Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-22
SERMON ON DIVORCE
Should Apply 10 Marriage Arc
Discussed.

Rev DIR. w. II. Paden preached on
divorce last evening in the First Pres
byterian church from the text. What
God hath Joined let no man put assun-
der" The speaker said;
"A true marriage is an indissomble
union. Thu vows taken are for life. The
man does not take term lease on the
woman. or the woman on the man; they
each take the other for better or for
worse till parted by death The cove
nant made is not made by way of ex-
pertinent. To administer such a cove
nant TO young couple with the UNDER
standing that 1t was for year or two
by way of trial, would be an attempt
to legalize concublnage. True mar
riageahle love does not say. I win try
married life with you for a while and
then we shall decide whether we shall
make 1t permanent. Such love says, /
plight thee my troth for life This
ideal and intention of permanence is
enforced by divine law and Endorsed
by the results of the best human ex-
perience.
UNIT OF CIVILIZATION.
."rhc family is the unit of civilization.
The integrity of this unit depends on
the value of the marriage vow. The
stability of society is tied up with the
stability of the family. and the stability
of the family tied up with the stability
of the marriage relation. Marriage Is
not a mere compact between two indi-
viduals; others are interested. The fam
lily is social institution, and there are
TINES when the integrity and stability
of the family are more than the comfort
OF the Individual The duties and re-
lations of husband and wife are meant
to be more permanent than any other
human relation--even that of father
hood and motherhood.
SHOULD BE SERIOUS,
1T is evident. therefore. that this re-
lation is not TO be entered INTO unad-
visedly or lightly. If getting married
were made u more serious matter, stay
ing married would oftener be what 1t
ought to be; at once matter of course
and a matter OF wholesome solace. And
yet is there no ground for the saying
that less care is observed in arrang-
ing contract of marriage than is m
volved in a contract concerning horse
or a piece of land
Romantic love is just the thing when
tempered with common sense. Affection
should be able to stand the test of re-
bility. Only that marriage is safe which
Is based on love and not disallowed by
the Judgment While the young people
may be allowed to think that they have
the monopoly of love, they should not
be too sure that they have a monopoly
of the good judgment.
'.The marriage contract should be
harder to make and harder to break. II
the doors into matrimony were mar
rover and more closely guarded. we
would not have so many knockers seek
ing the way out. Society needs not
more marriages, but better marriages.
Nor does 1t need more children so much
as II needs better children, better cared
for and better trained.
Is NOT A LOTTERY.
Marriage Is not lottery. IL VIC
really thought 1t were. we ought to
abolish it, we ought to forbid the send
ing of love letters through the United
states mails. OF course there is some
chance in marriage, but not as much
as there Is in being born. You cannot
choose your parents. You have at least
an adults chance Of choosing your hus-
band or wife. We need not deny that
even good people may sometimes make
bad choices Milton speaks of such I'M
fortunates as those who have unwarily
in a thing they have never praotised
before, made themselves the ponusneh
of "A luckless and hopeless matrimony'
is there no medicine or cordial for this
unfortunate condition.
"ln most instances the remedy Is hard
| grace. hut not easy divorce. | say hard
| grace or difficult virtue, for, ns one mas
suggested, 1t is easier for the natural
man TO be divorced than TO be good
| The thought OF divorce Is demoraiizing
| II IL Is meant To do away with the need
| of patience, forbearanco. self-restraint
and long suffering, loving kindness
| lone OF the imperfect conceptions OF
| marriage is that II is either solely or
| chiefly for the solaco and delight OF the
| two persons who are married-as IL the
main good of the two persons was to
| make each other continuously happy
| RE is nearer the truth who says; The
| family Ia not designed To make life
easier, but to make life better" This IL
certainly true Of marriage, II Is fair "a
suppose that somo married people are
not very happy. But does not candor
|