Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-12-24

ceived. The gist Of the sacrificial system
prescribed by Moses was this principle
OF compensation. II was designed to
teach the lsraelites that II they received
favor and blessing they must earn Il;
IL they transgressed law they must
atone for Il, or pay the penalty. In this
plan the divine law OF Justice Is magni-
fed and in another honored. But this
sacred and eternal law OF sacrifice was
seized upon by the wicked and degraded
TO serve selfish ends. A human being
or some deiiied objec, was made to stand
in place OF the law, and these adopted
gods received the honor and worship
which belonged alone to the Creator.
The great charm of idolatfy, and that
which allured the masses TO its disgusting
orgies, was It's indulgence OF the gross
and sensual passions OF the flesh.
The service OF the true God is never
acceptable to HIM unaccompanied with
repentance, purity and righteousness;
but these are conditions which the false
gods never required OF their devotees.
The people attributed to their deities the
weakness, passions and love OF gratiiica-
ton common among mortals; and hence
their religious worship tended TO de-
trade rat her than to elevate. The gods
were supposed TO be pleased and Hat
gered by the sacrifices made to honor
them. The ancient idea OF the nature of
the gods was that they were the souls OF
illustrious characters, who had iaber-
nacled in the flesh, that everything pos.
sesses spiritual identity; aud that the
spirit Of the animals. birds, and also the
spiritual parts of vegetables and fruits
inundated and offered in sacrifice minis.
tered to the sustenance OF the spirit of
the dead person, just as the ileshly and
tangible parts Of things used for food
sustain the body when living.
The notion concerning human sacn-
fees was that the spirit of the victim
went into the service OF the person or
god to whom they were offered. This is
said to be also the doctrine taught by
Confucius, aud that II is believed in by
the Chinese OF modern times. Hence
the practice OF the Chinese at the iuner-
ais Of their people putting roasted pig,
chickens, and other eatables upon the
grave, is that the spirit which inhabited
these objects might be used by the soul
of the dead person while upon the
journey to the spirit world. II is in the
nature Of a sacrihcial offering to their
departed friend
Accounts are given OF similar ideas
prevailing among some OF the ancient
American races.
The following is taken from page 267 of
Prehistoric America, and is said OF one
OF the Maya tribes OF Yucatan:
"a deep excavation WIS dug in the center OF
,he town aud filled with water an altar, reached
by flight Oi step, cut Ia The rock. rose at the
very edge Of the prccIp,cc. Trees and shrubs
surrounded 1t On every hand. and perpetual
silence reigned. In the DAYS Of Votans FIRST
successors, In accordance with The instructions
OF ,he messenger OF the gods. nothing was
offered up but animals flowers. or incense but
by degrees the ptople vent back 10 the most
revolving sacrifice II they were threatened
With any calamity such as famine. or pe,iilence,
the populace fastened TO gather round the altar
and TO appease the anger OF the gods with
human victims. These victims were generally
young virgins. they marched tfiumphanty 10
their fate, arrayed In rich apparel and surioun-
ded by m Imposing escort Of priests Whilst
ihe fumes Of the incense rose towards heaven,
The priests explained TO the virgins what they
were to ask OF the gods before whom they were
TO appear. Then when the incense was dying
out upon the altar they We're flung down into
she abyss, whilst the PROSTATE crowd went on
Offering up their ardent petitions
We are not told who the gods were
that were honored by these revolving
sacrifices, but some were represented by
men, Others by animals,