The First Commandment

First Commandment By C. L. Olsen, M. D.

In Three Parts —Part I "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

It is safe to say that at the present time there is not a theme more delicate to handle, a subject more dreaded to approach, a topic more ingeniously evaded, a question more flippantly an- swered, than that embodied in the above quotation from Holy Writ. There is possibly no subject of like importance which is being approached so warily, treated so cautiously, hedged about with such guarded expressions, or on the whole which is handled more gingerly both in the pulpit and in the press, than the one under consideration. Why? Because we saints and sinners — — have reached a stage of so-called civilization, when one feeling impelled to touch upon this important matter shall actually hes- itate. Yet, in the words of Wesley:

"Shall I, for fear of feeble man, The spirit's course in me restrain? Awed by a mortal's frown, shall I Conceal the word of God most high? Shall I, to soothe th' unholy throng, Soften Thy truths and smooth my tongue? What then is he whose scorn I dread, Whose wrath or hate makes me afraid? A man; an heir of death, a slave To sin ; a bubble on the wave." No, indeed; one need not apologize for denouncing from the pulpit or in print, yea, loud and long, anything and everything and the teachings of anybody calculated to mislead the unwary, to set at naught the word of God, or in the least de- gree to thwart his purposes. "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." These are the words of God Almighty. They amount to a direct com- mand. It is, moreover, his first commandment to mortals. It was preceded by a blessing and uttered as a specific injunction, not as a word of counsel, to our first parents; and it has never been changed, modified nor abrogated; but is in full force and just as binding today upon the posterity of Adam and Eve as it was when first given to man. Neither the ingenuity of man nor

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the machinations of the evil one can change this truth. While it may be technically correct to refer to this injunction of the Almighty as a commandment, it is in reality more; it is an irrev- ocable law. Any commandment coming from God Almighty be- comes at once the law upon the subject. Emanating from such a source, it is perfect, and being perfect it is irrevocable, and this because it is in absolute harmony with the premises upon which it rests. History bears us out in the statement that from time imme- morial to the present day, man has in various ways and by divers means endeavored to circumvent the purposes of the Almighty, as regards obedience to this commandment, this universal law. But wo unto the man or woman who becomes a law unto him- self. Onan, that selfish, calculating creature, tried it — and it cost him his life for, "the thing which he did displeased the Lord, wherefore he slew him." (Gen. 38:8, 9, 10.) Plain words, these. Read the three verses. No soft pedal here; no sotto voce; noth- ing sub rosa; no camouflage, either. The command, the purpose, the refusal, the intention, the act and the result are plainly set forth. The Lord will not be mocked. Many there be, even in our own day, who forfeit their lives for tampering with or disobeying this very law, the law of gen- eration. We may not wickedly consign our children to the fiery embrace of Moloch, the idol of brass, or literally worship at his altar; so we may not be directly concerned about the death penalty imposed upon those among former-day Israel who were guilty of this grave sin. But we may be sure that, if that great lawgiver, Moses, led the children of Israel today, he would have occasion for warning them of "the wrath to come," for their worshiping at the shrine of the ungodly, following their pattern, either in shrinking entirely from assuming the responsi- bilities of parenthood by not marrying; or if married, by deliber- ately preventing conception; or, by scheming and careful plan- ning to so limit the number of children to be born to them, that life may be one continual round of pleasure, or at least that labor and toil, trial and earthly afflictions may thereby be reduced to a minimum. Many there be, even among Latter-day Saints, who, having themselves accepted the up-to-date dictum of "society" and so- called civilization, eagerly seize every opportunity to inform others, the newly married, for instance, what a boon it is, especially to the woman, to be able to "intelligently" so order her life that she shall not become anybody's slave, nor even a human incubator! This language may sound both harsh and un- polished; but it is accurate. And the writer's experience places him in a position to know something along this line. Parents who have chosen what to them appears the better part, namely,

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tc receive to their bosom—and that with thankful hearts—the spirits, perhaps a great many, which God in his wisdom has seen fit to send to them, are pointed to as being way below these

would-be reformers, in intelligence, in morals and in everything else that makes men truly great. Large families, it is argued, might be proper for the pilgrims, the early pioneers, and even dagos, today, but for educated men and women of the present generation, the thought, even, is shocking! Large families are often referred to as "broods" and "litters." And plenty there be right among us who either by actual practice or by "intelligent" acquiescence approve of all this. Can it be possible? the uniniti- — ated will ask. It is more than possible it is a fact. And "facts are stubborn things." To be sure, such practices, such doctrines, are no part of true religion. They originated in the minds of wicked people. But once their proponents have obtained a hearing, the propaganda is sure to gain adherents. Otherwise, such expressions as these could never fall from woman's lips: "I don't propose to bear children for the barons of industry to lord over." "I don't want my shape spoiled to please any man." "If I don't have any chil- dren, I don't miss them." "I don't want to see everlasting drudgery; I want some pleasure in life," etc. Neither could any man (save the mark!) be little enough to confess his inability to provide for a wife; or, having one, continually whine about family expenses and early in his married life declare in favor of few children, or what is worse, no children at all ! Such men and women, in addition to the numerous self-styled "reformers" of home life, and self-constituted dispensers of domestic bliss, eagerly embrace anything calculated to help render nugatory the first divine commandment: "Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth." To them, ingeniously worded expostula- tions, cunning arguments, clever reasoning, sympathetic har- angues and apparently well-meant advice, outweigh any and every other consideration. To them, the numerous devices in- vented and sold in the open market as "French articles," "sani- tary," contrivances, "hygienic" helps, "disease-preventing appli- ances," etc., are hailed as saviors in disguise. To them, the man and woman who will not avail himself or herself of such "helps" is considered as poor and benighted individuals, groping in ignorance of the "better way," known to the world. But may God grant that such ignorance may increase or, rather, that a ;

knowledge of the true condition existing may be so diffused among all right-thinking people, that those who publicly or in private preach, practice or otherwise promulgate such abomi- nable doctrines as herein alluded to, shall stand exposed as ene- mies of both God and man!