--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Syphers, Grant Jr. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 32 number: 4 published: 1929-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Grant Syphers Jr., “Why Be Law-Observing?,” *Improvement Era* 32, no. 4 (February 1929): 302–304." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3204unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3204unse start_page: 302 end_page: 304 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3204unse publication_year: 1929 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Why Be Law-Observing? Why be Law-Observing? By Grant Syphers, Jr. MUMAN history from the beginning of time reveals that the world has been in a state of perpetual confusion. Empires have arisen and fallen; wars have swept millions from the face of the earth; nations have changed their form of government many times; religions and creeds have been established and abolished; new lands have been discovered and settled; numerous mechanical contrivances have been invented. But it is true that in spite of these confused changes we have progressed; though, because there has been no long-continued order, progress has been a slow, painful, tedious process. This, in a word, is the history of the world, and it may, be summed up in one statement: We are born; we struggle for some- thing finer; we die. What does it all mean? Why do men live such lives? What is the great purpose in it all? To the thoughtless, and there are far too many in that class, these things are meaningless, but if we go into the depths of the hearts of men we will find an answer. This confusion and strife, these struggles for financial, political or other supremacy were noth- ing more than a search for happiness. Happiness! Every person who has ever lived has spent a large part of his life looking for it. The warriors of olden times were striving for this thing, for in the glory of victory lay their happiness. Napoleon, with his mighty ambitions, was searching for it, for world-wide power and dominion were the things he most desired. All of the explorers, scientists, inventors, artists and scholars were working to achieve something, because achievement brought them happiness. Thus it has been all through the ages, thus it is now, and so it ever will be. Every move we make is with the hope, conscious or otherwise, that we are approach- ing happiness. Naturally the question as to what really causes happiness comes up for consideration. There is not one of us but could name at least a dozen things that contribute to it; but, in my mind, the greatest of all these is the joy that comes from man's associations with his fellow-men. Perhaps no better illustration of this point can be found than the example of our own country. When this continent was first explored and settled, our part of it was not important. Its people had few of the things which go to make mankind happy. America was merely a country over which the nations of Europe might quarrel; and, yet, upon that un- Feb.. 1929 WHY BE LAW-OBSERVING? 303 explored tract has grown the mightiest nation in the world. This miraculous growth may be attributed to many causes, but I shall mention particularly two things — the country itself, its natural re- sources and topographical conditions; and the political organization of the people who live therein. I claim that the latter factor is far more important than the former, for, although the former has played a most important role, the real period of progress of this nation did not begin until its people began to associate with one another and organized themselves into the United States of America. From that time on the people of this nation have advanced rapidly and, speaking generally, have gradually grown closer and closer together until the present. Now, we, perhaps the happiest people in the world, derive most of the enjoyment we have in life through associations with our fellow-citizens. I have said that these associations make us happy, but is it the associations alone? Or does the way they are controlled by the laws of our country have an important bearing? I think this question is answered by reviewing the experiences had by other countries. I shall not take time to enumerate these, but will here make a statement which I am sure history proves to be correct. No nation, no matter how .great and strong it might have been, no matter how far advanced intellectually, and no matter how de- sirable a country it possessed, has long endured if its laws have been defective or if they have not been respected. It is evident to all that the material happiness we enjoy, our prosperity and the preservation of our lives are directly dependent upon the laws of our nation and upon their enforcement. Senator William E. Borah said: "You can no more leave behind the fundamental principles of right and justice, of respect for and obedience to law, without paying a frightful penalty, than can a people, however high and strong in their material power, abandon the simple pronouncements of Sinai without sinking into utter degradation." We often hear the argument that there are too many laws and that laws, while they may benefit society, are rather a handicap than an advantage to the individual. These complaints, possibly, are justified if we consider them from a narrow and personal viewpoint, but with the proper perspective it is easy to see that this is the best possible condition. The complaint that there are too many laws might be com- pared with the complaint that there are too many automobiles run- ning down Washington Avenue on Saturday afternoon. Every motorist will agree that this is the condition and that we ought to eliminate some of the cars. But what would that same motorist say if his own car were eliminated? It is exactly the same with the 304 IMPROVEMENT ERA Feb.. 1929 person who complains of too many laws. He will advise that we do away with this law or with that law, but should we consider the revoking of a law that directly benefits him, he would be the first to oppose such a step. And so, while it may be that we have too many laws for the individual, it does not follow that we have too many for society. This leads us to the second argument, that laws benefit the community rather than the individual. But isn't that exactly what we want our laws to do? The individual is a part of society, the recipient of all advantages which come to it, and why should he be displeased with such a state of affairs? It is his duty to work for the interests of all the people; he himself should obey all the laws of his country and use his influence to induce others to do likewise, rather than complain that the laws discriminate in favor of certain classes, or that they infringe upon one's personal rights and exclude the interests of others, and this is what the complaint too often amounts to. In summary, therefore, we should obey the laws because they control our personal happiness and also the happiness of our fellow - citizens, and because upon them depends the future of this nation. As citizens of these United States we are happy, and if we would continue to be so we must obey the laws. May there never be a time when lawlessness shall gain the mastery in this land, for if such a time ever comes it will mark the downfall of our blessed country. Gone will be its power and glory; gone its prosperity and happiness; gone the mighty nation, and in its place will be a forbidding, devastated ruin of the once glorious republic. May the All-wise Father protect us from such a condition. He will bless us to the extent that we understand the true significance of law, for this understanding will cause obedience and consequent happiness. Genius, without work, is certainly a dumb oracle: and it is unquestion- ably true that the men of the highest genius have invariably been found to be amongst the most plodding, hard-working, and intent men, their chief char- acteristic apparently consisting simply in their power of laboring more intensely and effectively than others. — Samuel Smiles in Self Help. I am moved by that argument which Atticus uses when he says that it is a scandalous thing that, if a senator should procure a wrongful conviction of any- one, he should be made liable to the laws, but that if a Roman knight does the same, he should not. Although I should grant to you that it would be a scandalous thing (and the fact I will examine into presently) , still you must inevitably grant to me that it is a much more scandalous thing that the laws should be departed from in that state which is entirely held together by the laws: for this is the bond of this dignity which we enjoy in the republic, this is the foundation of our liberty, this is the source of justice. — Cicero's Orations.