The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-26
THE SABBATH DAY.

according to the dictates of their OWL
conscience, and, consequently to spend
the Sabbath wherever and howsoeve
they please" In that our contempt.
rary stated The Heraid's position verS
fairly. 1t then proceeded to make
these very unfair and far-fetched com.
ments:
This is perfectly true. Men and wo-
men have a right" in certain sense
to go to pleasure resorts on Sundays
or TO stay home and play cards, or &c
to sleep, or dance, or do anything else
of a similar nature on the Lords day
just as they have a right to neglect
their duties and practice various kinds
of sin every day in the week. But it is
also true that those who exercise such
so-called rights thereby place them
selves under condemnation.
The Herald's article was brought out
by an editorial note in the Provo En-
quirer, in which it said:
President Joseph F. Smith is waging
vigorous war in the pulpit at Salt
Lake against the pernicious practice of
the Sabbath day being devoted to go
ing to the resorts. The churches are
nearly deserted, while the resorts are
Lie SceIIcS u DuSy dIlUSSilGHLS. NUT
is that all, for at such places too often
congregate persons who lead the young
people to their ruination. Most fond
parents will stand by President Smith
in his we'll deserved criticism of the
patronage bestowed on the Sunday re-
sorts. Such patronage does not at all
comport with the pretensions of the
people Of Utah for reverence of the
Sabbath day.
On this The Herald made comments,
in part, as follows:
So says the Provo Enquirer. Mr..
Smith did denounce the practice of
spending Sunday at the various resorts,
as he had a perfect right to do, just
as the people who go to them shaYe a
right to. AS, in this country, all metl
have a right to worship God according
20 the dictates of their own con-
science, so they have a right to spend
Sunday according to the dictates of
their own conscience. The very relig-
ious person thinks that the Sabbath
day should be devoted to the worship
of God in a house OF worship. If he is
truly logical he thinks that the wor-
ship should be according to his beliefs
and in the house where he worships.
Remember the Sabbath day and keep
it holy" But who shall say how it
shall be remembered and what consti-
tutes keeping it holy? Each religious
denomination will prescribe it's own
rules The common standard of pro-
priety that exists everywhere through
out the country forbids that there shall
be any Dissertation of the Sabbath; a
decent regard for the opinions and feel
ings of people demands this. But to
spend the Sabbath at some pleasant
ier ,p+ Il of 20 70
as we have observed, those who go to
the resorts on Sunday, go for quiet
and rest, to be away from the attrac-
tionS and diversions that are going on
on week days. If a resort degenerates
into a social pest it should be blotted
out; but it will be more of a pest on
week days than on the Sabbath, as a
rule.
The News failed to mention the facts
above stated, and proceeds as though
The Herald had picked the matter up
when nobody was thinking of it. Presi-
dent Smith addressed his remarks to
his co-religionists before The Herald
said a word on the subject; if they
were doing wrong they were doing it
of their own volition, and had not
been prompted to it. Why does not the
News address its remarks directly to
them and not beat around the bush?
We said that the very religious per-
son thinks that the Sabbath day should
be devoted to the Worship of God in a
house of worship. If he is truly logical
he thinks that the worship should be
according to his beliefs and in the
l,o,,-o ,,,ba-o Lo x.-OrcIiY,C O,,, co0
evidently holds this same
view, for it says:
It is a serious mistake to suppose
that every human being is the proper
judge for himself as to the mode of
he must adopt, and that every
kind of worship is equally acceptable
to the Almighty.
If every human being is not the
proper judge for himself as to the mode
Of worship he must adopt, then some
one must judge for him if he is not to
Judge for himself. and he is to wor-
ship. That is simply the doctrine of
The attempt to enforce
that doctrine has been the cause of all
the worlds religious wars. If each
human being is not a proper judge as
to the mode of worship he shall adopt,
whose right is it to judge for him?
The Roman Catholic believes that it is
the province of the pope and the col
ege of cardinals to do this; the EDis
copalian believes it is the province of
the house of bishops; the Mormon be-
ieves it the province of the priesthood
when exercised through ordained chan
1els; but the Presbyterian, the Metho
list, the Baptist, doesn't believe it is
the province of any of these to say
what the mode of worship shall be. If
any one has this right then all others
are excluded from it.
The News says:
Not to give any excuse for misun-
Outstanding, Il mar be well to state
hat circumstances may arise, and very
often do arise, when a proper obServ-
ance of the Lords day is out of the
question Many of our citizens are en-
gagged in war. on land and sea, for a
righteous cause. They cannot always
conform to the rules that obtain in
lines of peace Many are compelled to
ravel and are prevented from asso-
Eating with their brethren. Some may
De sick and find it necessary to sDend
heir time at health resorts to recuper-
ate so as to be in a position to devote
themselves to the service of their Mas |
er with renewed strength and vigor. !
But these are exceptions.
1t is very strange proposition our
makes that circum-
stances may arise, and very often do !
lrise, when a proper observance of the |
1ord's day is out of the question"
our contemporary position recalls the |
tory of the southern divine during the |
var. Dining with friend, an officer |
n the field, he accidentally learned |
hat the chickens which were served |
lad been procured by Sambo by very