher
Earlier in 1855, he published the Book of Mormon in Hawaiian and served as editor of the weekly Western Standard from February 1856 to September 1857 while he was fulfilling a mission in San Francisco.
Deseret News editor
Upon his return to Utah after his mission in San Francisco, he went to Fillmore, where he printed the Deseret News for about four months in 1858. Cannon was also editor of the Utah newspaper from November 1867 to August 1873 and again from 1877 to 1879.
Who were the company’s main leaders?
George Q. Cannon
Cannon remained the editor of the periodical from its start in 1866 until his death in April 1901, maintaining close control throughout.
George C. Lambert
Cannon’s first manager of the office was George C. Lambert, Cannon’s nephew, who got his start at the Juvenile Instructor in 1867 at the age of 19 at Cannon’s insistence. In 1875, Lambert took over financial responsibility for the business, though Cannon was still actively involved.
Abraham H. Cannon
When Abraham H. Cannon, Cannon’s son and future member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, returned from his mission in June 1882 Cannon put him on the staff of the Juvenile Instructor Office.
At the same time, Lambert was called on a mission to Great Britain. Prior to departing on his mission, Lambert met with Cannon, during which he argued that he was entitled to a partnership with one-third ownership of the Juvenile Instructor Office.
Cannon wanted to maintain absolute control.
However, Cannon wanted to maintain absolute control, as his name was associated with the business, and did not want to be answerable to anyone if the business failed. They agreed on $5,000 for Lambert’s interest in the business. After Lambert’s departure, Abraham was appointed manager of the business.
With his son as manager, Cannon still maintained close control of the business, often meeting with Abraham or writing him letters to instruct him.
How long did Cannon maintain absolute editorial control?
George Q. Cannon kept complete editorial control over the Juvenile Instructor until his death in 1901. There is no evidence that Brigham Young asserted any control.
Cannon would at times delegate the editing and writing of articles for the Juvenile Instructor when he was too busy with other tasks, including serving as the territorial representative to Congress in Washington, D.C.
At one point, probably about 1877, John W. Young, a counselor in the First Presidency, complained that the Juvenile Instructor was not meeting its high ideals and was publishing fiction and faulty doctrine.
Cannon admitted he had neglected the magazine because of other obligations, but that Lambert did a praiseworthy job. Because of these criticisms, Lambert gave John Taylor (then president of the Quorum of Twelve) the past two years of files for his review. Taylor found much pleasure in reading the material and pointed out that one serial, “A Trip Around the World” by George M. Ottinger, contained some fiction as Ottinger had not visited all the locations he wrote about.
“Wholesome ‘Home’ Literature”: Books, Pamphlets, Cards, and More
— The printing office specialized in faith-promoting literature, including Cannon’s 1879 missionary memoir and “Leaves from My Journal” by Wilford Woodruff.
What kinds of materials did the Juvenile Instructor Office publish—and what topics did it cover?
The Juvenile Instructor Office published faith-promoting materials for the Latter-day Saint market. They also printed and produced materials for the Sunday School Union, as Cannon was its president.
One of the first books published by the Juvenile Instructor Office in 1879 was Cannon’s narrative of his first mission in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) during 1850-1854.
Books that followed off their press were of similar faith-promoting topics. They included historical narratives, biographies, and hymn and songbooks for such Church organizations as the Mutual Improvement Association, other Association Choirs, and Primary Associations.
What were some of its most noteworthy titles?
Faith Promoting Series
One of the Juvenile Instructor Office’s major productions was the Faith Promoting Series, with the first being published in 1879. By the time it was discontinued in 1887, the series totaled 14 volumes. The first volumes in the series were :
- My First Mission (1879) by George Q. Cannon
- A String of Pearls (1880) compiled by Cannon
- Leaves from My Journal (1881) by Wilford Woodruff
Life of Joseph Smith
One of the most important books published by the Juvenile Instructor Office was the 1888 Life of Joseph Smith, attributed to George Q. Cannon.
Noteworthy books
Other important books from the Juvenile Instructor Office include The Story of the Book of Mormon (1888) by George Reynolds and Life of Heber C. Kimball (1888) by Orson F. Whitney.
They also published a large-print edition of the Book of Mormon in 1888.
Was the Juvenile Instructor Office successful in protecting Latter-day Saint youth from Gentile influences?
It is difficult to determine the influence that the Juvenile Instructor Office’s publications had on Latter-day Saint youth. Based on the number of old Latter-day Saint families who still have copies of many Juvenile Instructor Office publications and the number of copies that appear on the rare book market, they must have been widely distributed at the time, with most families obtaining them.
Church officials—especially during conferences and in the local newspapers—strongly encouraged members to subscribe to the Juvenile Instructor and related publications.
Whether the youth actually read these materials is unknown.
“Family Stock Company”: From Private Business to Church Institution
— Expansion of the print office eventually broke the monopoly of the Deseret News before Cannon sold it to the Church due to declining business and a desire not to be seen competing with the printing enterprise of another First Presidency counselor.
How did the Juvenile Instructor Office break the Church-owned Deseret News’ monopoly?
One of the first ventures to break the Deseret News’s monopoly on printing materials for the Church was in 1881, when George Lambert secured low bids to print missionary pamphlets for the Southern States Mission.
John Morgan, the author of these pamphlets and head of the Southern States Mission, requested bids from the two competing entities to print them.
After the leading authorities of the Church, who were paying for the printing of the tracts, saw that Lambert’s bid was a sixth of the others’, they immediately launched an investigation into the large discrepancy. President John Taylor visited Lambert to confirm the pricing and, once satisfied, hired the Juvenile Instructor Office to do the printing, saying he wanted to teach the Deseret News a lesson.
Expansion of equipment enabled them to take on larger printing jobs.
With the addition of new printing equipment, the output of the Juvenile Instructor Office in 1888 increased dramatically, including the printing and binding of full-size, case-bound, substantial books.
This expansion of equipment enabled them to take on larger printing jobs, thereby outcompeting the Deseret News for the work. The Deseret News was mostly limited to printing the standard scriptures and missionary tracts.
What signalled the peak of the Cannon family’s media influence?
At the end of 1889, the Juvenile Instructor Office expanded into a new, larger building at 24 East South Temple Street, near the ZCMI building. This expansion, including new equipment, increased the facilities’ printing and binding capabilities and enabled additional growth into the 1890s.
The printing business continued to grow into the 1890s under the name “George Q. Cannon & Sons.” On March 18, 1891, Cannon met with all his sons and one daughter to incorporate the family business as “George Q. Cannon & Sons.”
The imprint for their printing establishment was changed from the Juvenile Instructor Office to George Q. Cannon & Sons, which continued until August 10, 1900, when it was sold to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When (and why) was the Juvenile Instructor Office sold to the Church?
The Cannon’s family printing business was sold to the Church on August 10, 1900, with Cannon stating that he did not want two members of the First Presidency running competing printing enterprises.
Additionally, the printing business had slackened, possibly due to the loss of Abraham H. Cannon’s drive and leadership after his death at age 37 on July 19, 1896.
The publication of the massive four-volume History of Utah by Orson F. Whitney over more than a decade likely strained the company’s finances. Cannon also approved the sale of the Juvenile Instructor magazine, which Cannon had retained, to the Deseret Sunday School Union on October 5, 1900. These transactions occurred just a few months prior to Cannon’s death on April 12, 1901.
After the sale of George Q. Cannon & Sons to the Church in 1900, the book-selling business became known as the Deseret Sunday School Union Bookstore. The Deseret News and Deseret Sunday School Union bookstores were consolidated under the name of Deseret Book Company in 1920.
More Than History: Pioneer Printing, Modern Experience
— The Juvenile Instructor Office was a groundbreaking venture in its time, but also launched innovations that affect today’s “standardized” Church experience and planted the roots of the modern Deseret Book Company.
How did the “Faith Promoting Series” move from a local experiment to a genre that defines how Latter-day Saints share their history today?
The publication of the Faith Promoting Series, along with other faith-promoting books by the Juvenile Instructor Office in the 1880s, marks the beginning of a means of confirming and encouraging the Latter-day Saint faith through books and other inspirational materials that continue to this day.
The Juvenile Instructor Office was the early roots of the Deseret Book Company, which has continued its focus on publishing faith-promoting materials.
How did its administrative tools, such as Sunday School role books, shape today’s “standardized” Church experience?
The Juvenile Instructor Office was the printer of materials for the Deseret Sunday School Union, including roll books, class registers, and report blanks, providing standardized forms for distribution throughout the Church.
The production of standardized forms for the various Church organizations was another first for the Juvenile Instructor Office, a practice that continues to this day.
If a reader walks into a Deseret Book today, what part of the experience can be traced directly back to the Cannon family’s 1880s vision?
As the Deseret Book Company of today traces its beginnings to the Juvenile Instructor Office, similarities exist between the two entities. The publishing and selling of books promoting the Latter-day Saint faith have been important goals of both.
The Juvenile Instructor Office store probably had books and other materials focused on the needs of Church members on display, similar to a Deseret Book store, though the number of books on display at a current Deseret Book store has decreased over the years.
What else can readers find in your book?
The Juvenile Instructor: The Growth of Specialized Publishing in Utah in the 1880s provides a detailed history and extensive bibliography of the Juvenile Instructor Office, the foundational printer and publisher of materials for the Latter-day Saint market.
History
The history focuses on the company’s main leaders and managers: George Q. Cannon, George C. Lambert, and Abraham H. Cannon. The section begins with the origins of the Juvenile Instructor magazine for children in 1866 and continues through its growth into a publisher and printer of faith-promoting books—including historical narratives, biographies, and music and hymnbooks —starting in the late 1870s.
I also include the history of its expansion, by the end of the 1880s, into larger facilities with superior equipment, making it the largest provider of materials for the Latter-day Saint market at the time. Additionally, I cover the company’s incorporation, which led to the change in the imprint to George Q. Cannon & Sons in 1891.
Bibliography
The bibliography portion contains a description of each item printed or published by the Juvenile Instructor Office. Each item has a color photograph of its cover and title page, making it an important research tool of early publishing in Utah.
The book is a great resource for understanding the early roots of the Deseret Book Company and early faith-promoting publishing in Utah.
About the Scholar
Craig S. Smith is an independent historian, retired archaeologist, and Mormon book collector specializing in the history of 19th-century printing and the evolution of Latter-day Saint publishing. He is the author of The Juvenile Instructor Office: The Growth of Specialized Publishing in Utah in the 1880s, a definitive history and bibliography published by Greg Kofford Books.
Further Reading
Learn more about the time period in which the early Juvenile Instructor Office operated:
- Why Did George Cannon Enter the Publishing Industry?
- Did Frank Cannon Ghostwrite ‘Life of Joseph Smith’?
- What Revelations Did John Taylor Receive?
- Who Was the Ute Leader Wakara?
- Why Did Brigham Young Almost Suspend Tithing?
Juvenile Instructor Resources
Read what top scholars and publishers say about the Juvenile Instructor Office and Craig Smith’s history:
- The Juvenile Instructor Office: The Growth of Specialized Publishing in Utah in the 1880’s, a History and Bibliography (Greg Kofford Books)
- Juvenile Instructor: Record Viewer (Church History Catalog)
- Namesake Blog (juvenileinstructor.org)
- Book Review (Association of Mormon Letters)
- Publisher Q&A (Greg Kofford Books)
