Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-31
LArrER-DAY SAINTS AND WAR.

While II Is true that the Latter-day
Saints, ever since they became an or
ganized religious body. have lived in
expectation that the leading nations
OF the earth would. within the life
time of many members of their Church.
become involved In war. they have de-
sired, and have prayed to God. that
peace might be preserved to the utmost
limit OF the time for which war could
be postponed without thwarting the
purposes Of the Creator in regard to
the changes that must come over the
world to free II from wiekedness and
condition.
War is a thing which every Latter
day Saint, imbued with the spirit OF
his religion. regards with dread and
horror. II Is calamity to avert
which the sacrifice of everything less
than national safety and honor. is
justifable. Peace to a nation as to an
individual Is one of the greatest bless
ings known to an existence In NOR
tally. and few indeed are the advan-
tages that can offset It's loss. War
means more Of all that good men fear
and abhor than can readily be con-
ceived save by an eyewitness: and in
these days of destructive inventions
1t Is impossible to foresee what a san
culinary struggle between two powerful
nations might develop.
War means sudden and awful
death to many men; the manning and
mangllng of many more; the ravish-
Ing of pure women: the murder OF in
nocent children: the reign of blood and
fire; hordes of devils from the neither
regions holding triumphant carnival
among the children of men. War
means the quick transformation of
kind, gentle. refined and civilized peo-
pie Into british beasts capable of any
crime: the staining OF the souls as well
as the destruction of the bodies OF
multitudes OF Gods children who but
for war. would have been by the kind
processes of nature, ushered into the
presence OF their Maker In a state of
innocence and peace.
All the skill, wisdom and patience OF
a nations statesmen should be ex-
hausted before war Is consented to,
hut u people claiming to cherish prin-
ciples that cntitle them to the respect
of mankind. should not forget that
there are calamities which may come
upon nation that are worse than
war. The American people especially,
with their lofty ideals of liberty,
human rights and national obliga-
lions, should not forget this and
rather than sacrifice principle whose
maintenance Is, in the 'considerate
judgment Of mankind" necessary to
the preservation of national honor
they should not shrink from deadly
encounter with any nation.
1t is not the anticipation of the Lat
ter-day Saints that an overruling
Providence will place upon them the
duty OF engaging, to amy great extent,
in the killing of their fellow beings
They understand that their calling Is
to save rather than to slay: to build
to preach repentance rather than to
spread carnage. But they believe.
too, that God has purposed the pres
ervation and extension among man
kind OF the principles upon which the
American government was founded.
and that menace to those principles
by foreign power would impose upon
them the sacred duty of responding
to their country's call with patriot
ism as lofty and "A purpose as holy as
ever warrior felt
If our glorious Union shall become
involved in war, she will never num-
Der. In all ner armies, truer. a
drawer, or better soldier than the
Mormon recruit. In discipline, In ODE
dience, in patience under privation. in
sound and practical Judgment, in the
absence of rashness, in the calm cour-
age with which he win do his duty.
and above all in his unwavering faith
in ultimate results, he will prove the
peer OF. II not superior to. the finest
soldiers in the world.