The Washington herald., 1918-06-02

The Church OF Jesus Christ OF Lat
ter-day Saints proclaims the law of
personal purity as a Divine command
ment, the violation OF which consti-
tutes one Of the most grievous of sins.
We hold that the requirement is
equally binding upon both man and
woman, and that a standard by which
he is excused and she condemned IS
famously unjust. Expressive of the
attitude of the Church upon this sub
ject, the following excerpts are taken
from a current article by President
Joseph F. Smith. who is the presiding
official in the Church.
What has come TO be known IN
present-day literature as the social
evil is a subject Of perennial discus
sion. and the means proposed for
dealing with IL are topics Of contention
and debate. That the public con-
science is aroused to the seriousness
Of the dire condition due to sexual inn
morality is a promising indication of
prospective betterment. No more
Ioathsome cancer disfigures the body
and soul OF society today than the
frightful affliction OF sexual sin. 1t
vitiates the very fountains of life
and bequeathes its foul effects to the
yet unborn as a legacy Of death.
"Infidelity TO marriage VOWS is a
fruitful source Of divorce. with its
long train OF attendant evils, not the
least Of which are the shame and dis
honor inflicted on unfortunate though
innocent children. The dreadful ef-
fects of adultery cannot be confined
to the erring participants. Whether
openly known or partly concealed un-
der the cloak. of guilty secrecy. the
results are potent in evil influence.
The immortal spirits that come to
earth to tabernacle in bodies OF nSh
have the right to be well-born. through
parents who are free from the con-
tamination Of sexual vice.
TT is a deplorable fact that society
persists in holding woman to stricter
account than man in the matter OF
sexual offense. What shadow of eX-
cuse. not TO speak Of justification, can
be found for this outrageous and cow
ardly discrimination? Can moral de-
Element be any the less filthy and
pestiiential in man than ia woman?
Is a male leper less to be Stunned
for fear Of conta gion than a woman
similarly stricken?
''Oh the baseness. the injustice, the
dishonor of it all, Happily the early
promulgators OF this shameful con-
ception of a double standard OF morals
for the sexes are hidden in the OBJ
livion of the past. Let the infamy in
which they should rightly share be
borne by those who countenance the
current acceptance of so vicious a
distinction, Visualize the spectacle.
Man, who is by nature the protector
and defender OF woman, ready to stone
to social death the adulteress. in
, whose sin he was partner!
True, there is nothing distinctively
modern in this revolving distortion of
propriety and justice. It will be re-
membered that certain self-righteous
Scribes and Pharisees came clamoring
to the Christ in the Temple courts.
dragging with them a woman, of
whom they said, Master, this woman
was taken in adultery, in the very
act: and they asked what punish.
ment should be meted out to her.
What Of the man in the case? He
may have been present, but whether 50
or not We have no record that judg.
ment upon him was either asked OF
implied. However. injustice 10 OF nc
less hideous mien because. as We
sometimes say in stultifying incon.
sistency, 1t is time-honored.
$50 far as woman sins Il Is inevita,
BILE that she shall suffer, for retribu,
tion y suFs whsebsr . - inusdlssI