Honor Thy Parents

HONOR THY PARENTS. BY PRESIDENT J. A. MCRAE, OF THE COLORADO MISSION.

Some months ago, while conversing with a gentleman of more than ordinary intelligence, he stated that children owed no debt to parents, "for," said he, "parents are alone responsible for the children being born; and how can they, the children, owe a debt they have never contracted, nor had anything to do in contracting? They are creatures of circumstances, and those who brought these circumstances upon them are alone responsible; if allegiance and honor be due, it must be from parent to child." At the time the remark was made, I gave no particular heed to it, knowing the speaker to be a confirmed bachelor; but, since he is a man who has influence enough in the community to mould the thoughts of his associates, I have later had some serious reflections on the subject. I have since also heard the remark from others, and, too,from children of Latter-day Saint families, and I have wondered if being in the world, and surrounded by worldly influences more than formerly, had made us partakers of the thoughts of worldly men and women. Is it true that our young men and women have so far lost sight of filial piety as to give place to thoughts inimical to all good forms of government? Such thoughts are anarchistic, pure and simple. Why was it that God wrote with his own finger upon tablets of stone, and thundered from Mount Sinai, 'Honor thy father '

and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee"? -Because we are responsible to those who gave us birth, and they are not merely "paying the debt" they owe us by providing food and raiment, shelter and protection, by

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sleepless nights and the worry by day from the cradle to the grave, but are placing us more and more under obligations to our parents. Never does the boy or girl get too old to be the constant care and concern of the parents. Then, too, should this statement be true, that children are not responsible to earthly parents, the only logical conclusion to reach is that we are not responsible to God. For we are as truly his children as we are the children of our earthly parents. Certainly no one will say that we owe no allegiance to God, for to him we are indebted for all that we are. So long as the children of Israel gave heed to that fifth great commandment, they were prospered in the land, but as soon as they transgressed, they began to fall. In the Nephite history, the sons who listened to the counsel of their father were blessed of the Lord. Paul saw these conditions, for he says, "This know, also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." Here Paul classes those who are disobedient to parents with all manner of sinners, and places such disobedient before traitors, who are the most despised people on earth. He truly saw our day, and spoke of ihese conditions, portraying them with a prophetic pen as well as or better than we can do today, even though we are living in the time of the happening of these events. During the days of the ministry of the Savior, he enumerated all the commandments gave one, and in speaking of this fifth one, he says, "For God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother: and he that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, whosoever saith to his father or his mother, it is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mcther, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites! Well did Esaias prophecy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoreth me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, but in vain they do worship

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me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Thus, according to Christ our Lord, the people of his day were in the con-

dition of giving a lip service, and honoring men more than honoring God. It seems that the pages of history are filled with so many beautiful testimonials that even a fool need not err thirein. The teachings of the great men of all ages have been to the end that honor should be due to parents, and great men turn to their parents to learn why they, the children, have been successful. There, and nowhere else, can the answer be found. In speaking on this subject, I have so far said nothing about the beautiful principle revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith, "Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers; if were not so the earth would be it

utterly wasted at his coming." The promises made to the fathers can only be realized by the obedience of the children. Then the continuation of this subject leads us on and on to the eternal worlds where the parents and children shall again be united, and each will stand in his own sphere, after "each shall have taken his place in the silent halls of death." Why should I honor my parents, why should their counsels be heeded? Because God has commanded it; and has blessed me, and has promised to give me this land to live long upon, that it

might be well with me; because in the kingdom of my Father I shall have the privilege of again seeing the family ties connected, and each shall occupy his station, none higher because of his pretended wisdom here, but exalted because of his great humility and piety towards earthly and heavenly parents. Paraphrasing the words of the Savior, "How can you love your Father in heaven whom you have not seen, and hate your earthly parents whom you have seen?" It may be that some of our young men and women slight their

parents because it is popular, and because they are afraid to come out and face the opposition. I trust not; and if so, If t us tear ourselves loose from such thraldom, and remember that the man

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who rows against the stream is the one who gains strength for the battle of life. He who drifts with the tide, and whose life is swayed by the opinions of others, regardless of right or wrong, is not sought for in the busy marts of life, nor is he found in any vocation among the leaders of men. Joseph Smith was a boy who, according to the testimony given by those who knew him, was filled with much respect and love for his parents, and he descended through a long line of just such sturdy stock; and so, as he developed into manhood, God saw fit to honor him by choosing him as the honored instrument through which this glorious gospel was revealed to mankind. In all the references which the prophet made to his noble father and

mother, he speaks of them in the most endearing terms. The present leader of the Church, whose life is an open book before us, also speaks in the most tender terms of his father and mother, and the trials through which they were called to pass to give him the priceless testimony of the gospel. Boys and girls, do not depreciate the works of your noble ancestors who blazed the trails and built the bridges over which you have passed to your present prosperity. You owe your all to them. They endured hardships which would frighten the most valiant of us. They suffered hunger, privations, and all manner of afflictions; and all, that we, their children; might come to a knowledge of the truth. All honor to those noble sons and daughters of God, our fathers and our mothers. In Springville, a few years ago, I attended a reunion of the old folks of that place. Among those gathered for the exercises were several pioneers of 1847, and others who had come to the country later. Hooked at their bruised hands and the many lines in their faces, and each appeared to tell a tale of hardship and privation. Tfieir eager, upturned faces, their hearty laughter, and their expressions, told me that in fancy they were living over again the scenes of youth. After the exercises of songs, recitations and speeches were concluded, and the order was given to go out under the shade of the trees, to tables laden with good things to eat, I thought myself favored to bear the weight of some old veteran as he leaned upon my arm. As I saw their hearty handshakes, and heard their words of

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good cheer, as companions of other days graeted each other, I

could not help but wish for an honored old age. In my fancy, I

was carried back along the trail of these hardy pioneers. I saw

them as they were driven from their homes, over the frozen ground upon which they were forced to tramp.. I saw the sufferings of

women anJ children on the bleak, barren prairie. saw the sun I

rise day after day on scenes of desolation and despair,and yet of thanksgiving to God that so many of their lives had been spared. I saw them on their westward march amid trials that would appall

the bravest heart. I saw some faint and die by the way, and they

were buried by the roadside with a board to mark their resting place, a piece of wagon sheet for a shroud. Then, again, as they neared the towering peaks and ragged summits of the great mountain range, new difficulties and dangers never before dreamed of confronted them. I saw them as they sowed their fields, but failed to reap because of the ravages of insects. I saw their struggle with the redmen of the desert; their perilous journeys into the heart of the mountains, in search of timber to construct their homes— homes far from the haunts of men in the tops of the everlasting hills, and surrounded by vast stretches of" desert wastes. I saw their struggles to rear a commonwealth amid such scenes of desolation! Again the picture changed, and I saw the desert transformed, and cities and towns, villages and farms, on every side; and prosperous men and women jostling each other in the busy marts of trade; merry, rosy children, laughing and singing with glee, or attending the large and spacious school buildings that afford so many advantages for the education of -the young. And what had brought about this transformation? was suddenly awakened I

from my reverie to gaze upon the veterans before me, and in the scarred faces and bent forms, I read the answer. Shall we honor them? . •

Denrer, Colorado.