Show to the saints family lawsuits law suits are the worst kind of lawsuits law suits i we do not continue this subject supposing there is more quarrelling in the families of the saints or any considerable portion as much as there is among other families on the earth but so long as there is one case of contention in all israel there is occasion to say or do something to cause that one to be done away if all family differences could be made to cease we should have very little fears of neighborhood quarrels the child that has been so trained from its cradle to manhood ai as never to stoop to a contentious spirit and would ever relinquish its rights in the family circle rather than have an unpleasant feeling jar or quarrel with a brother sister or friend will be influx encee by a spirit of peace after it leaves the paternal roof will continue to act the peacemaker peace maker among his associates in all future time in accordance with the saying of the wise man train up a child in the way he should go and when he be is old he will not depart from froid it the destiny of individuals and nations are in the hands of mothers to i a very great extent but bid should not be after the fashion of the world which may be illustrated thus A traveler alighting at a certain village in an ancient country enquired of the first man he chanced to meet who was the governor of the village the man replied I 1 am the governor I 1 keep the village school I 1 govern the children the children govern their mothers the mothers govern their husbands and thus I 1 am the governor tor for I 1 govern the village this illustrates the fashion of the world but not the fashion of heaven in the world all parties are striving for the preeminence pre eminence and studying how they I 1 may all be governors men are spending their lives quibbling about little party politics too small tor for human notice and women are holding their conventions and devising ways and means how they may secure the reins of general government and sit in in chair of state their husbands husban ds equals superiors while their children let leff at home neglected untaught for are holding their councils to devise means how they may coerce the mothers pacts acts to their wish when she shall return to the domestic hearth and all in good keeping tor for when man descends below his native dignity and stoops to spend his life in things beneath him he may reasonably expect that those whom nature and providence designed for his inferiors in the scale of intelligence will rise to become Ps his superiors and hence the saying of an ancient prophet women shall rule over them the fashion of heaven is that the man is not without the woman or the woman without the man and yet the man is the head bead of the woman even as christ is the head of the church and all equally honorable in their own order but the dishonor consists in getting out oitt of their order or place which all are liable to by seeking through rh pride a place above them which belongs to another or through ignorance and servility descending to a sphere below their natural level when there is no just cause for it the first is much more natural and congenial to human pa passion sion and was what led the disciples in the days of the savior to enquire who should be the greatest and jesus set a little child in their midst and answered on this wise whosoever would become great among you let him become like this little child who is contented with its situation and does not aspire to anything above its appropriate place and the more childlike man becomes the more godlike he will be in all his feelings and the less will he be disposed to resent injuries retaliate of fences or cultivate lawsuits either in family or neighborhood the second has ostensibly a very different object in view while in reality at heart the end is the same when man descends below the character and disposition of the little child that jesus gave as pattern and apes the fool by cringing to party cliques and clans for the sake of securing some official exaltation he displays an ignorance and servility unbecoming immortal man and whatever be his pretensions to humility he proves himself unworthy of the station he already occupies abating all rightful claims to a more exalted eminence as did the methodist clergyman in reality who always prayed the lord to grant him the lowest seat in heaven and when asked the reason of his praying thus replied because it is written he that humble hum bleth tb himself to the lowest shall be exalted to the highest 11 thus proving the insincerity and hypocrisy of his pretended humble devotions and why Beca because tige as a man as a citizen of the world and of the nation nat ionin in which he lives he be should have had a single and upright heart beart and been straight forward in all his acts for the greatest good of his nation and government regardless of party strife or personal exaltation and aggrandizement and the man who will not thus act is not fit for an office or exaltation of any kind great or small in any government ex of hell but we are talking to saints and the things referred to in the world are for illustrations for instance as the poltroon pal troon politicians of the world stoop dignity of man to paddle in all the filth and slime he can e an find if pei perchance chance he can find some dark road through which he can reach his desired election so may the elders of israel if they will give way to temptation strive hy by unlawful means to secure a standing among their brethren which does not belong to them and ancl to gain influence and power which they know not how to exercise in righteousness and if they succeed it is most sure to prove their destruction for when god sees an elder who is so bent on rising that nothing else can satisfy bi bim 11 1 he as likely as any way lifts him up so high or gives him a chance to risie rise so high that when hen lie he falls he kills himself hims alf as many have done doney in this dispensation or if he survive the fall it is with the knowledge of the tact fact that he lias has lost the confidence of his brethren the saints to a certain extent are subject to vanity like other men and as elders aspire through the folly of their natures to things above them and nd which are not for them so may their wives and indeed it would be very marvellous marcellous marv ellous it if they did not after having the example set them by those who should be their counsellors coun a and n d patterns of r rectitude and when children behold the double example of insubordination di to the laws of heaven the example of father and mother pt it would be more marvellous marcellous marv ellous still if they did not partake of the same sam e spirit and as soon as the whole household become dissatisfied with their lot and station and father mother and children all want to rise at once to some sphere of action above themselves or where they lightf rightfully ily belong they are ripe for the spirit of contention to break forth in all its violence and broil u yon upon broil I 1 discord upon discord strife upon strife and lawsuit law suit upon lawsuit law suit follow in quick succession peace leaves that house and who shall restore W it surely not that family for all are in the suit all are parties concerned all partakers par takers and exercisers of the same spirit of pride the patriarch the head of that family has become a slave to his passion and the dominion and glory of his is dignified office has departed from his thresh hold bold and wh oshall I 1 arbitrate arbi for that house I 1 men are so a proud naturally that they do aoi not arttie e to acknowledge their errors yet we have many t 10 Os I 1 I 1 i I 1 I 1 1 W M 1 RA had I 1 the question aked us by heads of families or those who should have been at the head why is it i that 1 I cannot govern my family and ha have ve peace in my house like brother such an one we have said to all such as the case required and there is a general rule applicable to au all such cases and that is you do not know enoi enough tigh you do not know how to govern yourself your seif YOUR APPETITES AND PASSIONS and at every little supposed case of provocation and vexation you give way to resentment and distil dastil those turbulent passions and feelings which you harbor upon your wife and children in your daily walk and c conversation on as the dews of heaven would drop down upon yourself if you by your meek and quiet spirit I 1 would permit them to descend men me who do not know bow to govern themselves 1 surely do not know how to govern others such there are among the saints and we are sorry tor for it t tor for if they do not speedily learn the art 0 of f self sov gov ern ment and thereby learn leam to govern their households household in righteousness their glory and their kingdom wil depart from them like the fading flower and the place which now knows them will soon know them ni more forever no man who loves father or mother wife or child ren houses or lands gold and silver more than hi bi does his savior and his br brethren is capable of stand ing in in acceptance before god the father in the of his kingdom on the earth or in the heavens heaven ano anc although such sikh an all one may haxe have a name among th tb saints for a little season his bis name will perish in the grave with his carcass it if it does not long before some elders love their wives so much better than they do the kingdom of god that they dare not tell them when they do wrong dare not tell them the r right ight way and how to shun shall the wiles of the devil for fear they should offend them but this fear is an of fence against heaven and wo be unto him through whom the offence offense cometh for jealousies and contentious spirits obtain the mastery io in that house the governmental order of heaven is reversed the holy ghost takes its departure and family lawsuits law suits follow without end short reckonings make iong 0 friebis frieb ds is an ancient maxim which means that frequent reckonings preserve a proper understanding among individuals and parties and preserve friendship by preventing irritation ri which produces litigation and the several bishops and agents throughout the territory can do much in this good work by being critical and correct in keeping their books in relation to tithing and rendering reports when due to the general tithing office if it i is s not universally understood it should be from this time forward that at each annual settlement of each saint at the tithing office each didenti cle le article which that individual has paid during the year with the price affixed is or should be entered to his credit in the BOOK OF THE LAW OF THE LORD or general record and it is the duty of eve i ry bishop or agent receiving tithing to specify the particular article received with the amount and value of the same and depoi t the same in full by book or bill to the general tithing office and it if they do it not there will be a lack in the records concerning the individual whose account has been thus neglected t and the bishop or agent so neglect neglecting in 9 his duty will be liable to censure in future times when the records are searched for said account and they are not found and this will cause unpleasant feelings and contentions such things will be avoided by strict attention to these instructions it is the duty of all bishops and agents to malke make a full report of the tithing in their respective wards and districts on or before the first day of april to 0 th general office that a general report may be prepare prepa rei I 1 to present to the general conference or 01 the sixth of april and similar reports will be wanted of all bishops on the first day of the month in which the semiannual semi annual fall conference shall be held when any person comes to the general office to make a final annual settlement or a settlement in full fall for the purpose of getting his certificates which will entitle him han to the privileges of the house of the lord and his bishop has not previously rendered his accorn account I 1 I 1 to the office by book or bill the person so coming comin must bring a certified bill from his bishop of all ad thi various articles which said person has paid ditl wit their several amounts and also that his tithing is pait in full fill for if the person so calling has not such a re ceist from his bishop he be cannot make a final settle merit cannot have his account transferred to the geik gei I 1 eral era record and consequently cannot get liis his re which entitle him to the blessings he is seek see k ing after i if any person claims exemption from tithing on ae ac count of sickness or other cause let him bring a ce from his bishop showing the cause why 0 1 should not pay I 1 I 1 the keeping of accounts accounts of every pound of M leq ea butter butte flour dozen of eggs bushels of grain or case I 1 ac is a part of the history of the day and a condit chilt bation of that history will show the changes alt take place in the general affairs of the churich chui tefa inde mere critically than any other history that will be kelt and will be read with intense interest by future g ca orations erat ions to I 1 know of the doings of their fathers aid what has been accomplished in the earlier ages of lis I 1 dispensation no matter how small the amount paid the wil aws two mites have been reported as far as the gs pel has been preached and unless the bishop keepman account of all articles received of each individual he he is liable to be suspected of mistakes when he setles 1 with that individual s if all parties will give diligent heed beed to these their thing ap I 1 brethren will not come from a distance to settle at the office and get then their blessings without a bill of particulars from their bishops disappointments i will be prevented good feelings preserved one great cause of contentious feelings will be avoided and in the end all will rejoice together to bt bb continued |