Evil Of Cards

The Evil of Cards. Some seven years ago card-playing was extensively indulged in by the people. Through the efforts put forth against it, at that time, many abandoned the game, and for several years cardplaying was tabooed. But evidently it was not completely killed, for recent reports have come that the evil is being revived

736 IMPROVEMENT ERA. among the people. I hope a hint to the Saints on this matter is enough, and that every member of the Church will determine to leave card playing alone hereafter. At present I desire only to repeat and emphasize what I said in the Era at that time, and trust it will have the desired effect: . I have been grieved with the knowledge that persistent cardplaying is gaining an alarming foothold among the people. The Saints have been often warned against the evil in the past. President George Q. Cannon has spoken strongly and written clearly against this immoral habit; and President Snow, also, with voice and pen, has set the seal of his condemnation upon it. I wish, too, to declare against card-playing with all the force and influence at my command, and to place myself on record as being opposed to it in any and all forms, and under any and all conditions. I warn the Saints, and especially the young people, that it is a dangerous practice, and urge all to leave it alone, repent of the evil, and turn to profitable and healthful pastimes and recreations. It is no uncommon thing for women, young and middle-aged, to spend whole afternoons, and many of them evenings as well, in playing cards, thus wasting hours and days of precious time in this useless and unprofitable way. Yet those same people, when approached, declare they have no time to spend as teachers in the organizations, and no time to 'attend either Sunday schools or meetings. Their Church duties are neglected for lack of time, yet they spend hours, day after day, at cards. They have thereby encouraged and become possessed of a spirit of indolence, and their minds are filled with the vile drunkenness, hallucination, charm and fascination that take possession of the habitual card-player to the exclusion of all spiritual and religious feeling. The card spirit detracts from all sacred thought and sentiment. The players at length do not quite know whether they are Jews, Gentiles or Saints, and they do not care a fig. While a simple game of cards in itself may be harmless, it is a fact that by immoderate repetition it ends in an infatuation for chance schemes, in habits of excess, in waste of precious time, in a dulling and stupor of the mind, and in the complete destruction of religious feeling. These are serious results, evils that

EDITOR'S TABLE. 737 should and must be avoided by the Latter-day Saints. Then again, there is the grave danger that lurks in persistent card playing which begets the spirit of gambling, of speculation, and that awakens the dangerous desire to get something for nothing. I have in mind a man whose life is now ruined, who was wrecked by cards. The habit began innocently, too—it started from a simple game persistently repeated, just to see who could win. But the interest soon waned, and it was found necessary to stimulate it with a glass of beer; then beer was too weak. Wine was next; and you know the old Hebrew saying, "When Satan cannot come himself, he sends wine as a messenger." But it became compulsory to go still further, and at last to keep up the interest with whiskey. Then the stimulus for the game was not strong enough in his own home, and he went out for the needed excitement. A drunkard, a gambler, a man without means or property, an outcast a culprit picked up from the gutter by the police is the remainder of the story. His poor wife died, and he was punished for a strong suspicion of misconduct with his own children. It all began with an innocent game of cards! Behold the instances that are common where women leave their children uncared for to go off to play cards; of men spending their earnings at the gaming table—behold the spirit of gambling, of chance, of wanting something for nothing, and the dodging of honest work, and the waiting for luck and lottery to bring easy returns! This spirit is encouraged by, if not born of card-playing, and the mania to gamble leads to ruin, poverty, spiritual death and destruction. It is wrong for Latter-day Saints to encourage it, or to unduly indulge in any game that fosters it. Let us cry it down; and, as we value our salvation and the good of our children, let us leave persistent card-playing alone. It is wrong and dangerous for the Latter-day Saints, and would better be entirely abolished, both in family, public, semi-public and private gatherings. But, you say, we must have recreation; what shall we do? Turn to domestic enterprises, and to the gaining of useful knowledge of the gospel. Let the love of reading good and useful books be implanted in the hearts of the young,and let them be trained to take pleasure and recreation in history, travel,biography, conversa-

738 IMPROVEMENT ERA. tion and classic story. Then there are innocent games, music, songs, and literary recreation. What would you think of the man who would argue for whiskey and beer as a common beverage because it is necessary for people to drink? He is perhaps little worse than the man who would place cards in the hands of my children—whereby they would foster the spirit of chance and gambling leading down to destruction—because they must have recreation. I would call the first a vicious enemy, and refer him to water to drink; and the latter an evil spirit in the guise of innocence, and refer him to recreation containing no germs of spiritual disease leading to the devil! Let our evenings be devoted to innocent amusements in the home, and let all chance games be banished from our families, and only recreation indulged in that is free from gambling and the gambling spirit. And let excessive card-playing, and the person who strolls about among neighbors at all hours of the night and day encouraging the evil, be put far from us. Just as sure as we encourage this evil, it will bring other grievous troubles in its wake, and those who indulge excessively will lose the spirit of the gospel, and go to temporal and spiritual ruin. Young people in their recreations should strive to form a love for that which will not be injurious. It is not true that only that recreation can be enjoyed that is detrimental to the body and spirit. We should train ourselves to find pleasure in that which invigorates, not stupifies and destroys the body; that which leads upward and not down; that which brightens, not dulls and stunts the intellect; that which elevates and exalts the spirit, not that clogs and depresses it. So shall we please the Lord, enhance our own enjoyment, and save ourselves and our children from impending sins, at the root of which, like an evil genius, lurks the spirit of cards and gaming. Joseph F. Smith.