Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-07
NOTHING TO COME FOR,


Clergymen Of the present day are
greatly exercised about the absence OF
young men from the church services
They find, not only that their attend
ance is much less than 1t should be- but
that It is decreasing at an alarming
rate. Mr., Edward Box, editor OF the
Ladies' Home journal has inyestisat-
ed the matter, and his conclusion, as
stated in the outlook Is that the per-
centage of attending young men is now
eight per cent less than it was nine
years ago,
Mr. Box learned from a number OF
clergymen that, in their opinion, the
cause of the absence Of the young men
must be sought In Sunday amusements'
Many OF them blamed Sunday golf
others. the bicycle Mr.. Box, however
found that the condition was the same
in country communities where golf is
not played What was the cause there
lie commenced to inquire among the
young men themselves, and, as a rule
the answer was, zone does not get
enough out Of the services that are
preached to make the effort worth
while to go to hear them one young
man said:
"Why. DR.. -- mentioning the name
| of one OF the ministers) isn't practical
II is all theory, words, words ne
| doesn't seem 10 so out INTO the worm
among men. Too much old Palestine
and cloister study, Doesn't know men
only books | thought 1t was myself
| for time. But father says the same
| although IT came nara Tor MN 10
confess IT, Now he doesn't so any
| more
Mr. Box accepts this as the true an
swcr to the question Why young men do
not attend church services in larger
numbers, and concludes as follows;
81 have studied this question Of the
| young man and the church for many
| years now, and have come TO the con-
| cusion, whether we ministers choose 10
| Ike 1T or not, that the fault lies as
| much with what we preach, If not a ~
| tie more, as with the Willingness OF the
| young man to come and hear us. The
| young man will come fast enough II
you give him something to come for
We believe there is more truth in this
than some ministers are aware Of, Ser
mons too often consist Of a string of
words conveying very little practical
sense. Ministers talk although they
have no special message They try ia
please, to entertain, because they are
paid to do So But It is a laborlous
task to many Of them.
But this Is only one side of the ques-
ton. There Is another. 1t is not
true that all young men are anxious
to go where they can receive instruc-
ton, or that they shuu places where
there rs no intellectual food How
many Of them would attend the lecture.
given In the various Institutes Of learn
mg, for disinterestod love OF knoWl-
edge? Would not the lecture rooms bc
pretty empty but for the fact that re-
gard for parents and friends or am.
bition for the future coupled with Tho
discipline Of the school, TO some degro,
compels attendance? on the other hand
do not any number Of young men win
ingly attend poor shows frivolous gath
ings boxing matches, races, etc.? Thu
they do, certainly not because at sucl
places there Is something to come for
, They do IT, because 1t agrees with thei
p taste.
The fact h that they win neglect tn
P reading Of the Bible and their prayers
as readily as they win neglect the pub
lie worship. They viii, perhaps, en-
Joy a poor novel, but get tired over
chapter Of the Gospel which portray
, the life Of the Redoemcr, Must 1t b
admitted that the reason is because i
20 the Bible there is nothing 80 com
p for" One that goes to church on IN
q sabbath day, in order to worship Go
{ and enjoy the compauIoushIp Of Iii
n children, win find much 80 come for
e. Doe the sermon as poor as can be-, ma
70 even II there Is no sermon at all,
s. The people who were invited to II
2. marriage feast OF the King son, In tn
o parable, did not neglect to come be-
.r cause there was nothing TO come for
II They simply made light OF the II
n vltaIou, and went their ways, one
70 his farm another TO his merchandis
.e while others We're openly hostile TO Il
be- King. That tells the story of toda
g. The hearts Of men are turning ava
from God. They can very easily fin
W excuses, as did these invited guest
l. But the real cause is not revealed
ls the excuses.