Thus, it appears, that in the formation of virtuous character and habits, God, educators and self are the three combining causes, each being indispensable to the result, and thus each dependent on the others. God decides the nature and combinations of our susceptibilities [pg 184] and our circumstances of temptation. The educators of mind also modify the susceptibilities, and regulate the temptations. Self, as the producing cause of volition, decides the nature of our own volitions, and thus also coöperates to regulate circumstances of temptation.
The attainment of virtuous character, therefore, depends conjointly on God, man and self. It has been shown that God invariably does the best he can to secure the most perfect action possible in all minds.
The blamable causes of all failure in right and virtuous action are self and the finite educators of self. The unblamable causes are God, educators and self, so far as they are faithful in doing all they can to educate aright.
With these preliminary considerations, we proceed in the inquiry as to those modes which in past experience have been found most successful in securing virtuous character, or voluntary obedience to the laws of God.
The first cause of right moral action is a knowledge of and faith in the physical, social, intellectual and moral laws of God. It is impossible, in the nature of things, that a new-created mind should be possessed of such knowledge and faith. All that is possible, so far as we can learn by reason and experience, is that there should be a slow and gradual development not only of each individual mind, but of the whole race, as each generation, in turn, receives by instruction the experience of the one previous, and transmits it with its own experience to a succeeding generation.
The next thing that has been found efficacious in forming virtuous character is the formation of uniform habits of obedience to parental rule, in the early periods [pg 185] of existence. To secure this, invariable steadiness in government has been found indispensable. If a child finds that sometimes he is to obey and sometimes he is not, there is always a temptation to struggle against law. But if a parent's laws, rewards and penalties are as steady and sure as those of God, in due time the child submits as cheerfully to the domestic rules and commands, as he does to the laws of nature. He is no more tempted to contest parental commands than he is to attempt to stop the flow of a river or the falling of rain. In this way a habit of submission to law is generated, which makes all the future discipline and training of life comparatively easy. A child learns cheerfully to obey a heavenly Father, just in proportion as he thus obeys his earthly parents.
The next thing taught by experience is that children should be instructed as fast as possible in the reasonableness and benevolence of all the laws they are required to obey. Obedience is made easy and sure just in proportion as a child is made to perceive, that such obedience is best for himself and best for all concerned.
The next thing which experience has shown to be most effective in securing obedience to law, is love on the part of the educator, and corresponding love in return from the child. To gain the love of a child an educator must exhibit all lovable traits, and confer benefits, so as to call forth at once admiration, gratitude and affection. This renders it easy to the child to conform to the rules and wishes of one so beloved.
Sympathy with a child in all its trials and in all its enjoyments, still further increases this power of another mind in right guidance.
This sympathetic influence is greatly increased by the power of a virtuous example—especially if this example is exhibited by a beloved friend and benefactor, who would be gratified by thus guiding a dependent mind.