In 1960, and under the direction
of Church President David O. McKay, the First
Presidency sent a letter to the General
Priesthood Committee, then led by Elder Harold B. Lee. The letter conveyed
the prophet's desire that the Church correlate,
on a worldwide basis, the instruction and
curriculum of all priesthood and auxiliary organizations
of the Church. We of the First Presidency
have over the years felt a need of a correlation
between and among the courses of study put out by the
General Priesthood Committee and by the responsible heads of
other committees of the General Authorities for the
instruction of the priesthood of the Church. We have also felt that
there's a very urgent need of a correlation of studies
among the auxiliaries of the Church. We therefore commend to
you, brethren of the General Priesthood Committee,
the beginning of an exhaustive,
prayerful study and a consideration
of this entire subject with the cooperative
assistance of the auxiliaries themselves so that the Church
might reap the maximum harvest from the devotion of the
faith, intelligence, skill, and knowledge of our various
auxiliary organizations and the priesthood committees. As instructed, Harold B. Lee
counseled with Church leaders and formulated a plan that
renewed efforts to correlate the Church's endeavors in
welfare, missionary work, genealogy, education, home
teaching, and family home evening. The entire strength
of the Church was marshaled to ultimately
bless and sustain the home and family.