Hobbies give to those who encourage them a false aspect of the gospel of the Redeemer; they distort and place out of harmony its principles and teachings. The point of view is unnatural. Every principle and practice revealed from God is essential to man's salvation, and to place any one of them unduly in front, hiding and dimming all others is unwise and dangerous; it jeopardizes our salvation, for it darkens our minds and beclouds our understandings. Such a view, no matter to what point directed, narrows the vision, weakens the spiritual perception, and darkens the mind, the result of which is that the person thus afflicted with this perversity and contraction of mental vision places himself in a position to be tempted of the evil {144} one, or through dimness of sight or distortion of vision, to misjudge his brethren and give way to the spirit of apostasy. He is not square before the Lord. We have noticed this difficulty: that Saints with hobbies are prone to judge and condemn their brethren and sisters who are not so zealous in the one particular direction of their pet theory as they are. The man with the Word of Wisdom only in his brain, is apt to find unmeasured fault with every other member of the Church who entertains liberal ideas as to the importance of other doctrines of the gospel. There is another phase of this difficulty--the man with a hobby is apt to assume an "I am holier than thou" position, to feel puffed up and conceited, and to look with distrust, if with no severer feeling, on his brethren and sisters who do not so perfectly live that one particular law. This feeling hurts his fellow-servants and offends the Lord. "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."--(Prov. 16-18.) There are some great truths in the plan of redemption that are fundamental. They cannot be ignored; none others can be placed before them. The fatherhood of God, the efficacy of the atonement of our Lord and Savior, the restoration of the gospel in these latter days, must be accepted with our whole hearts. We cannot compensate for a lack of faith in these essential doctrines by the most absolute abstinence from things unhealthful, by the rigid payment of tithing on our "anise and cummin," or by the observance of any other outward ordinance. Baptism itself without faith in God avails nothing.--_Juvenile Instructor,_ Vol. 37, pp. 176-177, March, 1902. WEALTH DOES NOT BRING CHURCH FAVORS. The idea should never gain ground that the rich man in the Church is entitled to any more consideration than the humblest {145} member. Men of superior virtues and powers, whether those virtues and powers be represented in the ability to gain wealth, to acquire education, or to display genius and wisdom, will always occupy a commanding place in the social, the business, and religious world.