In 1912, the first released-time seminary classes met in a building adjacent to Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah.

[1]: 3  His family lived on the frontier and Yates came in contact with Native Americans and stray horses on occasion.

[1]: 37, 67 Yates attended Brigham Young Academy (BYA) in Provo, Utah, at 16 years of age.

He received instruction from the head of the school, Karl G. Maeser, and other teachers such as James E. Talmage and Benjamin Cluff.

[1]: 5, 14 After graduation at age 20, Yates got a job as the principal of a school that was located in Deseret, Utah.

He was also put in charge of schools in other Utah communities including Oasis, Delta, and Hinckley.

The couple planned to get married in 1895; however, Yates received an assignment to serve as a missionary for the LDS Church.

[2] Yates left June 1, 1895, and served for three years in the Southern States Mission, returning on July 6, 1898.

He began working at the Utah Power and Light Company in July 1902 as a switchboard attendant.

Under this system, students could attend a public high school and receive religious training at the same time.

They worked with schools and administrators so that students would be able to leave campus during their free study block.

Yates continued working at the Murray power plant and would ride his horse to make it to the last two class periods of the day to teach.

While Yates was offered the job the following year, he declined the position due to his heavy work schedule.