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Show m - y lUIUM'IHi (j&upcfc (XeSO EDITORIAL PAGE ifi IWU u u F rom many parts of the world the church is receiving high commendation for its efforts to preserve home and family. Government officials, civic leaders, educators and professional counselors have praised the church for its program. The Home Evening, sponsored throughout the church, is being lauded by newspaper and magazine-- editors as an answer to one of the nations greatest problems, and it is being imitated by some organized groups which see its great value. What a need there is for it! what a potent remedy it is for disharmony in the home, for lack of character and religious training, and for delinquency among both youth and adults! And THE DIVORCE TREND in America becomes steadily more frightening. It seems incredible that while the population of the United States increased only 167 percent from 1900 to 1970, the divorce rate for the same period jumped by 1,177 percent. At the present time, the national divorce rate is one for every three marriages. Children affected by divorce action also have increased greatly. In 1955 there were 347,000 children involved in such legal proceedings, but within a decade the number had doubled. Studies indicate that disputes over money comprise the chief cause of divorce. Marrying too young is another primary reason. Six times more divorces occur among persons married under 21, than among those who marry above that age. li is appalling. OTHER MAJOR CAUSES of divorce are interference, repulsive sex practices, in-la- Respect Is urn u u h y si affiliations, politics, and conflicting religious lack of affection. pregnancy is becoming an increasing cause of divorce, with its many forced marriages, so few of which survive. A family counselor, addressing a recent convention in Utah, said: Wouldn't it be valuable to require young people to spend at least as much lime preparing for a marriage license as they do to qualify for a drivers license? Pre-marit- Then he said, Marriage is the only profession where one doesnt have to prove competency before entering it. But think what good homes can do to correct all of these problems! GOOD HOMES can teach young people the value of money and how to handle it. Good homes can so educate children that they will Good homes teach gladly avoid virtue, the great fortification against premarital intimacies which force so many early marriages and quick divorces. to mind will teach Proper home-liftheir own business and aliow young couples to w'ork out their own plans. Good homes teach the gospel and bring conversion to the hearts of all members of the family. Hence there will be little inclination toward their with interdenominational marriages over religion. subsequent disputes child-marriage- s. Good homes, through spirituality, lay the foundation for peace, harmony and understanding. They teach people how to do unto' others as they would be done by. The gospel is the answer to the broken-homproblem, and through the Home Evening may reach its ultimate in successful family e life. the Key WHAT A PROFOUND statement in a few words! There are those who have sold their birthright for popularity, which turned out to be ashes in the end. But if they maintain their by President Tanner discussed the subject from a slightly different point of view, but a potent one. He was speaking to young ladies of the church, and warned them against the pitfalls that await so many. Then he said: Girls, you can go much farther on respect than you can on popularity. President Tanner reminds us too of one of the choice statements of President McKay: Remember who you are and act accordingly." We are the children of God. If we have respect for our divine heritage, and act to preserve our birthright, the abundant life in mortality may be ours, and thereafter the riches of eternity. self-respec- t, self-respe- 16 - CHURCH 0 WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 3, 1973 self-respe- standards, they preserving their tify themselves against all the fiery darts of God-give- the n Austria. wrote Orson Pratt of the Council of the Twelve to his wife, swarms with police officers whose duty it is to put one hundred and one questions to all travelers. The questions the young missionary and his companion, William W. Ritter, were constantly asked were intended as harrasstnent, they were sure. For Austria, in 1864. did not enjoy religious freedom. The country, wrote Elder Pratt, is one of the largest empires of Europe, and is situated on the east of Germany being about 800 miles long from east to west, and jno miles broad from north to south . . . the population is about forty million the empire consisting of many kingdoms, but all under one head who is called an emperor The religion is Roman Catholic; all other religions are strictly prohibited by law, except in one or two small provinces, where the Lutherans and Calvinists are tolerated. German is the prevailing language Elders Pratt and Ritter were rebuffed at every turn and were no permitted to proselyte, but before being banished, Elder Pratt bore his testimony to the government authorities. Twenty years later, in 1883, two more missionaries, Elder Thomas Biesinger and Paul E. B. Hammer, the country, were able to perform a few baptisms, but again, they were refused permission to preach and Elder Biesinger was jailed for 68 days for laboring without a license which had been refused him By 1902, however, enough Austrians had joined the church that a branch was formed at Rottenbach. In 1909, a second branch was organized at Vienna. World War I broke out in 1914, and by the time it was over, .vu.stna had been reduced in size to about 32,009 the si.e of Utah) with a square miles (about ... ... d conference of the church, much was said about and earning the respect of others. President Lee devoted his entire Friday morning address to this subject, and showed, in his masterful way, how may be a mighty protection against temptation and trouble. AT THE RECENT general The Church in Austria in-la- e it MISSION EXPERIENCES for- adversary." one-thir- d population of seven million. Religious freedom, however, was guaranteed in the peace treaty and with it, the church began to grow. Udh the outbreak of war in 1939, missionaries had to be withdiawn again, and did not return until after World War II. Hder Era Taft Benson of the Council of the Twelve, presiding over the church in Europe following the war, a organized the An trian District in 1946 and it became Mission. The present mission part of the than was organized in 1960, and today there are more 3,000 members in 11 blanches. Swiss-Austria- n (Another In a series) a |