Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-14
LAW AND LIBERTY.

Cnurch IN resutl 20 the lNIte ana "l-
fects OF divine revelation. They argue.
and pretend TO believe that the Lat
ter-day saints ARE under compulsion 10
obey their leaders In all things. wheh
the word comes 10 them as revelation
from God through the head OF the
Church, III it Is regarded as the very
word of Deity" they ask, lis It not I'M
perative and compulsory? How can a
person who believes that communca-
tion Is divine do anything but yield to
It and comply With IT," Thus they en-
deavor TO make it. appear that a decla
ration or word OF counsel or adyice
from the President Of the Church. car
ries with It a binding force which over
romes the mind and will of the indiyid-
ual receiving it. ana that In the very
nature Of things there is nothing left
but AFFECT obedience.
In taking this view Of the natter
supposing that Il Is really held and not
set forth simply to throw dust in the
eyes of inquirers-It Is evident that one
very important factor IN the sum OF
the question Is entirely omitted. That
is, the free agency Of man. The right
and power OF voltion are inherent IL
the soul No human being can deprive
another thereof and God does not at
tempt 10 do so. No such power OF CO.
ercion Is or ever was delegated from
Deity to humanity. for It Is not exer-
cised by the Almighty Himself, There
would be no justice or righteousness
In rewards for good acts or punish
ment for evil doings II the creature
did not have full freedom OF choice. The
entire doctrine OF retrlbution Is based
on the principle Of mans free agency.
1t may be asked, II a person believes
that the President OF the Church is a
prophet, seer and rtvelator, how can
NJ refuse to comply with any requires
gNent that may be made by the prophet,
teeing that il would be as the voice of
God Himself? There are two answers
to this question. The first Is, the in.
dividual has the right to determine for
himself whether the word spoken Is d.
vinely inspired, or is merely the word Of
the prophet as a man Of like passions
with himself The second is. that even
II the word came direct from Deity,
without any intervening medium, the
power OF agency would stlll remain IN
the recipient and he could act upon 1t OF
his own choice.
The notion that when God speaks
man must obey, IS contrary to correct
principle and TO human experience,
Take, for instance Gods direct COM
Bnandment to the persons recognized
ms 'our first parents" Did He not for
bid them to eat the fruit Of the tree Of
he knowledge of good and evil? And
lid they not exercise their free agency
partaking of Il. and thus violating
The divine law OF course. they reaped
She consequences Of disobedlence but
they received the command and de-
cIned to obey IT, We need not multi
ply similar Instances OF disohadience
against the divine word directly con-
Yeyed. Sacred history teens with
them.
The great cause OF human woes, OF
personal sufferings and OF national
calamities has been wilful defiance Of
divine DEGREES. II is clear and iudis-
putable that though God may COM
mand, man can dlsoboy and that his
knowledge or belief that God has spok-
en- does not interfere with his free will.
but he can obey or disobey as he may
choose. This great principle is set
forth clearly IN the divine word to Is
rael through Moses the prophet, after
The code OF laws had been proclaimed:
'See, have set before you this day
good and evil; choose now whom ye
win scryei"
II the anu-"Mormou" sophists, who
use the kind OF reasoning we have
drawn attention to, would only con-
slider their own dolugs fan the light Of
that which they know and understand
they would perceive the talacy OF their
alleged argument They understand
that the divine law u.s. Thou shalt not
bear false Witness against thy neigh
bor" Yet that does not deprive them
of the power to Willy. abuse aud mis-
represent their ueIghhors They know
that there is both divine and human
law against drunkenness. Yet some
of them are both able and willing tc
set divine and human legislation at de.
hance, to their own injury and the
dctriment OF society.
There are other acts which many OF
them perform that are In direct VIC.
lation of the laws of God and man
yet they have both the power and thu
desire to carry out their own inclna.
tons, IN spite OF both human and di.
vine restrictions. They know 1t q
wrong TO lie, to cheat, to swindle thei
fellowmen, TO revel In vice and to dc
many other improper things. but ever
their own convictions Of right ant
wrong and Of divine aud secular in
hlbtlons, do not hinder them from
those practices that lead TO degrade
ton ana death.
The truth IS that the Mormon" PEG
pie are free in every rational concep
tion OF the term. Their religion
teaches them this. II is founded o
the principle Of free agency. 1t show
them that. "All intelligence IS indie
pendent I'm the sphere In which Co
Inns placed It." That men and We