Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-02-16
BY Leslie II. Muteh.

All character, talent, or power, as ex.
hibited In any human life, Is but prod
uct Of the forces within. These are
either inherited or implanted. Within
the realm of volition, purposes of the
soul, there are no accidents. Dlyiney
given are all the unselnsh powers that
upift self by seeking only the good Of
others. All the beautiful graces OF an
enriched and devoted character are as
truly purpose forces Of mind and soul
as are the powers that triumph over
difficulties temptation or self. Like
begets like" can only be true Of causes,
and Of results that are products OF
causes. Too often do we note the results
in life, as OF a parent, and then look
for like effects In the lives Of the chill
dren. This Is an Illogical and superb.
cal procedure. Wish, purpose, love, de-
termination to rise above obstacles.
deathless longing for some end or at
tainment, are the real like hCgets Ike"
It can avail little TO the life Just cross
ing the threshold that the parents have
longed, toiled, served the highest ends
Of being, and so made lofty attachments
In years past; II said energies Of the
soul are no longer active IN the parents
they will be unapparent I'm the child.
Very extended study of child nature
and parental influences have convinced
me that only active character forces
are markedly inherited. I'm cities where
live the retired well-tO-do" more than
80 per cent Of most promising child In
the room" (as selected In the public
schoos), were found to be from com
mon homes" !. e., clerks, wage-earners.
etc. There has properly arisen obJec-
tions TO such generalization as Like
father like SON." All the world knows
that tout of obscufity arise" most Of
the great names Of earth, Herbert
Spencer said Either there has been
inheritance OF acquired character or
there has been no evolution" Another
said ION the extent 10 which virtues
ere hereditary depends the possibility
Of the human race reaching perfection
by heTedity comes the purpose power
thai Utilities environment A great
writer recently said, Genius Is that In
a man that makes him try. Genius
delights in overcoming obstacles and Is
made the stronger and higher by doing
So" Children are very rarely born into
life with developed powers. A black
smiths son does not inherit his faith
pr's strong arm-but only the posi-
billy Of such, not the probability; for
the son may have instead inherited a
love for art. music, literature logic, law
or any other end OF course the child
will develop power along the line Of his
love--aud therefore OF his effort.
Parents who have risen to the top in
any walk in life, are therefore not in
the attitude of wishing or purposing
to rise to a place still higher above
them. Hence their children will not re-
celve the heredity OF a deathless long
ing for some place up higher; therefore
these come into life purposeless the
heredity of nothing 10 try for is
theirs On the contrary, the child Of
any parents whose lower station IN life
gives him cause to wish to be in a
higher place, has inherited that which
becomes both engine and pilot for his
life barque The superb brain capacity
of the child Of one who rose above his
fellows in any walk in life proves Of
very little value II not used The Off
spring or ordinary brain capacity, IN tne
purpose to use that calls forth great
effort soon develops more cerebral pow
err than Is possessed by the child Of the
prominent who is so unfortunate as to
lack that supreme desire, purpose, love
Revealed religion teaches that the
measure Of life IL found In the purposes
our law everywhere looks at the same
thlng-lntention.
We can readily prove the truth Of the
premise, that power Is not
the true element Of inherited ability;
but in a product of active trying. by
every known arena Of effort. a child
who is helped over every hard task, hav-
ing every hard thing done for him,
never becomes a master thinker One
Of the greatest Of modern educators
SAYS: "There can be no substitution OF
effort" Strength comes after doing,
Power Is a direct product Of discipline,
AZ children come into life undisciplined.
Longing for any desired end calls forth
parents are so short
sighted as to rob the child OF the need Of