96 Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 
Thompson claimed to be commissioned by Baneemy 
as Chief Teacher in the Schools of Preparation; and there 
were also to be Schools of Faith and Schools of Works, 
several degrees of each, but up to this time there have 
been but three degrees in the Schools of Faith and only 
two degrees established in the Schools of Works. There 
were long formal covenants to be entered into by the 
members of each, and officers and teachers were elected 
to the subordinate positions in these schools. 
There was also a travelling department in the 
Schools of Faith, the members of which acted as mission- 
aries, and these were divided into quorums or groups of 
fifteen men, who were assigned to different sections of 
the country. 
So the School of Works had its quorum or groups of 
men to whom duties were assigned in the nature of the 
civil government or business management of the colony, 
and one of the early things attended to was to enclose 
about 1,500 acres of tillable land in the vicinity of the 
town for the next year’s cultivation in which portions 
would be set off for each one according to their needs or 
ability to farm, as each member was then working finan- 
cially for himself. The law of tything was established, 
by which each gave to the Presbytery one-tenth of all he 
or she possessed, money, clothing, cattle and all, and 
also one-tenth of their annual income, and one-tenth of 
their labor besides so giving one-tenth of their time, and 
one-tenth of the products of the other nine-tenths. 
Thompson’s paper, “The Harbinger and Organ,” con- 
tinually warned his followers of the necessity of being 
faithful to the covenants if they expected to progress in 
these Schools of Faiths and Works, and be ready for the 
third degree in the school of works, which was to be 
opened at the Solemn Assembly in August, 1856. He 
warned them to observe the law of tything and also the 
law of gift obligations which had been in force for some 
time. This seemed to be the making of donations by the 
brethren in other districts, towards the common cause, 
as well as by the members of the colony. Books of ac- 
count had been opened and the several gifts and tythings 
were set down in detail. 
