| Show PARENTAL responsibility WE often hear bear the remark made by public speakers and sometimes see it in print riat that parents are aae responsible for the acts of their children the saying is uttered no doaby in a spirit of praiseworthy desire for a proper dascha discharge r e ot of parental duty but unless quelled qualified ey by explanation ic is open to very grave objection it is not altogether so ether true the responsibilities of parents in regard to their children are great it is their duty to give them ithem proper instruction and set them a worthy example if they fall to do this a portion of the responsibility I 1 for childrens evil works will rest upon the negligent parents but all person sj ij will be held responsible for their own acts atter alter they arrive at the years of accountability that period is when they come to an understanding of aid evil of right and wrong the blame that will be attached to negligent parents in reference to the gospel is thus set forth in the word of the lord and again inasmuch as there are parents having children iu in zion or in any of her stakes which are orga nihed that teach them not to under stand the doctrine of repentance laith faith in christ the son of the living god godana and of ba baptism and the gift of the holy ghost 9 by the laying on of hands bands when eight years old the sin be upon the heads of uie the parents lor this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of zion bior or in any of her stakes which are organized and their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old and receive the laying on of the hands and they shall also teach their children tv t pray and to walk uprightly before the lord doc cov p this being given by commandment to the church all latter day saints who neglect or disobey the divine injunction are under tinder condemn condemnation atio D they are liable to direct punishment from heaven and are certain to suffer the indirect consequences that ensue from the evil acts ot of their own offspring the bins of the children are reflected upon their parents the shame of each member of a family is measurably shared by all parents are required to teach their children what is right to correct them when wrongs wrong and to practice what they inculcate they are in duty bound to io educate and train them so that they may be able to discern cern good from evil and have an opportunity port unity to become estimable citizens and worthy subjects of divine favor but bat when parents have been dili diligent kent la ia these duties and their children will sot not follow their precepts nor emulate their good ex amble the responsibility spoken of does not attach each child Is an entity a being with a will and entitled to tree free agency as well as the parent accord according lit to its age and elopement developement dev it ff the parents are responsible ible for the evils of the children then they are entitled to the credit of the good they do this would deprive children of any divine reward for 0 r r righteousness or punishment for w wickedness i ek edness and carried out to its logical lo 10 ical conclusion would make the first parents responsible tor for all the acts of the race and do away with the doc arane of retribution foria for if adam and ebeare eve are responsible for the doings of the human family then the creator is responsible bi eor for all because they were ane e offspring ri n of deity it I 1 la cruel cruea to charge upon a good father and devoted mother the wilful wanderings from virtue and truth of a disobedient son or daughter it is painfully unjust when the wrong acts are in conflict with loving counsel and in spite of parental correction coi and proper elaml example le how can the sorrowing parents be held responsible it is grief enough for them that the erring one has gone astray without being crushed with U ui dans which they are not entitled to bear train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart is true as a general rule but there are many exceptions to it they are to be met with every day and in a great many families often a son and daughter will be rebellious while all the rest arp are tractable and one vicious while the others are virtuous common sense as well as revelation will say that the wilfully wil lully disobedient should be punished puiai shed and that the degree of punishment should be indro in proportion to the offense and capabilities of the culprit to comprehend the evil of his ways and the responsibility of tile the parents only extends to precept influence fluence and example all exerted in wisdom and justice tempered temper ed with inerny chastisement is necessary to bring br itne th e w wayward ward child to obedience auf la al its i ts d discreet ai use the parent must be left to individual I 1 judgment ad ment it Is resumption presumption for one father ether or dotger mother to determine how another shall act with a disobedient boy or girl each disposition must bu be a separate parate ae study and would be proper and commendable in one instance might be the reverse in another corporal punishment ought to be rarely resorted to it is sometimes absolutely tely necessary then it should not be inflicted finanger in auger nor in a spirit of vengeance but as the stern penalty ol of violated violo ted parental rule and the chastised child should be given to understand that it is not a gratification but bilt rather a source of sorrow to the parent it the responsibility of parents is to be maintained alue d the educil education tiOn of chil dren must be under the direction of the parents rather than of the state this brings into question the whole system ut ot schooling adopted in this country if the state is to educate the children then that part of the parental responsibility ceases so far as school learning is concerned and school attendance should be made compulsory if every parent has the right to decide what kind of education what kind of teacher and what kind of studies religious or secular his children shall be trained by then the state is out of place as a provider and director of scholastic education it is a question that is by no means decided as the near future will determine for the effects of godless schools and nonreligious training will be felt in the laud land in a way that will one day cadde a rebound from the present po popular ular system one of the most lic causes of juvenile uv aenlle depravity is bad companionship this is promoted by the excessive liberty accorded young people in this country in this city many of of them are permitted to be absent from home at late r hours and after dark they roam the streets where evil examples are seen ano and vile language laa IaB guage is heard and habits formed that will affect their whole future it is very difficult for some persons to correct this evil beca because iise of the laxity of other parents if the people would generally reform in this regard there might be some rome hope for the children who axe are now going to 10 the bad but repeated exhort exhortations ati ons seem to have no effect upon some and the teachers whose duty it is to watch over the church a always ways and see that there is no iniquity therein and that parents attend to all family duties do not pay much attention to the essential duty of parents to restrain their children irom from evil and see that they keep proper hours the proposition to establish the curfew in this city we believe is under the circumstances an excellent one it will be a great aid to parents in keeping children under their care at night we hope it will be adopted and then rigidly carried out if it is not duly enforced it will be worse than useless to make it efficient help will be needed in every ward in the city the regular police cannot possibly execute tt it alone general operation cooperation co will be essential and if this is gained our streets can be cleared of the boys and girls who make themselves a nuisance in some places and ought not to be abroad at night at all family a n government overn meat I 1 is sat at the basis of ai all fg government e rement rn ment because god is the fattier father of the human race and is wisdom love and goodness personified all people owe him implicit obedience the true patriarchal order is toe heavenly order 11 honor thy father and thy mother is a commandment that springs from an eternal law it is essential to the welfare of society in III this world and willbe will be in the world to come many parents who have proven themselves unworthy of fam families croven ies in earthly life because of their failure to govern them by good precept and e example X will find themselves stripped of eternal parental powers wherein are glory and dominion in the endless fu ure are and the disobedient and rebellious children will also be counted unworthy ot of being made rulers over many things for he be who would reign must serve and he be only who is humble shall be exalted let every parent assume his proper responsibilities and let the children stand in their place and be held responsible for their own acts for which they are accountable when at the age of understanding both to their parents and to their god |
