Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-25
YuLE AND CHRISTMAS.

The celebration at this time OF the
year is traced back 10 the ancient days
OF Persia. Rome, It is believed, Dor
rowed many Of the obseryances OF her
saturnalia from Persia, Egypt ana
Greece. and without doubt the Yule fes-
4iy,tles OF the ancient saxons and
Northern nations were an inheritance
from the time they were living in the
Aaiatic countries.
Yuletlde. as near as can be made out
dates back to the time when various
heather deitles held sway in the minds
Of our ancestors. The idea prevailed
that this time OF the year. the Wheel
or yule of time rested after its yearly
round. This suggested quietude FOR
three weeks, from the 18th Of Decem-
Der TO the 9Th OF January, all feuds
were dropped. Quarrels were inter-
rupted. and sacrifices were attended to
for the frultfulness Of the soil, for sue
cess in war and peaceful pursuits II
was. moreover. time, during which
new resolutions were formed and SOL
ennly uttered, In honor Of Brage-the
Northern god that has given TO our
Language the significant word "brag. =
II was a time devoted 10 the special
honor of Thor on the so-called North
ern Night" as the progenitress Of all
other nights IN the year.
yuletide became Christmas, when IN
the prevalent church a mass" in honor
of Chrlst was instituted on the 18th Of
December, in the midst Of the festivl-
ties celebrated almost universally In
honor Of pagan deities, This was not un-
III 200 years after the birth Of our SAVIOR.
When the Pope julius in the year 400
Of our era, fixed on the present date
for Christmas. he did so undoubtedly
with the idea Of supplanting paganism
10 some extent with Christmas carols,
Christmas hymns and Christmas senti-
ments. The knowledge Of the true date
OF nativity had been lost, and the time
of the winter solstice seemed approprl-
ate to mark most important event IN
the Christian epoch.
There has been much said, Tor ana
f, gainst, the practice Of assoeiatins
worship with symbolical days and en-
blems. The proneness Of mankind 10
idolatry is seen. on all hands, but II the
possibility of idolatry is to be avoided,
worship Itself must be abolished. The
most deyout worship is al some time
OF other symbolic.
The true danger is in the insinceifty
that confines the religious sentiment 10
special symbolical days and emblems
and discards 1t in the everyday life,
Whenever there arises among men
Prophet of the Lord, be Is an icono-
clast to the extent that he smashes
without pity the emblems or symbols, or
idols. that are so worshipped-no mat
ter whether they are the fetish OF the
African, the black stone Of the Arabian,
the housegods Of the Mortimer, OF the
saint images OF modern churches. When
people have come 10 the state Of relig-
ious indifference, that they do not be
lieve, but only believe that they believe,
as Coleridge puts il, II is high time for
a mighty one to come and crush the
paraphernalia that once may have been
good and useful, but now are no better
than rubbish. Then is the time for the
appearance OF Mohammed, a Luther,
or sin better, a prophet Of the Lord to
call upon the people TO repent from
the hateful Journalism, from cant and
hypocrisy, ara 10 worship in spirit
and truth.
To render this possible was the mis-
sion OF the Son Of God 20 this EARTH
II was the mission Of all His true fol-
lowers In all ages. II is the work Of the
Latter-day Saints among this genera.
ton.