Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-07

1t has already been stated that
there is a great difference between
the mode Of teaching morals in
sacred books OF the Bible and the
Koran. In the Bible, the laws Of
our moral nature, although evil
IDENTIFY known TO the authors, are
never formally announced. They
are always involved by i'm
plication in the truths or precepts
given. The Bible is, therefore, not
catalogue Of virtues to be prac-
ticed and Of vices to be Stunned.
1t illustrates, by a narration of his
torical events, parallels or types, the
principles of virtue ami OF vice,
leaving it TO the intelligence Of be
levers, guided 10y the Spirit
Of God, to determine for them
selves in each individual case
what is right or wrong, rs test
ed by those principles. The Book
Of Mormon, it will be observed, per-
fectly resembles the Bible in this
respect, iDtimating the same Divine
authorship. For instance, when We
want to know in any particular case
what is right or wrong concerning
our dealings with one another, We
may not discover in the inspired
books any rule bearing directly on
that individual case, but we find a
broad, general principal bearing on
all possible cases: Glove thy neigh
Dor as thyself,o and the inspired
books thus become guides fitted for
all times, all conditions, all nations.
They are clear enough to have no
doubt upon questions of life, and
that without giving any systematic
form in the truths revealed, by
which earnest searching for truth
would be excluded. In this import
ant respect the holy book Of Islam is
quite different. Here we find Il
series Of virtues Systematically emu
merated. Charity, friendliness, jus
tice, honesty, reverence and graft. |
tube toward parents, kindness to-
ward orphans and relatives, sympa-
thy toward the sick, the poor, anu
travellers, kindness toward slaves,
patience in misfortune and perfect |
resignation in the will og God.
These are the chief virtues of Islam.
The vices condemned are: Injustice,
vindictiveness, pride, mendacity, |
olasphemy, stinginess and its oppo- |
site, as well as gambling and drink
ing. The exercise Of charity and |
kindness is repeatedly eDjoined, al
though il is binding as far only as
fellowshipin faith is existing. To treat |
an ''unbeliever" or an enemy with |
kindness is not expected, and, accord
ing TO all signs, il will take many
more years Of intercourse with
strangers before the MOslems are
prepared TO add even true tolerance
to their list OF virtues. Then the in
dividual conception Of the differ
ent virtues and vices is also, as
by the Christians, different, accord
ing TO the latitude Of the individual
conscience. To lie, for instance, is
a vice, but TO lie TO an ''uubeliever''
is always excusable. Even a per-
jury may be blotted out by some
prescribed religious exercises. A
murder can be paid Off by handing
"A sum Of money to the relatives OF
the murdered victim, if they are
willing TO receive It. The sundry
to purity and chastity
often refer only to the dress Of the
women or TO other external points.
With respect to polygamy, it is 50
that man can have as
many rs four lawful wives, If he is /,
sure Of being able 10 treat them !
hight. Childlessness is considered a
awful ground for taking a plural :
wife. Concentrate with the female
slaves is also allowed, and divorce is
/ somewhat easily accomplished 1
Ormality, perhaps happily and
wisely SO under the existing cir
In this connection l may men, !
ion that l have it from a reliable
Informant that the Moslem ladies Q
Ire generally opposed to the system
4 polygamy as practiced here. =
They are sometimes all but crazy
rom jealousy, and the husbands [
re many a time afraid of eating
God prepared 10y the wives, for fear
4 lite being poisoned Thus the
'eace of families often vanishes
With the introduction of a new =
vie. But the reasons for this are
lso obvious. The husbands act
Without consulting their wives, and !
the business con the sly,, {
$ much as possible. Mohammedan
olygamy is, therefore, essentially
agalized prostitution, and that
auses here, as in all the world,
salousy. 1t is the secrecy, the hid !;
ng and the lie which are connected u
18th 1t that make it a curse. And v
oubly SO, because 1t Is an -
fiair of ne higher import n
nee than 1.-THE qualification Of
he flesh. There is no heaven in s.
; all Is earth. How can It then be Q;
iherwise than il is? the trouble Is =.
lat the Meslems, with the very P,
enerable example Of their great p
itriarch before them, copy only Al
ne half Of it. They want to do as
ID Abraham, who took Hagar for