| Show THE INFLUENCE OF BIAGE blage marriage if there ig Is any place where men are especially expected to speak truthfully it is in court if there is any class of men who are expected to be very particular to speak calmly soberly truthfully without prejudice to any person or party it is those who sit on the bench and wear the ermine the statements of a judge should be so sed just and accurate as to be worthy of being considered really oracular the misfortune is that in this country at least such del dei desirable rable features in enunciations from the bench are not nearly so common as they ought to be this lack of course tends to very much lower the character of the bench and to materially lessen the high esteem in which it would otherwise be heu keu by the better class of citizens in the recent lecent decision of the supreme renae court of the territory in the reynolds caso the following remark was made concerning marriage especially too when we remember that this crime has a blighting and blasting influence upon the consciences of a all ail whom it touches as is every day and everywhere witnessed throughout this territory so far ran as our experience and observation go and they far transcend the experience and observation of either of the united states judges on the supreme bench in utah in regard to the important subject under consideration our sober convictions are that the statement quoted above is and false marriage is a divine institution when entered upon in a proper spirit and the high contracting parties are properly mated it is a peculiarly divine estate in no other condition of life can men and women properly perform the full functions of manhood and womanhood nor fully develop their masculine and feminine qualifications physical mental and moral nor attain to the perfection of satisfaction and happiness of which human nature is capable perfect manhood and perfect womanhood are impossible outside of the marriage estate hence marriage is not only honorable but exalting it is essential to human development happiness and perfection wo we are commanded to be perfect but without marriage it is impossible to become perfect per pen nor even approximately so as human beings neither men nor women can possibly become perfect without experiencing the satisfaction ithe the tho development the culture which can only ba be obtained through lawful marriage aad no marriage Is truly iam lam lawful except marri marriage asre agre by the law of god as he is the author of that institution but bubb granting that marriage is conducive and ement essential lal lai to perfect human existence development and consequent happiness does it necessarily cessa rily follow that all marriages aro are of an ennobling exalting character that all marriages marriages have cave results of this kind not to t by any means there are too many examples of inh miserable erable marriages in every community this however is no argument against marriage though it may be a powerful ar argument against ilk lle unadvised advised marriages against marriages of persons not well adapted to each other and incapable therefore of making their then marriage conducive to their own exaltation and ennoblement there are persons who are degraded by their marriage to whom their inai marriage has a blighting and a blast ing influence but it is not to the institution of marriage that this degradation this blasting influence is due no if marriage is a failure with them it is because of their own injudicious conduct in that estate or their natural mutual un fitness for that I berfect union that close and intimate acquaint acquaintance auice atice with and relation to each other which marriage pre presupposes supposes and ana which it requires in order that it may accomplish its perfect work soured cynics rail against marriage because they are aro unacquainted with its excellences and its ita designed results yet notwithstanding their railings failings rai lings true marriage in itself remains the same ennobling exalting perfecting glorifying glorify ing M institution ution that it always has been that I 1 is to those who are fitted for each other who enter it in its true spirit and who live in it according to 10 its highest requirements this may be said of marriage as an institution and it will apply to marriage poly camio gamio le na ali aa to marriage in this respect within reasonable figures numbers make no essential difference many instances may be quoted of miserable miser atie atle marriages and also many instance may be quoted of miserable marriages yet in neither case is the defect with the institution of marriage but it is invariably with those who take upon them themselves selve seive the responsibilities of that institution and either cither do not fulfill fulfil them or are not naturally suited tp be close companions and suitable helps meet for each other in that most intimate and designed tobe tobb to be most perfect relationship where all the trouble lies ibm there is 13 any trouble and heaven knows there is enough of or that sort of trouble in a all communities and ana every country and has been from time immemorial it is however positively not nat a fact that marriage throughout thia territory has a blasting and blighting 1 1 g influence influenced every day wit witnessed nesse d upon th tbt consciences of all whom it touche on the contrary many of the best citizens the purest and noblet characters in the territory and in the whole union both of ien len men and women are found among those thou who have entered into leito the hoj hok estate of poleg amic marriage |
