Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-17
TIE cIyn LAW OF NOSES.

Ismel through Moses. They were
framed for a people who were under
the direct care Of God, and for tire pur-
Jose OF educating tina, race and, in n
certain degree, the whole world to that
state Of morality and intelligence nee.
cssary preparatory 10 the acceptance Of
the principles OF tho succeeding dis
pcnsatlons. The laws Of Moses were
the nceiful preliminarles Of tho laws
of the Gospel.
II has sometimes been stated TINT
those ancient laws cannot 10 Of
divine origin, because some Of
theft provisions are contrary 10 what
In our age is considered the
standard Of perfection. This assertion
IA based upon an erroneous Wow OF
their aim. They were not given NJ n
i1aor finished Lesson Of morality and
intelligence 10 mankind. ON the con.
trary, the lawglver clearly states that
another prophet should be raised up
whom tho people should obey, thereby
intimailug that those lnitiatory laws
would be perfected by another inspired
servant Of God. Whom n child com.
mences to learn, It cannot receive the
same kind Of instructions nor the same
rules rs II can and will receive whom It
reaches n more advanced age. But the
lint rudini.nis Of instructions are M es-
sen,ial TO advancement a. are those
which follow. The laws Of Moses must
bccousidered In this light.
when God ied Israel out ot bondage,
He had a people disposed 10 iioiatry.
He had TO teach them His own perfec.
tons aud induce thom TO worship Him
with pure hearts aud reverence. They
had u learn TINT they were His people
by covenant with their fathers, and
that they should, consequently, love
Him and love each other, keeping
Themselves free from the contamna-
tion Of surrounding peoples. They
were TO be IA ught 10 implicitly trust In
Him as we'll NJ 10 render Him that
obedience, without which citizenship
In the Kingdom Of Heaven cannot DO
obtained. Ani for all these purposes,
the Mosaic law IA perfect. II proves
the lufnite wisdom Of ip Originator,
becausb IL various provisions arc
perfectly adapted 10 Tho obtaining Of
thu .la....s "a. .st.sx xg. .,llI -. 81.
effects Of these laws In the Hebrew race
OF tcisy. who Worship, God with
moro reverence than nm orthodox Jew,
who dos no, even dare 10 pronounce
tho nans Of tho Almighty for fear Of
pfoianing ~ who has kept himself
more frva from idolalry than the Jews?
Aud whore among the nations can we
lind more true brotherhood than among
the descendants OF Israeli A code OF
laws, 70 ancient, aud that has had the
pswor Of giving To nation such
marked characteristics Is worthy Of
more than common attention.
In this aud subsequent article. we
4 propose 10 give an outline Of the
Mosaic Law In lts three divisions,
Civil Law, Criminal Law and Cero.
monial Law.
Tho statutes which deal with the 70.
lations Of man with man are called
Civil Law. Family relations, nolgh.
borly intercourse and national trans.
actions are 10 be- considered under this
head. Accordingly, we viii frst give
an outline Of the laws relating to
marriage.
Ono OF the most prominent provi.
slons In the Mosaic law Il the ono pro.
hibiilng the people from iutormarriagc
with tho surrounding Gentle nations.
The passage torbidding 4, reads
"And when tho Lord thy God shall de.
liver them tlho dontloO haiorc thee, thou
shalt smllo them md utterly destroy
thom, thou shalt make no covenant with
thom, nor show morcy unto ihcmi Nsiil.
/ a. sAah hon make maTrdgei teifi fbem,
ihy daughter thou shalt not give unto
his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take
unto thy son. For thon
arta holy pcoplo unto the Lord ihy God,
rho Lord thy God has chosen thoo to be
a special pooplo unto himself above all
people that are upon tho l,eo OF the
earth" DeuL 2, 90.
Among tho surrounding nat ions, and
also among the Egyptians, incest was
common, but the Mosaic law prohIbits
the marriage Of any near Of kin.
Tho following arc apeoided In the
prohibitions A father, mother,
fathers wife, dster, u daughter Of thy
father daughter Of thy mother, thy
sons daughter, or thy daughters
daughter, thy fathers wife's daughter.
fathers sister, mothers sister, fathers
bro,her and his wife, daughter.in.law,
aud brothers. wife. To this Ia also added
apOhibitlon from marrying woman
aud her daughter, her sons daughter
aud her daughlof's daughter. Levi
Oil.
Cousins however, were permitted To
marry according 10 the following
"Eyon .. the Lord commanded Moses
20 did the daughters Of zglophohnd, for |
Mahlah, firsah and 1oslah and Mlcah |
and Noah tho daughters Of noiophoh,,d. |
were married TO iheir h,hor's hrathor's |
sons Numb. 30, 10, H."
A special provision is made for girls
having property. II man died with, |
out n son, his inheritance IN the coun. |
try passed 70 HE daughters AMI