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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/35562.txt b/35562.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..672180f --- /dev/null +++ b/35562.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5276 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Rational Theology, by John A. Widtsoe + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Rational Theology + As Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints + +Author: John A. Widtsoe + +Release Date: March 12, 2011 [EBook #35562] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A RATIONAL THEOLOGY *** + + + + +Produced by the Mormon Texts Project, +http://bencrowder.net/books/mtp. Volunteers: Benjamin +Bytheway, Byron Clark, Ben Crowder, Tom DeForest, Eric +Heaps, Jason Hills, Tod Robbins. + + + + + +Rational Theology + +As Taught by the +Church of Jesus Christ of +Latter-day Saints + + +BY +JOHN A. WIDTSOE + + +Published for the Use of the Melchizedek Priesthood +by the General Priesthood Committee + +1915 + +Copyright, 1915 +BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE + + + + +PREFACE + + +A rational theology, as understood in this volume, is a theology which +(1) is based on fundamental principles that harmonize with the +knowledge and reason of man, (2) derives all of its laws, ordinances +and authority from the accepted fundamental principles, and (3) finds +expression and use in the everyday life of man. In short, a rational +theology is derived from the invariable laws of the universe, and +exists for the good of man. + +This volume is an exposition; it is not an argument. The principles of +the Gospel, as held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day +Saints, are stated, briefly, simply and without comment, to show the +coherence, reasonableness and universality of the gospel philosophy. +The authority for many of the statements found in the volume is given +in the references included in the appendix. The doctrines herein +stated are, however, the common knowledge of the members of the +Church. No attempt has been made to correlate the doctrines discussed +with current philosophical opinions. Those who are led to study this +rational theology in the light of the best knowledge and soundest +thought, will enter a fertile field, and will find a surprising +harmony between the Gospel and all discovered truth. + +The book could not be made larger, were it to serve well the special +purpose for which it was written. Therefore, the treatment is brief +and many important and interesting subjects are omitted. Moreover, the +book had to be completed within a short, set time, and many of the +imperfections of the work are the results of the hurried preparation. + +Every writer who in this day attempts an exposition of the Gospel must +draw heavily upon the clear thoughts of those who, from Joseph Smith +to the living workers, have written and spoken in behalf of the truth. +I acknowledge, gratefully, my obligation to the makers of "Mormon" +literature. Many friends have, also, in various ways, given kindly +aid; to them I offer hearty and sincere thanks. + + JOHN A. WIDTSOE. + +LOGAN, UTAH. + + + + +CONTENTS + +FUNDAMENTALS AND PRE-EXISTENT STATE. + +Chapter 1. **The Meaning of Theology** + + Man in the Universe--A Man's Religion--Theology Defined--The + Gospel--The Purpose of this Book. + +Chapter 2. **How Knowledge is Gained** + + The Senses--The Sixth Sense--Transmitted Knowledge--The Use of the + Reason--The Foundation of Rational Theology. + +Chapter 3. **Eternalism** + + All Knowledge, the Basis--Eternal Matter--Universal Matter, + Indestructible--Eternal Energy--Universal Intelligence--Eternal + Intelligence--The Eternal Relationship--An Eternal Plan--Eternalism. + +Chapter 4. **The Will of Man** + + The Primeval Condition--The Intelligence of Man--The Will of Man-- + Value of the Will. + +Chapter 5. **The Great Law** + + Increasing Complexity of the Universe--Man and the Great Law--The + Law of Development. + +Chapter 6. **God and Man** + + Why God is God--Many Gods--Why Man is Man--God's Help to Man--Man's + Help to God--God's Attributes. + +Chapter 7. **Man Is That He May Have Joy** + + Consciousness and the Universe--The Primeval Condition--The First + Estate--The Second Estate--The Third Estate--Everlasting Joy. + +Chapter 8. **Man's Free Agency** + + In the Beginning--The Council in Heaven--The Need of a Savior--Man's + Part in the Great Plan--Free Agency. + +Chapter 9. **The Great Plan** + + Forgetfulness--Subject to Earth Conditions--Laws to Be Obeyed--An + Organization--All to Accept the Plan--The Meaning of the Earth Plan. + + +THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTH WORK. + +Chapter 10. **The Coming of Man** + + Making of the Earth--The Builders--The Coming of Man--The "Fall"-- + The First Blessing--The Garden of Eden--A Wise Beginning. + +Chapter 11. **The Course of the Gospel on Earth** + + Adam Hears the Gospel--The First Dispensation--The First Apostasy-- + Later Dispensation of the Meridian of Time--The Great Apostasy--The + Restoration--The Vital Facts. + + +MAN AND GOD. + +Chapter 12. **The Gods of this Earth** + + The Order of Gods--Plurality of Gods--God, the Father--God, the + Son--God, the Holy Ghost--Other Beings--Sex Among the Gods. + +Chapter 13. **Man's Communion with God** + + The Will to Ask--By Personal Appearance--By the Visitation of + Angels--By the Holy Spirit--The Eternal Record. + +Chapter 14. **Man Walks with God** + + Reading God's Message--Spirit Blindness--Prayer--Active Prayer--The + Gift of Understanding--Man Walks with God. + + +MAN AND THE DEVIL. + +Chapter 15. **The Kingdom of the Evil One** + + Descending Beings--The Devil--Man and the Devil--The Devil Subject + to God. + + +MAN AND THE CHURCH. + +Chapter 16. **Why a Church?** + + Man Helped by God on Earth--The Plan of Salvation for All-- + Orderliness--Test of Attitude--Authority--The Great Purpose of the + Church. + +Chapter 17. **Conditions of Membership** + + Faith--Repentance--Baptism--The Gift of the Holy Ghost--Continued + Conformity--Acceptance of Authority. + +Chapter 18. **The Priesthood in the Church** + + Priesthood Defined--Divisions of the Priesthood--The Aaronic + Priesthood--The Melchizedek Priesthood--All Hold the Priesthood--The + Power of the Priesthood. + +Chapter 19. **The Organization of the Church** + + The General Authorities--The Stakes of Zion--The Wards of the + Stakes--The Priesthood in Stakes and Wards--Auxiliary + Organizations--All Must Work--The Tenure of Office--An Unpaid + Ministry--Appointments in the Priesthood--Common Consent--Bestowal + of the Priesthood. + +Chapter 20. **The Authority of the Priesthood** + + The Foundation of Authority--Absolute Authority--Derived Authority-- + The Authority of Office--Authority and Free Agency--Authority Over + Self--The Exercise of Authority--The Unrighteous Exercise of + Authority--The Church Authoritative. + +Chapter 21. **Obedience** + + The Restraint of Nature--An Active Condition--The Restraint of Man-- + The Life of Law--Disobedience--The Church Worth Having. + +Chapter 22. **A Missionary Church** + + A Church with a Purpose--The Hope of Today--Temporal Salvation--The + Foreign Mission System--The Home Mission Service--For the Common + Good. + +Chapter 23. **Temple Ordinances** + + Educational--Symbolism--Covenants--Blessings--Temple Authority-- + Possible Repetition. + + +MAN AND MAN. + +Chapter 24. **The Brotherhood of Man** + + Common Origin--Common Purposes--Common Destiny--Inter-Dependence-- + Brothers. + +Chapter 25. **The Equality of Man** + + The Pre-existent Effort--The Earth Effort--The Variety of Gifts--The + Equality of Opportunity--Unequal Equality--The Test of Equality. + +Chapter 26. **Mutual Support** + + The Duty of the Strong--Co-operation--Education. + +Chapter 27. **The United Order** + + Purpose--Historical--Co-operation--Tithing--Voluntary Offerings--The + Common Good. + +Chapter 28. **Work for the Dead** + + All Must Be Saved--Earthly Ordinances--A Work of Love--The Need of +Records--The Result. + +Chapter 29. **Marriage** + + Eternity of Sex--The Waiting Spirits--The Meaning of the First + Command--The Family--Celestial Marriage--The Sealing Powers. + +Chapter 30. **The Community** + + Community Defined--The Individual in the Community--The Rights of + the Community--Training for the Community--The Supremacy of the + Community. + + +MAN AND NATURE. + +Chapter 31. **Man and Nature** + + The Intelligence of Nature--A Living Earth--The Lower Animals--All + for the Use of Man--Man's Conquest of Nature--Miracles--Harmony of + Man and Nature. + + +MAN AND HIMSELF. + +Chapter 32. **The Sound Body** + + The Importance of the Body--Food--Exercise--Rest--Stimulants--Moral + Purity--The Gospel and the Sound Body. + +Chapter 33. **Education for the Inner Life** + + The Senses--The Reasoning Power--The Feelings--The Spiritual Sense-- + Symbolism--Education. + +Chapter 34. **Satisfaction with Daily Work** + + Variety of Earthly Tasks--All Work May Be Intelligent--Nothing + Temporal--Subjection to Self. + +Chapter 35. **The Hope of Tomorrow** + + Today--Tomorrow--The Resurrection--Our Place in the Hereafter--The + Destiny of Man. + +Chapter 36. **The Law of the Earth** + + The Unknown Meaning--The Earth Law--To Love God--To Love a Neighbor + as Oneself--The Triumph of Man. + + +APPENDIX--References to Authorities + +INDEX + + + + +Rational Theology. + + +CHAPTER 1. + +THE MEANING OF THEOLOGY. + + +Earth, stars and the vastness of space; yesterday, today and tomorrow, +and the endlessly increasing knowledge of the relations of forces, +present an illimitable universe of numberless phenomena. Only as a +whole, and in general outline, can the human mind understand the +universe. In its infinite variety of expressions, it wholly transcends +the human mind. + +**Man in the Universe.** In the midst of this complexity, man finds +himself. As he progresses from childhood to manhood, and as his +slumbering faculties are awakened, he becomes more fully aware of the +vastness of his universe and of the futility of hoping to understand +it in detail. + +Nevertheless, conscious man can not endure confusion. From out the +universal mystery he must draw, at least, the general, controlling +laws, that proclaim order in the apparent chaos; and, especially is he +driven, by his inborn and unalterable nature, to know, if he can, his +own place in the system of existing things. Every normal man desires +and seeks an understanding of his relation to all other things, and +practically every man has worked out for himself, on the basis of his +knowledge, some theory which explains, more or less satisfactorily, +the mystery of star and earth and man and life. No other quest is +followed by man with such vigorous persistence, as is that of +establishing an intelligible and satisfactory philosophy of +earth-life. + +**A Man's Religion.** The philosophy, or system of thought, adopted +to explain man's place in nature determines largely the joy and manner +of a man's life. If the philosophy be poor and loose, life will be +confused; if rich and firm, life will be clear cut, and if law be made +supreme, life will be orderly. Those who have no religion at all +become the playthings of unknown forces. Every act of a man's life is +influenced by the philosophy of his life. It is the most important +product of an individual life, and is the most compelling power in +life. + +In a broad sense, the philosophy, according to which a man orders his +life, may be called that man's religion. It may or may not involve the +idea of God or an organized body of believers. If it guides a life, it +is that life's religion, whether it leads to weakness or to strength. + +**Theology Defined.** Since all men are placed in the same universe, +with approximately the same powers, and under conditions nearly alike, +it is possible for each person to establish for himself a religion as +above defined, for the guidance of his life. All religions must be +organized from the content of the one, and so far as we know, the only +universe; and the presumption would be, therefore, that the religions +of all men should be the same, in as far at least as men are the same. +In fact, however, during the course of human history, many more or +less dissimilar religions have been established and accepted. True, +most of these religions show close kinship, but the vital differences +are often very great. For instance, the religions of men fall +naturally into two great classes: those that adopt as their central +idea a great governing intelligence and power--a God; and those that +refuse to include a God in their system of thought. + +A religion which accepts the idea of a God is a theology. The great +majority of the religions of men are theologies, for the majority of +men believe in some form of personal divine power. + +**The Gospel.** The word gospel is also frequently used, among +Christians, to designate the religion of men. The Gospel is a theology +which includes the doctrine of the life and mission of Jesus Christ, +as the Son of God. Among Christians, the words religion, theology and +gospel are freely used in the same sense. It is well, however, to bear +in mind the distinction in meaning of the three words. The Christian +religion, the Christian theology and the Gospel are equivalent in +meaning. In the following pages, the terms are often used +interchangeably without the qualifying words. Indeed, the Gospel will +be used most frequently, and wherever used, it must be understood to +stand for the rational theology discussed in this book. + +**The Purpose of This Book.** This volume is devoted to the +exposition of the fundamental principles of a rational theology--a +philosophy of life which, because of its complete harmony with all +knowledge, should be the one to which all men might give adherence. + + + + +CHAPTER 2. + +HOW KNOWLEDGE IS GAINED. + + +Knowledge is the material upon which the reasoning mind of man acts. +Just as physical strength can neither be developed nor exercised +unless material bodies are at hand, so mental strength can neither be +developed nor exercised unless facts or knowledge are in man's +possession. The acquisition of knowledge or experience is the first +step towards formulating an acceptable religion. It is of interest, +therefore, to consider, briefly, the sources of human knowledge. + +**The Senses.** Through eyes, ears, nose, the sense of taste and the +complex and poorly understood sense of feeling, man becomes acquainted +with the universe. That which is seen by the eyes, heard by the ears, +smelled by the nose, tasted by the mouth, or felt by any part of the +body, becomes impressed and registered upon the mind, there later* to +be used. The detailed method by which knowledge is added to man is not +understood. The theories that prevail concerning the entrance of +knowledge into the human mind need not here be discussed. + +It follows that the man who wishes to gain much knowledge must guard +his senses from harm, and must sharpen them, so that during the few +days of life they may do as much as is possible to help man establish +a rational religion for his guidance. The foundation of human +knowledge is derived from the direct action of the senses. + +**The Sixth Sense.** Important as are the senses in adding knowledge +to man, yet it must be admitted that they recognize without help only +a very small part of the universe. Our universe is infinite in its +variety of expression--of that man feels certain,--and it could hardly +be expected, therefore, that man, who admittedly is yet far from +perfection, should be able to know, even with the greatest aid, all of +the universe. + +The truth that an immeasurable part of the universe lies outside of +human experience, is borne in upon every thinking man. In recent +times, the developments of science have emphasized this vast region of +the unknown. The mystery of electricity, in the telephone and +telegraph; the wonder of space, in wireless telegraphy; the marvel of +the elements, speak clearly of places and conditions of which we as +yet have no clear and accurate conception, and before which the senses +of man, unaided, stand helpless. + +Nevertheless, glimpses into this unknown region may be had by helps to +the senses. By the telescope the far is brought near; by the +microscope the small is made large; by the photographic plate unseen +light is made visible; by the well tuned coil of wire the wireless +message is taken out of space; by the spectroscope, light is broken +into its elements, and so on through almost the whole field of human +endeavor. Facts that are gathered in such an indirect way are as +correctly certain as are those that are sensed directly. The world +would lose tremendously should all the truth gathered through aids to +the senses be removed. + +Man himself, through what may be called, for want of a better name, +the sixth sense, may become a great aid to his own direct senses. By +proper exertion he may intercept messages from out the directly +unknown, as completely as this may be done by man-made instruments. +Throughout history this power of man has been recognized and usually +respected. The experience or knowledge thus gained should, when +properly examined by the mind, be given an equal place beside that +gained directly through the commoner senses. Prophets, poets, men of +vision and faith, have all builded their work largely upon this kind +of knowledge or inward feeling. + +**Transmitted Knowledge.** The inexhaustible universe and the limited +powers of man, make it possible for a person to discover for himself +relatively a very small amount of truth. Much effort may be saved and +more knowledge gained, if each person learn as much as he may of what +has already been learned, to which he may add the little new discovery +that he may make. + +This method of obtaining knowledge has been in vogue since the first +day. What the first man learned, he told to others, and they in turn +communicated it, with the addition of whatever new knowledge they had +gained. Thus comes the present value of tradition--the spoken +record,--and of books--the written record. Men who desire to build a +safe religion or a safe science, make themselves familiar with as much +as they can of what is already known, instead of attempting to +traverse the known field as original discoverers, and to this +transmitted knowledge, they add whatever in the course of their +pursuit they may discover independently. Those who in the present day +will accept only what they themselves discover, will make slow +progress. To them the treasuries of the greatest age will not be +opened. + +If, in the course of events, it becomes necessary for God to speak to +a man for the benefit of many, it would be contrary to rational +thinking that each man for whom the message was given, should directly +hear God's voice, unless, indeed, the means of communicating the +knowledge become effectually blocked. Such transmitted knowledge is +every whit as sound as that acquired by direct communion with nature. + +True, the knowledge already possessed by man is so large that it can +in nowise be transmitted, in all its details, to one man. The efforts +of humanity are directed, therefore, to the devising of general +statements, or laws, which embody the meaning of a multitude of facts, +while they are yet easily intelligible to the human mind. More and +more important will become the repositories of such general principles +containing the knowledge of mankind. The Bible, in its various books, +presents such great underlying principles of our knowledge relating to +several very important phases of earth-life. + +**The Use of the Reason.** Whether knowledge be obtained by any or +all of the methods indicated, it should be carefully examined in the +light of reason. The only knowledge that will help in the +establishment of a satisfactory religion is true knowledge. Truth is +the end of the search. False or apparently true knowledge often +intrudes itself upon the attention and at times it is so well +disguised as to be dangerously deceptive. Man must learn of the +universe, precisely as it is, or he can not successfully find his +place in it. A man should therefore use his reasoning faculty in all +matters involving truth, and especially as concerning his religion. + +**The Foundation of Rational Theology.** The Gospel, or rational +theology, is founded on truth, on all truth, for "truth is knowledge +of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come," and +"truth has no end." In building a philosophy of life a man, therefore, +can not say that some truth must be considered and other truth +rejected. Only on the basis of all truth, that is, all true knowledge, +can his religion be built. Further, the perfection of his knowledge, +that is, the extent of his truth possessions, will determine the value +of his religion to him. Therefore, "it is impossible for a man to be +saved in ignorance," "a man is saved no faster than he obtains +knowledge," and "the glory of God is intelligence." + + + + +CHAPTER 3. + +ETERNALISM. + + +The conceptions necessary for logical thought belong to the Gospel as +well as to science, for a satisfactory life philosophy must be based +on all knowledge known to man. + +**All Knowledge, the Basis.** The Gospel, as the largest knowledge, +must include the knowledge of all sciences. The conceptions of time +and space are quite as necessary in theology as in natural science or +in any other branch of human thought. The Gospel does not claim, +however, possession of ultimate knowledge concerning space or time or +other fundamental conceptions. Indeed, man is, ordinarily, allowed to +work out for himself the truths of the universe and to organize them +into systems of thought which he may follow profitably. Knowledge is +given directly by a superior intelligence only when it becomes +indispensable. Moreover, there are innumerable phenomena in the +universe which can not be explained by the human understanding as at +present developed. The distinguishing feature of the Gospel is that it +possesses the key to the final philosophy of life. In outline it +offers the entire plan of life in the universe; and man may engage for +all time to come in the elaboration and development of each department +of this great universal plan of human life, without requiring an +expansion of the outline. The plan is complete. + +**Eternal Matter.** The saddest feature of manmade religions is their +lack of security. One man constructs one theology; another a different +one, and men flock hither and thither, accepting the one that appears, +for the moment, to be the best, without the deep feeling that the one +finally accepted is absolutely the one and only correct system of +thought. Yet, this is logically absurd, for a house is either red or +not red; a stick is straight or not straight; a man has truth or only +the semblance of truth. Two different truths can not be parallel with +respect to the same thing. The final philosophy of life must be based +on irrevocable truth. That which is true must always remain true, +though the applications may change greatly from generation to +generation. It is the absence of such fundamental certainties, no +doubt, that leads men into a new search for a satisfying religion, or +that drives them away from their old theology. + +The Gospel of Jesus Christ is obviously a system founded on unvarying +certainties. Its doctrines rest on demonstrated truths that lie at the +foundation of all sound, acceptable thinking. For instance, as a +cornerstone of theology, the Gospel recognizes, in connection with the +existence of space and time, the existence of matter. Without matter, +the mind of man would have no material on which to act, and the +existence of matter becomes, therefore, a fundamental conception of +the Gospel. It is the business of man to become acquainted with matter +in all of its forms, so far as may be possible, in order to provide a +foundation on which the reasoning mind of man may increasingly build +its power. + +The Gospel holds strictly to the conception of a material universe. +Much inconsistency of thought has come from the notion that things +occur in a material and an immaterial state. This unthinkable +condition has been made the basis of doctrines concerning God and man, +which have led to utter confusion of thought. The Gospel accepts the +natural view, supported by all human experience, that matter occurs in +many forms, some visible to the eye, others invisible, and yet others +that may not be sensed by any of the senses of man. In short, there is +no such thing as immaterial matter, but some forms of matter are more +refined than others. Light, heat, and other similar forces are held by +science to be manifestations of a subtle state of matter, beyond the +immediate senses of man, which has been called ether. In fact, matter +as ordinarily known, and ether, a finer form of matter, are every day +conceptions of science. The material universe may appear in a variety +of forms; but man recognizes, directly, only that form which is the +ordinary matter of our daily lives. + +**Universal Matter Is Indestructible.** Matter is eternal, that is, +everlasting. Whether the various forms of matter may be converted one +into the other, is not definitely known. Any such conversion would, +however, leave the total quantity of matter unchanged. God, the +supreme Power, can not conceivably originate matter; he can only +organize matter. Neither can he destroy matter. God is the Master, +who, because of his great knowledge, knows how to use the elements, +already existing, for the building of whatever he may have in mind. +The doctrine that God made the earth or man from nothing becomes, +therefore, an absurdity. The doctrine of the indestructibility of +matter makes possible much theological reasoning that would be +impossible without this doctrine. + +The nature of matter is not, in and of itself, a subject of deep +concern in practical religion. By the slow, laborious methods of man's +search for truth, the nature of matter will gradually be revealed. +Whether it shall be found to be something distinct, or a form of the +universal energy, will not be of consequence in the Gospel structure. +That matter, whatever it is, is eternal, is, however, a principle of +highest theological value, for it furnishes a foundation for correct +reasoning. + +**Eternal Energy.** Matter, wherever found and in whatever form, +always possesses energy. It is frequently said that matter in motion, +only, can impress the human mind. Matter without motion, were it +conceivable, could not be recognized by the human mind as at present +constituted. Matter is always associated with energy; energy with +matter. It is not conceivably possible to separate them. Whether one +is a manifestation of the other, so that there is only matter or only +energy, or if they are distinct things, we do not know. All sound +thought recognizes, however, the existence of energy throughout the +universe. Energy appears in many forms, such as heat, light, +electricity, magnetism, gravitation, and, according to the Gospel, the +many spiritual forces. These various forms of energy seem to be +convertible, one into the other, thus indicating the existence of one +central force, of which all other forces are manifestations. The +question of energy will probably be answered gradually, as the +knowledge of man increases. + +Of one thing the Gospel, as well as science, is perfectly certain, +namely, that the energy in the universe is indestructible. Changed it +may be, from heat to light, from light to electricity, from +electricity to magnetism, or from any form to any other form of +energy, but destroyed it can not be. Like matter, energy had no +beginning and can have no end. God, possessing the supreme +intelligence of the universe, can use energy in accomplishing his +ends, but create it, or destroy it, he cannot. Undiminished, +everacting, universal energy will continue through all times. + +**Universal Intelligence.** In one particular, however, the Gospel +goes beyond the teachings of modern science. The Gospel teaches that, +associated with the universal energy that vivifies universal matter, +and possibly identified with it, is universal intelligence, a force +which is felt wherever matter and energy are found, which is +everywhere. The forces of the universe do not act blindly, but are +expressions of a universal intelligence. That a degree of intelligence +is possessed by every particle of energized matter cannot be said; nor +is it important. The great consideration is that, since intelligence +is everywhere present, all the operations of nature, from the simplest +to the most complex, are the products of intelligence. We may even +conceive that energy is only intelligence, and that matter and +intelligence, rather than matter and energy, are the two fundamentals +of the universe! + +**Eternal Intelligence.** Throughout the universe are found, in +addition to indestructible matter, everlasting energy and universal +intelligence pervading space. + +"Man was also in the beginning with God." The doctrine that man is an +eternal being leads to untold possibilities. Eternal man lived a +personal life before the earth-life began, and he continues a personal +existence hereafter. + +**The Eternal Relationship.** The phenomena of the universe result +from the interaction of matter, energy and intelligence. These +fundamental, universal elements are forever acting upon each other to +produce the infinite variety of the universe. Nevertheless, space is +not filled with disorder; chaos does not prevail. On the contrary, the +universe, so far as known, is essentially orderly. This comes from the +great law of cause and effect. If energy acts on matter in a given +way, a definite effect is obtained. Under like conditions, the same +cause will forever give the same effect. Where, therefore, like +conditions are permanently operating, like results will always be +found. This law lies at the foundation of the orderliness of nature. +"There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven upon which all blessings +are predicated, and it is only by obedience to this law that any +blessing may be obtained." + +**An Eternal Plan.** The Gospel itself, the so-called plan of +salvation, or Great Plan, in obedience to which men guide their +earth-lives, is eternal. It is not a temporary or transient thing, +made primarily for the handful of men and women on earth, but it is an +eternal plan based upon the everlasting relationship of the elements +of the universe--a plan which, in some form, is adapted everywhere and +forever, for the advancement of personal beings. This must be so, for +it leads to a definite end, and in accordance with the law of cause +and effect, it must have a universal meaning. + +**Eternalism.** The Gospel is founded on tangible and eternal things +and relationships. These eternal realities, no doubt, in their +essence, lie beyond the full understanding of man, just as time and +space transcend human understanding. This conception, carried far +enough, leads to a gospel or life philosophy which is unshakable, +because it rests upon eternal certainty. Without certainty, man is, in +the great affairs of life, merely the driftwood of existence, moved +hither and thither by the wind of doubt. + +The Gospel may be said to be The Philosophy of Eternalism. The Gospel +is immersed in the ocean of eternity. + + + + +CHAPTER 4. + +THE WILL OF MAN. + + +The doctrine of the eternal nature of man is most characteristic of +the Gospel. It is a doctrine which gives great satisfaction to all who +have accepted the Gospel. + +**The Primeval Condition.** All that is really clear to the +understanding is that man has existed "from the beginning," and that, +from the beginning, he has possessed distinct individuality impossible +of confusion with any other individuality among the hosts of +intelligent beings. Through endless ages, man has risen by slow +degrees to his present state. Possibly, with respect to the coming +day, man understands as little as did the spiritual beings with +respect to present day conditions. + +**The Intelligence of Man.** To speculate upon the condition of man +when conscious life was just dawning is most interesting, but so +little is known about that far-off day that such speculation is +profitless. Nevertheless, of some things pertaining to the beginning +we are fairly certain. The being which later became man, even in the +first day possessed intelligence. That is, he was able to become aware +of the external universe, to learn, and by adding knowledge to +knowledge, to learn more. Then, as now, the universe was filled with +matter acted upon by many forces, and an intelligent being in the +midst of the interaction of forces and matter, must have become aware, +measurably, of what was going on. From the beginning, the ego of man +has been a conscious being, saying to itself, "This is I; that is not +I. This life is apart from the life of all the rest of the universe." + +**The Will of Man.** In addition to his power to learn and his +consciousness of his own existence, the spiritual personality +possessed, from "the beginning," the distinguishing characteristic of +every intelligent, conscious, thinking being--an independent and +individual will. No one attribute so clearly distinguishes man as does +the intelligent will or the will to act intelligently. It was by the +exercise of their wills that the spirits in the beginning gathered +information rapidly or slowly, acquired experiences freely or +laboriously. Through the exercise of their wills they grew, or +remained passive, or perhaps even retrograded, for with living things +motion in any direction is possible. + +Naturally, the original spirit, possessing, with all other attributes +of intelligence, the power of will, exercised that will upon the +contents of the universe. The exercise of the will upon the matter and +energy within reach, enabled the intelligent beings, little by little, +to acquire power. By the use of his will upon the contents of the +universe, man must have become what he now is. + +**Value of the Will.** The above doctrine involves the idea of +self-effort. It is only when the will is exercised in a certain +direction that the support of other forces may be invited so that +progress in that direction may be accelerated. From the beginning, the +deliberate use of the will has moved personal beings onward; and in +this latest day of our existence, it is the will that moves men into +greater lives. Undoubtedly, the will of man will determine the +completion of the structure built through all ages into a perfected +man. + +The Gospel, resting upon eternal, indestructible principles, maintains +the living supremacy of the will of man. The culture, training and use +of the will, for good or for evil, determine primarily the direction +of an individual life. + + + + +CHAPTER 5. + +THE GREAT LAW. + + +The innumerable interactions of the matter, energy and intelligences +of the universe, must be held together by some great law. This +universal law to which all lesser laws contribute, must be of real +concern to the man who seeks a true philosophy of life. + +**Increasing Complexity of the Universe.** It has already been said +that a universe controlled by intelligence and under the reign of the +law of cause and effect cannot be conceived to be in confusion. Man is +absolutely certain, if his knowledge is rational, that, whether it be +yesterday, today or tomorrow, the same act, under the same conditions, +will produce the same result. Under a set of given conditions, a ray +of sunshine passed through a glass prism will always be broken into +the same spectrum, or a straight stick standing in water will always +appear crooked. Whether in the physical, mental or moral world, the +law of cause and effect reigns supreme. + +Quiescence in the universe can not be conceived, for then there would +be no universe. Constant action or movement characterizes the +universe. The multiplicity of actions upon each other, of the various +forms of matter, energy and intelligence, composing the universe, must +cause an equal multiplicity of effects. Moreover, increasing +intelligent wills, acting upon matter and energy, must and do produce +an increasing series of reactions among the forces of the universe. + +Moreover, each new set of effects becomes the cause of still other +effects. Thus, in our universe, as we conceive it to be constituted, +increasing complexity would seem to be the great resultant law of the +operation of universal forces. This is the great law of nature, to +which every living thing must conform, if it is to be in harmony with +all other things. In a universe controlled by intelligence, it is only +natural to find everything within the universe moving along towards +one increasing purpose. As new light has come to man, the certainty of +this law as a controlling one, has become more and more emphatic. + +**Man and the Great Law.** The law of increasing complexity is +fundamental. Since man is constantly being acted upon and acting upon +matter and energy, he must himself be brought under the subjection of +the great law. That is, under normal conditions, he will increase in +complexity. As man observes phenomena and reasons upon them and +applies them he grows in knowledge. Where he formerly had one fact to +use, he now has many. This is the essence of his complexity. A +carpenter with one tool does less and poorer work than does one with a +full kit of modern tools. Likewise, man, as he gathers experience, +becomes more powerful in using the forces of nature in the +accomplishment of his purposes. With this thought in mind the great +law becomes a law of increasing power, of progressive mastery over the +universe. For that reason, the law expressing the resultant of the +activities of universal forces is often called the law of progression. + +The degree of man's growth or progression will depend upon the degree +his will is exercised, intelligently, upon the things about him. It is +even conceivable that by the misuse of will, man may lose some of his +acquired powers. In any case, the operation of the will, under normal +conditions, adds power to man; and by the use of the intelligent will +in a world of matter and energy, the increasingly complex man grows in +power and strength towards perfection, in an increasingly interesting +world. Those who do not conform to the law of progression are abnormal +and do not exert their powers, to the requisite degree, in the right +direction. + +Nature is inexhaustible in the possible number of inter-relations +among matter, energy and intelligence. It follows, therefore, that man +will forever be able to add knowledge unto knowledge, power unto +power, or progress unto progress. This law of progression is the great +law of the universe, without beginning and without end, to which all +other laws contribute. By adherence to this law the willing, +intelligent beings have risen to their present splendid state of +manhood, and by further compliance with this law they will advance to +a future Godlike state of perfection. The supreme intelligence and +perfected will of the universe, God, has attained His position by an +obedient recognition of the conditions of the law of progression. + +The law of progression gives hope and purpose to those who accept the +Gospel. The feeling of security that comes from the knowledge that the +elements of the universe are eternal, is made living by the hope +established by the great law that there is purpose in all the +operations of the universe. Whatever man may do, whatever his life may +bring, provided all his faculties are working actively among the +things and forces about him, he is acquiring knowledge, thereby power, +and, under the law of progression, he is being moved onward to a more +advanced position than he now occupies, in which he may do mightier +work. Men, discouraged by their failure to accomplish exactly what +they desire, often speak of their lives as purposeless, but it is idle +talk, for, in fact, no intelligent life which concerns itself +vigorously with the things about it, can be said to be purposeless. +Such a life adheres, automatically, to the law of progression, and is +therefore moving on to the great destiny of supreme power and +accompanying joys. The only purposeless life is the one that does not +use its faculties. It matters little what tasks men do in life, if +only they do them well and with all their strength. In an infinite +universe, one cannot possibly learn all or do all, at once. A +beginning must be made somewhere, and corner by corner, department by +department, space by space, all will be known and conquered. In the +end, all must be explored, and whether one begin in the east or the +west cannot matter much. The big concern is to what extent a man offer +himself, mind and body, to his work. Upon that will growth depend. + +**The Law of Development.** The law of progression is then a law of +endless development of all the powers of man in the midst of a +universe becoming increasingly complex. No more hopeful principle can +be incorporated into a philosophy of life. + + + + +CHAPTER 6. + +GOD AND MAN. + + +The doctrine of man's pre-existence leads to an understanding of the +relationship between God and man, which must lie at the very basis of +rational theology. + +**Why God is God.** To determine this relationship between God and +man it is necessary to discuss, first, the conditions under which God +became God. As already said, God is the supreme intelligent Being in +the universe, who has the greatest knowledge and the most perfected +will, and who, therefore, possesses infinite power over the forces of +the universe. However, if the great law of progression is accepted, +God must have been engaged from the beginning, and must now be engaged +in progressive development, and, infinite as God is, he must have been +less powerful in the past than he is today. While it is folly for man +to attempt to unravel in detail the mystery of the past, yet it is +only logical to believe that a progressive God has not always +possessed his present position. + +It is clear also that, as with every other being, the progress of God +began with the exercise of his will. In "the beginning" which +transcends our understanding, God undoubtedly exercised his will +vigorously, and thus gained great experience of the forces lying about +him. As knowledge grew into greater knowledge, by the persistent +efforts of will, his recognition of universal laws became greater +until he attained at last a conquest over the universe, which to our +finite understanding seems absolutely complete. We may be certain +that, through self-effort, the inherent and innate powers of God have +been developed to a God-like degree. Thus, he has become God. + +God, the supreme Being of the universe, absolutely transcends the +human understanding. His intelligence is as the sum of all other +intelligences. There can be no rational discussion of the details of +God's life or nature. To him we give the most complete devotion, for +to us he is in all respects infinite and perfect. His Godhood, +however, was attained by the use of his power in simple obedience to +the laws he discovered as he grew in experience. + +**Many Gods.** During the onward march of the Supreme Being, other +intelligent beings were likewise engaged, though less vigorously, in +acquiring power over the forces of the universe. Among many +intelligent beings thus moving onward, there is little probability of +any two attaining exactly the same place, at the same time. There is +rather the probability of infinite gradation from the lowest to the +highest development. Next to God, there may be, therefore, other +intelligent beings so nearly approaching his power as to be coequal +with him in all things so far as our finite understanding can +perceive. These beings may be immeasurably far from God in power, +nevertheless immeasurably far above us mortal men of the earth. Such +intelligent beings are as Gods to us. Under this definition there may +be a great number of intelligent beings who possess to a greater or +less degree the quality of Godhood. The acceptance of the preceding +doctrines makes it almost a logical necessity that there are many gods +or beings so highly developed that they are as gods, in fact are Gods. +This is a fundamental doctrine of the Gospel. + +**Why Man is Man.** It is fairly evident from what has been said why +man is man. Man is subject-to eternal laws, and in the far-off +beginning he must have exercised his will more slowly or not at all; +perhaps, even, as laws came to him he ignored or opposed them. As more +knowledge and power are attained, growth becomes increasingly more +rapid. God, exalted by his glorious intelligence, is moving on into +new fields of power with a rapidity of which we can have no +conception, whereas man, in a lower stage of development, moves +relatively at a snail-like, though increasing pace. Man is, +nevertheless, moving on, in eternal progression. "As man is, God once +was; as God is, man may become." In short, man is a god in embryo. He +comes of a race of gods, and as his eternal growth is continued, he +will approach more nearly the point which to us is Godhood, and which +is everlasting in its power over the elements of the universe. + +**God's Help to Man.** Self-effort, the conscious operation of will, +has moved man onward to his present high degree. However, while all +progress is due to self-effort, other beings of power may contribute +largely to the ease of man's growth. God, standing alone, cannot +conceivably possess the power that may come to him if the hosts of +other advancing and increasing workers labor in harmony with him. +Therefore, because of his love for his children and his desire to +continue in the way of even greater growth, he proceeded to aid others +in their onward progress. + +Knowledge may be transmitted from intelligence to intelligence. God +offered to the waiting intelligent beings the knowledge that he had +already gained, so that they need not traverse that road, but might +attack some other phase of universal existence. He devised plans of +progression whereby the experiences of one person might be used by an +inferior one. Each person should give of his experience to others, so +that none should do unnecessary work. In that manner, through the +united effort of all, the whole race of progressive beings would +receive an added onward impetus. + +**Man's Help to God.** The progress of intelligent beings is a mutual +affair. A lone God in the universe cannot find great joy in his power. +God, being in harmony with eternal laws, can progress best as the +whole universe becomes more complex, or advances. The development of +intelligence increases the complexity of the universe, for each active +individual may bring new relationships into view, and increases +many-fold the body of acquired truth. In that sense, the man who +progresses through his increase in knowledge and power, becomes a +co-laborer with God, and may be said, indeed, to be a help to God. It +is a comforting thought, not only that we need God but also that God +needs us. True, the need God has of us is relatively small, and the +help he gives us is infinitely large, yet the relation exists for the +comfort and assurance of man. + +**God's Attributes.** To analyze the supreme intelligence of the +universe, the God whom we worship, is a futile attempt, to which men +of shallow minds, only, give their time. That which is infinite +transcends the human understanding. The Gospel accepts this condition, +calmly, knowing that, in the scheme of things, greater truths will +come with increased power, until, in the progress of time, we shall +understand that which now seems incomprehensible. For that reason, +eternal, or everlasting, or infinite things are things understood by +God, the supreme and governing Power, but not understood by us. Thus, +"eternal punishment is God's punishment; endless punishment is God's +punishment." Likewise, everlasting joy or endless blessings are God's +joy and God's blessings. Man acknowledges in this manner that all +things are relative to God. + +Man does not understand God fully, yet an understanding between man +and God does exist in that, God in the course of his progression has +gone over the road that we are traveling and therefore understands us +fully. He understands our difficulties, our hopes, our sorrows, our +faults and our follies. God is supreme, and his justice is perfect; +his love is unmeasurable and his mercy without end; for his justice +and love and mercy are tempered by the memory of his own upward +career. God's relation to man is, in a literal sense, that of father +to son, for we are of the same race with God. We may rest secure that +God's attributes are, with others, those that man possesses, made +great and beautiful. He is our Father who knows and understands us. + + + + +CHAPTER 7. + +MAN IS THAT HE MAY HAVE JOY. + + +Is the increasing power of man a sufficient reward for the effort and +struggle that must accompany progression? This is a question that +comes to every student of the Gospel. Power in itself may not be the +ideal end of existence. It becomes necessary, therefore, to determine +if there is associated with power, gifts that make worth while the +eternal searching out of knowledge in order that greater power may be +won. + +**Consciousness and the Universe.** Intelligent spirits have +possessed, from the beginning, a consciousness of the world in which +they found themselves. They must have been susceptible, from the +first, of feeling pleasure and pain, and must have had equivalents of +our senses, which, possibly, were keener than those we now possess. +When they were placed in opposition to any law of nature, pain or its +equivalent undoubtedly resulted exactly as today. When they moved +along with law, joy must have been sensed, as today. Intelligent +beings can not rejoice in pain, therefore, from the beginning, to +avoid pain and to secure joy, they have searched out and obeyed law. +The more advanced the intelligence, the greater the number of laws +that are understood to which adaptation may be made, and therefore the +greater the possibility of joy. The search for increasing power, +carried on by all normal beings is then really a search for a greater +and more abiding joy. There is no Godliness in pain, except as it is +an incident in securing more knowledge. True freedom, which is full +joy, is the complete recognition of law and adaptation to it. Bondage +comes from ignorance of law or opposition to it. + +**The Primeval Condition.** Man's approach to a fullness of joy is +pictured in his revealed history. Through the veil of forgetting we +see but dimly our pre-existent condition. The Gospel student does not +really concern himself, greatly, with the details of the life before +this one; so much needs to be done in this life that he is content +with the great outlines of pre-existent life, which may assist him to +understand the eternal journey of intelligence. Of the primeval +condition of man little is known. He found about him many forces, +operating in diverse ways, and to control them, and thus to sense joy, +he began to study them. The story of that early day of striving for +the greatest goal has not been told to mortal man. + +**The First Estate.** Matter exists, perhaps, in many forms, but may +be classified, as the ponderable matter of earth, known directly +through the senses, and, as the imponderable matter which cannot be +sensed directly by man. This second class, often called spirit matter, +is perhaps most important, for it is not unlikely that from it are +derived all other forms of matter. + +It was of first importance that the intelligent beings aiming at the +conquest of the universe, should learn to understand, thoroughly, the +properties of universal matter, in all of its forms. As nearly as can +be learned, the efforts of man were first devoted to education in the +properties of spirit matter. We were begotten spirits by God, who thus +became our Father, and we are his sons and daughters. Our career in +the spirit world is often spoken of as man's first estate. + +How long man remained in the first estate, is not known. Undoubtedly, +however, it was long enough to enable him to become thoroughly +familiar with the manifestations of all forms of spirit substance. +Only when education in this division of the universe was completed +were we permitted to enter the next estate. + +**The Second Estate.** The kind of matter characteristic of this +earth and the so-called material universe, also forms an important +part of the universe. No spirit can acquire real mastery over the +universe until this form of matter is so thoroughly understood as to +be used and governed. The next step in the education of these +intelligent beings was therefore to teach them familiarity with gross +matter. Consequently, the spirits passed out of the spirit world, and +were born into the world of earthly things, the world we now occupy, +as men and women clothed upon by a body consisting of gross matter, so +that intimate familiarity with the nature and possibilities of gross +matter might be acquired. This is called the second estate of man. + +The business of man is to become so thoroughly acquainted with earth +conditions, that through the possession of an earthly body, he may go +on, forever. + +**The Third Estate.** We pass out of this, but reappear in another +world, for a brief time separated from our earth-won body, but finally +possessing bodies of both kinds of universal matter. In this estate, +both the spirit matter and the grosser matter composing our final +bodies are represented by their essences, and therefore permit perfect +freedom and ease of movement and thought. These celestial bodies, as +they are called, connect the intelligence with all parts of the +universe, and become mighty helps in the endless search for truth. +This is the third estate of man. + +Such then are the three estates, and as far as known, all the estates +of man. + +Whether the outline, as here presented, in its details, is precise or +not, matters little. The essential thing is that man has to undergo +experience upon experience, to attain the desired mastery of the +external universe; and that we, of this earth, are passing through an +estate designed wholly for our further education. + +**Everlasting Joy.** It follows that, in each estate, with each +onward step, a profounder knowledge of the laws of nature is attained. +When conscious, active wills are thus at work, the new knowledge makes +possible a more perfect adaptation of man to law. The more completely +law is obeyed the greater the consciousness of perfect joy. Throughout +eternal life, increasing knowledge is attained, and with increasing +knowledge comes the greater adaptation to law, and in the end an +increasingly greater joy. Therefore it is that eternal life is the +greatest gift of God, and that the plan of salvation is priceless. + + + + +CHAPTER 8. + +MAN'S FREE AGENCY. + + +The question of the rights of each intelligent being as pertaining to +himself and to all others must always have been and must always remain +a chief one. + +**In the Beginning.** In each intelligent being has resided, from the +beginning, an individual and distinct will, which, of itself, has been +acting in some degree upon the external universe. Each being, with its +developing will, has learned more and more of natural forces and of +the methods of controlling them. Each has striven to adapt his +knowledge of surrounding forces to his own particular needs or +desires. Clearly, since many wills have been so engaged, it might +easily occur that different wills might use acquired knowledge in +different ways to suit their different desires. It is easily +conceivable, therefore, that one will might attempt so to control the +surrounding forces as to give itself joy, yet to affect another will +adversely. In general, whatever is desirable for one is desirable for +all, since all spirits are cast in the same mold and have the same +derivation. Nevertheless, when individuality is assumed, it is equally +clear that there is always a possibility of one will crossing another +to the detriment of one or possibly both. + +The universal plan may follow its developing path, unhindered, only +when all the intelligent beings within it labor harmoniously together +for the upbuilding of each and all. The only solution for the problem +of the possible conflicts resulting from the activities of a great +number of beings is an agreement among them relating to the general +good. Laws established for the community of beings must be obeyed as +rigidly as those found in external nature. Each may act freely and to +his full power in any desired way so long as the general laws +respecting the freedom of all others are not violated. The right of an +individual can never transcend the rights of the community. + +**The Council in Heaven.** A dim though wonderfully attractive +picture has come down of an event in the spiritual estate of man, the +first estate, that deals directly with the great question of the one +and the many, the individual and the community. + +There had been born, in time, a family of spirits, the innumerable +destined hosts of earth, who, at length, seemed fitted for further +education in another field. God, the Father of these spirits, saw that +they were ready for further light, and came down among them, to +discuss their future. As the Supreme Being, God had in mind a plan, +the Great Plan, whereby each spirit could enter upon his second estate +and become acquainted with the properties of gross matter. However, as +each intelligent spirit possessed a free and untrammeled will which +must be respected, God called together the spirits in question, and +presented the plan for their approval. + +In the Great Council then held, of which a dim and distant picture +only has been left, the great question was with respect to man's free +agency. The essence of the proposed plan was that the spirits, +forgetting temporarily their sojourn in their spirit home should be +given a body of grosser matter, and should be subject to this form of +universal matter, and even be brought into a temporal death. To bring +an eternal, free spirit under the bondage of matter and forgetfulness, +it was necessary for some one to begin the work by, figuratively +speaking, breaking a law, so that the race might be brought under the +subjection of death. This may be likened, roughly, to the deliberate +breaking, for purposes of repair or extension, of a wire carrying +power to light a city. Someone had to divert the current of eternal +existence, and thus temporarily bring man's earthly body under the +subjection of gross matter. Adam, the first man, was chosen to do +this work. By the deliberate breaking of a spiritual law, he placed +himself under the ban of earthly death and transmitted to all his +posterity the subjection to death. This was the so-called "sin of +Adam." To obtain or give greater joys, smaller pains may often have to +be endured. + +**The Need of a Savior.** The purpose of the earth career was, +however, two-fold, to learn to understand gross matter, and to acquire +a body made of the essence of such matter. The bodies laid in the +grave must, therefore, be raised again. As the spirits, by their own +act had not brought upon themselves death, so by their own act they +should not conquer it. It was necessary, therefore, that someone, in +time, should reunite the broken wires and reestablish the flow of +eternal life, and thus to conquer death. For this work Jesus Christ +was chosen. Jesus actually came on earth, lived and taught the ancient +Gospel again to the children of men, and in time suffered death so +that the act of Adam might be atoned for. By this work, the purpose of +the earth-life was completed, and thus Jesus Christ became the central +figure in the plan of salvation. + +Why death, so-called, should be necessary for us to achieve an +intimate knowledge of matter, and why Jesus should die to permit the +current of eternal life to flow freely between the earthly body and +the eternal spirit, are not fully known. Through Adam man was brought +on earth, subject to death; through Jesus, the Christ, he was lifted +out of death to continue an eternal life in association with the +earth-acquired body. + +**Man's Part in the Great Plan.** In this great gathering in the +heavens many questions arose. By Adam man was to come on earth; by +Jesus he was to be resurrected. In both of these great acts, man had +no part, beyond permitting himself to be acted upon. In the plan, what +was to be man's part? + +Lucifer, a great leader in the Council, proposed that, since others +were acting for man in bringing him on and taking him away from the +earth, it was not necessary for man, during his earth-career, to +exercise his own will. Lucifer proposed that, in spite of himself, his +will, his desires and his individuality, man should be placed on +earth, and be taken from it, and without effort, be filled with a +knowledge of earth conditions. All men should be forced into +salvation. Jesus Christ, who became the Savior of men, objected to +this change in God's plan, as it interfered with the essential right +of intelligent beings to act for themselves. Jesus insisted that, as +without will there can be no growth, man, placed on earth through the +agency of Adam and resurrected and brought into a full life through +the agency of Jesus, should retain, during his earth-career, his full +free agency. Though he might walk an forgetfulness of the past, and +have no visions of the future, he would yet be allowed a free and +untrammeled agency as he walked in the clearness of the earth's day. +While upon earth he might learn much or little, might accept a law or +reject it, just as he had been, privileged to do in all the days that +had gone before. + +These two views regarding man's part in the plan led, we +are told, to a great difference of opinion among the spirits. +Naturally, the first proposition appealed to many, for it is the easy +way of obtaining victory, if victory it may be called. The other way +seems always somewhat hard and bitter, though in the end the joy +obtained surpasses that attained without effort. Lucifer, who led the +fight for the first method, could not agree to the original plan which +was finally accepted; and so, in that great, dim day, many of the +spirits followed Lucifer, and have not yet entered upon their +earth-careers, but are independently and in opposition to God's +will, following paths that are not leading them onward. The majority +accepted God's law, as championed by the Son, though it is said that +many weak and fearful spirits remained neutral, daring neither to +accept nor to reject either proposition. The hosts who accepted the +plan of God, girded themselves with the necessary strength to begin +the pilgrimage, ending in an earthly death, but reaching, through the +resurrection, into an eternal life of exceedingly great progress. + +**Free Agency.** On the earth, as elsewhere, then, the free agency of +man, as expressed in the individual will, is supreme. Though our +environment is that of gross matter, and though we dwell in +forgetfulness of the past, our free agency is as vigorous as ever. +However, the free agency of man cannot transcend the plan which all of +us of earth accepted, together, in the day of the Great Council. +Man's will is always circumscribed by great laws that are +self-existent or that are formulated or may be formulated for the +benefit of the race. The many must devise laws whereby individual and +community progress are simultaneous. It is the full right of the +individual to exercise his will in any way that does not interfere +with the laws made for the many; and, under proper conditions, the +laws for the many are of equal value to the individual. Under the law +we are free. + + + + +CHAPTER 9. + +THE GREAT PLAN. + + +The plan proposed by God for the government of the spirits who entered +upon their earth careers is revealed only so far as it is necessary +for the guidance of man. We may remain certain that the Great Plan is +based upon eternal laws that always have been and always will be +operative. Matters pertaining to man's earth-life are matters of +eternal interest; and the laws formulated for the guidance of man on +earth must be laws which in some form are fundamental for the guidance +of man in any place and at all times. Nothing is temporary or +transient about the Plan itself, for it rests on eternal foundations. + +**Forgetfulness.** A condition of the Plan seems to be that the +spirits, transferred to this earth, shall remain on earth in +forgetfulness of an earlier existence. As in a dream, in moments of +deep spiritual fervor, do we occasionally seem to recall our +preexistent life. A veil has been drawn over the past; and, without +the aid of memory, man fights his battle with the world of gross +matter. This forgetfulness seems reasonable. The spirit of man +accepted the earth-plan in detail, and if he remembered every step +that led to this acceptance, and every detail of the Plan itself, +there would not be much reason for the exercise of will in adhering to +it. Left as he is, with little memory to steady him, he must exercise +all his power, to compel surrounding forces to serve him in searching +out the past and in prophesying for the future. By such vigorous +exercise of his will he develops a more intimate acquaintanceship with +the things of the earth. + +**Subject to Earth Conditions.** Intimacy with the conditions of +earth, alone, will give a man final knowledge of them. Such +information can not be obtained second hand nor by casual or +superficial acquaintanceship. For that reason, probably, man has been +brought so completely under the subjection of gross matter, that he +has no power over it beyond that which he gains as he obtains +knowledge of it. Hence, on this earth, stripped of all power, and +left, as it were, helpless in the midst of contending universal +forces, man must search out the nature of the things about him and +determine their laws before he acquires power over nature and thereby +brings himself into a condition of joy. In the face of the impending +change called death, man is possibly more determined to acquire the +power that will lift him from the grave and give him an eternal +association with all the elements of the universe, including his +earthly body. + +**Laws to be Obeyed.** To enter into the fullness of progressive joy, +a man must, as has been said, naturally subject himself to the laws of +the universe. In God's Plan for life on earth, is a system of laws, +representing eternal realities, to which man must conform. Such a law, +for instance, is faith, which, in its simple universal meaning, is +man's certainty that in the universe is found everything he may desire +for his upbuilding and advancement, and that the eternal relations of +universal forces will prevail for his good. Another such fundamental +law to which man must conform, is that of repentance, which in its +larger sense, is merely faith made active. Passive faith can do little +for man's advancement. Yet another such law is that of baptism, which +is essentially obedience to existing laws. And still another such law +is that of the gift of the Holy Ghost, which perhaps means that a man +may place himself in touch with the whole of the universe and to draw +knowledge from it, including the beings of superior intelligence that +it contains. These and other laws are given as guides for man. They +sharpen his free agency; develop his habits of obedience to law, and +establish for him communication with God. Moreover, a plan formulated +by an intelligent Being must be composed of laws, for even the +infinite relationships of matter and energy fall naturally into groups +of invariable laws. The laws of the Plan, like those above stated, are +logical necessities, if the earth-plan is at all accepted. + +**An Organization.** It follows of necessity that if there is a plan, +there must also be an organization. The plan is not for one alone, but +for many. All must be served and blessed by the Great Plan. Those, +therefore, who subject themselves to the earth-plan with its laws, +must needs group themselves so that the laws may be operative for all. +A person may be able to serve in the advancement of the whole race of +man, only when there is a unity of purpose and effect, which can be +secured only by organization. The question of organization involves +those of priesthood, authority, and others, later to be discussed. + +**All to Accept the Plan.** The earth-plan, fully completed, must be +accepted or definitely rejected by all the spirits who have appeared +on earth in conformity with their vote in the Great Council. That is +fundamental. Those who enter upon their earth-careers may accept or +reject the Gospel; but, since the full success of the Plan is based +upon the advancement of all the spirits, it becomes necessary to use +every possible effort to secure for the Plan a recognition of all +those who accepted it in the spirit world, and who, therefore, entered +upon the pilgrimage of earth. God's purpose in the Plan will be +incomplete so long as one soul remains unconverted. + +Life on earth deals directly with gross matter and the forces +pertaining to it. The laws formulated for the guidance of man, are +especially devised for earth conditions, and belong to the earth. For +instance, baptism, the symbol of obedience to God and acceptance of +his love, is not necessarily an ordinance that belongs elsewhere than +on earth. More probably, water baptism is essentially an ordinance of +and for this earth. It is unlikely that water baptism is practiced in +a future estate. If it be true, then all who enter upon the +earth-career, and who desire at the years of discretion the perfected +joy derived from the Gospel, must have baptism on this earth. Should +some of the spirits refuse, while on earth, to accept the Gospel, or +fail to hear it, baptism, belonging to the earth, must be done for +them, vicariously, on earth, so that they, having had the work done +for them here, may accept or reject the ordinance in their life beyond +the grave. This is the motive of the work for the dead. The earth +ordinances must be done by or for every soul born upon the earth so +that the earth experience may not be in vain, should the Gospel be +accepted in the remotest day of eternity. This view becomes more +important when it is recalled that ordinances of the earth, belonging +primarily to the earth, stand for vast, eternal realities, +indispensable to man's progress. + +When the simple ordinances of the Gospel, as pertaining to the earth, +have been done for the dead, then may the dead be judged as of the +earth, and may receive the blessings of the obedient who conform to +law. + +**The Meaning of the Earth Plan.** The earth-plan, plan of salvation, +or Great Plan, for the guidance of the spirits placed on earth, may +perhaps be more clearly understood if it is compared to the great +chart in the captain's cabin by which the vessel is steered. Life on +earth is as the large and angry ocean. The chances of shipwreck and of +being driven out of the set course, are many. If, however, the ocean +is well charted, the mariners can better avoid the sunken reefs, and +the dangerous places, and after the storm can more readily return to +the course so that the destined port may be entered with a good bill +of health. The Gospel is such a chart, on which the journey is +outlined, showing the dangers of the journey, the havens of rest and +the final destination. If a man accept the chart, and use it in his +life's career, he will find the voyage pleasant and his arrival +secure, and his life will be as that of one cast in pleasant places. +earth so that the earth experience may not be in vain, should the +Gospel be accepted in the remotest day of eternity. This view becomes +more important when it is recalled that ordinances of the earth, +belonging primarily to the earth, stand for vast, eternal realities, +indispensable to man's progress. + +When the simple ordinances of the Gospel, as pertaining to the earth, +have been done for the dead, then may the dead be judged as of the +earth, and may receive the blessings of the obedient who conform to +law. + +**The Meaning of the Earth Plan.** The earth-plan, plan of salvation, +or Great Plan, for the guidance of the spirits placed on earth, may +perhaps be more clearly understood if it is compared to the great +chart in the captain's cabin by which the vessel is steered. Life on +earth is as the large and angry ocean. The chances of shipwreck and of +being driven out of the set course, are many. If, however, the ocean +is well charted, the mariners can better avoid the sunken reefs, and +the dangerous places, and after the storm can more readily return to +the course so that the destined port may be entered with a good bill +of health. The Gospel is such a chart, on which the journey is +outlined, showing the dangers of the journey, the havens of rest and +the final destination. If a man accept the chart, and use it in his +life's career, he will find the voyage pleasant and his arrival +secure, and his life will be as that of one cast in pleasant places. + + + + +THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTH WORK + + + + +CHAPTER 10. + +THE COMING OF MAN. + + +The decision arrived at in the Great Council was promptly carried out +by those to whom the authority to do so was confided. + +**Making of the Earth.** The first step, in carrying out the Great +Plan, was to secure a place on which the desired experience might be +gained. To accomplish this, the earth was made from materials, found +in the universe, which, by the intelligent power of God, were +collected and organized into the earth. The earth was not made from +nothing, nor by the fiat of God, except as his will and words +determined that the work should be undertaken. In the clumsy way of +man, by adding stone to stone or material to material, the earth was +not made; rather, great forces, existing in the universe, and set into +ceaseless operation by the directing intelligence of God, assembled +and brought into place the materials constituting the earth, until, in +the course of long periods of time, this sphere was fitted for the +abode of man. In the making of the earth, as in all other matters +pertaining to the destiny of man, the work was done in complete and +orderly harmony with the existing laws of the universe. The Mosaic six +days represent successive stages in the earth's construction, each +measured by ages of time. The forces of nature act steadily but slowly +in the accomplishment of great works. + +**The Builders.** The creation of the earth, the details of which are +not known, must have been marvelously and intensely appealing in its +interest to the intelligent beings who, because of their exalted +knowledge, had the necessary power over the elements and forces of the +universe to accomplish the forming of an earth. Three great +intelligent Beings were in supreme authority in the building of the +earth, namely, God, the Father, his Son, Jehovah, who became the +Christ, and Michael, who became the first man, Adam. These three +beings were naturally the ones concerned in the making of an earth for +the sojourn of the spirits, for it was through the agency of God, the +Father, that the spiritual bodies were started on the road of eternal +progression; it was about the mission of Jehovah, the Son of God, that +the differences of opinion raged in the Great Council, and, finally, +it was Adam, or Michael, who was appointed to be the one to come upon +the earth, and there to subject himself to death, so that the +procreation of spirits in earthly tabernacles, might be started. These +three beings, who are so vitally concerned in the destinies of the +human race, had charge of the making of an earth which should be a +suitable and a pleasant habitation for the earth-clad spirits. + +**The Coming of Man.** The earth at last was finished. Adam, the +first man, and his wife, Eve, then appeared on earth. The statement +that man was made from the dust of the earth is merely figurative, and +means that he was made of universal materials, as is the earth. +Likewise, the statement that God breathed into man the breath of life +is only a figure of the existence of the spirit within the body. The +exact process whereby man was placed upon earth is not known with +certainty, nor is it vital to a clear understanding of the plan of +salvation. We may rest assured that the first man and the first woman +were eternal beings, who subjected themselves to life on this earth, +so that the process of clothing eternal spirits with mortal bodies +might begin on the earth. Adam and Eve, in view of the great +sacrifices they made to make the Great Plan a reality, are the great +hero and heroine of human history. + +**The "Fall."** Biblical lore and traditions among all of the races +of man, tell of the "fall" of the first parents from the grace of God. +An event called the fall did occur, but it was a necessary part of the +Great Plan. Adam and Eve were eternal beings, and were not under the +ban of mortal death. Subject to death they must become, however, if +their posterity should inherit corruptible bodies. The fall then was +simply a deliberate use of a law, by which act Adam and Eve became +mortal, and could beget mortal children. The exact nature of this +event or the exact manner in which the law was used is not understood. +The Bible account is, undoubtedly, only figurative. There was no +essential sin in the fall, except that the violation of any law, +whether deliberately or otherwise, is always followed by an effect. +The "fall" of Adam and Eve was necessary, for without it, there would +have been no begetting on the earth of spirits with mortal bodies, and +the Plan proposed and confirmed in the Great Council would have +remained inoperative. "Adam fell that man might be." + +**The First Blessing.** The curse, so-called, pronounced by God upon +Adam as he went out of the Garden of Eden, that in the sweat of his +brow he should earn his bread, is possibly the greatest of all human +blessings, and it is a simple extension of a great eternal law. From +the beginning of the dim past, when man slumbered with only a feeble +thought of his possible vast future, the great law of his progress has +been that only personal effort can achieve desirable things. The price +to be paid for advancement is vigorous self-effort. The active will +precedes every step of progress. To exercise the will means labor, +which may well be represented by "the sweat of the brow." The +so-called curse, however, carries with it the magnificent promise that +man, by the exercise of his powers, may subdue the earth, and make it +serve all his needs. In a universe controlled and directed by the +intelligent God, there can be no question but that, ultimately, the +intelligent will shall control for its own use not only the things of +this earth but all the forces of the universe. The subjection to which +the earth will be brought depends entirely upon the degree to which +man exercises his will, that is, the degree to which he accepts the +benefits of the first blessing. + +**The Garden of Eden.** The first days on earth of the first man and +the first woman are of intense interest to every student of the +subject, and it is to be regretted that so little knowledge of those +early times has survived the vicissitudes of time. In the Garden God +walked with man and taught him the living truth. According to the +Prophet Joseph Smith, the Garden of Eden, the first home of Adam and +Eve, was located near the city known as Independence, Missouri. To the +north and east of Independence, some scores of miles, is probably the +place where Adam dwelt after he had been driven out of the Garden. The +State of Missouri, and the country around it, is, therefore, of +tremendous interest to those who accept the Gospel as restored in the +latter days. + +**A Wise Beginning.** In all matters pertaining to the beginning of +man's earth career, it may be observed that proper preparations have +been made. There has been no blind destiny working out unknown +purposes; instead, intelligent forces have provided for man from +beginning to end, so that the whole scheme of man's life, here and +hereafter, is one of order and system. + + + + +CHAPTER 11. + +THE COURSE OF THE GOSPEL ON EARTH. + + +The Great Plan provided that man should come upon earth with the +memory of his past taken from him, so that, beginning his earth-life +as a child, he might repeat on earth the efforts that earned for him +progress in the pre-existent life. Even Adam and Eve forgot the +details of their previous lives, for it was necessary that all be +under the same law, and that no improper strength be derived, by +anyone, from the pre-existent experiences. + +**Adam Hears the Gospel.** The only rational thing that could be done +to spirits so placed on earth was to teach them fully the story of +man's origin and destiny and the meaning and duties of the earth-life. +The plea of ignorance would not then be valid. Consequently, soon +after the first parents had been driven out of the Garden of Eden, an +angel appeared and taught Adam the story of man from the first to the +last day. The plan of salvation, including the atoning sacrifice of +Jesus, the organized Church, the purpose and powers of the priesthood +and the rights and duties of man upon earth, whether within or without +the Church, was fully unfolded. Adam, the first earth-pupil of God, +was taught, as his first lesson, the great philosophy overshadowing +the existence of man. When Adam had been taught all this, and had +accepted the truth, he was baptized, even as men are baptized today, +and he entered into all the other ordinances of the Gospel and was +given full authority through the Priesthood conferred upon him to +officiate in God's name in all matters pertaining, under the Great +Plan, to the welfare of man. + +**The First Dispensation.** As children and children's children came +to Adam he taught them carefully all that had been taught him, so that +the knowledge of the law might remain upon the earth. The ordinances +of the Gospel were practiced, the righteous were organized into the +Church, even as today, and the authority of the Priesthood was +transmitted by Adam to his children, and by them to their children, so +that the precious gift might not be lost. In those days the Church was +probably fully organized, according to the patriarchal order; at least +in the days of Enoch, the seventh from Adam, it seems quite clear that +the Church was established with all of its essential parts. The +activity in behalf of the Gospel which began with Adam and continued +until Noah, at the time of the great flood, is ordinarily known as the +first dispensation of the Gospel. + +**The First Apostasy.** From the beginning of his earth-career, Adam +retained his free agency. God, directly or through agents, might teach +and command, but Adam, a free agent, had the right to accept or reject +as seemed him best. Adam's children, likewise, though taught by the +patriarch of the race of the way of righteousness, could accept or +reject for themselves whatever was taught them. Free agency was with +man in that early day as it is now. + +The descendants of Adam soon began to exercise their free agency, some +for, and many against, the Great Plan. Cain exercised his free agency +in the murder of Abel. As time went on, large numbers departed from +the truth concerning man's place in the universe as taught by Adam, +and refused to accept the Gospel. Concurrently with the establishment +of the Church in the first dispensation there was, therefore, a first +great apostasy. It is ever so, it has ever been so, and will ever be +so, that in a world of intelligent beings, possessing free agency, +some will accept and some will reject the truth. No doubt, in the +process of time, truth will triumph, and all may be brought to +understand the will of God, but the conquest is attended by many +temporary departures from the truth. Nevertheless, Adam and those who +remained true to his teachings, continued, faithfully, to teach to +others the eternal truth, so that they might perchance be made to +return to the great truth which they had so lightly cast aside. + +**The Later Dispensations.** The first apostasy culminated in the +flood, which was sent because of the violence of the first apostasy +and the corruption of men. As far as known, only Noah and his +immediate family were preserved. In them, however, was represented all +the blood of the world. To the new race Noah explained fully that the +flood was due, entirely, to the wicked hardness of the hearts of the +people, and their refusal to accept eternal truth or to respect the +authority of God, and that it was necessary, should calamity be +avoided, to live in accordance with the Great Plan. To them all, the +Gospel was taught in its purity. Nevertheless, it was only a short +time before apostasy again occurred among many. The free agency of man +can not be curbed. Yet, probably, there has not been, since the flood, +such utter corruption as prevailed during the first apostasy. + +From the days of the flood, God or his messengers have appeared on +earth, at various times, to restore the truth or to keep it alive in +the hearts of the faithful, so that man might possess a full knowledge +of the Gospel and that the earth might never need to be without the +story of the Great Plan and the authority of the Priesthood. For +instance, Melchizedek, the high priest, possessed a full measure of +the authority of the holy priesthood. To Abraham, God and his angels +appeared, and endowed him with the authority of God. So on, down the +course of time, there are numerous instances of the appearance of God +to men to help the children of men to a perfect understanding of the +great truths that must be understood and obeyed, if men are to +continue in their progressive development. It is not known how many +men and women at various times have received such visitations, but it +is probable that hosts of men and women at various times, even when +the Church has not been organized, have received and used the truth of +life as embodied in the Great Plan. + +**The Dispensation of the Meridian of Time.** In the course of human +history and in accordance with the Great Plan, Jesus the Son of God, +appeared on earth, to atone for the act of Adam and Eve, who "fell" +that men might be. This is called the dispensation of the meridian of +time. Jesus did live on earth, and gave his life so that mortal bodies +may rise from the grave and pass into an eternal existence, beyond the +reach of corruption. During the sojourn of Jesus on earth, he devoted +himself to a restatement of the Gospel, including the story of the +past and the present and the hope of the future. At no time since the +days of Adam, had the Gospel been so fully taught and made so simply +clear to the understanding as in the days of Jesus. Under the +teachings of the Savior, the Church was re-established in order and +completeness. + +**The Great Apostasy.** After the ascension of Jesus, the Church +remained, for some time, fully organized. Thousands flocked to it, and +the people lived in accordance with the doctrines taught by the +Savior. Soon, however, history repeated itself. In the right of their +free agency, men refused, in many cases, to obey the laws and +ordinances of the Gospel, and more often changed them to suit their +own convenience. Such departures from the truth became more numerous +and more flagrant as time wore on, until error permeated the whole +Church. At last, about six hundred years after Christ, the Gospel laws +and ordinances had become so completely warped that it was as if the +Church had departed from the earth. The authority of the Priesthood no +longer remained with the Church. This was the great apostasy. From +that time, complete darkness reigned for many centuries. In those +days, however, many honest men could see that the truth was not upon +the earth, and hoped that the simple principles of the Gospel might +again be correctly practiced by man. Among such men were Luther and +many others, who used their best endeavors to show the people that +error ruled. At last many were awakened, and the days of the +Reformation began. The Reformation was a period of preparation for the +last restoration of the Gospel on earth. Many years were required +before the darkness of centuries could be lifted from the souls of +men. + +**The Restoration.** Finally, as men broke through the darkness, as +intelligence became diffused among all men, and as liberality of +thought grew and became respected, the world was ready for the eternal +truth. Again the Gospel was restored with the authority of the +Priesthood and the organization of the Church. On an early spring day, +in the year 1820, in the woods of western New York, God the Father, +and God the Son, appeared to a fourteen-year-old boy named Joseph +Smith, who had faithfully asked for divine help. Through the +instrumentality of this boy, guided constantly by God, the Church was +re-established, the authority of the Priesthood again conferred upon +many men, and a fulness of knowledge pertaining to man's place in the +universe offered to all who would listen. In time the Church was +organized precisely as was the primitive Church, and more fully than +at any other time in the history of the world. This was the great +restoration. + +**The Vital Facts.** The Gospel was fully taught to the first man, +who in turn taught it to others. The Church was organized from the +beginning. As apostasy dimmed men's knowledge of the Gospel and +undermined the Church, the full truth was repeatedly restored. At +least four times has a complete statement of the Great Plan been made +to the people of the earth--at the time of Adam, of Noah, of Jesus +Christ and of Joseph Smith. Consequently, the Gospel has been on the +earth and within the reach of men practically during the whole course +of the earth's history. The fundamental truths of the Great Plan were +taught to Father Adam and since that time have been scattered +broadcast over the earth. This wide dissemination of the truth, in all +ages, explains the fact that practically every life philosophy +proposed by man contains some of the truths of the Gospel. In every +system of theology and in every sect there is a certain measure of +truth, for all have drawn from the one fountain. All, no doubt, seek +for truth, and believe that they have found it; but, in fact, they +have only fragments, picked up here and there and worked into a +system. The full truth must encompass the complete philosophy of man +and the universe, including the authority to act for God in the +working out of the Plan. Those who thus accept the whole Plan, +constitute the Church of Christ. In the churches of the world there is +much of truth and consequently none is wholly wrong, though at times +the truth has been so warped that it appears worse than untruth. In +the matter of full truth, and of authority, however, do the Church and +its imitators differ absolutely. There can be no duplicate set of +truth, and no double seat of authority. + +It is clear that free agency, for which the heavenly battle was waged, +is in full operation upon the earth. At first sight it may seem that +Lucifer's plan would have been best, for by it all men, in spite of +themselves, would have been given the earth-experience and kept in the +righteous path that leads to salvation. Yet, the origin of man, and +the doctrine that he can advance only by self-effort, make it +unthinkable that he should allow himself to be, as it were, +blindfolded and then compellingly directed by some greater power. Men +are directed, no doubt, by beings of higher intelligence, but in that +directing our wills must be allowed to play their part. There can be +no real satisfaction, if it were possible, in advancement which has +been forced upon man Lucifer's plan was impossible. + +It must also be remembered, that men are not necessarily evil because +they do not accept the Gospel. Some find it impossible to understand +the truth because their hearts are so set upon other things, and +others have been led by their free agency in one direction, whereas +the Gospel would lead them in another. Nevertheless, though men are +not evil because they refuse to accept the Gospel, they retard +themselves of necessity, when they fail to obey the law; and thereby +they invite upon themselves the punishment that comes without fail +to all who are not in full harmony with the great, controlling +universal laws. + + + + +MAN AND GOD. + + + + +CHAPTER 12. + +THE GODS OF THIS EARTH. + + +The conception of a universe directed by a God of intelligence can not +include a God of mystery. In mystery there is only confusion. It does +not follow that because he is not mysterious he is fully comprehended. +In our general conception of God, his origin, his destiny, and his +relation to us, we understand him clearly; but, in the details of his +organization, powers and knowledge he transcends our understanding. +Intelligent man dwelling in a universe containing many superior +intelligent beings will often find need of the help that higher +intelligence only can give. Earth-bound as we are, we need a close +acquaintance with the God who shapes the destinies of men. The better +God is known, the better may the eternal truths we learn be applied in +our daily lives. + +**The Order of Gods.** God has had no beginning and will have no end. +From the first, by the exercise of his will, he has constantly +acquired new knowledge and thereby new power. Because of the wisdom +which he has gained, and the love thereby begotten for the unnumbered +hosts of striving intelligent beings, he formulated the plan which +will lead them readily and correctly in the way of continued +progression. In so far as man accepts the plan of salvation he is +being educated by God, to become even as God is. God and man are of +the same race, differing only in their degrees of advancement. True, +to our finite minds, God is infinitely beyond our stage of progress. +Nevertheless, man is of the order of Gods, else he cannot know God. + +**Plurality of Gods.** Since innumerable intelligent beings are +moving onward in development, there must be some in almost every +conceivable stage of development. If intelligent beings, far +transcending the understanding of man, be called Gods, there must be +many Gods. God, angel and similar terms denote merely intelligent +beings of varying degree of development. The thought, however, that +there is a plurality of gods and other beings of varying grades, is a +thought of fundamental truth, which may be applied in every-day life, +for it gives the assurance that it is possible for all, by self-effort +and by gradual steps, to attain the highest conceivable power. + +A division of labor is necessary among men on earth, and it is only +reasonable that a similar division of labor may exist in all +intelligent systems. The conception of a community of men may be +applied to the community of heavenly beings. In the community of men, +different men have different duties; so, perhaps, on an exalted scale, +the gods are organized with a perfected division of labor. + +**God, the Father.** God, the Father, the greatest God concerned in +our progression, is the supreme God. He is the Father of our spirits. +He is the being of highest intelligence with whom we deal. To our +senses and understanding he is as perfection. In his fulness he can +not be fathomed by the human mind, and it is, indeed, useless for man +to attempt to define in detail the great intelligent beings of the +universe. God, the Father, the supreme God, has gone through every +phase of the Great Plan, which we are working out. Therefore, he has +had our experiences or their equivalents, and understands from his own +experience the difficulties of our journey. His love for us is an +understanding love. Our earth troubles we may lay fully before him, +knowing that he understands how human hearts are touched by the +tribulations and the joys of life. + +God, the Father, the supreme God of whom we have knowledge, is the +greatest intelligence in the infinite universe, since he is infinite +in all matters pertaining to us and transcends wholly our +understanding in his power and wisdom. We know no greater God than the +omniscient, omnipotent Father. + +**God, the Son.** With the Father is associated his only begotten Son +on earth, Jesus Christ, who came on earth and submitted himself to a +painful and ignoble death so that all men might be raised from the +grave with the body of flesh and bones made indestructible and +everlasting. Because of the central position occupied by Jesus in the +Great Plan, he is essentially the God of this earth. He, also, is +beyond our understanding, he sits on the right hand of the Father, and +is one with the Father in all that pertains to the welfare of the +human race. To us he is perfect, possessing all the attributes of the +Father. Whether he is as far advanced as the Father is an idle +question, since he surpasses our understanding. In all matters +pertaining to the earth, the Son is the agent of the Father. Through +him the will of the Father pertaining to this earth is given. All our +communications with the Father are made in the name of the Son, so +that they may be properly authorized. This is in simple accord with +the order that prevails in the heavens and that should prevail +everywhere on earth. + +**God, the Holy Ghost.** The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost +constitute the Godhead, or Trinity of Gods, guiding the destinies of +men on earth. God, the Holy Ghost, is a personage of spirit, who +possesses special functions which have not yet been clearly revealed. +We know that this member of the Godhead is a knowledge-giver and an +inspirer of all that is great and noble and desirable, and that his +functions in the Godhead are indispensable to the welfare of man. + +**Other Beings.** Many other intelligent beings, superior to us, no +doubt take part in the work of man on earth. There are angels and +spirits who no doubt have assigned to them the care of the men and +women who walk upon the earth. Man is not alone; he walks in the midst +of such heavenly company, from whom he may expect help if he seek it +strongly. A plan for the schooling of intelligent spirits, walking in +semi-darkness through the acquiescence of beings of higher +intelligence, must of a certainty include such continuous though +invisible help. + +**Sex Among the Gods.** Sex, which is indispensable on this earth for +the perpetuation of the human race, is an eternal quality which has +its equivalent everywhere. It is indestructible. The relationship +between men and women is eternal and must continue eternally. In +accordance with the Gospel philosophy there are males and females in +heaven. Since we have a Father who is our God, we must also have a +mother, who possesses the attributes of Godhood. This simply carries +onward the logic of things earthly, and conforms with the doctrine +that whatever is on this earth, is simply a representation of great +spiritual conditions, of deeper meaning than we can here fathom. + + + + +CHAPTER 13. + +MAN'S COMMUNION WITH GOD. + + +Man is not left to himself on the face of the earth. Though his memory +has been taken away, he will not be allowed to drift unwatched and +unassisted through the journey on earth. At the best, man is only a +student who often needs the assistance of a teacher. It is +indispensable, therefore, to know how communication may be established +by man with intelligent beings wherever they may be. + +**The Will to Ask.** The first of the fundamental principles by which +man may confer with God, is that man must show his desire to receive, +by asking for help. Man has the right to reject whatever is offered +him; in the midst of plenty he may refuse to eat. Therefore, whatever +a man gains from the surrounding wisdom is initiated either by a +petition or by a receptive attitude which is equivalent to a request. +Unless a man ask, he is in no condition to receive, and ordinarily +nothing is given him. On extraordinary occasions, when God uses a man +to accomplish his purposes, something may be given without the +initiatory prayer, but such gifts are rarely of value to the man +himself. To get help from without, a man must ask for it. That is the +law. History confirms this doctrine. Adam prayed to God and the angel +came to explain the plan of salvation. Joseph Smith, the latter-day +restorer of the Gospel, prayed in the grove and the Father and the Son +appeared. It is unnatural to believe that gifts are given without +prayer. That the answer is often overwhelmingly greater than the +expressed desire, is only a sign of the love of the Giver, and does +not remove the necessity of asking, as the first step in obtaining +what a person desires. It is probable that no request, addressed to a +being of superior intelligence, is refused. However, the answer comes +at a time and place not predetermined by man. + +**By Personal Appearance.** In answer to prayer, God may appear +personally. There is no physical or spiritual reason why God should +not appear to his children in person whenever he so desires. In fact, +sacred history indicates that God appeared to Adam in the Garden of +Eden, to Abraham in the Holy Land, to Moses on the mountain, to Joseph +in the sacred grove, and to many others at various times during the +earth's history. Likewise, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived upon +this earth and walked and talked with men. To limit the powers of God +by saying that he cannot or will not now appear to man, is to make him +a creature of less power than is possessed by man. + +**By the Visitation of Angels.** The will of God may be transmitted +to man by visible representatives who are beings of a lower degree of +intelligence. Angels have frequently visited men and brought to them +divine messages concerning their own affairs or the affairs of the +world. After Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden, an angel came +and laid before him the philosophy of man's existence. Similarly, +angels appeared to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph Smith and +numerous others, many of which are not recorded in history. These +vivid personages, intelligent beings vastly superior to man, knowing +well the laws of nature and therefore able to control them, may be +with man, though they are not seen with the natural eye. Most probably +we walk in the midst of such invisible intelligent spirits. The +development from the earth-journey comes largely from the self-efforts +of man, who, apparently, must depend upon himself. If at will he could +bring to his aid visible, supernatural beings, to tide him over his +difficulties, his need of self-development and self-dependence would +become very small, and the man would not grow strong. + +**By the Holy Spirit.** God is a personal being of body--a body +limited in extent. He cannot, therefore, at a given moment be +personally everywhere. Time and space surround him as they surround +us. It is difficult to believe that God can in person answer the +numberless petitions reaching his throne. Nevertheless, it is known +distinctly that God, by his power, will and word is everywhere +present. It is almost as difficult to believe that, in spite of the +hosts of heavenly beings, personal administrations are possible in the +great majority of the countless petitions to God. God must be, +therefore, in possession of other agencies whereby his will may be +transmitted at his pleasure to the uttermost confines of space. The +chief agent employed by God to communicate his will to the universe is +the holy spirit, which must not be confused with the Holy Ghost, the +personage who is the third member of the Godhead. The holy spirit +permeates all the things of the universe, material and spiritual. By +the holy spirit the will of God is transmitted. It forms what may be +called the great wireless system of communication among the +intelligent beings of the universe. The holy spirit vibrates with +intelligence; it takes up the word and will of God as given by him or +by his personal agents, and transmits the message to the remotest +parts of space. By the intelligent domination and infinite extent of +the holy spirit, the whole universe is held together and made as one +whole. By its means there is no remoteness into which intelligent +beings may escape the dominating will of God. By the holy spirit, God +is always with us, and "is nearer than breathing, and nearer than +hands and feet." The intelligent earthly manifestations of the holy +spirit are commonly spoken of as the natural forces. It is conceivable +that the thunders and the lightnings, the movements of the heavenly +bodies, the ebb and flow of the oceans, and all the phenomena known to +man, are only manifestations of the will of God as transmitted and +spread by the measureless, inexhaustible, infinite, all-conducting +holy spirit. + +By the holy spirit, which fills every person, man may obtain +information from God. By its means come the messages which transcend +the ordinary methods of acquiring knowledge. By it man may readily +communicate with God, or God with him. When a person utters his prayer +in faith it is impressed upon the holy spirit, and transmitted, so +that God may read the man's desire. + +This doctrine of a rational theology has been duplicated in a modest +way by the development of wireless telegraphy. According to science, +the universe is filled with a subtle substance called the ether, on +the waves of which the message is spread throughout the universe to be +taken up by any person who has the proper receiving apparatus. + +**The Eternal Record.** So thoroughly permeated with the holy spirit +is the immensity of space that every act and word and thought is +recorded and transmitted everywhere, so that all who know how to read +may read. Thus we make an imperishable record of our lives. To those +whose lives are ordered well this is a blessed conception; but to +those of wicked lives, it is most terrible. He who has the receiving +apparatus, in whose hands the key is held, may read from the record of +the holy spirit, an imperishable history of all that has occurred +during the ages that have passed in the world's history. This solemn +thought, that in the bosom of the holy spirit is recorded all that +pertains to the universe--our most secret thought and our faintest +hope--helps man to walk steadily in the midst of the contending +appeals of his life. We can not hide from the Master. + + + + +CHAPTER 14. + +MAN WALKS WITH GOD. + + +The knowledge of means of communication between man and God is of +great help to man in all the affairs of his life. + +**Reading God's Message.** In possession of the holy spirit is a +record of the will of God with respect to all things and all +occurrences, great or small, in the universe from the first day. The +big problem of man is to read the message of God as it is held by the +holy spirit. In wireless telegraphy, a spark coil sets up waves in the +ether and other coils similarly "tuned," receive the waves anywhere in +the universe. In wireless telegraphy the all-important thing is that +the transmitting and receiving instruments be tuned alike, for only +then may the message be read. The same principle holds with the holy +spirit. The giver and the receiver must be "tuned" alike, that is, +must be in harmony, if the messages are to pass readily and +understandingly from one to the other. The clearness of the message +depends wholly upon the degree to which this tuning approaches perfect +harmony. + +**Spirit Blindness.** There are many who, walking among vast +spiritual forces, yet feel themselves wholly alone. They do not have +the assurance that there is something or someone near them which may +not be known by the ordinary judgment of the senses, yet which may be +known by man. These persons are so untuned as to be unable to +understand the messages of the holy spirit. Many will not be brought +into an understanding harmony with the holy spirit; others merely find +it so hard to be brought into tune with the infinite that they would +rather be without the messages than to do the necessary labor of +acquiring harmonious relations with the holy spirt. Those who can not +feel and in part commune with the holy spirit, are blind to the larger +part of the universe, which lies outside of the circumscribed world, +swept by our immediate senses. In terms of the unseen forces will the +earth at last be cleared of all its mystery. In yesterday and tomorrow +shall today be glorified. The eternal concern of man will be, as it +has been, to secure an understanding knowledge of all the forces of +space. They, therefore, who cannot on this earth possess a direct +assurance of the existence and assistance of the great unseen world, +are indeed spiritually blind, and much to be pitied. + +**Prayer.** As already stated, all communication between man and a +higher intelligent Being must be initiated by a request from the man. +Thus, the place of prayer in the life of man is at once established. +Prayer is a request for further light, protection, or whatever else is +desired. Prayer is the first and greatest means of reading God's +messages, for by intense prayer man gradually places himself in tune +with the infinite so far as his request is concerned. Those who do not +ask, naturally do not establish an understanding relationship with the +unseen world, and no message appears. The Being of higher +intelligence, to whom the request is directed, may or may not grant +the prayer, but some answer will be given. Prayer has been said to be +"the soul's sincere desire." Only when it is such will the highest +answer be obtained, and it is doubtful if such a prayer is ever +refused. No prayer is unheard. The place and time of prayer are of +less importance. Morning, noon and night, prayer is always fitting. +However, it is well to be orderly, and to beget habits of prayer, and +certain hours of the day should therefore be set aside for prayer, +both in private and in the family. Frequent and regular prayer helps +to remind man of his dependence on a Being of higher intelligence in +accomplishing the great work of his heart. A man should pray always; +his heart should be full of prayer; he should walk in prayer. Answers +will then be heard as God pleases. Seldom is a man greater than his +private prayers. + +**Active Prayer.** To become properly tuned with the guiding +intelligent Being, one must not pray in a stereotyped way. A man must +give himself to the matter devotedly desired, in the form of prayer, +and then support it with all his works. Prayer is active and not +passive. If a thing is wanted a man must try to secure it. Then, as a +man devotes all of himself to the matter of the prayer, his attitude +becomes such as to make him susceptible to the answer when it shall be +sent. Prayer may be said to be the soul's whole desire. + +**The Gift of Understanding.** Every now and then a man is found who +seems to possess a knowledge above that of his fellow men. Knowledge +is gained by tremendous self-effort, and the men who know most are +usually those who have exerted themselves most to learn. However, it +is well known that those who have given themselves with all their +might to a certain study, often have great flashes of insight, whereby +they leap as it were from knowledge to knowledge, until their progress +becomes tremendously rapid, compared with that of ordinary men. + +This means of acquiring knowledge may be compared crudely with the +switch of an electric lighting system. When the switch is out, though +the great dynamo in the canyon mouth hammer and generate its +electricity, there is no flow of current through the city system and +all is darkness. Yet a man, with a slight effort, can raise the switch +and connect the wires, thereby flooding the city with light. The +result appears to be infinitely greater than the cause. Thus, those +who by great effort build up systems of truth often reach a place +where by relatively little effort a flood of new light may be thrown +upon the subject to which the mind has given itself. That is one of +the compensations to those who strive with all their might for the +mastery of any subject. This power becomes the gift of understanding, +which may come to all who study deeply. + +The gift of understanding is the result of the operation of the holy +spirit. The holy spirit which is in communication with the whole +universe, is in a measure subject to those who give themselves +devotedly and with all their heart to any righteous matter. It is one +of the most precious of gifts, and one that should be sought after by +all men, because by its aid, the chance for development is greatly +increased. + +**Man Walks with God.** Literally, then, through the assistance of +the mighty and all-pervading holy spirit, man is, indeed, always in +the presence of God and his agencies. From this point of view man is +immersed in the light and power of Godliness. He, who by earnest +prayer, close attention, and noble desires seeks the intelligence +above and about him is not alone. He walks hand in hand with +intelligent beings and draws from them the power that he does not of +himself possess. In times of need such a man may reach into the black +unknown and bring out hope, born of high knowledge. + + + + +MAN AND THE DEVIL. + + + + +CHAPTER 15. + +THE KINGDOM OF THE EVIL ONE. + + +If there is progression, there may also be retrogression; if there is +good, there may be evil. Everything has its opposite. + +**Descending Beings.** In a universe containing eternal, intelligent, +personalities possessing free agency, there may be beings who are in +opposition to the general law of progress. In fact, such opposing +intelligent spirits or men have always and everywhere been found. +Naturally, those who devote themselves to the opposition of law are +waging a hopeless battle, and lose their strength as time goes on. +Nevertheless, since many of them have acquired great knowledge before +they turn against the truth, they may long continue active in their +opposition to righteousness. The final end of such beings is not +known. As they are eternal, it is doubtful if they can ever fully +destroy themselves. Nevertheless, as they oppose law, they will at +last shrivel up and become as if they were not. Beings who would stand +in the way of progress, also use the forces of the universe, as best +they can, and must be considered, in the ordering of life, whether in +or out of the earth. + +**The Devil.** The number of descending spirits in the universe is +not known. In fact, little is known about the whole matter, which +probably is for the good of man. The scant knowledge that we have, +comes largely from the account of the Great Council. One of the great +spirits there present, proposed to save men without the use of their +free agency. When he and his numerous followers failed to secure the +adoption of this plan they left the Council, and set themselves +thenceforth against the plan adopted by the majority. The leader in +this rebellion was Lucifer, said to be a prince of the morning, who, +undoubtedly, through much diligence, had acquired a high position +among the spirits. Even those of high degree may fall. No man is sure +of himself, unless from day to day he can keep the germ of opposition +from settling within his breast. + +Lucifer and his followers, who fell from the Great Council, are the +devil and his angels, possessing definite wills and free agencies, who +are still continuing the battle that originated in the heavens. The +fundamental conceptions of eternalism, including eternal beings, make +reasonable the existence of a personal devil, with personal agents, +whose indestructible wills are used to oppose the Great Plan through +adherence to which man entered upon his earth career. + +**Man and the Devil.** In a measure, God and all other intelligent +beings are affected by the active will of man. If man wills not to be +helped by God, it is difficult for God to send him divine help. Even +so, in the face of the will of man, the devil has little or no power. +It is only when man so wills that he hears fully the voice of God; and +it is only when man so wills that he hears the message of the devil. +The doctrine that a request must initiate the gift is as true in the +relationship that may be established between man and the devil as +between man and God. God sends his messages throughout the universe; +so does the devil as far as his knowledge permits him. However, the +messages of the evil one need not be heard unless man so desires. In +reality, therefore, man does not need to fear the evil one. He is not +a force that can work harm, unless man places himself under the +subjection of evil; but, if the devil be allowed a hearing, he may +become the master of the man, and lead him downward on the road of +retrogression. + +**The Devil Subject to God.** Though the free agency of man is +supreme with respect to himself, under the direction of a perfected +intelligence, it must not interfere with the free agencies of others. +This law holds for all ascending or descending intelligent beings. For +that reason the devil is subject to God, and is allowed to operate +only if he keeps within well-defined limits. He can suggest ways of +iniquity, but he cannot force men to obey his evil designs. A man who +sincerely desires to walk in righteousness need have no fear of the +devil. + +By the knowledge of opposites, man may draw conclusions of +far-reaching importance in his course of progression. The operations +of the devil and his powers may, therefore, serve some good in giving +contrasts for man's guidance. This does not mean that it is necessary +for man to accept the suggestions of the evil one, or to commit evil +to know truth. On the contrary, every rational impulse resents the +thought that a man must know sin so that he may know righteousness +better. Unfortunately, the works of the evil one may be plentifully +observed in the world, among those who have forsaken the Great Plan +and the path of progression. + + + + +MAN AND THE CHURCH. + + + + +CHAPTER 16. + +WHY A CHURCH? + + +Those who believe in the Great Plan form the community known as the +Church. Many men, who have given the subject only superficial study, +find it difficult to understand why a church should be necessary. + +**Man Helped by God on Earth.** It was not intended, in the plan of +salvation, that man, though in forgetfulness, should wander alone and +helpless through the earth. Rather was it intended and made necessary +that men should gain experience by actual contact and contest with the +earth and earthly forces, under the watchful care of beings of +superior intelligence, who would help as demanded by man's free +agency. In an intelligent world it could not well be otherwise. In +fact, without the help of superior intelligence, the earth would be +chaotic instead of orderly. The Great Plan is founded on intelligence, +guided by a God of intelligence, and has for its purpose greater +intelligence. + +Avenues of communion with God have been pointed out, but many men are +impervious to divine messages and need earthly help to understand the +will of God. The Church, the community of persons with the same +intelligent faith and desire, is the organized agency through which +God deals with his children, and through which such help may be given +man. Through the Church, God's mind may be read by all, at least with +respect to the Church community. Moreover, the authority to act for +God must be vested somewhere on earth. The Church holds this authority +for the use of man. Besides, it is the common law of the universe that +when intelligent beings are organized, as of one body, they progress +faster, individually and collectively. The Church as an organization +represents God on earth and is the official means of communication +between men and God. + +**The Plan of Salvation for All.** In the Great Council the +earth-career was planned for all the spirits there assembled who +accepted the Plan. The earth and whatever pertains to it, are for all +and not for the one or the few. This means that man must not go +through his earth-life independently, doing as he pleases, living +apart from his fellowmen and accepting the Great Plan in his own way. +By his own free agency he became a member of the hosts of the earth, +and by his own promise, given in the Great Council, he must live in +accordance with definite rules to be enforced by God. The Church is +the community of those who, having accepted the Plan, desire unitedly +to work out their mutual salvation under the settled authority of God. + +The purpose of the Great Plan can not be wholly fulfilled until all +have heard the Gospel. The Church as a body undertakes to carry out +this purpose. Only when the Church is not organized on earth, may +individuals who know the Great Plan, stand alone; but even in such +case it is the bounden duty of those having the knowledge, to give +themselves to the converting of others, so that the Church may be +organized. + +**Orderliness.** If each intelligent being placed on this earth, were +to lead an independent life and deal independently with his God, +relative to all matters concerning him, many of which would of +necessity involve others, there would soon be disorder among humanity. +It has been found desirable in all earthly affairs to organize so that +order may prevail. By the organization known as a church all things +may be done in order. Chaos is abhorrent to the intelligent mind. + +**Test of Attitude.** There is yet another reason for the +organization of a church. The plan of salvation is one founded in +intelligence. Man must accept and live its laws and ordinances +intelligently. The Church, by his adherence to these laws and +ordinances, gives a man a means of testing himself as to his attitude +towards the whole Plan. Whatever is done in life somehow connects +itself with the Church. A Church which separates itself from the +actual, daily life of the man does not acknowledge the essential unity +of the universe and is not founded on man's intelligent conceptions of +the constitution of the universe. The Church, therefore, must possess +a system of laws the compliance with which will enable a man or his +fellows to test his progress and spiritual condition, which, in turn, +will be a guide for his future work. It would be difficult for a man +to apply such tests to himself if he stands alone, away from his +fellow men and making laws for himself to fit his apparent needs. + +**Authority.** There is much to be done for man and by man during the +earth-career. Every day brings its problems; laws are to be enforced; +ordinances to be performed, and God must communicate with his earthly +children. Much of this work involves authority, which must be settled +somewhere if order is to prevail. The authority to act for God is +committed to the Church, as the organized community of believers, and, +indeed, authority is a distinguishing characteristic of the Church. +Every man has or may receive authority to act in his own behalf in +many matters, but to exercise authority in behalf of others, requires +the kind of authority which God has delegated to the Church. Some form +of authority from God is necessary in all our work, and the earthly +source of God's authority is the Church, organized by the supreme, +intelligent God. + +**The Great Purpose of the Church.** Finally, the plan of eternal +progress involves every living soul who comes upon earth. To the +Church is committed the great task of keeping alive this Plan and of +carrying it to all the nations. Those who have accepted the truth must +be kept active; those who have not accepted it must be taught; all +must hear it; even for the dead must the essential ordinances be +performed. The Church, then, is a great missionary organization. This, +of itself, justifies, the existence of the Church, for it is +improbable that any individual would or could undertake the conversion +of all the people to eternal truth. + + + + +CHAPTER 17. + +CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. + + +Members of the Church must necessarily accept the conceptions for +which it stands. These are, essentially, the plan of salvation, the +progressive development of all spirits concerned in the Plan, and the +authority of a supreme intelligent Being, to deal with the men and +women placed on earth. The conditions of membership are not many, nor +difficult to understand. They are, rather, of a kind naturally +appearing before an intelligent being concerned in any organization. + +**Faith.** All who enter the Church, or accept the Great Plan must, +as a first condition, possess the faith which has been defined as "the +substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." In +other words, they must first acknowledge the existence in the universe +of things and powers that may not be sensed directly, but which may be +used to accomplish the purposes of man. Such an attitude is required +to admit the existence of a God or a plan of salvation. Such a faith +yields to man a comprehensive possession of the universe, and may +establish a philosophy of life that conforms to every law of nature. +The man who has no such faith stands before the plan of salvation as +before a sealed book. He can not open it, nor opened, can he read it. +A faith that admits the universe, seen and unseen, enables man to +accomplish great things; in fact, all who have done the great labor of +the world, have had such a faith. The law of faith is a general law. + +Faith is not necessarily removed from the ordinary experiences of +life. On the contrary it is the beginning of all knowledge. Man +observes the phenomena of nature, classifies and groups them until he +reaches great general laws representing many individual phenomena. By +the use of such laws, reasoning from the known to the unknown, laws +may be inferred, the existence of which cannot be sensed directly. By +this method of using human knowledge, man rapidly becomes aware of the +certainty of the great universe that lies around him but beyond his +immediate ken. Moreover, and possibly of chief importance, such +inferred but certain knowledge makes man confident that he can +continue forever in the acquisition of knowledge and power, and it +thus becomes a help in every duty of life. + +**Repentance.** Another fundamental requirement of those who enter +the Church is repentance. This is also self-evident, for if man is +convinced of the correctness of a certain procedure, that is, if he +has faith in it, he certainly will use that faith, if it is to become +of any value to him. An active faith is repentance. It is commonly +felt that repentance is only the turning away from evil practices. It +is probably just as important for man to act out the good he learns as +to refrain from doing evil. Repentance, then, is not merely negative; +it is also positive. This also is a general law. Great work can be +done by those only who have faith and who put that faith into action. + +**Baptism.** The third requirement of those who desire entrance into +the Church is baptism. The candidate for baptism, presenting himself +to one who has authority from Jesus Christ, is buried in the water and +taken out again, as a symbol of the death and resurrection, the +atoning sacrifice, and the conquest over death, of the Savior. The +ordinance of baptism, as far as man is concerned, is essentially an +acknowledgment of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, a promise of +obedience to the requirements of the Great Plan, and the acceptance of +divine authority. Baptism is also a principle of general application, +for in whatever pursuit a man may be engaged, whether in or out of the +Church, he must first have faith in the work he has to do, then +repent, in the sense of putting his faith into action and, finally, he +must give obedience to the laws involved in the work. + +**The Gift of the Holy Ghost.** The fourth condition of Church +membership, which is in the nature of a result of the three first +requirements, is that the candidate receive the gift of the Holy +Ghost. This is accomplished when one having authority places his hands +on the head of the candidate, confirms him a member of the Church, and +says, "Receive the Holy Ghost." This establishes an authoritative +connection between man and God, the Holy Ghost, by which it is +possible to secure, through the active support of the Holy Ghost, more +light and power and confidence than man may secure unaided. Every man +born into the world has life by the holy spirit and may, through its +operations, and his own self-effort, be in communication with all +other intelligent beings in the universe; but, only those who conform +to the first ordinances of the Gospel are connected officially with +the powers of the Holy Ghost in such a way as to secure added help. A +distinct and real power conies to the individual who has received the +Holy Ghost. It is as if he had been given a key to a great and +wonderful building which he enters at his pleasure. However, the key +may be kept unused; then the gift has been of no value. Man must draw +upon the Holy Ghost, if the gift shall be real. The gift of the Holy +Ghost also represents a general law, for it is evident that all who +have faith made active by repentance, and have shown obedience by +baptism, will be in such harmony with intelligent forces as to receive +great light from them if desired or needed. + +**Continued Conformity.** It is not sufficient that a man secure +entrance into the Church by compliance with the first four principles +of the Gospel. After he has attained membership he must become active +in the practice of the laws which constitute the body of Church +doctrine, and which are quite as important as the fundamental ones +preceding entrance. Passivity will not suffice; activity only +constitutes an unqualified membership in the Church. The man will be +"in tune" with the work only when he lives out daily the principles of +the Great Plan. This is self-evident, moreover, because the Church has +the mission of bringing the Gospel to the understanding of all men on +earth, and unless the members of the Church are active in missionary +work, they will not acquire the full spirit of the Church. +Unselfishness should characterize the members of the Church. + +**Acceptance of Authority.** The conditions of membership here +mentioned are all vital. Nevertheless, in addition to them, candidates +for admission to the Church must acknowledge the full authority of the +Church as a divine institution, to which has been committed, by God, +the authority to act for him in all matters pertaining to the plan of +salvation. Without this authority, the Church is no more than any +man-made institution. The acceptance of authority means that all the +laws of the Gospel must be obeyed, by every member. The law cannot be +varied for individuals, to please their fancies or supposed needs. +This is clearly brought out by the historical fact that Adam, after he +had been taught and had accepted the Gospel, was baptized, confirmed, +and received all the ordinances of the Church. Similarly, Jesus, the +Son of God, began his official labors by being baptized by one having +authority. The pattern has been set for all; and it has been followed +in all dispensations. If men be on the full road of progress they will +comply with the laws of membership, and become active in the support +of the Church and its work. + + + + +CHAPTER 18. + +THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE CHURCH. + + +The Priesthood of the Church differs vitally from that of churches +composed only of fragments of the complete truth. + +**Priesthood Defined.** The Church is composed of eternal, +intelligent beings, moving onward in eternal progression, who have +accepted God's plan of salvation. It is God's Church. God directs the +work of his children on earth, and he naturally gives attention to the +Church. Nevertheless, although God is the directing intelligence, he +is not here in person, nor are other superior beings sent to take +charge of the work, for that would be contrary to the law that through +his free agency and by self-effort, man on earth must move onward and +upward. Therefore, that the earth-work may be done authoritatively, +God has delegated the necessary authority to man. The Priesthood is +simply the name given this authority. The body of the Priesthood +consists of the persons who have received this authority and who may +act for God, on earth, in matters pertaining to the Church or to +themselves. Without authority from God, there can be no Priesthood. + +**Divisions of the Priesthood.** Much work is to be done in the +Church, and the work differs greatly, for man's life is complex. +Consequently, many and varied are the labors that must be directed and +supported by the Priesthood. To accomplish the work well, there must +be a division of labor--the fundamental characteristic of all orderly +work. + +There are two great divisions of the Priesthood, the Aaronic and the +Melchizedek, each of which possesses special authority. Each of these +divisions is again sub-divided. These divisions and subdivisions are +all necessary for the complete exercise of the Priesthood in the +Church. + +One great division of the Priesthood of God, the Aaronic Priesthood, +is named after Aaron, the brother of Moses, a famous leader in this +priesthood. It is the Lesser Priesthood, really only an appendage of +the Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood. To the Aaronic Priesthood is +assigned, particularly, the temporal work of the Church, but it also +has authority to preach, teach and baptize. The Melchizedek +Priesthood, named after the great high priest Melchizedek, is the +higher division of the Priesthood, and includes the Aaronic +Priesthood. It holds the keys of spiritual authority and has the right +to officiate under proper direction in all the affairs of the Church. +The subdivisions of these Priesthoods make it possible to group, +simply and properly, the duties of the members of the Church. + +**The Aaronic Priesthood.** Those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood +belong to one of three ascending groups: the deacon, the teacher, and +the priest. The bishop presides over the priest's quorum and is the +presiding authority of the Aaronic Priesthood. Each group, in addition +to its own special authority, may, when called upon by proper +authority, exercise also the authority of the group below it. The +members of the Aaronic Priesthood are organized in quorums of twelve +deacons, twenty-four teachers and forty-eight priests. Each quorum is +presided over by a president and two counselors, which in the priests' +quorum are the bishop and his two counselors. + +**The Melchizedek Priesthood.** The Higher Priesthood is +characterized by spiritual authority, the right of presidency and the +power of officiating in all the work of the Church. There are also +several divisions of this Priesthood but the fundamental authority is +the same in all, and each division represents merely a calling in the +Higher Priesthood. There are five chief groups in this Priesthood; the +elder, the seventy, the high priest, the apostle, and the patriarch. +The elder may officiate when properly called and set apart in any of +these groups of the Priesthood, without having conferred upon him any +further Priesthood. The members of the Higher Priesthood are organized +into quorums, of 96 elders with a president and two counselors and of +70 seventies with seven presidents. The quorums of high priests are +indefinite in number, except administrative quorums, such as the +Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency. + +**All Hold the Priesthood.** The Church exists to advance the Great +Plan by which, in the end, every man may live happily on earth and at +last enter into great progression. In it there should be no active and +non-active members, for all must be active to work out their own +proper destinies, and to assist in the advancement of the whole Plan. +All, therefore, need the authority of the Priesthood to officiate as +may be needed in the work of the Church, or in their own behalf. If +the work of the Church were delegated to a few members, it would +probably be reasonable for a few men to hold the Priesthood. When, +however, every member must or should take upon himself a part of the +active work of the Church, it is necessary that every man hold the +authority of the Priesthood so that he may authoritatively perform the +necessary acts in the propaganda of truth. + +In fact, in the Church, all men who have attained sufficient +experience hold or should hold the Priesthood. The young men are +ordained deacons, teachers and priests, and at last elders, when they +possess all the authority of the Priesthood. They may then receive an +ordination and calling in the Melchizedek Priesthood, such as seventy, +apostle, high priest or patriarch. + +Women enjoy all the endowments and blessings of the Priesthood in +connection with their husbands. The family is the basis of society on +earth, and as there must be organization among intelligent beings, +someone must be spokesman for the family. In the family, the man is +the spokesman and presiding authority, and, therefore, the Priesthood +is bestowed upon him. + +It is clear that there is no Priesthood class in the Church of Jesus +Christ. The Priesthood belongs to all. This is another distinguishing +mark of the true Church, which rests its doctrines upon eternal +principles as already outlined. The general possession of the +Priesthood by all the male members of the Church is only in conformity +with the theory of the Gospel, which makes the Plan one of +intelligent, united effort under the direction of beings of higher +intelligence, and which declares that the highest individual +satisfaction can be obtained only when all other individuals are +simultaneously advancing. + +**The Power of the Priesthood.** The Priesthood conferred on man +carries with it real power to do effective work in behalf of the plan +of salvation. Under the normal organization of the Church, when things +are moving on in the ordained way, there is no insistent evidence of +the great power possessed by those who have the Priesthood, and who, +therefore, can act for God in matters pertaining to the Church. Under +such a condition there is a quiet, steady use of power in behalf of +the daily work of the Church--each man performing the work that has +been assigned to him, in addition to which each man in his own behalf +may use his authority as seems to him fitting. Yet, the power is with +the Priesthood, and when need arises, it becomes the voice of God, +which all must hear. As an illustration of the great power, authority +and duty carried by the Priesthood it may be recalled that, if by any +chance every man holding the Priesthood in the Church should be +destroyed, save one elder, it would be the duty and right of that one +elder, under divine revelation, to reorganize the whole Church with +all the grades of the Priesthood and of its officers. This +far-reaching authority is held by all who receive the Priesthood--an +authority to be guarded carefully and to be used cautiously as +directed. + + + + +CHAPTER 19. + +THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH. + + +To carry on the diversified work of the Church requires a close +organization. An organization, in turn, requires officers. All the +officers of the Church hold the Priesthood, but the Priesthood is held +also by many who do not hold official positions. Therefore, while the +authority to act in all the offices of the Church is held by +practically every man in the Church, that authority, in the +administration of the affairs of the Church, becomes effective only +when the man is called to exercise the authority. The chief officers +of the Church are herewith briefly enumerated. + +**The General Authorities.** The First Presidency consists of three +presiding high priests, a President and two counselors, whose duty it +is to supervise the work of the whole Church, in all matters of +policy, organization and execution. No part of the work of the Church +is beyond their authority. With the death of the President, the First +Presidency becomes disorganized. + +Associated with the First Presidency is the quorum of Twelve Apostles. +The Twelve are special witnesses for Christ, and it is their duty to +carry the Gospel to all the world. In addition, they give direct +assistance to the First Presidency. When the quorum of the First +Presidency is disorganized, the quorum of apostles becomes the +presiding quorum until the First Presidency is reorganized. The quorum +of the Twelve has one president, who is always the senior apostle. + +The Patriarchs of the Church possess the sealing and blessing powers +and receive instructions from the Presiding Patriarch. + +The quorums of Seventy, the missionary quorums of the Church, are +presided over by the Seven Presidents of the first quorum. This +Council labors under the direction of the apostles. If the First +Presidency and the quorum of the Twelve were disorganized, +simultaneously, the first quorum of Seventy would become the presiding +quorum until full reorganization were effected. + +The temporal affairs of the Church are largely cared for by the +Presiding Bishopric, consisting of the presiding bishop and two +counselors. The Presiding Bishopric also has general supervision of +the bishops of the wards, of the Church. + +The General Authorities are the First Presidency, the Twelve Apostles, +the Presiding Patriarch, the Presidents of the first quorum of +Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric--making in all twenty-six men. +These general presiding authorities, representing all the great +divisions of the Priesthood, deal with all the general affairs of the +Church. + +**The Stakes of Zion.** For convenience of administration, the Church +is divided into stakes containing usually from one thousand to ten +thousand members. The stakes are presided over by a Stake Presidency, +three high priests denominated president and two counselors, which +have the same relation to the stake that the First Presidency has to +the whole Church. The Stake Presidency are assisted by the high +council, consisting of twelve regular and six alternate counselors who +are high priests. To this body is assigned much of the work for the +welfare of the members of the stake. Such other officers as may be +needed are moreover secured in each stake. + +**The Wards of the Stakes.** The stakes are, in turn, divided into +wards containing usually from one hundred to two thousand members. +They are presided over by a Bishop and two counselors, who are +assisted in various capacities by the local ward Priesthood. + +**The Priesthood in Stakes and Wards.** In every ward, if there be +enough members, are organized quorums of deacons, teachers, priests, +elders and seventies. If there are not enough in one ward to form a +quorum, then a quorum is organized from two or more wards. The high +priests in a stake are usually assembled into one quorum for the +stake. All of the Priesthood meets regularly in the ward to which they +belong, for the discussion of their duties and for studying the +outlines and books provided by the general Church authorities. + +**Auxiliary Organizations.** In addition to the regular Priesthood, +there are helps in government known as auxiliary organizations. These +are the Relief Society, for women, the Deseret Sunday School Union, +the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, the Young Ladies' +Mutual Improvement Association, the Primary Association, the Religion +Class, the Boards of Education, and others that may be organized from +time to time. Each of these is represented by a general board, under +the direction of the First Presidency. In each stake there are also +stake boards of these auxiliary organizations, under the direction of +the stake presidency. Moreover, in each ward of the Church, if large +enough, is an organization of each of the auxiliary activities of the +Church. + +**All Must Work.** So complete an organization, ramifying throughout +the Church, shows that all members of the Church should or may be at +work. There is no place for the idler. Every man or woman, who is not +averse to working in behalf of the Church, will find some duty that +will fill his life. + +**The Tenure of Office.** The officers of the Priesthood have no +definite tenure of office. Since all hold the Priesthood, there is +always a supply of ready material to fill any vacancies that may +occur. The general authorities in the Church have generally held life +positions, but a number of these, for various reasons, chiefly +insubordination or error of doctrine, have been released before death. +According to doctrine, no office in the Priesthood, is absolutely +certain of life tenure. Failure to perform properly the work of the +office constitutes full cause for removal. + +**An Unpaid Ministry.** The rewards of life should be and are only in +part material. To assist, officially, in carrying out the Great Plan, +brings its own distinct reward. The Priesthood of the Church, +therefore, is largely unpaid. A man's duty in the Priesthood seldom +takes all of his time, thus leaving him partly free to earn a +livelihood by the use of his profession. When a man's whole time is +taken by the Church, he gets his support from the Church. There is no +Priesthood class, especially trained for the work, and striving for +positions carrying with them high material remuneration. All should +know the Gospel and be prepared to carry on the work. + +**Appointments in the Priesthood.** The power to nominate men to fill +the official positions in the Priesthood belongs to the Priesthood of +the Church. Men are chosen from any walk in life, without previous +warning, and the acceptance of the office often means the sacrifice of +business, profession, or ease of life. Under this system there can be +no talk of men seeking offices in the Church. Preparation to do the +work of the Church can be the only form of self-seeking, and that may +or may not lead to any particular position in the Church. Meanwhile, +the vast organization of the Church is such as to find work for every +man; and in fact, every worthy worker should be kept busily engaged in +the work of the Great Plan. + +**Common Consent.** Every officer of the Priesthood, though properly +nominated, holds his position in the Church only with the consent of +the people. Officers may be nominated by the presidency of the Church, +but unless the people accept them as their officials, they can not +exercise the authority of the offices to which they have been called. +All things in the Church must be done by common consent. This makes +the people, men and women, under God, the rulers of the Church. Even +the President of the Church, before he can fully enter upon his +duties, must be sustained by the people. It is the common custom in +the Church to vote on the officers in the general, stake and ward +conferences. This gives every member an opportunity to vote for or +against the officers. Meanwhile, the judiciary system of the Church is +such that there is ample provision whereby any officer of the Church, +if found in error, may be brought to justice and if found guilty be +removed from his position. + +The doctrine of common consent is fundamental in the Church; and is +coincident with the fact that the Church belongs to all the people. +Since the authority of the Priesthood is vested in all the people, it +follows that the officials of the Priesthood must be responsible to +the people. The responsibility and work of the Church are not only for +but by the people as a whole. + +**Bestowal of the Priesthood.** On the earth the Priesthood was first +conferred on Adam and was handed down directly from Adam through his +descendants to Noah. Every link in this progression of the Priesthood +has been preserved. Similarly, after Noah, it was continued for many +generations. Moreover, Jesus conferred the Priesthood directly upon +his disciples. At various times in the history of the world, the +Priesthood has been given by God to man and continued for various +lengths of time. In these latter days of the restored Church, John the +Baptist appeared in person and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon +Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Later, Peter, James and John, who had +received the Priesthood from Jesus Christ, and who represented the +Presidency of the Priesthood in those days, appeared to Joseph Smith +and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Holy Priesthood and the +apostleship which carried with it authority in the lower divisions of +the Priesthood. In the Church of Christ the authority of the +Priesthood may always be traced back directly to God, from whom it +radiates and whom it represents. + + + + +CHAPTER 20. + +THE AUTHORITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD. + + +The authority of the Priesthood is often misunderstood, and it is +frequently the rock upon which many men and women suffer spiritual +shipwreck. + +**The Foundation of Authority.** The power or right to command or to +act, is authority. In the beginning, man, conscious and in possession +of will, reached out for truth, and gained new knowledge. Gradually as +his intelligence grew, he learned to control natural forces, as he met +them on his way. Knowledge, properly used, became power; and +intelligent knowledge is the only true foundation of authority. The +more intelligence a man possesses the more authority he may exercise. +Hence, "the glory of God is intelligence." This should be clear in the +minds of all who exercise authority. + +**Absolute Authority.** Such high authority, based on increasing +intelligent knowledge, may be called absolute authority. All other +forms of authority, and many forms exist, must be derived from +absolute authority, for it is the essence of all authority. Nothing in +the universe is absolutely understood, and absolute authority does not +mean that full knowledge or full power has been gained over anything +in the universe. Forever will the universe reveal its secrets. By +absolute authority is meant the kind of authority that results +directly from an intelligent understanding of the things over which +authority is exercised. Authority can therefore, be absolute only so +far as knowledge goes, and will become more absolute as more knowledge +is obtained. The laws of God are never arbitrary; they are always +founded on truth. + +**Derived Authority.** Anyone possessing the absolute authority +resting on high intelligence, will often find it necessary or +convenient to ask others to exercise that authority for him. This may +be called derived authority. It does not necessarily follow that those +who are so asked understand the full meaning of the authority that +they exercise. The workman in a factory carries out the operations as +directed by the chief technician, and obtains the same results, though +he does not to the same extent understand the principles involved. + +Every person who has risen to the earth-estate possesses a certain +degree of absolute authority, for he has knowledge of nature which +gives him control over many surrounding forces. Every person possesses +or should possess certain derived authority, which is exercised under +the direction of a superior intelligence, though it is not always +wholly understood. + +**The Authority of Office.** In an organized body like the Church, +each activity must be governed by established laws. Those who have +been chosen officers to enforce these laws and to carry on the regular +work of the Church, exercise their power because of their office. +Authority of office is only a form of derived authority--derived from +the people who have agreed to submit their wills to certain officers, +who are to enforce laws accepted by the people. Even such authority, +belonging to official positions, must be founded on intelligent +knowledge, and the organization of the Church itself must be +intelligently authoritative. Therefore, authority of office is best +exercised when those holding it have qualified themselves +intelligently for the work. The mistakes made by officers are commonly +due to the want of the needed intelligence in the exercise of their +duties. Fortunately, however, the Church is so organized that the +actions of its officials may be tried for their righteousness whenever +they appear to be wrong to the people. Mistakes are most likely to be +made by officials who will not qualify themselves for their work. + +**Authority and Free Agency.** While intelligent knowledge does +establish the highest degree of authority, absolute authority, yet it +does not, alone, justify the exercising of authority that may conflict +with the wills of others. The law of free agency must not be +transcended; nor is it permissible to do anything that will hinder, in +the least, the progress of man under the Great law. Authority must +therefore be exercised only in such a manner as to benefit other +individuals. Naturally, when a community accepts a body of laws for +their government, and officers are appointed by the people to enforce +the laws, the punishment of the disobedient is not an interference +with free agency, for all have accepted the law. Only when a person +withdraws from the community, does the community law become +inoperative with respect to him. Since the battle for free agency must +not be waged again, laws must be enforced as they are accepted by the +people; thus it comes about that all the officers in the Church, who +merely represent the people, must be sustained by the people. The +people govern the Church through their sustained authorities. When a +person opposes righteousness, the worst that can be done is to sever +that individual from the organization. The Priesthood has no authority +to exercise further punishment. The punishment which comes to those +who do wrong is automatic, and will, of itself, find out the sinner. + +**Authority over Self.** The Priesthood conferred on man establishes +an authority which each man may at all times exercise with respect to +himself and God. By the authority of the Priesthood he has a right to +commune with God in prayer or in other ways, and has, as it were, the +right to receive communications in return from the intelligent beings +about him, so that his ways may be ways of strength and pleasantness. +Man's own work should be inseparably connected with the power of the +Priesthood to which he has attained. + +**The Exercise of Authority.** The authority committed to man by God +is in earthly hands. The flesh is weak; and men who possess authority +may often make mistakes in its exercise. The proper manner of +exercising the authority of the Priesthood has been made exceedingly +clear. "The rights of the Priesthood are inseparably connected with +the powers of heaven, and the powers of heaven cannot be controlled or +handled only upon the principles of righteousness. That they may be +conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our +sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise +control, or dominion, or compulsion, upon the souls of the children of +men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw +themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is +withdrawn, Amen to the Priesthood, or the authority of that man. +Behold! ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the +pricks; to persecute the Saints, and to fight against God. No power or +influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the Priesthood, +only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness, and meekness, +and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall +greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile, +reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, +and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom +thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; that he may +know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death; let +thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the +household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly, +then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God, and the +doctrine of the Priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from +heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy +sceptre an unchanging sceptre of righteousness and truth, and thy +dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory +means it shall flow unto thee for ever and ever." + +Any authority of the Priesthood otherwise exercised than as above +stated is not in harmony with the law. There is therefore no need to +fear authority, for those who misuse it will ultimately be removed +from their offices and will be punished not only by the laws of the +Church, but by God, the Giver of law. Meanwhile, the thought stands +out prominently, that those who are given the Priesthood, and +especially those who are to exercise authority in the offices of the +Priesthood, should carefully fit themselves for the work that they +have to do. This is the only safe key to authority. + +**The Unrighteous Exercise of Authority.** Authority may be +unrighteously exercised from the lack of intelligence or because of +wickedness. Should a member of the Church note this, the procedure of +correction is to notify the ward teachers, who try to settle the +difficulty. If the ward teachers do not succeed in this, the bishop's +court takes up the matter, which, if needs be, it passes to the Stake +Presidency and high council, and may be appealed to the First +Presidency. Justice is meted out to all in-the Church. If the people +are dissatisfied with any officer they may refuse to sustain him at +the times of the voting, which prevents him from exercising the +functions of his office. However, in all things the majority rules; +and in many of the judgments of the Church there must be unanimity. + +**The Church Authoritative.** The Church of Christ possesses real +authority, derived from God, and in its work represents God. Such a +Church, alone, can appeal to the human understanding. A Church without +authority is limp and helpless. Authority is the final test of a true +Church. Does it attempt to officiate for God? Does its Priesthood +possess authority? From the beginning, the Church of God has been +given direct, divine authority so that its work might not be +questioned. The angel walked with Adam, God spoke to Abraham, Jesus in +person came on earth, the Father and the Son came to Joseph Smith,--in +all ages, when the Church has been fully established, the Priesthood +has been conferred by authoritative beings. The authority of the +Church is real and genuine and possesses power. By its power it shall +be known. + + + + +CHAPTER 21. + +OBEDIENCE. + + +In the consideration of Priesthood and its authority, much useless +discussion is often indulged in as to whether a person should yield +obedience to authority. Some believe that to yield obedience is to lay +down free agency. + +**The Restraint of Nature.** Countless forces, surrounding man, are +interacting in the universe. By no means can he withdraw himself from +them. By experience he has learned that control of natural forces is +obtained only when their laws are understood. When a certain thing is +done in a certain manner, there is a definite, invariable result. No +doubt it has often occurred to an intelligent being that he might wish +it otherwise; but that is impossible. The only remedy is to comply +with existing conditions, acknowledge the restraint of nature, and +gaining further knowledge, put law against law, until the purpose of +man has been accomplished. This is the process by which intelligent +beings have acquired dominion over nature. Such an acknowledgement of +the existence of the law of cause and effect does not weaken man; +strength lies in an intelligent subjection to rightful restraint, for +it has been the condition of progress from the beginning. The +recognition of law and the obedience to law are sure signs that +intelligent beings are progressing. + +**An Active Condition.** Obedience is an active condition or it could +not be a principle of consequence. It is closely akin to repentance. +Obedience simply means that whenever a truth is revealed, it is +obeyed, which by our previous definition is a phase of repentance. The +man who is active in carrying out what he knows is truth, is an +obedient man. His active obedience to authority is based on +intelligence; and the more knowledge a man has concerning the nature +of the law in question, the more thoroughly obedient is he. Obedience +is not a characteristic of ignorance. + +**The Restraint of Man.** Obedience to the invariable laws of nature +is, usually, considered to be a self-evident necessity. The question +of obedience is commonly raised when man exercises authority. Shall a +man obey a man? The first consideration in the answer to this question +is whether the system which the man in authority represents is based +on truth. If so, then intelligent man will be bound to render +obedience to the system, even if it is exercised through imperfect +man. The second consideration is whether the man is acting within his +authority in the organization. This can always be determined, simply, +by laying the matter before the bodies constituted to settle such +matters. With the exception of the First Presidency, every officer in +the Church has a limited jurisdiction. The third consideration is +whether the matter to which authority has been applied is at all under +the discipline of the organization. No officer in the Church has +authority beyond matters that pertain to the Church. Any authority +exercised beyond that field is accepted only at the discretion of the +individual members of the Church, and should come only in the form of +counsel. If yes is the answer to these three considerations, obedience +must be rendered by a progressing man. If no is the answer, obedience +should not be yielded, but the matter should be tried before the +proper courts. + +The restraint of man in the exercise of authority derived from eternal +laws, is as compelling as the restraint of nature, because they are +parts of the same whole. + +**The Life of Law.** Obedience is nothing more than a compliance with +truth. Truth is of no consequence to a man if it is not used. The +moment truth is used, obedience begins. Man, and the Church to which +he belongs, are active organisms, interested in progress. When truth +is given them, promises to use that truth should be required, else all +is in vain. Lives conforming to law, alone, are moving onward. For +that reason, for every gift to man a promise is required, and usually +a statement of the punishment that will follow the non-use or misuse +of it. Obedience to truth means progress; refusal to use truth means +retrogression. + +**Disobedience.** Disobedience may be active or passive. Passive +disobedience is not doing what should be done; active disobedience is +doing what should not be done. Both may be equally harmful. The main +effect of disobedience is to weaken, and finally wreck the man who +disobeys law. Disobedience and sin are synonymous. + +**The Church Worth Having.** The only Church worth having is one +having authority, resting on intelligence and truth. Such a Church +will command obedience. In such a Church, little misunderstandings are +easily rectified. Within the laws of the Church, man has absolute, +personal freedom. It is so with nature, outside of the Church. Within +the laws of nature, man has full freedom. The greatest freedom known +to man comes from obedience to law. The greatest punishment +conceivable to man comes from opposition to law. This is true with +respect to the Church as a community of the saints, and with respect +to individual man in the great universe. + + + + +CHAPTER 22. + +A MISSIONARY CHURCH. + + +There must be, in every organization, and especially in a Church +dedicated to the great philosophy of man's place in the universe, a +great cementing purpose. In the Church of Christ this is the desire to +bring about the highest joy for all mankind. + +**A Church with a Purpose.** According to the fundamental doctrines +elaborated in previous chapters, the purpose of the earth-career is to +assist in man's development, so that he may acquire more power and +therefore more joy. In the nature of things, as already explained, it +is impossible for an intelligent being to rise to the highest degree +of joy unless other like beings move along with him. The Great Plan +will be successful only if all or at least a majority of those who +accepted it are saved. The Church, a feature of the Great Plan, must +have the same main purpose. All must be saved! In fact, the work of +the Church cannot be completed until all have at least heard the +truth. There can be no talk of a few saved souls at the throne of God, +with the many in hell. The great mission of the Church must be to +bring all men into the truth. This is the cementing purpose of the +Church. + +**The Hope of Today.** However, men are not saved merely by being +taught the truth. They must live it in their daily lives. Life, +indeed, is an endless succession of days, each of which must be a +little larger in development than the preceding one. Each day must be +well spent. The Church must help, every day, in all the affairs of the +day, from the food man eats to his highest spiritual thought. Each day +must be a step onward to the eternal exaltation which he desires. This +is the hope of today. To help in this daily work is one of the main +parts of the missionary labors of the Church. All the days of all the +members must be made happy ones. + +**Temporal Salvation.** In a church based on the principles already +outlined there can be no separation between the spiritual and the +temporal. There is one universe, of many aspects, to which we belong. +There is one Great Plan for us. In the heavens, spiritual things are +probably of greatest importance, but on earth, temporal things are of +importance. The impossibility of separating things temporal from +things spiritual justifies the attempt of the Church to assist in the +temporal affairs of its members. In fact, a large part of the +missionary labors of the Church must be to better the temporal +conditions of its members. Only when the temporal as well as the +spiritual life is looked after, can the Church rise to its full +opportunity. Only in sound bodies can the spirit experience the +highest joy. Only under sound temporal conditions can the Church move +on in full gladness. + +**The Foreign Mission System.** In conformity with the cementing +missionary spirit of a church, every member of which holds or may hold +the Priesthood, it follows that every member of the Church, whether +man or woman, may be called to go on a spiritual or temporal mission +for the upbuilding of his fellowmen. In harmony with the law of free +agency, it is voluntary with the individual, whether he accept or +refuse the call. The custom in the Church of today has been that a man +go on at least one mission, which varies in length, two or more years. +The missionaries not only assist the members already gathered into the +Church, but they travel all over the world, preach to all the +everlasting Gospel, and bring those who accept the truth into the +Church. The main purpose of the Church missionary system is to preach +the Gospel to all the members of the human race, so that, as far as +possible, none may be left with the excuse that he has not heard the +Gospel. + +**The Home Mission Service.** The whole Church, at home, is devoted +to the home mission service. The organizations of the Priesthood and +the auxiliary organizations, form a network of active service into +which every member of the Church may be brought. The home missionary +service concerns itself with the spiritual and the temporal side of +man's nature and life. The amusements of the young people; the home +life of the older people, and the daily duties of all, are made part +and parcel of the organized missionary system of the Church. + +**For the Common Good.** The genius of the Church of Christ stands +for the common good; hence the ceaseless missionary activity which is +the great cementing principle of the Church. Not for the one, not even +for the many, but for all, does the Church stand. + + + + +CHAPTER 23. + +TEMPLE ORDINANCES. + + +The Church of God has always been characterized by the possession of +temples in which the holiest work of the Gospel has been done. The +activities of the Church have, so to speak, centered about the +temples. + +**Educational.** The doctrines of the origin, present condition and +destiny of man should always be well in the mind of all, for without +this knowledge, it is difficult to comply fully and intelligently with +the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. It has been provided, +therefore, that the story of man, from the beginning, at the present, +and to the last great day, shall be given as frequently as may be +desired to the members of the Church. In the temples this information +is given, in an organized and correct form, so that it may not depart +from among men and women. That is, the temples are conservators of the +great truths of the Gospel. To the temples, man goes to be refreshed +in his memory as to the doctrines relative to man and his place in +nature. The endowments given to members of the Church in the temples +are, essentially, courses of instruction relative to man's existence +before he came on this earth, the history of the creation of the +earth, the story of our first earthly parents, the history of the +various dispensations of the Gospel, the meaning of the sacrifice of +Jesus Christ, the story of the restoration of the Gospel, and the +means and methods whereby joy on this earth and exaltation in heaven +may be obtained. To make this large story clear and impressive to all +who partake of it, every educational device, so far known to man, is +employed; and it is possible that nowhere, outside of the temple, is a +more correct pedagogy employed. Every sense of man is appealed to, in +order to make the meaning of the Gospel clear, from beginning to end. + +**Symbolism.** Naturally, the very essence of these fundamental +truths is not known to man, nor indeed can be. We know things only so +far as our senses permit. Whatever is known, is known through symbols. +The letters on the written page are but symbols of mighty thoughts +that are easily transferred from mind to mind by these symbols. Man +lives under a great system of symbolism. Clearly, the mighty, eternal +truths encompassing all that man is or may be, cannot be expressed +literally, nor is there in the temple any attempt to do this. On the +contrary, the great and wonderful temple service is one of mighty +symbolism. By the use of symbols of speech, of action, of color, of +form, the great truths connected with the story of man are made +evident to the mind. + +**Covenants.** The temple service also gives those who take their +endowments, special information relative to their conduct upon earth. +For instance, men and women are taught to keep themselves free from +sin. They must be chaste, virtuous, truthful, unselfish, and so on. +Moreover, they are taught that they must devote themselves and all +that they have or may have to the great cause of truth, to teaching +the everlasting Gospel to their fellowmen, so that the Great Plan may +be worked out according to the* mind and will of God. In return for +this, those who take their endowments make covenants with each other +and their God, that they will observe the instructions given, and will +carry them out in their daily lives. Thus the work becomes active and +vital. It is also explained that the failure to carry out these +promises, when once knowledge has been given, will be punished. This +is in accordance with the law that provides a penalty for +disobedience, as already explained. Only by the use of knowledge will +more knowledge be obtained. The whole system of temple worship is very +logical. + +**Blessings.** In the course of instruction in the temple, it is +emphasized that blessings will follow those who accept the truth, +practice it and live Godlike lives. The essence of the endowment +service is a blessing. Punishment is not made so prominent, as is the +possibility of inviting great blessings by proper obedience to the +truths that may be obtained from time to time. + +**Temple Authority.** Perhaps the most glorious ordinances of the +temple are those that seal husband and wife and children to each other +for time and all eternity. According to the Gospel, the marriage +relation does not necessarily cease with death. On the contrary, since +sex is eternal, the sex relation may continue to the end of time. Such +a union or sealing may be performed only by special authority, which +is possessed only by the President of the Church. The President may, +however, delegate the authority for longer or shorter times, so that +certain temple workers may perform such marriages in the temples of +God. Similarly, children who have been born to parents who were not +married for time and eternity, may be sealed later to their parents, +so that the relationship may be sustained throughout all the ages of +eternity. + +Moreover, every ordinance belonging to the Church may be performed in +the temple. In the temple is a baptismal font, so that the +introductory ordinance may be performed; likewise, every other +ordinance for the benefit of the Saints may be performed in the holy +temple. The work for the dead, as will be explained in chapter 28, is +done in the temples, by the living. The vicarious work for the dead, +who did not accept the Gospel on earth, forms the bulk of the temple +work, since, after the first time, when endowments are taken for +himself, a person must do work for the dead when he goes through the +temple. + +**Possible Repetition.** The vastness of meaning in the temple +worship makes it difficult at once for man to remember and understand +it, and only once are the endowments taken for himself by any one +person. To refresh his memory, and to place him in close touch with +the spirit of the work, a man may enter the temple as frequently as he +desires and take endowments for the dead, and in that way both he and +the dead are benefited. The temples, then, are means whereby every +member of the Church may receive precious endowments, and may be kept +in refreshed memory of the Great Plan, which he, with the rest of the +human family, is working out. Temple work is the safety of the living +and the hope of the dead. At present, temples are in operation in Salt +Lake City, St. George, Logan and Manti, all in Utah, and a temple is +nearing completion in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. + + + + +MAN AND MAN. + + + + +CHAPTER 24. + +THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN. + + +There are many men and women upon the earth. No one faces, alone, the +great forces of nature. About him move other men, with whom he must +associate. In the Great Plan it is so ordained that men shall dwell +together, and this leads to many of the finest applications of the +Gospel to the daily life of man. + +**Common Origin.** By the power of God, the spirits of men were born +into the spiritual world; thus all became the children of God. In +turn, all have been born from the same spiritual estate into the earth +estate, from the one earthly ancestor, Adam. All men are therefore of +identical origin. Absolute uniformity prevails among the children of +men, so far as their origin is concerned. + +**Common Purposes.** The spirits are placed on earth for a common +purpose. From the beginning, man has risen to his high estate through +the acquisition of power over the natural forces surrounding him. "Man +is that he may have joy," is the fundamental purpose of man's +activity, whether on or out of the earth. In the Great Council all the +spirits which have reached or will reach the earth, were present; and +all declared themselves in favor of the Plan. In conformity with this +agreement, man is on earth. All desire a closer acquaintance with +gross matter, as a means of future power and consequent joy; and all +desire that the earth-experience may be accompanied with as much joy +as is possible. Consequently, all who are or have been, or will be +assembled on earth, have a common purpose. Absolute uniformity +prevails among men so far as their fundamental purpose is concerned. + +**Common Destiny.** Likewise, the destiny of all the spirits sent to +earth, is the same. Man has ever moved towards eternal life. All new +information, every addition of knowledge, has moved him onward, toward +perfection and a vision of greater happiness. True, since all men have +free agencies, individual wills express themselves in different ways, +and no two spirits are therefore at precisely the same point on the +upward road. Some are far ahead, some lag behind, each and all +according to individual effort. However, throughout the vast +eternities, all who are conscientiously moving upward, though it be +ever so slowly, will in time reach a point which is absolute +perfection to our mortal conceptions. Then, all will seem as if +precisely alike. Whether or not we reach a given point at the same +time, all men have a common destiny. As far as the destiny of man is +concerned, all are alike. + +**Inter-dependence.** Of even greater importance in daily work is the +fact that every intelligent being affects every other intelligent +being. Every person affects every other person. Through the operation +of the Holy Spirit all things are held together. Good or evil may be +transmitted from personality to personality; it is impossible to hide +from God, and it is equally impossible for us to hide ourselves +completely from our fellowmen. No individual action may restrain or +retard another individual; but all our actions, thoughts and words +must be so guarded that all are advanced. This is as true for the +earth-life as it may be for the spiritual life. + +Men affect each other; every man is, in a measure, his brother's +keeper. There can be no thought of a man going on in life irrespective +of the needs or conditions of his fellowmen. The main concern of man +must be to find such orderly acts of life as will enable other men to +live out their individual wills without interference. All must be +benefited, all must be helped. This is the basis of the great system +of co-operation. Meanwhile, the inter-dependence of the spirits +dwelling on earth, brings men more closely together, and strengthens +the friendships from the former spirit estate. + +**Brothers.** The human race is a race of brothers, of the same +origin, with the same purposes and with the same destiny, so +elaborately inter-dependent that none may move without affecting the +others. Any rational theology must recognize this condition, and, as +far as it may be able, must make provision for the proper recognition +of the brotherhood of man. + + + + +CHAPTER 25. + +THE EQUALITY OF MAN. + + +Though the brotherhood of man is supreme, it does not follow that all +men are equal in all particulars. This needs careful examination. + +**The Pre-existent Effort.** Men of common origin, and of common +destiny, labor on earth under a mutually accepted Plan. Yet, it is not +conceivable, that all the spirits who reach the earth have attained +the same degree of progress. The pre-existent progress depended upon +self-effort; those who exerted their wills most, made the greatest +progress; moreover, those who had led the most righteous lives, and +had been most careful of their gifts, had acquired greatest +strength--consequently, at the time of the Great Council, though the +spirits were, in general, of one class, they differed greatly in the +details of their attainments, in the righteousness of their lives, in +the stability of their purpose, and in their consistent devotion to +the great truth of their lives. In one particular they were all alike: +by their faithful efforts, they had earned the right to take another +step onward and to share in the earth experience. + +Most probably, the power acquired in the life before this is +transmitted to some degree to the earthlife. We may well believe, +therefore, that the differences in the quality and characteristics of +men, may be traced, in part at least, to the pre-existent lives. It is +not unthinkable that, in a plan governed by a supreme intelligent +Being, since there are differences of advancement, the spirits who +come on earth are placed frequently in positions for which they are +best fitted. An intelligent ruler would probably use ability where it +is most needed. To some extent, therefore, men may have been chosen +for this or that work on earth, and, under the law of progression, +this small measure of predestination may be accepted. Yet, it must be +remembered that predestination can not be compelling. Man's free +agency, the great indestructible gift, always remains untrammeled. +Therefore, whatever may be God's plan for man, however easy may be the +path to the predestined earth position, the man may at any time, by +the exercise of his free agency, depart from the appointed path and +enter other fields. Any opposite doctrine is the one proposed by +Lucifer in the Great Council. + +It is most likely that those who, on earth, accept the highest truth +of life, find the Gospel attractive, and are most faithful in the +recognition of law, are those who, in the pre-existent state, were +most intelligent and obedient. In that sense, the Church consists of +God's chosen people--chosen because of their willingness to obey. + +**The Earth Effort.** Nevertheless, the thought that power is drawn +from our pre-existent state need not be an overwhelming feeling to +oppress and crush us. Our previous life can not be an insurmountable +hindrance. The invariable law of cause and effect will enable those +who exert themselves on earth to draw great power unto themselves, +even so that it may be possible by earth efforts to overcome possible +handicaps from pre-existent lethargy. Thus, on earth, man may gain +more than he has lost before. Our earth efforts are of greatest +consequence. Neither forward nor backward must we look, except to +place ourselves properly in our day, but must use in full degree the +possibilities of each day as it comes. Man's inequality comes chiefly +from the inequality of earth effort. + +**The Variety of Gifts.** Meanwhile, it is always to be remembered +that the spirit within must speak through a mortal body, subject to +disease and death. The eternal spirit cannot rise here above the +conditions of the body, which is of the earth, and is a result of all +the physical good and evil to which man has given himself since the +days of Adam. During the long history of the race, both strength and +weakness have no doubt been added to the body. It possesses inborn, +inherent qualities, which man finds it difficult to ignore. Under the +best conditions, the body is weaker than the spirit within. It is +likely that the spirit within the finest earthly body is infinitely +greater than may be expressed through the body. We live only as our +bodies allow; and, since our bodies differ greatly, there is in them +another source of man's inequality. In fact, the inequality of man +comes largely from inequality of body, through which the eternal +spirit tries in vain to speak. + +**The Equality of Opportunity.** Clearly, an absolute equality among +men is not conceivable, for the differences among the powers of men +are infinite in number. We are brothers, but we are occupying a +variety of stages of progress. Probably, it is well that there are +such differences, so that by contrast with each other we may be +impelled onward. The equality of man on earth must be the equal +opportunity to progress. From the point in the eternal journey that +each man now occupies, he must be allowed to move onward, unhindered +by other persons, and must be allowed to exert his inborn powers to +the full, for his help on the journey. None must stand in another's +way. On the contrary, the spirit of the Gospel makes clear that the +Great Plan cannot be fulfilled, the earth's destiny cannot be +completed, and our highest progressive rewards cannot be obtained +until all the spirits of man have been brought under the Gospel rule. +Whether on this earth, or in the future, the work will not be +completed until all have accepted the freedom of the Gospel. Instead +of hindering each other, men must give each other all possible needed +help, then we offer our fellows an equal opportunity to advance, and +all are helped. With equality of opportunity, all may advance so far +that, in time, the differences between men will not be apparent. + +The equality of opportunity which characterizes the plan of salvation +is shown in the fact that all the ordinances of the Church, from the +highest to the lowest, are available to every person who enters the +Church. Faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost are, +for all, the four cardinal principles for active participation in the +work of the Church, irrespective of the powers of men. The endowments +of the temple, and all the blessings that may there be received, are +available to every member of the Church who has shown himself active +in the faith. In fundamental principles, in gifts and blessings, in +spiritual opportunities, as required or offered by the Church, men are +stripped of all differences, and stand as if they were equal before +God. This is equality of opportunity. + +**Unequal Equality.** Though equality of opportunity be granted all, +the wills of men, as expressed through their free agencies, differ +greatly. Consequently, some will use well their opportunities; others +will use them poorly. Under this condition, even if all started out +absolutely alike, differences would soon appear. Without violating the +fundamental laws of nature, this seems to be absolutely unpreventable. +Men may soon be grouped as representing different degrees of strength. + +However, that the equality of opportunity, belonging to the Great +Plan, may be preserved, it becomes necessary for all, whether weak or +strong, to support each other. Differing attainments must be forgotten +in the desire to permit all to develop their powers to the utmost, and +thus to achieve joy both here and hereafter. The great problem of +every age is how to keep together, as one body, the many who, because +of their differing wills, have become different in their powers and +attainments. + +**The Test of Equality.** A test may be applied whereby men may be +placed in one class, irrespective of their various attainments. If a +man use his powers, with all his might, for his own and others' good, +in the cause of universal progress, he is the equal of every other man +of like effort. No more can be asked of a man. It is well that +humanity, dwelling together, should keep this principle in mind. Men +must not be judged, wholly, by their attainments, or by their gifts, +but largely by the degree to which they give themselves to the great +cause represented by the plan of the major intelligent Being, for the +minor intelligent beings of the universe. + + + + +CHAPTER 26. + +MUTUAL SUPPORT. + + +The doctrines set forth indicate that each man must exert himself to +the utmost. Even this is not sufficient for the full progress of +individuals. Every man must also be supported by every other man. +Unless this is done, the individual and the community will be +retarded. + +**The Duty of the Strong.** The man who is in possession of strength, +acquired by any means whatsoever, is under special obligations to the +community. The strong must, somehow, attach to themselves those who +are weak; and as the strong move onward, they must pull with them +those who are weak. If a person possess knowledge, he must give +knowledge to others, so that all may attain great knowledge; if he +have great faith, he must use faith until all may know its virtue; if +he have acquired great wealth, he must use it so that many may share +in its physical benefits. Those who have must give to those who have +not. Those who understand the deeper, inner life must not forget those +who are not gifted with an understanding of the contents of the vast +universe. + +The weak have similar responsibilities devolving upon them. Under +earthly conditions the weak tend to foster jealousy of the strong. +This is out of harmony with the law of progress. The weak must seek +strength for themselves, and should invite the assistance of the +strong. The weak may help the progress of the race by accepting, as a +gift, the assistance of the strong. There is no shame in accepting +gifts, in learning from those who have more than we have, providing +our own powers are used to the full. If the strong will not give to +the weak, in the right spirit of helpfulness; or if the weak will not +accept the help proffered for their advancement, the whole onward +movement will be slowed down. + +Moreover, it is a common law of nature that those who are strong, and +give of their strength to others, add thereby to their own strength. + +**Co-operation.** Co-operation of all, weak or strong, is +characteristic of mutual helpfulness. When many men unite to +accomplish great works, mighty results follow. Each man then obtains +his full reward. Even if the co-operation provides that its results +are divided equally among the participants, the strong receives his +full reward, for, because of his greater strength, he has done greater +labor, and has consequently added greatly to his strength. The weak, +by their association with the strong, having shared equally with them, +have gained greater hope, and more courage to carry on their +individual work of progress. The principle of co-operation is in full +conformity with the whole plan of salvation. + +**Education.** Education looms large in the matter of mutual support, +for it is only by the development of individual power that man may +help his fellow man and thus recognize the full brotherhood of man. +Great powers can be exercised only by faculties that are trained to +the utmost. Schools are provided, where the young mind may be guided +rapidly and well into a better control of itself. A rational theology +must be established upon the basis of developed intelligence, which +justifies the existence of schools and other devices for the proper +unfolding of the mind. In the Church there must ever be a vigorous +propaganda for the education of the masses. The Church must be a +generally educated Church, in which the "educated class" includes all. + + + + +CHAPTER 27. + +THE UNITED ORDER. + + +The true relation among men, the doctrine of the brotherhood of man, +is nowhere better exemplified than in the principle of the united +order. This system of living represents, no doubt, the acme of +brotherly love and human efficiency. + +**Purpose.** The united order recognizes that men have different +talents and therefore different aspirations which should be allowed +full and free unfolding. That is, the individual should be allowed to +exercise his inborn gifts. The united order further provides that the +members of a community share equally in the material returns of the +activities of the whole community. Since the wants of a community are +satisfied only by a variety of necessary labor, some yielding large, +others small, material gains, the united order provides that, if a man +work to the full of his ability, all the working days of his life, he +should have an equal share in the material gains of the community, +whatever his labor may be. Under this system there could be no +poverty; all would be amply supplied with the material necessities of +life. Those who, because of their greater talents or training, do the +greater work, will receive whatever is needed for the maintenance of +life; and they will attain, moreover, a greater growth and +satisfaction because of the greater work that they have performed. +Since the material wants of all will be amply supplied, there can be +no real reason why all should not share in the total results of the +labor of the community. The united order implies a closely organized +body of men and women working together for individual and for mutual +advancement. In theory, at least, it appears to be the best answer to +many of the great questions that trouble mankind. + +**Historical.** The united order is not a new conception. It has been +known from the beginning of time. In the days of Enoch, the seventh +patriarch, the united order was practiced successfully. When the +Church was organized by Christ, the united order was practiced very +fully for some time, by many of the people. It is quite possible that +the order has been established and practiced successfully at other +times, but no record has come down to this age. Finally, in this +dispensation, the united order was revealed to the Prophet Joseph +Smith. The people, on several occasions, tried to practice it, and +wherever practiced correctly, it appeared to result in good; but +individual selfishness usually resulted in the abandonment of the +practice. It is a system of life requiring the fullest understanding +of the Gospel truth, and the greatest conception of man's place in the +universe. In its practice, men must overcome their selfishness, and +accept at their true values, the various rewards of life. Enoch and +his people acquired such high control over themselves that they were +able to practice the united order unselfishly, and at last were +translated from the earth without tasting death. It seems that the +united order is above the reach of the kind of men and women we now +are. Nevertheless, it is the system we approach, as we approach +perfection. + +**Co-operation.** The united order has been suspended as a required +form of life in the Church, but its spirit still remains. Those who +are indeed worthy members of the Church must accept the spirit of the +united order. It finds present expression in the system of +co-operation, under which many unite in one enterprise, in such a way +that no one person dominates it, but that all concerned have a voice +in it, and so that the profits resulting from the enterprise are +divided more or less uniformly among those connected with it. +Co-operative enterprises have been fostered constantly and +consistently by the Church in the latter days, and in the majority of +instances have been extremely successful. In fact, when the Church +settled in Utah, it would have been impossible to accomplish the great +work before the pioneers, had they not practiced co-operation. To give +every man a full and proper chance is the spirit of the true Church. + +**Tithing.** Every organized Church must have some means of material +support. Houses of worship must be constructed; temples must be built; +education must be fostered; the poor must be provided for; and many +other material needs form a part of the great spiritual mission of the +Church. For the general support, therefore, of the Church and of the +poor who are unable to provide for themselves, a fund has been +provided by the tithing of the people. This is a preparation for the +united order, and some day will be replaced by the more complete +system. This fund is maintained by the payment, by each member of the +Church, of one-tenth of his earnings, as they are delivered to him. +The money thus obtained is placed in the hands of the bishops, and is +disbursed under the direction of the First Presidency associated with +the presiding bishopric and other officials named in the revelations. + +Tithing is an ancient system, frequently mentioned in the history of +the past. It is fair to all the people, for it is necessarily a system +whereby each man pays in proportion to his earnings. Great blessings +follow obedience either to the law of united order or the law of +tithing. + +**Voluntary Offerings.** In addition to tithing, voluntary offerings +may be made to the Church for specific or general purposes, as for the +support of the poor or distressed living near us, or for the building +of churches. + +**The Common Good.** All these devices for gathering material funds +for the sustenance of the Church, simply show the underlying and +overwhelming desire of those who understand the Gospel, to assist for +mutual benefit. Not the good of one, but the common good, is uppermost +in the minds of those who understand and love the Gospel. + + + + +CHAPTER 28. + +WORK FOR THE DEAD. + + +The doctrine of the brotherhood of man and the principles of united +order and co-operation show the necessity of giving ourselves for the +common good. This intense desire of the Church for service to all, for +human brotherhood, are probably nowhere better shown than in the work +for the dead. + +**All Must Be Saved.** Temple work rests on the principle of the +Great Plan that all must be saved, or at least given the opportunity +of salvation. Persons who have been unable to accept the Gospel +ordinances on earth, are not necessarily denied the privileges of +membership in the Church or refused the blessings which come to those +who accept the truth. For such dead persons vicarious work must be +done in all the essential ordinances of the Church. Vicarious work is +not new, for it has been practiced in various forms from the first +day. In common daily life, a man is given authority to do official +work for another, when a "power of attorney" is conferred. The work of +Jesus Christ was essentially vicarious, for he atoned for the act of +Adam. + +**Earthly Ordinances.** Great, eternal truths make up the Gospel +plan. All regulations for man's earthly guidance have their eternal +spiritual counterparts. The earthly ordinances of the Gospel are +themselves the reflections of heavenly ordinances. For instance, +baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and temple work are really earthly +symbols of realities that prevail throughout the universe; but, they +are symbols of truths that must be recognized if the Great Plan is to +be fulfilled. The acceptance of these earthly symbols is part and +parcel of correct earth-life, and being earthly symbols they are +distinctly of the earth, and can not be performed elsewhere than on +earth. In order that absolute fairness may prevail and eternal justice +may be satisfied, all men to attain the fulness of their joy must +accept these earthly ordinances. There is no water baptism in the next +estate, nor any conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying +on of earthly hands. The equivalents of these ordinances prevail no +doubt in every estate, but only as they are given on this earth can +they be made to aid, in their onward progress, those who have dwelt on +earth. For that reason those who have departed this life without +having accepted the earthly ordinances, which constitute in part the +conditions of entrance to the Church, must have that work done for +them on earth. By proxy they must be baptized by water, receive the +laying on of hands and accept of the temple ordinances. By this method +the path to eternal life is invariable; in fairness and without +discrimination, all must tread it. Were there any departure from this +order, it would be a short time only until men might take upon +themselves the authority of devising various methods whereby eternal +joy might be obtained. This would be unnatural, because definite order +prevails throughout nature. + +**A Work of Love.** To do work for the dead involves much sacrifice +on the part of the living. Genealogies must be collected, exact +information concerning dates of births and deaths and other +fundamental data must be obtained, and the better part of a day is +required to take the endowments for each dead person--and all this, +usually, for a person long dead, of whom the worker may have no +definite knowledge beyond name and time of his life. It follows that +only by love for one's fellowmen can the work be done. Young and old +may do work for the dead in the temples; and young and old are, +indeed, engaged in it. Especially in the evening of life, when time is +more plentiful for such work, do many persons give themselves fully to +this labor of love. As a result of temple work for the dead, to which +thousands of people give their time and means, a great flood of love +for humanity is poured out upon the people. + +**The Need of Records.** Before the earth passes away into its next +stage of existence, work must be done in the temples for all the +living and all the dead. Only when this is done, will the curtain be +rolled up, and the vision of complete existence given to man. To do +work for the dead, who in life did not accept the Gospel, will require +complete genealogies of the human race. To secure these is a gigantic +task. The diverse conditions of human life, and the vicissitudes of +the race have been such that frequently genealogies have not been +written and often have been lost. The most careful search of man will +not reveal them all. However, as has been explained, in an intelligent +universe, nothing is wholly lost. The record of every man exists and +by some means will be found before the work on earth is completed. +Meanwhile, no external power will come to man's aid, until he has used +his own efforts, and therefore it becomes necessary for men to search +out existing genealogies of the human race. When that has been done, +in the years to come, man may rest secure that the gods who direct our +earth, will come to the rescue of this important part of the work of +salvation. + +Consequently there is intense interest in the Church in all +genealogical matters. Every person is on the lookout for his own +genealogy; when that is completed, he searches for those of others. +Such work intensifies family loyalty and devotion, from which virtues +proceed. It follows, also, that the Church records and preserves with +utmost care the genealogical histories of its members. Sacred history +shows that at all times, when the Church has been on earth, +genealogies have been carefully kept and recorded. + +**The Result.** Work for the dead has far-reaching results. First of +all, it establishes a close communion among those who have lived and +who are living on earth. The hearts of the children are turned to the +fathers, and the hearts of the fathers are turned to the children. +This, indeed, is the vital principle of the Great Plan--that all may +work together to the ultimate good of each. + +The principle of infinite, loving brotherhood among men, as +exemplified in the work for the dead, may be applied in the daily +lives of the living. If so much work is done, so much time and energy +expended and so much care bestowed upon the salvation of the dead, how +much more should we help and support and love the living. The living +must always be man's first concern. This principle, carried into our +daily lives, means that we must continually and at our own sacrifice +help each other. Then only will the sacrifice for the dead not be in +vain. + +Work for the dead is no doubt symbolic of the great universal law that +things of the universe move onward together, not singly. So great is +this principle in its application to daily life, among the living, +that it rises to be one of the mightiest principles that contribute to +human brotherhood and brotherly love. + + + + +CHAPTER 29. + +MARRIAGE. + + +We are not the last spirits to enter upon the earth career. There are +yet countless numbers of unborn spirits waiting for the privilege of +receiving earthly bodies and of tasting the sorrows and the joys of +earth. The living, who understand the Great Plan, must not then +confine their attention to themselves and to those who have gone +before. The waiting spirits must be a concern of our lives. + +**Eternity of Sex.** It has already been said that sex is an eternal +principle. The equivalent of sex has always existed and will continue +forever. As the sex relation, then, represents an eternal condition, +the begetting of children is coincidently an eternal necessity. We +were begotten into the spirit world by God the Father, and have been +born into the world which we now possess. + +**The Waiting Spirits.** According to the Great Plan, all who, in the +Great Council, accepted the Christ, will in time appear on earth, +clothed with mortal bodies. All these spirits must be born as children +into the world. A high purpose, if not the main one, of the earth work +must be, therefore, to continue the race by begetting children and +properly caring for them until they reach maturity. Undoubtedly, the +waiting spirits are hoping patiently for their turn to reach the +earth--a glorious step in the progressive advancement of man, which +the spirits have earned by their righteous lives. + +**The Meaning of the First Command.** This doctrine makes clear the +meaning of the first great command, to multiply and replenish the +earth. It is not only for the joy and satisfaction of humanity that +the sex relation, with the possibility of begetting offspring, +prevails on earth, but as much for the fulfilment of the eternal Great +Plan. It becomes a necessary duty, for all wedded persons who dwell on +earth, to bring children into the world. This is the greatest and +holiest and most necessary mission of man, with respect to the waiting +spirits. Fatherhood and motherhood become glorified in the light of +the eternal plan of salvation. + +The doctrine that wedded man and woman should not beget children or +should limit the number of children born to them, is contrary to the +spirit of the Great Plan, and is a most erroneous one. Let the waiting +spirits come! Let children be born into the earth! Let fatherhood and +motherhood be the most honored of all the professions on earth! +Marriage resulting in parenthood is a great evidence of the reality of +the brotherhood of man, of the unselfishness of man. However, only in +the marriage relation should children be begotten. Looseness of life, +between man and woman, is the most terrible of human iniquities, for +it leads, assuredly, to the physical decay of the race. With the +sanction of the Priesthood, men and women should contract to live +together as husband and wife. + +**The Family.** The unit of society is the family. The family circle +is intimate, and in it the keenest human loves prevail. As the family +develops so will society, as a whole, develop. By children comes +complete family life. Without children, family life is incomplete. +Children are, then, a real necessity in the fulfilling of the +possibilities of the Church. The true Church always encourages the +begetting of children; the intensifying of family life, and the +dignifying of all the duties pertaining to procreation. + +**Celestial Marriage.** If sex is eternal, it follows of necessity, +that the marriage covenant may also be eternal. It is not a far step +to the doctrine that after the earth work has been completed, and +exaltation in the next estate has been attained, one of the chief +duties of men and women will be to beget spiritual children. These +spirits, in turn, in the process of time, will come down upon an +earth, there to obtain an acquaintance with gross matter, and through +the possession of earthly bodies to control more fully, and forever, +the manifold forces surrounding them. It is one of the rewards of +intelligent development, that we may be to other spiritual beings, +what our God has been to us. + +Among those who understand the Gospel, marriage may be, and indeed +should be, for time and eternity. Marriage that lasts only during the +earth life is a sad one, for the love established between man and +woman, as they live together and rear their family, does not wish to +die, but to live to grow richer with the eternal years. Marriage for +time and eternity establishes a unique relation between husband and +wife. Their children belong to them for time and eternity; the family +is continued from this earth into the next life, and becomes a unit in +the eternal life, and, in all family relations, the vision is cast +forward, in anticipation of an undying relationship. + +**The Sealing Powers.** Naturally, the power to seal men and women to +each other, for time and eternity, and to seal children to their +parents for eternal ages, is a supreme power, committed to man's +keeping. The President of the Church is the only person on the earth +who holds the keys of these sealing ordinances. True, he may delegate +his power to workers in the temples, so that celestial marriages and +sealings may go on, but such delegated authority may be withdrawn at +any moment. In that respect, it differs wholly from the power of the +Priesthood, which can be withdrawn from a man only who is found in +sin. It is proper that only one man should hold this power, for it is +of infinite effect, and should be guarded with the most jealous care, +and kept from the frail prejudices and jealousies of men. + +The power to bind for time and eternity is the power, also, to loose +that which has been bound, should it be found necessary. Undoubtedly, +under human conditions, mistakes may be made, but if such mistakes are +made and are not rectified on earth, they will, no doubt, under a +supervising intelligent Being, be rectified in the hereafter. It is, +however, only through the sealing power that the eternal relationship +of the sexes, the eternal increase of life, and the consequent eternal +joy, may be obtained. + + + + +CHAPTER 30. + +THE COMMUNITY. + + +The relations of the few and the many lead to great problems which are +of the gravest import to humanity. + +**Community Defined.** A community is a body of people having common +interests and, usually, living in the same place, under the same laws +and regulations. From the beginning of time, individuals have +associated and grouped themselves into communities. Every Church is a +community of believers. The Church which conforms to the whole law is +the one characterized by authority and operating under authoritative +laws. + +**The Individual in the Community.** A community is a great organism, +with individuality which must express itself in adaptation or +opposition to law. + +Since the community is composed of individuals, each with independent +wills and agencies, nothing must be done, as a community, to prevent +the full unfolding of the individual, for the more progressive the +individuals, the more progressive is the community. While the +community is under responsibility to each individual, the individual, +having accepted a place and life in the community, must not do +anything that will restrain other individuals of the community. +Whatever is good for the many, must always take preference. This does +not interfere, in the least, with full individual development, since +the greatest individual development always comes from proper +adaptation to law. When each individual faithfully obeys the law, the +community is safe. + +**The Rights of the Community.** The community has rights which are +as inalienable as the free agency of individuals. An individual who +will not obey the community laws should move out of the community. +Those who remain must yield obedience to the laws established for the +public good. This was well brought out in the Great Council, when +Lucifer fell because he was not one with the community. In that great +day, as in our day, the many had the right to demand that their good +be considered as of primary importance. + +**Training for the Community.** In view of the supremacy of the +community it becomes indispensable that the powers of the individual +be so unfolded as to be of service to the community. No man can +selfishly stand aside and say "I am sufficient unto myself; in the +community I have no interest; though I obey its laws, I do not serve +it." It is not sufficient that a man obey the laws of the community; +he must vigorously serve the community. Every act of every man's life +must relate itself to the good of other men. This is fundamental in +the Gospel, and should be fundamental in the daily relations of men. + +This justifies the modern training now given men for the necessary +pursuits and common tasks of daily life. Whatever is necessary, may +and should be made honorable and dignified. All pursuits are made +professional, so that all who serve the good of the many, may find the +same joy in their work whatever it may be. All men should be trained +for service to the community. + +It is an interesting commentary on the present-day Church that +President Brigham Young was one of the first men in America to +establish schools in which the training of men for the actual affairs +of life was made pre-eminent. Today we train for citizenship, whether +in the Church or in the State. In such training lies the hope of the +community for its future. By such training will a feeling of community +responsibility be established among men. + +**The Supremacy of the Community.** From all this and from what has +been said in preceding chapters, it is clear that the Great Plan was +so devised that men may unitedly work out their salvation. Man may not +stand alone. Brotherhood is the great principle on which the Church is +based. + + + + +MAN AND NATURE. + + + + +CHAPTER 31. + +MAN AND NATURE. + + +There is but one nature. All things, visible or invisible, belong to +the one universe. + +**The Intelligence of Nature.** Each and all of the numerous forces +in the universe may be subjected to the will of man. In the universe +are untold numbers of intelligent beings, whose main business it is to +discover the ways of nature, and by an intelligent control of nature, +to acquire greater power of advancing development. The holy spirit +fills all things, and by its means the thoughts and minds of these +increasing intelligent beings are everywhere felt. Intelligence +permeates the universe. + +The question is often asked, "Does nature, as we know it, the rocks +and trees and beasts, possess intelligence of an order akin to that of +man?" Who knows? That intelligence is everywhere present is beyond +question. By the intelligent God, nature is directed. The forming of a +crystal or the conception of a living animal is, somehow, connected +with an intelligent purpose and will. This fruitful field of +conjecture should be touched with care, for so little definite +knowledge concerning it is in man's possession. + +**A Living Earth.** It seems to be well established that the earth as +a whole, is a living organism. It had a beginning; it will die or be +changed, and after is purification it will be brought into greater +glory as a resurrected organism. Even the symbolism of baptism was +performed for the earth when the waters descended in the great flood. +All this can simply mean that the earth, as well as all on it, are +subject to the fundamental Plan, involving the atonement of Jesus +Christ. + +The earth as an organism does its work perfectly well. It is without +sin. "The earth abides the law of a celestial kingdom, for it fills +the measure of its creation, and transgresses not the law. Wherefore +it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be +quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, +and the righteous shall inherit it." If the earth is a living +organism, it seems more than likely that all things on earth possess a +measure of life and intelligence. + +**The Lower Animals.** The lower animals were created by the power of +God. All things created by him, have first been created spiritually, +then temporally, after which they pass again into the spiritual life. +Animals were created spiritually before they were given material +existence. If the meaning of this doctrine is that animals lived +before this, they certainly may live hereafter. That which is +essential in animals is probably indestructible. Our knowledge of this +subject is extremely limited, and whatever is said about it, is +conjectural and subject to revision. + +**All for the Use of Man.** Nevertheless, rocks and trees and beasts, +are for the use of man, to be used by him in moderation and with +wisdom. Man is at the head of the creations on earth. It is his duty +to make proper use of them all. Whoever teaches that any part of the +universe is not for the benefit of man, is in error. + +**Man's Conquest of Nature.** It is the simplest of present-day +doctrines that the vastness of nature makes it impossible for man to +comprehend more than the minutest part of it. Yet, in the true +philosophy of life, nothing is more certain than that the greatest +mystery of nature may at some time be understood. The great purpose of +man's existence is a complete understanding of all the mysteries of +nature. True, the understanding that will give him full mastery over +nature will come little by little. In the end, man shall know all that +he desires. Even in that happy day he shall not be able to change one +law of nature; only by intelligent control may he apply nature's laws +to desired ends. With this certainty man may go onward hopefully. +Nature is inexhaustible and man shall not, in all the endless ages, +explore it completely; he shall only in the eternal days become more +conscious of its infinite majesty--thereby comes the everlasting joy +of man. Great hope of conquest enables man to meet his daily tasks, +with lifted head and fearless courage. Man knows that all his search +shall be successful, if he only search with might and main and have +patience to wait. + +**Miracles.** Man is of limited power; whatever he can not understand +or duplicate may be called miraculous; and only in that sense can +miracles be allowed. The miracles of the Savior were done only by +superior knowledge. Nothing is unnatural. All that has been done, man +may do as he increases in power. The conception of intelligence +guiding the destinies of men, makes it possible that, in our behalf, +wonderful things are often done, that transcend our understanding, but +which are yet in full and complete harmony with the laws of nature. +For ourselves we must discover all of nature that we can. In time of +need, when our own knowledge does not suffice, the Master may give his +help. Thus, after man has used his full knowledge and failed, the sick +may be healed, the sorrowing, comforted, or wealth or poverty may +come, provided we draw heavily enough upon the unseen forces about us. +Help so obtained is not unnatural. A miracle is simply that which we +can not understand, and at which we marvel. + +**Harmony of Man and Nature.** Vast, unnumbered forces lie about us. +The possible power of man, as he grows in knowledge, is quite beyond +our under standing. All that is required of man is that he place +himself in harmony with the interacting forces, operating in all +directions. If the forces are not fully understood, he must search +them out, and as best he can, must place himself so that they are with +him rather than against him. To enjoy nature is our privilege and +duty. No life finds joy above its harmonious associations with the +things that lie about it in nature. All this is merely in accord with +the fundamental doctrines already laid down. The Church possessing the +truth, always fosters, encourages and respects all honest +investigation of nature. + + + + +MAN AND HIMSELF. + + + + +CHAPTER 32. + +THE SOUND BODY. + + +Consideration has been given, in the preceding chapters, to the +pre-existent life, the course of the Gospel on the earth, and man's +relationship to God, to the Church and to his fellowman. Man must, +also, give respectful consideration to himself, as an individual. + +**The Importance of the Body.** Attention has already been called to +the fact that the condition of the body limits, largely, the +expression of the spirit. The spirit shines through the body only as +the body permits. The body is essentially of the earth; and, in the +earth career, the earthly envelope of the spirit would naturally +determine the expression of man's powers. If the body is in poor +condition from birth, man must strengthen it as the days increase; if +it is strong from the beginning, he must make it stronger. + +**Food.** A first consideration for the proper maintenance of bodily +health, is the proper feeding of the body. Man should use food adapted +to the body and seasonable according to nature. In accordance with the +Word of Wisdom, meat should be used sparingly, and no food should be +used to excess. + +**Exercise.** The elimination of unassimilated food from the human +body is quite as important as the taking in of food. For that purpose, +physical exercise must be taken regularly. Moreover, exercise develops +and strengthens all parts of the body. Manual labor, which usually is +looked upon as inferior to mental labor, is in reality a means of +improving the body, permitting hard mental labor and making possible a +fuller expression of man's spirit. Man's life should not be given +wholly to physical work, but it should constitute a vital part of it. + +**Rest.** Just as necessary as is food or exercise, is the change +called rest. If the same muscles be exercised continuously they will +surely tire and good work can, then, no longer be done with them. +Regular rest should be given the body. Frequently, a change from one +kind of work to another is a sufficient rest; but in many cases, +cessation from effort is necessary to recuperate man's strength, +properly. The natural law requiring regular sleep should be obeyed, +though none should sleep too long. One day out of seven, the Sabbath, +should be devoted, particularly, to matters concerning God and the +spiritual life, which too often are submerged during the other days, +in the material affairs of life. An occasional fasting is very +desirable, since, for a few hours, it gives some organs of the body a +complete rest. At present, the Church practice is to fast twenty-four +consecutive hours once each month. The food thus saved, in conformity +with the fundamental spirit of brotherhood, is distributed among those +who have need of it, by ward officers specially appointed for that +purpose. + +**Stimulants.** In normal health, food, exercise, rest, love of God +and fellowman and daily work, furnish a natural and sufficient +stimulation for all the duties of life. In fact, none other should be +allowed, if the best physical health is to be retained. Therefore, +alcohol in all its forms, tobacco, tea, coffee and the variety of +drugs should not be used. There is double danger in the use of +stimulants: first, they tend to undermine the strength of the man, +and, second, they take away from man his mastery of himself. Under the +influence of a drug, man is urged on by the drug itself, and not by +his own strength of will. This is most dangerous. A man who loses +control of himself, never knows just what he may do. + +**Moral Purity.** The body is much concerned in the moral purity of +the man. Men and women must keep themselves pure or there will be a +loss of life and procreative power. Moreover, men must keep themselves +as pure as do women. No reasoning, based on natural law, justifies two +standards of morality, one for the man and the other for the woman. + +**The Gospel and the Sound Body.** The sound body is a Gospel +requirement, for only with a sound body can man work out his mission +and have full joy. Working effectively and to make others happy, can +be done only in a healthy body. Every effort should be made to keep +our bodies as sound as possible. It is a part of a rational theology. + + + + +CHAPTER 33. + +EDUCATION FOR THE INNER LIFE. + + +After all, the body is only the tabernacle of the spirit. The spirit +within, the essential part of man, must be developed as much as +possible during the earth career. + +**The Senses.** Knowledge is the material on which the mind works. In +every progressive life fresh knowledge must be gathered as the days go +by. The senses of man are the gateways through which that knowledge +enters. The senses of man must be developed, therefore, as completely +as is possible. Seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling must +all be developed fully and joyously for the pleasure and benefit of +man. Without sharp senses, man may not have the highest earthly joy. + +**The Reasoning Power.** It is not sufficient for the contentment of +man that he gather knowledge, and add fact to fact. All new +information must be compared with other information, so that +conclusions may be drawn, and new knowledge brought into view. By this +process of reasoning, on the basis of acquired knowledge, man may rise +by sure steps to a high degree of understanding. Man must train +himself, with all his might, to use this wonderful faculty of reason, +so that he may intelligently read new knowledge from all he learns. A +fact, of itself, is lifeless; only when it is compared with other +facts, does it leap into life, and show forth its hidden meaning. + +**The Feelings.** The sense of feeling is but a poor expression for +the one great sense by which man may directly communicate with the +region of the unseen. Through this sense, man stands on the border +line between earth and the external universe. Those who have communion +with the forces about them, because of their greater refinement of +feeling, have comfort which is attainable in no other manner. + +Moreover, our feelings with respect to our fellow men should be +cultivated. We must learn to sympathize with them in their distresses, +rejoice with them in their joys, and pity them in their sins. The +education of the feelings is a great duty of man. + +**The Spiritual Sense.** This sense is closely akin to the feelings. +The virtues of man, such as hope, charity, and mercy, can reach high +development only on the basis of the conviction that the unseen world +may be known. When this conviction grows upon a man, and he reaches +out for a fuller understanding of it, his spiritual sense develops, +new worlds are opened to him and he conforms to the intelligent love +which made the Great Plan possible. + +**Symbolism.** Moreover, as man develops, he learns to be content to +know eternal truths only in great symbols. That is, he learns to be +satisfied to know that he does not fully know. This has already been +dwelt upon and need not be further emphasized. The Sacrament, as an +ordinance of the Church is one of the great symbols of the suffering +and death of Jesus for the sake of mankind, that the Great Plan might +be fulfilled. Bread is eaten and water is drunk as symbols of the body +and blood of the Savior, given in the atoning sacrifice. Every other +ordinance is similarly symbolic. Back of the symbols lies the whole +Great Plan in all of its gradations. God demands that the sacrament be +partaken of frequently, so that the atoning sacrifice of Jesus may be +held before the people continually; so with the other great symbols of +the Church. By them the realities of eternal life are held before us. + +**Education.** The whole of life is education, or training for +further work. No wonder, therefore, that, in the correct philosophy of +life, schools and other devices for the training of man's powers are +foremost. Education is and must be carried onward fully and +abundantly, in the Church of Christ. The support of education is, +indeed, a test of the truthfulness of the Church. + + + + +CHAPTER 34. + +SATISFACTION WITH DAILY WORK. + + +All must work--in defense if for no other reason. Without some kind of +labor, body and mind will deteriorate. Clearly, however, all cannot do +the same work, unless each man does practically all the variety of +work necessary for the production of the things necessary in his life. +In a complex civilization of many needs, that would be impossible or +wasteful. The great satisfaction of earth-life is to be content with +whatever work may come. + +**Variety of Earthly Tasks.** In obedience to God's command, man must +devote himself to the work of subduing the earth. This is no simple +task, for the earth is an organism of many elements. Moreover, the +needs of man are varied and manifold, to the satisfying of which, the +subjection of the earth is ordained. There is an endless variety of +tasks, for body and mind, to be accomplished by the men and women of +earth. These tasks differ greatly; some concern themselves chiefly +with the body; others, chiefly with the mind; and yet others with both +body and mind. Some deal with this, and others with that, essential +need; some with this, and others with that, necessary condition. The +vocations of man are almost numberless. Much unhappiness has come to +men because they have been obliged in life to follow one vocation when +they would rather follow another. If a man thus be unhappy in his +daily work the whole of his life is akin to failure, because he does +not truly realize the possible joys of life. Occasionally, the +discontent is due to the unwillingness of the man to earn his bread in +the sweat of his brow. This is due to ignorance. Earnest, sincere +labor, requiring steady and full effort, is the source of many abiding +joys. + +**All Work May be Intelligent.** If intelligence pervades all things, +and if all things belong to the Great Plan, including the labors in +which man lives and moves, then all tasks may and should be made +intelligent and appealing to mind as well as to body. Rational as it +is, it is however a relatively new thought, that to every task, if +properly illumined by knowledge, many forces of the mind may be +applied. As man has gained added knowledge, this has become more and +more evident. The fact that intelligence may be made to illuminate the +so-called humbler tasks, lifts much of the so-called curse from the +labor of man. This is another reason for the education of man into an +understanding of the full meaning of the necessary tasks of life. It +justifies the support of research into all divisions of nature, and +stamps with approval honest study and investigation of every kind. All +kinds of work must be done; full preparation for every kind of work is +fully justified. + +**Nothing Temporal.** God has never given a temporal commandment. All +God's creative works are first spiritual, then temporal. That is, they +were first begotten of the intelligent mind, and must represent some +necessity in the Great Plan. Whatever, therefore, is brought into +operation on earth for the good of man, must represent great, eternal, +spiritual realities. In conformity with this thought, every task, +however apparently humble, however apparently remote from fundamental +principles, has a spiritual counterpart, and is necessary for the +completion of the plan under which man works. It matters little, +therefore, whether man devote his life to the tilling of the soil, the +making of shoes or the writing of books, so that the work be well +done. All such tasks are proper, dignified and necessary parts of the +Great Plan, and will lead man along the path of eternal progression. +This means that, no matter to what work a man may give himself, +providing it is honorable and he do it with all his might, he may rest +secure that on the last great day, the work will be transmuted into +spiritual values, and as such will be written into the eternal record. +The quality and not the kind of work is the final test of man's +achievements. + +Man knows relatively little. He accepts his part without knowing its +meaning in the full economy of God's plan for his children. Wise is +the man who spends his strength, with a full heart, in the +accomplishment of the nearest work. He will find his work transmuted +into things glorious beyond his dreams. More than that: Man need not +wait long for the transmutation of his honest work. Strength comes to +the man of honest and full endeavor, irrespective of the kind of work, +and on this earth his efforts are transmuted into a great and noble +joy. All work is holy, and, well done, will bring its own reward, here +and in the hereafter. + +Without question, men should seek the work they think they love best, +or for which they are best fitted. Yet,' the majority of men can do +most work in a satisfactory manner. The work that we finally must do, +we should accept in the light of its eternal value. + +**Subjection of Self.** Nevertheless, to accept a place in +society--not always the place one desires; to do well the work that is +near at hand--not always the work one wishes; to love and to cherish +the work, and to forget oneself in the needs of others, all that is +not always easy. Such a life means a subjection of self which can be +accomplished only if there is a clear understanding of the plan of +salvation. + + + + +CHAPTER 35. + +THE HOPE OF TOMORROW. + + +Time is unceasing. There was a yesterday, there is a today, and there +will be a tomorrow. The Gospel plan encompasses all time. Tomorrow has +a great place in the eternal plan. + +**Today.** The greatest day of all time is today. It is the product +of all the past; and is the promise of all the future. If each today +is made great, the tomorrows will be surpassingly greater. The one way +to draw out of life the keen joys of life, is to think little of +tomorrow, but to live mightily today. + +**Tomorrow.** Yet, surely, there will be a tomorrow. The sun sets, +and we sleep, and we awaken to a new day. Forever there shall come new +days. Today is our great day; but there will be another great, a +greater day. What tomorrow shall be, depends measureably upon today. +At least, the beginning of tomorrow will be as the evening of today. +As we spend today, so will the hope of tomorrow be. The ages do not +come in leaps, but step by step do they enter into the larger life. + +The law of today is that joy will transfigure each coming tomorrow, if +our work be well done today. No man knows whether his tomorrow will be +on this earth or in another existence, with new duties and under a new +environment. Of one thing we are sure, beyond all cavil, that life on +earth will continue into an endless future, and the work will be taken +up where it was laid down yesterday. + +**The Resurrection.** The man whose life is ordered right, worries +little about his tomorrow. Full well he knows that, though the body be +laid in the grave, it will rise again. He has the absolute assurance +of the resurrection. In that resurrection the body will arise +purified, possessing only its essential, characteristic parts, which +cannot be taken away or transferred to another body. These essential, +characteristic parts organized into a body will be the mortal body +made immortal. + +The resurrection of mortal bodies, on earth, began with Jesus, who on +the third day rose from the grave, and after his sojourn among the +children of men, took his body with him into heaven. This was the +first fruit of the resurrection, made possible by the atonement of the +Christ. Since that time, the resurrection of man may have continued, +and no doubt will continue, in the future; for many spirits have laid +down their earthly bodies, and all must be raised from the grave. In +the resurrection, order and law will prevail, and the just deserts of +men will be kept in mind. + +**Our Place in the Hereafter.** Into a new, great world shall we +enter after the journey on earth has ended. In this new world we shall +continue our work of progression, forever and forever, under the +prevailing laws. Our progress, there, and the laws revealed to us, +will depend upon our own actions and upon our own willingness to abide +by the laws already known to us. + +Our place in that life will depend on our faithfulness here. Whatever +a man has gained on earth, will rise with him in the resurrection. All +that he gained in the spirit world, before he came on earth, will +likewise rise with him. All men will be saved, but the degree of that +salvation will vary even as our varying work on earth. There will be +glory upon glory, and there will be different degrees of advancement, +some like unto the sun, some like unto the moon, while other glories +will differ even as the infinite stars of the heavens differ in the +brightness. + +In the Great Plan there is no provision for the eternal damnation of +man. At the best, men will be ranged according to their stage of +progression--some higher, some lower. In a universe ruled by +intelligent beings, filled with love for each other, there can be no +thought of an endless damnation only as men, by opposition to law, +destroy themselves. Endless punishment and eternal punishment, terms +often used, but of little meaning to the human mind, mean simply God's +punishment, which is beyond our understanding. Those who refuse to +accept truth or to abide by law, will gradually take less and less +part in the work of progression. They will be left behind, while their +intelligent fellows, more obedient, will go on. In nature there is no +standing still; those who do not advance, will retrograde, become +weaker and finally wither, and be forgotten in their low estate. + +**The Destiny of Man.** The intelligence called man cannot be +destroyed. Eternal life is therefore the destiny of man. But, eternal +life is life open-eyed, ready-minded, seeking, accepting and using all +knowledge that will assist in man's progress. To continue forever, +upward, that is eternal life and the destiny of man. + + + + +CHAPTER 36. + +THE LAW OF THE EARTH. + + +In the high heavens yet hang the stars. Throughout the infinite +universe still play the hosts of mighty forces. The full conquest of +the earth by man is yet to be accomplished. As things were when man +opened his eyes after birth, so do they appear to be today. Yet, +during the years that have gone, the man has changed; for now he knows +his origin and his destiny, and the purpose of his life on earth. He +knows that throughout the seeming sameness there is progressive +change; that, as he has changed, so has the world changed, too; that +the all pervading Intelligent God of the universe is engaged in a +progressive development. + +Man has found his place amidst the things about him. Whence? Whither? +He knows; and with smiling courage sets out to subdue the tasks of the +day, knowing well that the day's labor, whatever it may be, in +righteousness, shall count for him in the endless journey which he is +making. + +**The Unknown Meaning.** The man has learned that in an infinite +universe, admitting of endless development, things may not be fully +known. The very essence of things must forever be the goal, towards +which intelligence strives. Nevertheless, man also knows that to +approach by slow degrees, but steadily, the full knowledge which gives +unmeasured power over natural forces, is the way of progress. So he is +content to let each day speak one new word of the unknown meaning of +the universe. + +The universe is one. All things in it are parts of one whole. The +dominating spirit of the vastness of space and of its contents is the +dominating spirit of the least part of that which constitutes the +whole. It matters not then, to what a man give himself. In everything +and anything may the riddle of the universe be read, if the search be +continued long enough. Modest in his possessions, yet courageous in +his hope of ultimate conquest, he stands before the things of his +life, small or great, knowing of a surety that in them lie the truths +that overwhelm the universe. + + "Flower in the crannied wall, + I pluck you out of the crannies, + I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, + Little flower--but if I could understand + What you are, root and all, and all in all, + I should know what God and man is." + +Knowing all this, and the outline of his origin and destiny, man must +be forever engaged in extending the philosophy, in accordance with +which he orders and guides his life. + +**The Earth-Law.** On earth the man dwells today. Great are the +conceptions revealed to him concerning the constitution, progress and +destiny of the universe. Marvelous to his understanding is the +knowledge of his full and vital place in the scheme of things. Yet, +encompassed by earth conditions, he strives to assemble all this vast, +divine and wondrous knowledge, and out of it to draw some simple +formula, in the language of man, that may be applied in the affairs of +earth, and which shall be a simple guide to him in all that he may do. + +Such a formula was sought and found by the first man, and has been +used by the righteous of all ages. In the meridian of time, when Jesus +of Nazareth, the Christ, came upon earth to fulfil the central thought +in the plan of salvation, he stated the formula in words that never +have been surpassed. Thus runs the formula, and thus is worded the law +of the earth: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, +and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. Thou shalt love thy +neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hangeth the law and the +prophets." + +This, in short, is man's duty while he dwells in the flesh. His God, +his fellowman and himself--the three concerns of his life. We say it +is the earth-law, but like all other things of the earth, it stands +for huge spiritual meanings, and is therefore an eternal law for all +times and for all places. + +**To Love God.** What does it mean, to love God with one's heart and +soul and mind? Certainly, a love of the heart and the soul and the +mind can not be given to a Being who is not known nor understood. Such +love is more than a blind obedience. In such a love there must be a +rational understanding of God's nature and of his place in the +universe and of his relation to men. There must be in such a fulness +of love an acceptance of God's superior knowledge, of his intelligent +Plan for man and of his supreme and final authority. Such a love can +not well be forgotten or survive, unless God is part of a universe, +the orderly outlines of which can be fathomed by the human mind, That +such knowledge may be possessed by man, and that a real unfeigned love +for God may be developed, has been taught in the preceding pages. +Neither can God be fully loved unless he is obeyed; and the first +command is simple, "Multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it." + +**To Love a Neighbor as Oneself.** To love oneself--that is easy. +Instinctively, from the first day, we have reached out for our own +greater good. Every personal philosophy makes the man the center. To +love our neighbor equally well--"that's the rub." His will is not our +will; his ways, not our ways. Yet, only by the progress of all, can +each gain the greatest advancement. The fundamental conceptions of a +universe filled with eternal matter and forces, and a host of +individual intelligent beings, make it clear that only by complete +harmony of all intelligent beings can the interests of each be served, +in the work of subjugating, by intelligent conquest, the forces of +universal nature. + +To love one's neighbor, then, a man must first know fully his own +origin and destiny and possible powers; then he may soon learn the +need of loving his fellowman, if his love for himself shall grow +great. This commandment is not inferior to the first. + +**The Triumph of Man.** The eternal, conscious, willing being, having +become an earthly man, stands before the law of the earth. If he +strives, all the days of his life, to bring into perfect accord, the +God who rules, his earthly brother and himself, he will at length win +the victory in the battle of his life. Out of such a life will come, +among other gifts, controlled personal desires, subjection to law, a +recognition of the great power of man, and the harmonious adjustment +of contending forces to the completion of the Great Plan which governs +man's earth-life. Whether living or dead, such a person has triumphed, +and the journey from the dim beginning has not been in vain. To such +souls comes the reward of the unspeakable joy of a perfect +understanding of the meaning of life, and the living peace that +passeth understanding--through which appears the vital future, ever +vigorously progressing towards an increasing, virile goal. + +Have you tried the virtue of the law of the earth? If you have not, +try it now, for it is good. + + + + +APPENDIX. + + +The doctrines and views set forth in the preceding pages, based on the +teachings of the elders of the Church, especially of the Prophet +Joseph Smith, may be confirmed by a study of the doctrinal standards +of the Church, namely, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and +Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. The following references, +chosen almost at random, from these standards, especially from the +Doctrine and Covenants, are for the immediate use of those who wish to +pursue the study somewhat more in detail. For a critical study, an +exhaustive examination must necessarily be made of the doctrinal +standards and of the mass of books and printed sermons on the system +of belief of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such +students will find the existing indexes or concordances to the +standard authorities of most value.[A] but they will also obtain much +ready help from the several existing excellent compilations of +references, classified under doctrinal headings.[B] A list of Church +literature may be obtained from the Deseret News and Deseret Sunday +School Union Bookstores, Salt Lake City, Utah. + +[Footnote A: _Cruden's Concordance to the Bible_ (or some other good +concordance). _A Complete Concordance to the Book of Mormon_ (George +Reynolds). _A Concordance to the Book of Doctrine and Covenants_ (John +A. Widtsoe). No index has as yet been made for the _Pearl of Great +Price_, but the book is small and may be read easily in its entirety.] + +[Footnote B: _The Compendium_ (Richards and Little) is the type after +which most of the later compilations have been fashioned.] + + +REFERENCES. + +CHAPTERS 1 AND 2 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 1:28; 42:61; 46:18; 84:19; 88:78-80, 118, + 119; 89:19; 90:15; 93:11-14, 29-36, 53; 101:25; 128:14; 130:18, 19; + 131:6. + +CHAPTER 3 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 3:2; 9:7-9; 28:13; 29:31-35; 49:17; + 76:13, 22-24; 82:4; 86:9; 88:13, 25, 26, 34-45; 93:21-23, 29; 105:5; + 121:30-32; 130:20, 21; 131:7; 132:8. + + **Pearl of Great Price,** Abraham 3:18-21; Moses 1:33, 35; 3:5, 9. + + **Book of Mormon,** I Nephi 10:19; II Nephi 11:5; Alma 13:6, 7; + 34:9; 42:16. + + **Bible,** Job 38:4-7; Jer. 1:5; John 9:2; 17:5; Heb. 12:9; Rom. + 6:23. + +CHAPTER 4 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** 9:7-9; + + **Book of Mormon,** Alma 12:11, 31; 29:4, 5; 30:9; Moroni 10:4, 5; + Mosiah 18:28. + +CHAPTER 5 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** Lectures on Faith 7:8; sections 50:24; + 93:12-14, 20; 132:20. + + **Book of Mormon,** Alma 32:32; Mosiah 4:12. + +CHAPTER 6 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** 3:2, 4, 10; 6:2; 76:2-4; 88:13, 41; + 93:1, 12-15, 29-38; 107:54, 55; 110:1-4, 130:1-3, 22. + + **Pearl of Great Price,** Abraham 4:1-31. + +CHAPTER 7 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** 45:71; 58:18; 77:2; 88:15; 93:28, 33, + 34; 98:8; 128:19; 133:33. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 2:25; Enos 1:3; Ether 3:6-20. + +CHAPTER 8 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** 9:3-6; 10:66; 18:11-13; 19:16-19; + 29:35-42, 46; 58:28; 74:7; 76:25, 26, 39-41, 69; 93:29-39; 98:8; + 101:78; 104:17; 121:32. + + **Pearl of Great Price,** Abraham 3:18, 25, 26. + + **Book of Mormon,** I Nephi 4:33; 6:4; II Nephi 2:3, 6, 27; 9:5, + 25-26; 10:23-25; 31:21; Alma 3:26; 7:12; 12:31; 13:3; Mosiah 3:5; + 4:6-9; Helaman 14:30. + + **Bible,** Gen. 2:17; Isa. 63:9; Matt. 18:11; John 1:29; 3:14, 15; + 12:23; Rom. 3:25; 5:15; 6:23; I Tim 2:5; Gal. 3:13; Jude 1:6; Rev. + 12:7. + +CHAPTER 9 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** 82:4; 88:35-40; 93:38; 128 sec. + + **Book of Mormon,** I Nephi 10:18; 21:6; II Nephi 9:18, 25; Alma + 12:25; 30:11; 34:16. + + **Bible,** Neh. 9:17; Acts 15:18. + +CHAPTER 10 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** 27:11; 29:35-41; 38:1-3; 107:53, 54; + 116:1. + + **Pearl of Great Price,** Abraham chaps. 4 and 5. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 2:9-25; Alma 12:22, 23, 31; 18:29; + Mosiah 2:25; 3:16: 4:2; Mormon 9:12. + + **Bible,** Gen. chap 3; Rom. 5:12. + +CHAPTER 11 + + **Pearl of Great Price,** Book of Moses, Book of Abraham; Writings + of Joseph Smith. + + **Bible,** Genesis; The Gospels. + +CHAPTER 12 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 18:18; 19:24; 27:11; 29:34; 39:6; 50:43; + 76:56-58; 78:15-18; 84:37, 38; 93:1-17; 107:53-56; 121:28-32; + 132:19, 20, 23, 37. + + **Pearl of Great Price,** Abraham 3:1-5. + + **Book of Mormon,** Alma 12:31. + + **Bible,** Gen. 1:26; Deut. 10:17; Exo. 15:11; Psalms 86:8; Dan. + 2:47; I Cor. 8:5; Rev. 17:14. + +CHAPTER 13 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 5:2; 27:18; 29:30, 31; 59:14; 93:26; + 95:4. + + **Book of Mormon,** I Nephi 1:12; II Nephi 2:4; Alma 7:13; Ether + 2:15. + + **Bible,** Gen. 6:3; Prov. 1:23; Dan. 4:8; John 16:13. + +CHAPTER 14 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 4:7; 9:8; 41:3; 42:16, 61; 46:28; 50:29; + 59:14; 68:33; 89:18, 19; 121:26-33. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 21:2, 3; 31:3; Alma 11:41; 32:34; + 34:39; Moroni 10:10. + +CHAPTER 15 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 10:12, 23-33, 63; 29:28, 29, 36-40; 35:9; + 52:14; 76:28; 84:67; 88:114; 121:4; 124:98; 129:8. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 2:17; III Nephi 13:12; 18:15; Mosiah + 16:5; Moroni 7:12. + +CHAPTER 16 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 10:67; 11:24-26; 20:1; 21:1-3; 22:3; + 26:2; 29:42, 43; 41:2, 3; 42:8; 43:8; 45:14; 50:44; 58:23; 76:54; + 115:4. + +CHAPTER 17 + +**Faith** + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** Lectures on Faith, sections 18:18; 35:9; + 41:3; 44:2; 45:8; 49:11-14; 52:20; 85:1, 2; 136:42. + + **Book of Mormon,** I Nephi 10:6, 17; II Nephi 25:26; Enos 1:8; + Mosiah 8:18; Ether 12:10. + + **Bible,** Genesis 15:6; Exodus 4:5; Numbers 20:12; Psalms 119:66; + Prov. 16:20; John 5:24; 20:29; Acts 8:37; 10:43; II Cor. 5:7. + +**Repentance** + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 1:32, 33; 18:42; 20:29; 39:18; 90:34. + + **Book of Mormon,** I Nephi 10:18; II Nephi 30:4; Alma 12:24; 26:22; + Mosiah 27:24. + + **Bible,** Matt. 3:2; Luke 13:3; II Peter 3:9; Rev. 3:19. + +**Baptism** + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 18:42; 20:37, 72-74; 55:2; 68:8, 25-27; + 76:51; 128:12. + + **Book of Mormon,** Alma 28:18; Moroni 8:4-22. + + **Bible,** Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 3:3; John 1:33; 3:23; I + Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5. + +**Gift of the Holy Ghost** + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 20:41; 33:15; 35:6; 76:52, 114-118; + 121:26-32. + + **Book of Mormon,** Alma 31:36. + + **Bible,** Acts 8:17; 9:17; 19:2-6. + +CHAPTER 18 + + **Doctrine and Covenants,** Lectures on Faith. Sections 18:27; 20:2, + 3, 38-71; 27:1-18; 84:14-21, 35-39; 107:1-5, 40-52; 112:31, 32; + 128:20. + + **Book of Mormon,** Mosiah 29:42; Alma 4:4; 6:1; 13:1-3, 5-20; + Helaman 8:18. + + **Bible,** Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-18; Psalms 110:4; John 15:16; Acts + 14:23; Heb. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14; 5:1; 7:3, 15-28; I Peter 2:5; Titus + 1:5; II Tim. 1:6. + +CHAPTER 19 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 20:60-67; 26:2; 28:13; 68:19-21; 78:1; + 104:21; 107, whole section; 124:123-145. + +CHAPTER 20 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 84:18, 21, 35; 107:30-32; 113:8; + 121:36-46; 128:9-11; 132:28, 45-49. + + **Book of Mormon,** Alma 5:3; I Nephi 10:23. + +CHAPTER 21 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 3:4; 6:9; 19:33; 20:20; 29:34; 56:1; + 58:21; 63:55; 64:34; 82:10; 88:22-39; 98:4-7; 101:43-62; 103:31-34; + 105:5; 124:49; 130:19, 20, 21; 134, whole section. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 2:23, 27; 9:25; Alma 30:3, 11; 42:17; + Mosiah 5:8; 2:32-37; Moroni 8:25. + +CHAPTER 22 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 1:1-2, 23; 4:5; 19:21, 22; 36:4-8; + 33:8-12; 38:11; 42:63; 45:20; 49:11-14; 84:87; 90:11; 112:30. + +CHAPTER 23 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 13:21; 36:8; 84:5; 105:33; 109:5; 110:8; + 124, whole section; 128:15, 24; 133:2. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 5:6; 33:15; III Nephi 11:1; Jacob 1:17; + Mosiah 1:18; 2:1-7; Alma 10:2; Helaman 3:9; 10:7. + +CHAPTER 24 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 1:10; 38:24; 42:27; 59:6; 81:4; 88:81; + 136:20-27. + +CHAPTER 25 + + **Book of Mormon,** Jacob 5:66; Mosiah 27:3; 29:38; Alma 1:26. + +CHAPTER 26 + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 26:30; 33:4; Mosiah 18:21; Ether 12:27. + +CHAPTER 27 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 42:30-39, 53-55, 71-73; 51:1-20; 44:6; + 52:40; 78:1-2; 82:1-24; 83:1-6; 85:1-5, 9-12; 92:1-2; 104:1-86; + 105:34; 119:1-7. + + **Book of Mormon,** III Nephi 26:19; IV Nephi 1:2, 3, 16. + + **Bible,** Numbers 18:26-28; Lev. 27:30; II Chron. 31:5, 6; Neh. + 10:37, 38; Mal. 3:18; Matt. 19:16-21; Luke 18:12; Acts 4:31-32, 35; + Heb. 7:5. + +CHAPTER 28 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** sections 2 and 128; 21:1; 47:3; 57:3; + 93:8-17; 110:13-16; 124:33; 127:5-8; 128:2-5. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 26:30; Mosiah 2:4. + +CHAPTER 29 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 18:42; 20:70, 71; section 25; 29:46, 47; + 49:15-17; 55:4; 68:25-27; 74:5, 6; 83:4, 5; 84:27, 28; 93:40-42; + 131:2; section 132. + + **Bible,** Gen. 1:27; 15:5; 2:18, 23; 20:12; Deut. 7:3; I Cor. + 11:11. + +CHAPTER 30 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 38:23; 50:40; 55:4; 69:7; 88:77, 79, 118, + 119, 127, 137; 90:8, 15; 93:53; 95:17; 130:19. + +CHAPTER 31 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 20:17; 29:24, 31, 32; 45:58; 49:16, 19; + 59:18, 21; 77:2, 3; 88:20-45; 89:15; 103:7; 130:9. + + **Book of Mormon,** II Nephi 8:6; Ether 6:4; 13:9. + +CHAPTER 32 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 42:24; 49:19-21; 59:14-20; 63:16; 88:124; + section 89; 132:41. + +CHAPTER 34 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 29:32-35. + +CHAPTER 35 + + **Doctrine and Covenants** 18:12; 29:26-28; 45:45-54; 63:20, 21, 49; + section 76; 77:1; 88:14-42; 101:25, 78; 130:9-11. + + **Book of Mormon,** Mosiah 16:9. + + **Bible,** Daniel 12:2; Job 19:25; Luke 24:34; Rom. 8:24; Rev. + 1:18; 20:5,6. + +CHAPTER 36 + + **Book of Mormon,** Mosiah 23:15. + + **Bible,** Matt. 22:34-40. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Rational Theology, by John A. 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