Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-03

Thing Ia lie Jolly.
Can religion feast and dancer Can u
fell Jolly stories and eat big dinners as
well as fast and Pray Can It drive tan
dem or ride bicycle. or sail a yacht, "a
well as walk TO the house Of God in sol.
smn company Can q play the fiddle at
n wedding As well ~ the organ Mt a funer-
nli Can II fro of torpcdoos and rockets
~ well as teach In tho Sunday SCHOOL,
In short. can II keep Independence Day
with bang aud song. as well as Good Fri
day with pcnanec and sacrament
The religion Of ponance aud fasting Is
good. II was the religion Of John tho
Baptist. but II isa onosided religion, a
religion not for every man. nor for every
day. II is not religion for the com
ploie man. In fact, tho ponance and tho
fasting and tho praying and the sacra-
mcnt are not tho religion, but tho forms
Of religion, and helps TO roligloni expires.
sions. perhaps. Of religion, but tho reli'
gion Il behind them. IN the heart II amy.
where, not IN tho visible show Jesus
prayed by himself. and no attended the
Sabbath services OF his people, and 10
won't, when he could, to tho regular an.
nual passover At Jerusalem; but We 10
not hear OF his fnsting or Of his making
much OF any religious forms Indeed,
we hear more Of his partaking Of social
icas,A His critics complained that he
came eating and drinking with no show
Of religious service When invited 10 a
feast ho went. His frt miracle was 10
provide wine for the happlest hnd mer-
REST Of all fcasts, tho wedding fclst OF
Cana. tho Invitation TO which no nc.
copied and brought his disciples ~ith
him.
We may well understand that God
meant Us 10 be- happy For that reason
he made MI things beautiful. For that
reason he put rs In households and or.
dainod all tho Joys Of welded and family
life. It Is not tho only existing Christian
duty TO savo souls, but 1t Is also n duty
10 mako people happy In common, pro-
Gaic ways, na We so along. Christians
have n special night In whatever IA beau.
tifpl or happy. II my ono eau honestly
laugh. and shout, aud sing, aud dance,
II IA one who has dono his duty 10 his
God. and IL trying to live life that will
please him. n any one has a right In q
festival. and IN all i,s joys, II any ono
eau ''oat tho bst and drink tho sweet"
aud make feast for household and
friends, n IL ono who loves his neighbor
rs himself. because 10 has iint loved God
with all his heart.
hut tho "wnste Of time and money!
That was tho voice OF Judas lscariot
Tho man who enters heartily into tho
joys of his fellow men Is not one that
will shut his purse 10 their wants. Ho
will bo no miaer. Let tho Christian be
one not 10 DO feared for his austerity,
but ono TO 10 loved for his happy good
fellowship. Remember Jesus, how tho
poor loved him for hia friondllness, for
his approaohablcnoas for his sympathy
with human Joys Tho most holy Of all
men, the only ono absolutely sinlcss, was
warmly, broadly human, not a particle
ascetio. man OF feas,B rather than
fasts SO lot our children learn from
our example that all tho jollities OF tho
Fourth Of July or Of Thanksgiving OF
Christmas arc for them. and that all tho
abandonment Of innocent sport and
pleasure can be enjoyed by them aud
Tanotified for tho spiritual and physical
good. and tho mental rcfrcshmcnt and
growth Of those who, with all Their
young affections, arc trying TO DO chill
dren and servanta Of tho blessed Master
Independents