Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-13


should not allow them to touch tea or
coffee. Fathers should not allow their
sons, when they can prevent it by their
influence, to touch anything OF an in
ioxlcatlng nature, or anything like to-
bacco.
mad this illustrated In my own family
a few years ago | was going off to
y ashington, and | called my children
together and gave them some instruc-
ii MS, and af er a while got to this sub
iect 1t is something | rarely ever talk
about in my family, because we set them
examples. We do not drink tea or
coli e, nor use these things in my house.
hold. But happened to have my mind
directed to them, and asked the child
ren-a number OF Them were grown
about their habits, aud whether they
had ever drunk anything OF this kind,
and found that there were only two
that had ever tasted either tea or coffee.
One OF these was my BABY boy, the
baby OF my first wife who is dead. When
he was baby. my vile was sick, and
she used little tea, aud this child had
tasted the tea, and his sisters had told
me how much he liked tea, Now, that
| boy, ii he were not careful, no doubt
would always have an inclination tor
tea. One other boy had tasted coffee.
But noue OF the others had ever tasted
| tea or coffee. think children brought
| uD in this way do have advantages over
| children brought up where there is
| looseness or carelessness. have MOTTO
| ed in my association with men and wo-
men who have once been in the habit
| of drinking tea and coffee, that ii they
are tired. or cold, or SICK, and there is
tea or coffee brought forward, they are
tempted to take 1t. The old desire is
awakened, and they are apt to yield to
the temptation. SO with liquor, SO with
tobacco, and SO with all these things
| which the Lord has told us are not good
Tor US.
Have not we as people been organ
lied long enough to do away with these
| things, and to live better liief This
| Church has been in existence for sixty.
six years now, and 1t seems 10 me that
the teachings we have received on these
points should be observed by all the
people. / have travelled, as many OF our
| young men have in the early days, and
been exposed to great deal OF hard
ship. have travelled across the plains
to and from California, when our water
was SO bad, being full OF alkali, that
some OF the brethren could not drink it,
I
travelled when it has been so cold that
when we have sat around eating break
iasl the water would freeze in our cups.
But always took water. And noticed
| that | was able to endure cold better, il
anything. than those who drank the
warm drinks; ana | was better able
under other circumstances, to endure
| hardships than the boys who drank
| liquor lproved that by experience,
and know that It is better in every way
Tor us TO be Tree from the habit OF using
these stimulants. ! am sure we are
healthier, and am sure it is better fol
our brains as well as our bodies "A man
that uses stimulants is not likely to be
SO well balanced in his mind, SO clear in
his Judgment the man who does not
have recourse to them.
do not like to talk about personal
| affairs; but 1t seemed to me that by re-
lating my personal experience in this
direction 1 could give point to my ideas
on this subject. would like to see
every child in our community taught by
their parents to refrain from the use OF
these articles, from touching them, and
| am sure we will be happier, a health
ier, more even-tempered and in every
way better people. 1t will contribute to
the development OF good qualities aud
the repression OF evil inclinations by
| following the course that the Lord has
pointed out as the best among us.
Mothers should take pains with their
children in these things.
| Children should be taught in early life
to pray to God. They should be taught
that there is God who will hear and
answer their prayers, When they are
sick they should be taught to ask their
father or the Elders to lay hanus upon
them; and il neither the father nor
any Elder is near, to have their
mother lay her hands on them
! and pray for them; ior this is
not sinful, it is not wrong. Women do
not have the Priesthood like men have,
but they can pray Tor their children, and
their prayers are heard just as much as
the prayers OF the men are heard though
they may not have the authority to re.
buke disease as men have who bear the
| Priesthood. And children should be
brought TO their mothers knees and
taught to pray and be brought up in
way that they will understand the nature,
and the power, and the efficacy OF
| prayer. II you will do this with your
children, you will fortify them against
! the days OF trial and temptation which
will come to them when they grow older
| Where this is done. you will have boys
and girls that will be blessing, a COM
fort and an honor to you, because their
faith will be developed in early life, and
| they will know for themselves that there
is God. 1t is very delightful to wit
ness the faith OF children and 10 hear
| their expressions concerning these
matters when they are properly taught.
| | am sure that if mothers would take
this course with their children, they
| would have much more comfort from
their children, their children would be
easier governed. and they would develop
| in the children the best qualities OF their
minds; for every Chi d Is open particu
larly TO these good Influences, and chill
dren can be governed by appealing to
| their better natures, especially when
they have been taught in the way have
| spoken.
There is one thing have sometimes
| been led to speak upon to the Saints,
and that is in relation TO family prayers.
| In many families that have been &C.
| quainted with. no one was ever asked 10
pray; the ia,her did all the praying him.
sell. He never asked the wife, nor the
son, nor the daughter, to be mouth in
family prayer, and have seen in cases
OF that kind that the boys, instead Of de-
string to attend family worship, would