Show AN EX EDITORS SATURDAY TALK the frequency with which divorce oases arise in our courts at the present time must mast attract the attention of the old settlers of the territory it being in such striking contrast in this respect with former times A stranger reading the newspapers news papera might draw wrong conclusions concerning the state of society here for numerous divorces divorcee are not creditable to any community A careful examination of the applications for divorce however reveals the fact that the great majority of them are made by people who have recently como come to the territory there was a time when advantage could be taken of one of the statute of the territory and divorce could be obtained with comparative ease many persons availed themselves of the opportunity thus afforded and came here for the sole purpose of obtaining divorces but as soon as public attention was called to the abi abuses m and wrongs likely to be done to innocent parties by the operation of thin thia lax lam statute the legislative assembly at its first meeting thereafter changed the objectionable law and throw threw around it the proper safeguards there is in no good reason to suppose therefore that the applicants for divorce in our courts in these days have come to utah for the purpose of securing a dissolution of the bonds of matrimony the influence of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints has always been opposed to divorces members of the church have been urged to be especially careful in forming alli alii inoes with the opposite sex because when formed according to church teachings they are not intended to endure for time alone but for time and all eternity A sacredness sao redness is thereby imparted to marriages such as is not felt among the members of other churches churche sor or of other communities the members of the church are and have been taught that it is their privilege to ask the lord for direct guidance in all matters and as mar ariage is IB so important an act and so deeply affects human happiness they have been especially urged to seek divine guidance before entering that state or even before entering into any contract with one of the other sex with a view to matrimony the object of all this care in giving these teachings has been to make marriages andt indissoluble s as far as an possible andio obviate the necessity of separations and divorces the effect of these teachings upon the people can perhaps be best judged by the results IL I feel sure that investigation will prove that among the latter day saints there has been but ft a comparatively small percentage of divorces especially when the fact is taken into consideration that in former days it was an easy matter for any dissatisfied woman to obtain a divorce president young broadminded broad minded farseeing inspired man that he be was early perceived that it if men had the privilege of taking more than one wile wife the opportunity for divorce should be made very liberal for women it if this should be refused to that sex marriage might become to them in some instances an ii tolerable and cruel bond age it was understood therefore from the beginning of the settlement of salt lake valley that women had the utmost liberty to change their condition if they were dissatisfied and unhappy in the family relationship it might be thought that the granting of such freedom to dissolve the marriage tie would be attended with disastrous consequences in the breaking up of family circles and the introducing of general disorder but to the credit of the women of the latter dy day saints be it said no bad effects followed it if the granting of this freedom had any effect it was to make women more contented with their lot they knew they had perfect liberty and could exercise an unfettered choice and every galling feeling of dependence deien dei endenos dence was removed they felt that their relation ship to their husbands was that of confidence and love the liberty of divorce thus granted placed them on a nearer equality to man it was wa s also a I 1 i appeal to their honor or an evidence that they could be trusted and most nobly did they show by their conduct that this confidence was not misplaced with them liberty never degenerated into license though every w m ife in the land know knew that if she made up her mind to be separated from her husband after the teachers of the church had exhausted their efforts to reconcile her to her condition and to make peace between her and her bar partner a divorce could be easily obtained yet very few women ever took advantage of the opportunity thus offered in a society where religious influences did not prevail and where there was not a high conception entertained of the sacredness sacred ness of the he marriage covenant such an experiment would have been attended it is quite probable with very bad conse con quoi ces impure POOL le ie would have taken advantage of such an easy mode mobie of breaking up their marriages and would have formed new connections great abuses would doubtless have prevailed and the worst features of ef free love would have been witnessed in a recent article on divorces in france which appears in the north american review from the pen of M alfred baquet a member of the french chamber of deputies it to Is stated that while be would favor the removal of every obstacle that is in the way of divorce it if I 1 were in his power to do so taking into consideration the degree of enlightenment of civilized countries in general genera and of his bis own country in particular he thinks the divorce law jaw passed in france in 1884 is all that could be expected he therefore favors restrictions being placed upon divorces divorcee it being dangerous according his view to make them too easy one can imagine what fearful results would be likely to follow in a country like france the throwing down of all barriers in the way of divorce in fact in very few communities could such an experiment be ventured upon without it being baling followed by the disrupting of the moot moet binding and sacred ties and the breaking up of numerous family circles there are some curious facto brought to light by statisticians concerning divorce M jacques bernillon Ber tillon the head of the paris bureau of statistics bas baa established in a decisive manner it to is said that the number of families which are disunited by divorce is quite independent or the legislation of the country there being an extraordinary variation in the number of separations where the laws regarding divorces are the same for example though the law is the same throughout switzerland there to is a great difference in the number of divorces in the different cantons of that republic in certain cantons for instance geneva bale and zurich statistics prove that an enormous number of divorces divorcee occur while other cantons such as uri do not offer a single case this difference is very remarkable and it would be interesting to trace the causes it must most be due largely to local influences probably lax morality alit yand and a low appreciation of the sacredness ot of the marriage covenant contribute to these results or perhaps aa ne different religions prevail in the different cantons that may have some Iti influence fluence upon divorces divorcee for it is well wall known that bat the catholic church strenuously opposes divorces but religion cannot be the cause of the variations which occur in scandinavia yet according to this gent lemans statistics serious variations do occur in that region the laws governing divorces divorced are about the same in denmark sweden and norway and the people are as near alike as possible in race customs and religion but be asserts that one of these nations abounds in separated family circles while in the other two there are almost none the lutheran religion being the dominant religion in each of these three nations their customs being alike and their race being almost if not quite identical we are left to conjecture as to the cause of this difference in the number of separated family circles As I 1 have stated divorces were very few among the latter day saints this in fact is the case today there isa is a way by which the number of divorces divorce among samong members of the church can at least be mutely ascertained while the church cannot grant legal divorces members in good standing do not consider the union of hush nd and wife as completely dissolved until action is taken in the case by the earthly head of the church he holding the authority to bind on earth and it is bound in heaven and to loose on earth and it is loosed in heaven heaved therefore what is known as an ecclesiastical divorce to is sought for without such a divorce no divorced woman could be sealed or mari man led in a tom temple pie to an other man by this menns means then a very good idea can be obtained of the number of separations that have taken place among the latter day saints during the past forty fl five va years years and it is very gratifying to know that they have been far from numerous this is as it should be the fewer divorces the better bettel the truth is that if every barrier in the way of divorce were removed and men and women were left as free as possible there ought not to be one more divorce among the latter day saints with the training they have had than there would be with all the restrictions around them which the laws now provide separation should only occur when there sare are reasons which make it imperative for the welfare and happiness of the wife and children undoubtedly there are instances when such a step is absolutely necessary but to eee persons take such a step for light and trivial causes is inexpressibly painful to all right minded people for then the consequences to all concerned are likely to be most serious and in such oases cases every possible influence should be used to check the disposition to fly to divorce the young people of our faith should be impressed with the importance of not making hasty ty and inconsiderate marriages it to is a step which should not be taken without serious and prayerful consideration for it is ia a stop step that for good or evil is attended with the most wide reaching effects others may make light of marriage and welcome divorce as an easy way of breaking its tends lend but latter day saints should set the world an example of fidel ty in their marriage relations and in maintaining a high standard of virtue and purity |