The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-08

hdIlnI De dn ala or an injury TO the
Work Oh human regeneration, ana as
We assume responsibilities, form ties,
enter INTO covenants, beget children,
accumulate families, so does the
weight OF our influence increase, so
| does its extent broaden and deepen.
| The scriptures inform us that God ere
ated this earth as habitauOn for man
and ne placed man on it that he might
nave Jo', JOY that is to be eternal.
| To accomplish these purposes, the
preparatory one of peopling the
earth, and the ultimate one of mans
eternal happiness, He, the Creator, es
tabIlshed marriage, and commanded
hose ne first placed here on earth to
be fruitful and multiply. This institu-
ton he regulated by strict laws given
tnrough MS servants to His people IN
their various diSpensauons; and His
SOD,ou Savior, emphasized these com
mandmentS by most unequivOcal
teachings with regard to the sacred
| ness OF the marriage covenant,
and of the sinfulness of divorce for
other than tde most grave departures
| from the spirit and intent of that cove
uant. In this is wisdom, for the eXper-
| renee OF the world, in all its ages,
| proves that where lax ideas exist with
! regard to marriage and divorce, more
especially where those ideas find ex-
preston in lax legislation, there We
discover peoples and nations whose
code of morals is inferior, and
where sexual irregularities and sins
increase, until that righteousness,
which has been so truthtully said sex
alteth a natiOn,' ceases to have an
Existence in their midst. To people
VINO believe as we do, that true mar
rage was diYinely instituted for the
multiplication of mankind, and is not
u union for time alone, but reaches in
TO the eternlties, the disruption Of
families by divorce is an evil OF no Or
binary character, not only bearing a
harvest of sc rroW and suffering in this
life, but also having q tar reaching in
1uence into the world beyond the
grave, and possibly involving others in
tile ruin who had no voice in the Sepa-
ration or power to avert its occurrence.
For this reason the Latter day Saints
of all people should be most lOath to
Sunder sacred ties once formed, and
most determinedly opposed TO the sew
erance of unions made in holy places
in Gods appointed way, for light and
trivial causes; and the efforts of
Teachers and Bishops in their labors
amongst families where differences,
alienation or quarrels exist, should al
ways be to effect reconciliation, pro-
mote union, inspire mutual forbear-
ance and Increase love. Only when
every kindly counsel and ministratiOn
fail should that last resort, divorce,
be permitted. And in such cases those
WIN have received of the sealing power
of the Church should also be separated
by the same authority that bound
them together: until this is done new
alliances are sinful.
SELF-MURDER DENOUNCED.
There is another evil that is growing
amongst the peoples of the world that
is not unfelt amidst the Latter day
Saints. 1t is the crime of self murder.
Suicide should be made OdiOuS among
the people of God, it should be en-
phaSized as a deadly sin, and no undue
feelings of tenderness towards the IN
fortunate dead, or of sympathy to-
wards the living berieved, should pre-
vent us denOunciDg it as a crime
against God and humanity, against the
Creator and the creature. 1t Is true
that the exact enOTmity of the act is
not defined with minute detail in the
Holy Scriptures, or the limits of its
punishment given: but to believers in
the God whom we worship it has al
ways been regarded as sin Of great
magnitude; and in many countries
especial pains have been taken TO dis
courage it, by refusal to bury in con-
secrated ground, by indignitieS offered
TO the lifelesS remains, or by such
lack of funereal O5ServanceS as would |
produce q peculiar and hOrrifyiu@
effect upon the survivors. Now, |
while not advocating measures of this
description, we do not think that the |
same laudatiOnS and panegyrlcS should !
be pronounced over the self murderer |
as are so freely uttered over the faith |
tul Saint who has gone to his eternal !
rest. There is q difference in their |
death, and hat difference should be |
impressed upon the living, unless the |
deceased, at the time of the rash act,
was IN such a mental condition as not
to be wholly responsible tor his ac-
tions; but again, flthiS condition De
the result OF sin, of departure from
Gods laws, then the unfortunate one,
ike the inebriate, is not altogether free
from the responsibility OF acts COM
mitted while in this State of mental
arrangement; if ne is not censurable
for the act itself, he is for the causes
that induced it. In such cases the
mantle of charity must not be stretched
SO widely, in our desire to protect our
erring friends, as to reflect dishonor on
he work Of God, or contempt for the
principles of the everlasting Gospel.
There is an unfortunate tendency IL
.he natures of many to palliate sins by
which they are not personally injured,
but we must not forget that such pal
iation frequently increases the orig
nal wrong, and brings diScredit on the
church and diShOner to the name and
work Of our blessed Redeemer; in
)ther WOTds,tO save the feelings OF our
riends we are willing to cruelty afreSh
he Lord of life and glory.
MISSIONARY OPERATIONS. 4
The reports of our Elders engaged in
labors in foreign lands are
ar from discouraging, when we con-
ider the tempest of misrepresentation
md abuse that has flooded the lands of
civilization with regard to ourselves,
'ur objects and our methods of evan
as well as the prejudices
hat have TO be overcome and the per- !
eCutiOn which has TO be met by those
Who Eaye sufficient moral courage and !
tamina TO obey so unpopular doc :
rine as the fullneSS of the Gospel of
'ur Lord Jesus Christ. Yet were the
esults even less encouraging than they
re, we have still imposed upon US the ,
luty of warning the peoples of the
% he 5rEov11pnfS of Alr1iorhtu