Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-09-13


death does them partT Are they not
mere civil contracts, under the laws and
authority Of mortal laws? IN such
marriages II IL man and not God that
Joins the parties together II Is man
and not God who also puts Them asun.
der, when a decree OF divorce h grant
ed for what are deemed good and suni-
Client reasons.
We maintain that the teachings OF
the Savior concerning the subject IN
troduced to Him by the Pharlsees' can
not be reasonably stretched to aflect
the great question Of the rlghtfuness
OF divorce by competent court IN
cases Of civil marriage, ana by divine
authority In cases o. religious mar
riago. They were intended 10 strike AZ
the root Of the wrong existing among
the people Of his time, by which all that
man had to do 10 set ria Of a wire
"who found no favor in his eyes was
to make "A writing Of enforcement ana
send her away. without a hearing ne
fore any tribunal or decree from any
court And we maintain that they have
no application or bearing upon the sub
lect az presented for consideration by
present customs and IN the present age
The religious world has gone astray on
this matter as on many other subjects
of Importance, through taking an iso-
lated text Of scripture and inanuiaetur-
Ing from 1t a theory never Intended by
the author.
Marriage in the sight OF Cod Is Il sa-
cred and holy estate. 1t should be en-
tered into only by parties fitted for us
duties and responsibilities. il was IN
tended 'in the beginning" TO be an eter-
nal contract. AS related In Genesis, the
first pair were beings In whom there
was no death when God Joined them
together and made them Zone flesh
This was the divine pattern. But man
kind, through many successive CEN
turtles. have departed from the ways OF
God and established governments laws,
customs, ordinances and ceremonies OF
human origin He has permitted these
things to exist as lie never interferes
with mans free agency. The world
goes on under human direction, and the
Eternal Father allows the generations
Of humanity to manage their affairs ac-
cordng TO their choice. And so, ma
tions have Instituted marriage laws and
customs which have to be observed 30
that order may prevail and peace may
be established.
Marriage Is regarded by most Of them
as IA civil contract entered into under
human law and dssolvable by the same
law. Different countries have different
enactments concerning It, but, In the
majority OF instances, II has been de.
clded that there are many legitimate
causes for the separation Of married
persons whom Ii Is really sin to keep
In marital bondage. As we have shown,
these are human enactments, both as TO
marriage and to divorce, and there
fore, man does not In these cases put
asunder that which God has Joined to-
gether, for the entire arrangement con-
corning them is human and not Divine.
That the laws relating to divorce are
various and conflicting, and that there
Is deplorable looseness In their inter
probation and administration. is readily
conceded, Reform In these particulars
Is imperative. Marriages are con.
tracted and divorces are obtained with
out regard to the sanctity OF the proper
relations between the sexes, and the
consequences are the rupture of fam
fly ties. the dissertation of the home,
and confusion IN family names and as
sociations. But all this does not argue
against legal divorce, for good and SUN.
Client reasons, after proper judicial
hearing and decree.
People who have fretted themselves
over the text which We have cited and
explained, and sectarian ministers who
have founded their opposition TO ra-
tlonal judicial and ecclesiastical divorce
on their misapprehenslon OF that say
ing Of the Savior, would do well to
study the whole question In the light
In which we have presented 1t, and as
II appears in review Of the entire por.
ton of the chapter in Matthew relating
to 1t. They may thus come to better
understanding OF the purpose Of the
Savior, and form clearer ideas Of the
justice and mercy of God and the rights
and privileges OF persons who have un-
fortunately contracted marriages that
are utterly Incompatible and In which
God Is no more responsible than He IS
for the follles and errors and sins OF