,campbell1 ,ben ,crowder1 ,meridith     
,crowder1 ,eric ,heaps1 ,tod ,robbins1  
,dave ,van ,leeuwen4         ,,joseph   
,,smith ,,as ,,scientist  ,a            
,,contribution ,,to ,,mormon            
,,philosophy  ,,by  ,john ,a4 ,widtsoe1 
,a4 ,m41 ,ph4 ,d4   ,,the ,,general     
,,board ,,young ,,men',s ,,mutual       
,,improvement ,,associations ,,salt     
,,lake ,,city1 ,,utah #aijh             
,copyright #aijh by ,john ,a4 ,widtsoe4 
,preface   ,in the life of every person1
 who receives a higher education1 in or 
out of schools1 there is a time when    
there seems to be opposition between    
science and religion2 between man-made  
and ,god-made knowledge4 ,the struggle  
for reconciliation between the          
contending forces is not an easy one4   
,it cuts deep into the soul and usually 
leaves scars that ache while life       
endures4 ,there are thousands of young  
people in the ,church to-day1 and       
hundreds of thousands throughout the    
world1 who are struggling to set        

themselves right with the ,god above and
 the world about them4 ,it is for these 
young people1 primarily1 that the       
following chapters have been written4   
,this volume is based on the conviction 
that there is no real difference between
 science and religion4 ,the great1      
fundamental laws of the ,universe are   
foundation stones in religion as well as
 in science4 ,the principle that matter 
is indestructible belongs as much to    
theology as to geology4 ,the theology   
which rests upon the few basic laws of  
nature is unshakable2 and the great     
theology of the future will be such a   
one4  ,mormonism teaches and has taught 
from the beginning that all knowledge   
must be included in the true theology4  
,because of its comprehensive           
philosophy1 ,mormonism will survive all 
religious disturbances and become the   
system of religious faith which all men 
may accept without yielding the least   
part of the knowledge of nature as      
discovered in the laboratories or in the

 fields4 ,the splendid conceptions of   
,mormonism concerning man and nature1   
and man's place in nature are among the 
strongest testimonies of the divine     
nature of the work founded by ,joseph   
,smith1 the ,prophet4  ,this little     
volume does not pretend to be a complete
 treatment of ,mormon philosophy2 it is 
only a small contribution to the        
subject4 ,there is room for elaboration 
and extension in this field for many    
generations to come4 ,the attempt has   
been made to sketch1 briefly1 the       
relation of ,mormonism to some features 
of modern scientific philosophy1 and to 
show that not only do ,mormonism and    
science harmonize2 but that ,mormonism  
is abreast of the most modern of the    
established views of science1 and that  
it has held them many years--in some    
cases before science adopted them4 ,the 
only excuse for the scant treatment of  
such an important subject is that it is 
as extensive as the duties of a busy    
life would allow4 ,in the future1 the   

subject may be given a fuller treatment4
  ,some readers may urge that the       
testimony of the ,spirit1 which has been
 the final refuge of so many            
,christians1 has received little        
consideration in the following chapters4
 ,this is due to the avowed purpose of  
the work to harmonize science and       
religion1 on the basis of accepted      
science4 ,mormonism is deeply and       
rationally spiritual2 the discussion in 
this volume is confined to one phase of 
,gospel philosophy4  ,the majority of   
the following chapters were originally  
published in the ,improvement ,era for  
#aijc-aijd as a series of articles      
bearing the main title of this book4    
,these articles are here republished    
with occasonal changes and additions4   
,the new chapters have been cast into   
the same form as the original articles4 
,the publication as independent articles
 will explain the apparent lack of      
connection between the chapters in this 
book4 ,the statements of scientific     

facts have been compared very carefully 
with standard authorities4 ,however1 in 
popularizing science there is always the
 danger that the simplification may     
suggest ideas that are not wholly       
accurate4 ,those who have tried this    
kind of work will understand and pardon 
such errors as may appear4 ,however1    
corrections are invited4  ,my thanks are
 due and cheerfully given the management
 of the ,improvement ,era for the help  
and encouragement given4 ,i am under    
especial obligations to ,elder ,edward  
,h4 ,anderson1 the associate editor of  
the ,era1 to whose efforts it is largely
 due that this volume has seen the light
 of day4 ,i desire to render my thanks  
also to the committee appointed by the  
,first ,presidency to read the          
manuscript1 ,elders ,george ,albert     
,smith1 ,edward ,h4 ,anderson and       
,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 ,jr4  ,this volume  
has been written in behalf of           
,mormonism4 ,may ,god speed the truth6  
,contents4   ,,introductory4    ,chapter

 ,i4 ,joseph's ,mission and ,language   
,,the ,,fundamental ,,concepts ,,of     
,,the ,,universe4    ,chapter ,,ii4 ,the
 ,indestructibility of ,matter          
,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,indestructibility 
of ,energy   ,chapter ,,iv4 ,the        
,universal ,ether   ,chapter ,v4 ,the   
,reign of ,law  ,,the ,,constitution    
,,of ,,the ,,universe4    ,chapter ,,vi4
 ,the ,new ,astronomy   ,chapter ,,vii4 
,geological ,time   ,chapter ,,viii4    
,organized ,intelligence  ,,the ,,laws  
,,governing ,,the ,,individual4         
,chapter ,,ix4 ,faith   ,chapter ,x4    
,repentance   ,chapter ,,xi4 ,baptism   
,chapter ,,xii4 ,the ,gift of the ,holy 
,ghost   ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,the ,word of 
,wisdom  ,,the ,,destiny ,,of ,,earth   
,,and ,,man4    ,chapter ,,xiv4 ,the    
,law of ,evolution   ,chapter ,,xv4 ,the
 ,plan of ,salvation  ,,the ,,region    
,,of ,,the ,,unknown4    ,chapter ,,xvi4
 ,the ,sixth ,sense  ,,the ,,force ,,of 
,,forces4    ,chapter ,,xvii4 ,the      
,nature of ,god  ,,conclusion4          

,chapter ,,xviii4 ,joseph ,smith's      
,education   ,chapter ,,xviv4 ,a        
,summary ,restatement   ,chapter ,,xx4  
,concluding ,thoughts  ,,appendix4      
,chapter ,,xxi4 ,the ,testimony of the  
,soil     ,,introductory4  ,chapter ,i4 
,,joseph',s ,,mission ,,and ,,language4 
,sidenote3 ,scientific discussions not  
to be expected in the ,prophet's work4  
,the mission of ,joseph ,smith was of a 
spiritual nature2 and therefore1 it is  
not to be expected that the discussion  
of scientific matters will be found in  
the ,prophet's writings4 ,the           
revelations given to the ,prophet deal  
almost exclusively with the elucidation 
of so-called religious doctrines1 and   
with such difficulties as arose from    
time to time in the organization of the 
,church4 ,it is only1 as it appears to  
us1 in an incidental way that other     
matters1 not strictly of a religious    
nature1 are mentioned in the            
revelations4 ,however1 the ,church      
teaches that all human knowledge and all

 the laws of nature are part of its     
religious system2 but that some         
principles are of more importance than  
others in man's progress to eternal     
salvation4,a ,while on the one hand1    
therefore1 it cannot reasonably be      
expected that ,joseph ,smith should deal
 in his writings with any subject       
peculiar to natural science1 yet1 on the
 other hand1 it should not surprise any 
student to find that the ,prophet at    
times considered matters that do not    
come under the ordinary definition of   
religion1 especially if they in any way 
may be connected with the laws of       
religion4 ,statements of scientific     
detail should not be looked for in      
,joseph ,smith's writings1 though these 
are not wholly wanting2 but rather1 we  
should expect to find general views of  
the relations of the forces of the      
universe4  ,footnote ,a3 ,and truth is  
knowledge of things as they are1 and as 
they were and as they are to            
come4--,doctrine and ,covenants1 #ic3bd4

  ,teach ye diligently and my grace     
shall attend you1 that you may be       
instructed more perfectly in theory1 in 
principle1 in doctrine1 in the law of   
the ,gospel1 in all things that pertain 
unto the ,kingdom of ,god1 that are     
expedient for you to understand2  ,of   
things both in heaven and in the earth1 
and under the earth2 things which have  
been1 things which are1 things which    
must shortly come to pass2 things which 
are at home1 things which are abroad2   
the wars and the perplexities of the    
nations1 and the judgments which are on 
the land1 and a knowledge also of       
countries and kingdoms1  ,that ye may be
 prepared in all things when ,i shall   
send you again to magnify the calling1  
whereunto ,i have called you1 and the   
mission with which ,i have commissioned 
you4--,doctrine and ,covenants1         
#hh3gh-hj4  ,and verily1 ,i say unto    
you1 that it is my will that you should 
hasten to translate my ,scriptures1 and 
to obtain a knowledge of history1 and of

 countries1 and of kingdoms1 of laws of 
,god and man1 and all this for the      
salvation of ,zion4--,doctrine and      
,covenants1 #ic3ec4  ,it 7theology7 is  
the science of all other sciences and   
useful arts1 being in fact the very     
foundation from which they emanate4 ,it 
includes philosophy1 astronomy1 history1
 mathematics1 geography1 languages1 the 
science of letters1 and blends the      
knowledge of all matters of fact1 in    
every branch of art and                 
research4444444,all that is useful1     
great and good1 all that is calculated  
to sustain1 comfort1 instruct1 edify1   
purify1 refine or exalt intelligences1  
originated by this science1 and this    
science alone1 all other sciences being 
but branches growing out of this1 the   
root4--,pratt1 ,key to ,theology1 chap4 
#a4  ,sidenote3 ,man must not expect    
direct revelation in matters that he can
 solve for himself4  ,it is not in      
harmony with the ,gospel spirit that    
,god1 except in special cases1 should   

reveal things that man by the aid of his
 natural powers may gain for himself4   
,the ,lord spoke to the ,prophet as     
follows3--,behold1 you have not         
understood2 you have supposed that ,i   
would give it unto you1 when you took no
 thought1 save it was to ask me2 but1   
behold1 ,i say unto you1 that you must  
study it out in your mind2 then you must
 ask me if it be right1 and if it is    
right ,i will cause that your bosom     
shall burn within you2 therefore1 you   
shall feel that it is right4,a ,such a  
doctrine makes it unreasonable to look  
to the ,prophet's work for a gratuitous 
mass of scientific or other details1    
which will relieve man of the labor of  
searching out for himself nature's laws4
 ,so well established is this principle 
that in all probability many of the     
deepest truths contained in the writings
 of ,joseph ,smith will not be clearly  
understood1 even by his followers1      
until1 by the laborious methods of      
mortality1 the same truths are          

established4 ,it is even so with the    
principles to be discussed in the       
following papers4 ,they were stated     
seventy years ago1 yet it is only       
recently that the ,latter-day ,saints   
have begun to realize that they are     
identical with recently developed       
scientific truths2 and the world of     
science is not yet aware of it4         
,however1 whenever such harmony is      
observed1 it testifies of the divine    
inspiration of the humble1 unlearned boy
 prophet of the nineteenth century4     
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants  
#i3g1 #h4  ,sidenote3 ,the absence of   
the language1 details and methods of    
science in the ,prophet's writings      
proves him unfamiliar with the written  
science of his day4  ,the ,prophet      
,joseph does not use the language of    
science2 which is additional proof that 
he did not know the science of his day4 
,this may be urged as an objection to   
the assertion that he understood        
fundamental scientific truths1 but the  

error of this view is easily            
comprehended when it is recalled that   
the language of science is made by men1 
and varies very often from age to age1  
and from country to country4 ,besides1  
the ,god who spoke to ,joseph ,smith1   
says1 ,these commandments were given    
unto my servants in their weakness1     
after the manner of their language1 that
 they might come to understanding4,a ,if
 ,god had spoken the special language of
 science1 the unlearned ,joseph ,smith  
would not1 perhaps1 have understood4    
,every wise man explains that which he  
knows in the language of those to whom  
he is speaking1 and the facts and       
theories of science can be quite easily 
expressed in the language of the common 
man4 ,it is needless to expect          
scientific phraselogy in the writings of
 ,joseph ,smith4  ,footnote ,a3         
,doctrine and ,covenants #a3bd4         
,scientific details are almost wholly   
wanting in the writings of ,joseph      
,smith4 ,had the ,prophet known the     

science of his day1 his detailed        
knowledge would have been incorporated  
somehow in his writings4 ,the almost    
complete absence of such scientific     
detail as would in all probability have 
been used1 had the ,prophet known of it1
 is additional testimony that he did not
 get his information from books4        
,finally1 another important fact must be
 mentioned4 ,men in all ages have       
speculated about the things of the      
universe1 and have invented all kinds of
 theories to explain natural phenomena4 
,in all cases1 however1 these theories  
have been supported by experimental     
evidence1 or else they have been        
proposed simply as personal opinions4   
,joseph ,smith1 on the contrary1 laid no
 claim to experimental data to support  
the theories which he proposed1 nor did 
he say that they were simply personal   
opinions1 but he repeatedly asserted    
that ,god had revealed the truths to    
him1 and that they could not1 therefore1
 be false4 ,if doctrines resting upon   

such a claim can be shown to be true1 it
 is additional testimony of the truth of
 the ,prophet's work4  ,sidenote3       
,purpose of the following chapters4  ,in
 the following chapters it will be      
shown1 by a series of comparisons1 that1
 in #ahcc1 or soon thereafter1 the      
teachings of ,joseph ,smith1 the ,mormon
 ,prophet1 were in full harmony with the
 most advanced scientific thought of    
today1 and that he anticipated the world
 of science in the statement of         
fundamental facts and theories of       
physics1 chemistry1 astronomy and       
biology4     ,,the ,,fundamental        
,,concepts ,,of ,,the ,,universe4       
,chapter ,,ii4  ,,the                   
,,indestructibility ,,of ,,matter4      
,sidenote3 ,until recent days many      
believed that matter could be created or
 destroyed4  ,it was believed by the    
philosophers of ancient and mediaeval   
times1 especially by those devoted to   
the study of alchemy1 that it was       
possible through mystical powers1 often 

of a supernatural order1 to annihilate  
matter or to create it from nothing4    
,men with such powers transcended all   
known laws of nature1 and became objects
 of fear1 often of worship to the masses
 of mankind4 ,naturally enough1 the     
systems of religion became colored with 
the philosophical doctrines of the      
times2 and it was held to be a          
fundamental religious truth that ,god   
created the world from nothing4         
,certainly1 ,god could do what his      
creatures1 the magicians1 were able to  
do--that part of the reasoning was      
sound4  ,in support of this doctrine1   
attention was called to some of the     
experiences of daily life4 ,a piece of  
coal placed in a stove1 in a short time 
disappear--it is annihilated4 ,from the 
clear air of a summer's day raindrops   
start--created out of nothing4 ,a       
fragment of gold placed in contact with 
sufficiently strong acids1              
disappears--it is destroyed4  ,sidenote3
 ,matter is eternal1 its form only can  

be changed4  ,towards the end of the    
eighteenth century1 facts and laws of   
chemistry were discovered1 which enabled
 scientists to follow in great detail   
the changes1 visible or invisible1 to   
which matter in its various forms is    
subject4 ,then it was shown that the    
coal placed in a stove unites with a    
portion of the air entering through the 
drafts1 and becomes an invisible gas1   
but that1 were this gas collected as it 
issues from the chimney1 it would be    
found to contain a weight of the        
elements of the coal just equal to the  
weight of the coal used4 ,in a similar  
manner it was shown that the raindrops  
are formed from the water found in the  
air1 as an invisible vapor4 ,the gold   
dissolved in the acid1 may be wholly    
recovered so that every particle is     
accounted for4 ,numerous investigations 
on this subject were made by the most   
skillful experimenters of the age1 all  
of which showed that it is absolutely   
impossible to create or destroy the     

smallest particle of matter2 that the   
most man can do is to change the form in
 which matter exists4  ,after this truth
 had been demonstrated1 it was a        
necessary conclusion that matter is     
eternal1 and that the quantity of matter
 in the universe cannot be diminished   
nor increased4 ,this great              
generalization1 known as the law of the 
,persistence of ,matter or ,mass1 is the
 foundation stone of modern science4 ,it
 began to find general acceptance among 
men about the time of ,joseph ,smith's  
birth1 though many religious sects still
 hold that ,god1 as the ,supreme ,ruler1
 is able at will to create matter from  
nothing4 ,the establishment of this law 
marked also the final downfall of       
alchemy and other kindred occult        
absurdities4  ,sidenote3 ,mormonism     
teaches that all things are material4   
,no doctrine taught by ,joseph ,smith is
 better understood by his followers than
 that matter in its elementary condition
 is eternal1 and that it can neither be 

increased nor diminished4 ,as early as  
,may1 #ahcc1 the ,prophet declared that 
the elements are eternal1,a and in a    
sermon delivered in ,april1 #ahdd1 he   
said ,element had an existence from the 
time ,god had4 ,the pure principles of  
element are principles which can never  
be destroyed2 they may be organized and 
reorganized1 but not destroyed4 ,they   
had no beginning1 and can have no end4,b
  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and           
,covenants1 #ic3cc4  ,footnote ,b3 ,the 
,contributor1 ,vol4 #d1 p4 #beg4  ,it is
 thus evident that from the beginning of
 his work1 ,joseph ,smith was in perfect
 harmony with the fundamental doctrine  
of science2 and far in advance of the   
religious sects of the world1 which are1
 even at this time1 slowly accepting the
 doctrine of the persistence of matter  
in a spiritual as well as in a material 
sense4  ,mormonism has frequently been  
charged with accepting the doctrine of  
materialism4 ,in one sense1 the         
followers of ,joseph ,smith plead yes to

 this charge4 ,in ,mormon theology there
 is no place for immateralism2 i4e4 for 
a ,god1 spirits and angels that are not 
material4 ,spirit is only a refined form
 of matter4 ,it is beyond the mind of   
man to conceive of an immaterial thing4 
,on the other hand1 ,joseph ,smith did  
not teach that the kind of tangible     
matter1 which impresses our mortal      
senses1 is the kind of matter which is  
associated with heavenly beings4 ,the   
distinction between the matter known to 
man and the spirit matter is very great2
 but no greater than is the difference  
between the matter of the known elements
 and that of the universal ether which  
forms one of the accepted dogmas of     
science4  ,science knows phenomena only 
as they are associated with matter2     
,mormonism does the same4     ,chapter  
,,iii4  ,,the ,,indestructibility ,,of  
,,energy4   ,sidenote3 ,all forms of    
energy may be converted into each other4
 ,energy can not be destroyed4  ,it is  
only when matter is in motion1 or in the

 possession of energy1 that it is able  
to impress our senses4 ,the law of the  
indestructibility and convertibility of 
energy1 is of equal fundamental value   
with that of the indestructibility of   
matter4 ,a great variety of forces exist
 in nature1 as1 for instance1           
gravitation1 electricity1 chemical      
affinity1 heat and light4 ,these forces 
may all be made to do work4 ,energy1 in 
fact1 may be defined as the power of    
doing work4 ,in early days these forces 
were supposed to be distinct and not    
convertible1 one into the other1 just as
 gold and silver1 with our present      
knowledge1 are distinct and not         
convertible into other elements4  ,in   
the early part of the nineteenth century
 students of light and heat began to    
demonstrate that these two natural      
forces were different manifestations of 
one universal medium4 ,this in turn led 
to the thought that possibly these      
forces1 instead of being absolutely     
distinct1 could be converted one into   

the other4 ,this idea was confirmed in  
various experimental ways4 ,sir         
,humphrey ,davy1 about the end of the   
eighteenth century1 rubbed together two 
pieces of ice until they were nearly    
melted4 ,precautions had been taken that
 no heat could be abstracted from the   
outside by the ice4 ,the only tenable   
conclusion was that the energy expended 
in rubbing1 had been converted into     
heat1 which had melted the ice4 ,about  
the same time1 ,count ,rumford1 a       
distinguished ,american1 was            
superintending the boring of a cannon at
 the arsenal at ,munich1 and was        
forcibly struck with the heating of the 
iron due to this process4 ,he1 like     
,davy1 believed that the energy of the  
boring instruments had been converted   
into the heat4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,the    
,conservation of ,heat--,stewart1 pp4   
#ch1 #ci4  ,from #ahdc to #ahdi1 ,dr4   
,joule of ,manchester1 ,england1        
published the results of experiments on 
the relation between mechanical energy  

and heat4 ,dr4 ,joule attached a fixed  
weight to a string which was passed over
 a pulley1 while the other end was      
connected with paddles moving in water4 
,as the weight descended1 the paddles   
were caused to revolve2 and it was      
observed that1 as the weight fell and   
the paddles revolved1 the water became  
warmer and warmer4 ,dr4 ,joule found    
further that for each foot of fall1 the 
same amount of heat energy was given to 
the water4 ,in fact1 he determined that 
when a pound weight falls seven hundred 
and seventy two feet it gives out energy
 enough to raise the temperature of one 
pound of water one degree ,fahrenheit4,a
 ,this experiment1 frequently repeated1 
gave the same result and established    
largely the law of the convertibility of
 energy4  ,footnote ,a3 ,the            
,conservation of ,energy--,stewart1 pp4 
#dd1 #de4 ,recent ,advances in ,physical
 ,science--,tait1 pp4 #fc1 #fe4  ,about 
the same time1 it was shown that light  
can be converted into heat2 and later it

 was proved that electricity may be     
changed into heat or light4 ,in all     
these cases it was found that the amount
 of energy changed was exactly equal to 
the amount of energy produced4  ,thus1  
by countless experiments1 it was finally
 determined that energy is              
indestructible2 that1 when any form of  
energy disappears1 it reappears         
immediately in another form4 ,this is   
the law of the persistence of force or  
energy4 ,in more recent days1 it has    
been suggested that all known forces are
 variations of a great universal force1 
which may or may not be known4 ,the very
 nature of force or energy is not       
understood4 ,in the language of         
,spencer1 ,by the persistence of force1 
we really mean the persistence of some  
cause which transcends our knowledge and
 conception4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,first    
,principles1 ,spencer1 #dth ed41 p4     
#bjj4  ,it need hardly be explained that
 energy cannot exist independently of   
matter2 and that the law of the         

persistence of matter is necessary for  
the existence of the law of persistence 
of force4  ,sidenote3 ,universal        
intelligence1 comparable to universal   
energy is indestructible1 according to  
,joseph ,smith4  ,joseph ,smith was not 
a scientist2 and he made no pretense of 
solving the scientific questions of this
 day4 ,the discussion relative to the   
convertibility of various forms of      
energy was in all probability not known 
to him4 ,still1 in his writings is found
 a doctrine which in all respects       
resembles that of the conservation of   
energy4  ,joseph ,smith taught1 and the 
,church now teaches1 that all space is  
filled with a subtle1 though material   
substance of wonderful properties1 by   
which all natural phenomena are         
controlled4 ,this substance is known as 
the ,holy ,spirit4 ,its most important  
characteristic is intelligence4 ,its    
inherent properties embrace all the     
attributes of intelligence4,a ,the      
property of intelligence is to the ,holy

 ,spirit what energy is to the gross    
material of our senses4  ,footnote ,a3  
,key to ,theology1 ,p4 ,p4 ,pratt1 #eth 
ed41 p4 #dj4  ,in one of the generally  
accepted works of the ,church1 the      
energy of nature is actually said to be 
the workings of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the 
passage reads as follows3 ,man observes 
a universal energy in                   
nature--organization and disorganization
 succeed each other--the thunders roll  
through the heavens2 the earth trembles 
and becomes broken by earthquakes2 fires
 consume cities and forests2 the waters 
accumulate1 flow over their usual       
bounds1 and cause destruction of life   
and property2 the worlds perform their  
revolutions in space with a velocity and
 power incomprehensible to man1 and he1 
covered with a veil of darkness1 calls  
this universal energy1 ,god1 when it is 
the workings of his ,spirit1 the        
obedient agent of his power1 the        
wonder-working and life-giving principle
 in all nature4,a  ,footnote ,a3        

,compendium1 ,richards and ,little1 #crd
 ed41 p4 #aej4  ,in short1 the writings 
of the ,church clearly indicate that the
 various forces of nature1 the energy of
 nature1 are only manifestations of the 
great1 pervading force of intelligence4 
,we do not understand the real nature of
 intelligence any better than we        
understand the true nature of energy4   
,we only know that by energy or         
intelligence gross matter is brought    
within reach of our senses4             
,intelligence or energy was declared by 
,joseph ,smith in ,may1 #ahcc1 to be    
eternal3 ,intelligence1 or the light of 
truth1 was not created or made1 neither 
indeed can be4,a ,in the sermon already 
referred to the ,prophet said1 ,the     
intelligence of spirits had no          
beginning1 neither will it have an end4 
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#ic3bi4  ,these quotations1 and many    
others to which attention might be      
called1 show clearly that ,joseph ,smith
 taught the doctrine that the energy of 

the universe can in nowise be increased 
or diminished1 though1 it may manifest  
itself in various forms4  ,the great    
,latter-day prophet is thus shown to be 
in harmony with the second fundamental  
law of science4 ,it is not a valid      
objection to this conclusion to say that
 ,joseph ,smith did not use the accepted
 terms of science4 ,words stand only for
 ideas2 the ideas are essential4 ,the   
nomenclature of a science is often      
different in different lands1 and is    
often changed as knowledge grows4  ,it  
is hardly correct to say that he was in 
harmony with the law2 the law as stated 
by the world of science was rather in   
harmony with him4 ,let it be observed   
that ,joseph ,smith enunciated the      
principle of the conservation of the    
energy1 or intelligence as he called it1
 of the universe1 in ,may1 #ahcc1 ten   
years before ,dr4 ,joule published his  
famous papers on energy relations1 and  
fifteen or twenty years before the      
doctrine was clearly understood and     

generally accepted by the learned of the
 world4 ,let it be also remembered that 
the unlearned boy from the backwoods of 
,new ,york state1 taught with the       
conviction of absolute certainty that   
the doctrine was true1 for ,god had     
revealed it to him4  ,if ,god did not   
reveal it to him1 where did he learn it1
 and whence came the courage to teach it
 as an eternal truth8     ,chapter ,,iv4
  ,,the ,,universal ,,ether4            
,sidenote3 ,the modern theory of light  
was established only about the year     
#ahcj4  ,the nature of light has been in
 every age a fascinating subject for    
study and reflection4 ,descartes1 the   
,french mathematician and philosopher1  
advanced the hypothesis that light      
consists of small particles emitted by  
luminous bodies1 and that the sensation 
of light is produced by the impact of   
these particles upon the retina of the  
eye4 ,soon after this emission or       
corpuscular theory had been proposed1   
,hooke1 an ,english investigator of     

great note1 stated publicly that the    
phenomena of light1 as he had observed  
them1 led him to the belief that the    
nature of light could best be explained 
on the assumption that light was a kind 
of undulation or wave in some unknown   
medium1 and that the sensation of light 
was4 produced when these waves struck   
upon the retina of the eye4 ,this new   
hypothesis1 known as the theory of      
undulations1 after the great ,isaac     
,newton had declared himself in favor of
 the corpuscular theory1 was finally    
adjudged by the majority of students to 
be erroneous4  ,about the year #ahjj1   
more than a century after the days of   
,descartes1 ,hooke and ,newton1 an      
,english physician1 ,dr4 ,thomas ,young1
 who had long experimented on the nature
 of light1 asserted that the emission   
theory could not explain many of the    
best known phenomena of light4 ,dr4     
,young further claimed that correct     
explanations could be made only by the  
theory of waves of undulation of an     

etherial medium diffused through space1 
and presented numerous experimental     
evidences in favor of this view4 ,this  
revival of the old theory of undulation 
met at first with violent opposition    
from many of the greatest scientific    
minds of the day4 ,sometime after ,dr4  
,young's publication1 a ,french army    
officer1 ,augustine ,fresnel1 undertook 
the study of the nature of light1 and   
arrived1 almost independently1 at the   
conclusion stated by ,dr4 ,young4       
,later1 other investigators discovered  
light phenomena which could be explained
 only on the undulatory hypothesis1 and 
so1 little by little1 the new theory    
gained ground and adherents4  ,still1   
even as late as #ahbg1 the astronomer   
,herschel published a treatise on light1
 in which he appeared to hold the real  
merit of the theory of undulations in   
grave doubt4,a ,likewise1 the ,imperial 
,academy at ,st4 ,petersburg1 in #ahbf1 
proposed a prize for the best attempt to
 relieve the undulatory theory of light 

of some of the main objections against  
it4,b ,it was several years later before
 the great majority of the scientific   
world accepted the theory of undulations
 as the correct explanation of the      
phenomena of light4  ,footnote ,a3      
,history of the ,inductive ,sciences1   
,whewell1 #crd edition1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4  
#aad4  ,footnote ,b3 ,loc4 cit41 #aag4  
,sidenote3 ,a subtle substance1 the     
ether1 fills all space4  ,in brief1 this
 theory assumes that a very attenuated1 
but very elastic1 substance1 called the 
ether1 fills all space1 and is found    
surrounding the ultimate particles of   
matter4 ,thus1 the pores of wood1 soil1 
lead1 gold and the human body1 are      
filled with the ether4 ,it is quite     
impossible by any known process to      
obtain a portion of space free from it4 
,a luminous body is one in which the    
ultimate particles of matter1 the atoms 
or molecules1 are moving very rapidly1  
and thus causing disturbances in the    
ether1 similar to the disturbances in   

quiet water when a rock is thrown into  
it2 and1 like the water wave1 proceeding
 from the point of disturbance1 so the  
ether waves radiate from the luminous   
body into space4 ,when a wave strikes   
the retina of the eye1 the sensation of 
light is produced4 ,this new-found ether
 was soon used for the explanation of   
other natural phenomena4  ,sidenote3    
,light1 heat1 electricity and other     
forces are forms of ether motion4  ,the 
nature of heat had long been discussed  
when the world of science decided in    
favor of the undulatory theory of light4
 ,one school held that the sensation of 
heat was caused by the cannonading of   
heat particles by the heated body2 the  
other school1 with few adherents1       
insisted that heat was simply a form of 
motion of the ether already adopted in  
the theory of light4 ,the later         
discoveries of science proved with      
considerable certainty that the         
undulatory theory of heat is right1 but 
it was well towards the middle of the   

last century before the emission theory 
of heat lost its ground4 ,in fact1      
,dr4,whewell1 in the third edition of   
his classic book on the ,history of     
,inductive ,sciences1 published in      
#ahei1 says that the undulatory theory  
of heat has not by any means received   
full confirmation2,a and ,dr4 ,john     
,tyndall1 in a book published in #ahhj1 
says1 that the emission theory held its 
ground until quite recently among the   
chemists of our own day4,b ,today1 the  
evidences of modern science are         
overwhelmingly in favor of the          
undulatory theory of heat4  ,footnote   
,a3 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #ahd4  ,footnote ,b3 
,heat1 ,a ,mode of ,motion1 ,tyndall1   
#fth ed41 p4 #ch4  ,the wonderful       
developments of the last century1 in    
electricity and magnetism1 led to much  
speculation concerning the nature of the
 subtle electrical and magnetic forces4 
,the most popular theories for many     
years were those that presupposed       
various electrical and magnetic fluids1 

which could be collected1 conducted1    
dispersed and otherwise controlled4 ,in 
#ahfg1 the eminent ,english             
mathematician1 ,clerk ,maxwell1 proposed
 the theory that electrical and magnetic
 phenomena were simply peculiar motions 
of the ether1 bearing definite          
relationship to light waves4 ,later     
researches1 one result of which is the  
now famous ,roentgen or ,x-rays1 have   
tended to confirm ,maxwell's theory4 ,a 
recent text-book on physics1 of         
unquestioned authority1,a states that   
the ether theory of electricity and     
magnetism is now susceptible of direct  
demonstration2 and another eminent      
authority frankly states that when we   
explain the nature of electricity1 we   
explain it by a motion of the           
luminiferous ether4,b  ,footnote ,a3    
,lehrbuch der ,physik1 ,riecke1 7#ahif71
 #bter ,band1 p4 #cae4  ,footnote ,b3   
,popular ,lectures and ,addresses1      
,kelvin 7#ahia7 ,vol4 #a1 page #ccd4    
,other recent discoveries have hinted at

 the possibility of matter itself being 
only the result of peculiar forms of    
this all-pervading substance1 the       
luminiferous ether4 ,the properties of  
the element radium1 and other           
radioactive elements1 as at present     
understood1 suggest the possibility of a
 better understanding of the nature of  
the ether1 and of its relation to the   
world of phenomena4  ,sidenote3 ,the    
existence of the ether is a certainty of
 science4  ,that the present knowledge  
of the world of science compels a faith 
in an all-pervading substance1 of       
marvelous properties1 and of intimate   
relationship to all forms of energy1 is 
shown by the following quotations from  
,lord ,kelvin1 who is generally regarded
 as the world's greatest physicist3 ,the
 luminferous ether1 that is the only    
substance we are confident of in        
dynamics4 ,one thing we are sure of1 and
 that is the reality and substantiality 
of the luminiferous ether4 ,what can    
this luminiferous ether be8 ,it is      

something that the planets move through 
with the greatest ease4 ,it permeates   
our air2 it is nearly in the same       
condition1 so far as our means of       
judging are concerned1 in our air and in
 the interplanetary space4 ,you may     
regard the existence of the luminiferous
 ether as a reality of science4 ,it is  
matter prodigiously less dense than     
air--of such density as not to produce  
the slightest resistance to any body    
going through it4,a  ,footnote ,a3      
,kelvin's ,lectures1 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #cag1
 #ccd1 #ccf1 #ced4  ,the theory of the  
ether is one of the most helpful        
assumptions of modern science4 ,by its  
aid the laws of energy have been        
revealed4 ,there is at the present time 
no grander or more fundamental doctrine 
in science than that of the ether4 ,the 
nature of the ether is1 of course1 far  
from being clearly understood1 but every
 discovery in science demonstrates that 
the hypothetical ether stands for an    
important reality of nature4 ,together  

with the doctrines of the               
indestructibility of matter and energy1 
the doctrine of the ether welds and     
explains all the physical phenomena of  
the universe4  ,joseph ,smith1 in a     
revelation received on ,december #bg1   
#ahcb1 wrote3  ,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith
 taught space is filled with a substance
 comparable to the ether of science4    
,the light which now shineth1 which     
giveth you light1 is through him who    
enlighteneth your eyes1 which is the    
same light that quickeneth your         
understandings2 which light proceedeth  
forth from the presence of ,god to fill 
the immensity of space4 ,the light which
 is in all things3 which is the law by  
which all things are governed3 even the 
power of ,god4,a  ,footnote ,a3         
,doctrine and ,covenants1 section       
#hh3aa-ac4  ,this quotation gives       
undoubted evidence of the prophet's     
belief that space is filled with some   
substance which bears important         
relations to all natural phenomena4 ,the

 word substance is used advisedly2 for  
in various places in the writings of    
,joseph ,smith1 light1 used as above in 
a general sense1 means spirit1,a and all
 spirit is matter1 but it is more fine  
and pure4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and
 ,covenants1 #hd3de4  ,footnote ,b3     
,ibid1 #aca3g4  ,true1 the passage above
 quoted does not furnish detailed       
explanation of the ,prophet's view      
concerning the substance filling all    
space1 but it must be remembered that it
 is simply an incidental paragraph in a 
chapter of religious instruction4 ,true1
 also1 the ,prophet goes farther than   
some modern scientists1 when he says    
that this universal substance bears a   
controlling relation to all things2 yet1
 when it is recalled that eminent1 sober
 students have suggested that the facts 
of science make it possible to believe  
that matter itself is simply a          
phenomenon of the universal ether1 the  
statement of the ,mormon prophet seems  
very reasonable4 ,the paragraph already 

quoted is not an accidental arrangement 
of words suggesting an idea not intended
 by the prophet1 for in other places1 he
 presents the idea of an omnipresent    
substance binding all things together4  
,for instance1 in speaking of the       
controlling power of the universe he    
says3  ,he comprehendeth all things1 and
 all things are before him1 and all     
things are round about him2 and he is   
above all things1 and in all things1 and
 is through all things1 and is round    
about all things4,a  ,footnote ,a3      
,ibid1 #hh3da4  ,that ,joseph ,smith    
does not here have in mind an           
omnipresent ,god1 is proved by the      
emphatic doctrine that ,god is personal 
and cannot be everywhere present4,a     
,footnote ,a3 ,ibid1 #acj3bb4  ,lest it 
be thought that the words are forced1   
for argument's sake1 to give the desired
 meaning1 it may be well to examine the 
views of some of the persons to whom the
 ,prophet explained in detail the       
meanings of the statements in the       

revelations which he claimed to have    
received from ,god4  ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1
 who1 as a member of the first quorum of
 apostles1 had every opportunity of     
obtaining the ,prophet's views on any   
subject1 wrote in considerable fullness 
on the subject of the ,holy ,spirit1 or 
the light of truth3  ,as the mind passes
 the boundaries of the visible world1   
and enters upon the confines of the more
 refined and subtle elements1 it finds  
itself associated with certain          
substances in themselves invisible to   
our gross organs1 but clearly manifested
 to our intellect by their tangible     
operations and effects4 ,the purest1    
most refined and subtle of all these    
substances--is that substance called the
 ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is omnipresent4 ,it 
is in its less refined particles1 the   
physical light which reflects from the  
sun1 moon and stars1 and other          
substances2 and by reflection on the eye
 makes visible the truths of the outward
 world4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,key to        

,theology1 #eth ed41 pp4 #ch-da4  ,elder
 ,c4 ,w4 ,penrose1 an accepted writer on
 ,mormon doctrine1 writes1 ,it is by    
,his ,holy ,spirit1 which permeates all 
things1 and is the life and light of all
 things1 that ,deity is everywhere      
present4 99 99 ,by that agency ,god sees
 and knows and governs all things4,a    
,footnote ,a3 ,rays of ,living ,light1  
,no4 #b1 p4 #c4  ,such quotations1 from 
the men intimately associated or        
acquainted with the early history of the
 ,church1 prove that ,joseph ,smith     
taught in clearness the doctrine that a 
subtle form of matter1 call it ether or 
,holy ,spirit1 pervades all space2 that 
all phenomena of nature1 including1     
specifically1 heat1 light and           
electricity1 are definitely connected   
with this substance4 ,he taught much    
else concerning this substance which    
science will soon discover1 but which   
lies without the province of this paper 
to discuss4  ,by the doctrine of the    
ether1 it is made evident all the       

happenings in the universe are indelibly
 inscribed upon the record of nature4 ,a
 word is spoken4 ,the air movements that
 it causes disturbs the ether4 ,the     
ether waves radiate into space and can  
never die4 ,anywhere1 with the proper   
instrument1 one of the waves may be     
captured1 and the spoken word read4     
,that is the simple method of wireless  
telegraphy4 ,it is thus that all our    
actions shall be known on the last great
 day4 ,by the ether1 or the ,holy       
,spirit as named by the ,prophet1 ,god  
holds all things in ,his keeping4 ,his  
intelligent will radiates into space1 to
 touch whomsoever it desires4 ,he who is
 tuned aright can read the message1     
flashed across the ether ocean1 by the  
,almighty4 ,thus1 also1 ,god1 who is a  
person1 filling only a portion of space 
is1 by ,his power carried by the ether1 
everywhere present4  ,the ether of      
science though material is essentially  
different from the matter composing the 
elements4 ,so1 also1 in ,mormon         

theology1 is the ,holy ,spirit different
 from the grosser elements4 ,in science 
there is a vast distinction between the 
world of the elements1 and that of the  
ether2 in theology1 there is an equally 
great difference between the spiritual  
and material worlds4 ,though the        
theology of ,joseph ,smith insists that 
immaterialism is an absurdity1 yet it   
permits no overlapping of the earthly   
and the spiritual4  ,sidenote3 ,joseph  
,smith stated the existence of a        
universe-filling substance before       
science had generally accepted it4  ,it 
must not be overlooked that the broad   
statement of this doctrine was made by  
,joseph ,smith1 at least as early as    
#ahcb1 at a time when the explanation of
 light phenomena on the hypothesis of a 
universal ether was just beginning to   
find currency among learned men2 and    
many years before the same hypothesis   
was accepted in explaining the phenomena
 of heat and electricity4  ,the idea of 
an influence pervading the universe is  

not of itself new4 ,poets and           
philosophers of all ages have suggested 
it in a vague1 hesitating manner1       
without connecting it with the phenomena
 of nature1 but burdening it with the   
greatest absurdity of religion or       
philosophy1 that of immaterialism4      
,joseph ,smith said the doctrine had    
been taught him by ,god1 and gave it to 
the world unhesitatingly and rationally4
 ,the men of science1 to whom ,joseph   
,smith appears only as an imposter1 and 
who know nothing of his writings1 have  
later discovered the truth for          
themselves1 and incorporated it in their
 books of learning4  ,had ,joseph ,smith
 been the clever imposter that some     
claim he was1 he probably would not have
 dealt in any way with the theories of  
the material world1 at least would not  
have claimed revelations laying down    
physical laws2 had he been the stupid   
fool1 others tell us he was1 his mind   
would not have worried itself with the  
fundamental problems of nature4         

,however that may be1 it is certain that
 ,joseph ,smith1 in the broad and       
rational statement of the existence of  
an omnipresent1 material though subtle  
substance1 anticipated the workers in   
science4 ,in view of that fact1 it is   
not improbable that at some future time1
 when science shall have gained a wider 
view1 the historian of the physical     
sciences will say that ,joseph ,smith1  
the clear-sighted1 first stated         
correctly the fundamental physical      
doctrine of the universal ether4        
,chapter ,v4  ,,the ,,reign ,,of ,,law4 
,in the seventh book of the ,republic of
 ,plato,a occurs the following passage3 
,footnote ,a3 ,golden ,treasury edition1
 pp4 #bce1 #bcf4  ,sidenote3 ,the       
realities of nature are known by their  
effects4  ,imagine a number of men      
living in an underground cavernous      
chamber1 with an entrance open to the   
light1 extending along the entire length
 of the cavern1 in which they have been 
confined1 from childhood1 with their    

legs and necks so shackled1 that they   
are obliged to sit still and look       
straight forward1 because their chains  
render it impossible for them to turn   
their heads round2 and imagine a bright 
fire burning some way off1 above and    
behind them1 and an elevated roadway    
passing between the fire and the        
prisoners1 with a low wall built along  
it1 like the screens which conjurers put
 up in front of their audiences1 and    
above which they exhibit their wonders4 
,also figure to yourself a number of    
persons walking behind the wall1 and    
carrying with them statues of men and   
images of other animals1 wrought in wood
 and stone and all kinds of materials1  
together with various other articles1   
which overtop the wall2 and1 as you     
might expect1 let some of the passers-by
 be talking1 and the others silent4     
,let me ask whether persons so confined 
could have seen anything of themselves  
or of each other1 beyond the shadows    
thrown by the fire upon the part of the 

cavern facing them8 ,and is not their   
knowledge of the things carried past    
them equally limited8 ,and if they were 
able to converse with one another1 would
 they not be in the habit of giving     
names to the objects which they saw     
before them8 ,if their prison house     
returned an echo from the part facing   
them1 whenever one of the passers-by    
opened his lips1 to what could they     
refer the voice1 if not to the shadow   
which was passing8 ,surely such person  
would hold the shadows of those         
manufactured articles to be the only    
realities4  ,with reference to our      
absolute knowledge of the phenomena of  
nature1 this splendid comparison is as  
correct today as it was in the days of  
,plato1 about #djj ,b4 ,c42 we are only 
as prisoners in a great cave1 watching  
shadows of passing objects thrown upon  
the cavern wall1 and reflecting upon the
 real natures of the things whose       
shadows we see4 ,we know things only by 
their effects2 the essential nature of  

matter1 ether and energy is far from our
 understanding4  ,sidenote3 ,the        
progress of science rests on the law of 
cause and effect4  ,in early and        
mediaeval times1 the recognition of the 
fact that nature in its ultimate form is
 unknowable1 led to many harmful        
superstitions4 ,chief among the         
fallacies of the early ages was the     
belief that ,god at will could1 and did1
 cause various phenomena to appear in   
nature1 which were contrary to all human
 experience4 ,as observed in chapter #d1
 a class of men arose who claimed to be 
in possession of knowledge which made   
them also able1 at will1 to cause       
various supernatural manifestations4    
,thus arose the occult sciences1 so     
called1--alchemy1 astrology1 magic1     
witchcraft1 and all other similar       
abominations of the intellect4 ,such    
beliefs made the logical study of nature
 superfluous1 for any apparent          
regularity or law in nature might at any
 time be overturned by a person in      

possession of a formula of the black art
 or a properly treated broomstick4      
,while such ideas prevailed among the   
majority of men1 the rational study of  
science could make little progress4 ,in 
the march of the ages as the ideas of   
men were classified1 it began to be     
understood that the claims of the       
devotees of the mystical arts not only  
could not be substantiated but were in  
direct opposition to the known          
operations of nature4 ,it became clear  
to the truthseekers1 that in nature a   
given cause1 acting upon any given      
object1 providing all surrounding       
conditions be left unchanged1 will      
always produce the same effect4 ,thus1  
coal of a certain quality1 brought to a 
high temperature in the presence of air1
 will burn and produce heat2 a stick    
held in water at the right angle will   
appear crooked2 iron kept in contact    
with moisture and air1 at the right     
temperature1 will be changed into rust2 
sunlight passed through a glass prism   

will be broken into rainbow colors2     
ordinary plants placed in a dark cellar 
will languish and die4 ,no matter how   
often trials are made1 the above results
 are obtained2 and today it is safe to  
assert that in the material world no    
relation of cause and effect1 once      
established1 has failed to reappear at  
the will of the investigator4 ,as this  
principle of the constancy in the       
relations between cause and effect was  
established1 the element of chance in   
natural phenomena1 with its attendant   
arts of magic1 had to disappear4 ,it is 
now well understood by intelligent      
persons that the law of order controls  
all the elements of nature4  ,it is true
 that the cause of any given effect may1
 itself1 be the effect of other causes1 
and that the first cause of daily       
phenomena is not and probably cannot be 
understood4 ,it is also true that very  
seldom is the mind able to comprehend   
why certain causes1 save the simpler    
ones1 should produce certain effects4   

,in that respect we are again nothing   
more than ,plato's cave prisoners1      
seeing the shadows of ultimate          
realities4 ,however1 the recognition of 
the principle of the invariable relation
 between cause and effect was a great   
onward stride in the intellectual       
development of the world4  ,sidenote3   
,laws of nature are man's simplest      
expression of many related facts4  ,now1
 as men began to investigate nature with
 her forces1 according to the new light1
 numerous relations of the forces were  
discovered--in number far beyond the    
comprehension of the human mind4 ,then  
it was found necessary to group all     
facts of a similar nature1 and invent1  
if possible1 some means by which the    
properties of the whole group might be  
stated in language so simple as to reach
 the understanding4 ,thus came the laws 
of nature4  ,for instance1 men from     
earliest times observed the heavenly    
bodies and the regularity of their      
motions4 ,theories of the universe were 

invented which should harmonize with the
 known facts4 ,as new facts were        
discovered1 the theories had to be      
changed and extended4 ,first it was     
believed that the earth was fixed in    
mid-space1 and sun and stars were daily 
carried around it4 ,hipparchus improved 
this theory by placing the earth not    
exactly in the center of the sun's      
circle4 ,ptolemy1 three hundred years   
later1 considered that the sun and moon 
move in circles1 yearly1 around the     
earth1 and the other planets in circles1
 whose centers again described circles  
round the earth4 ,copernicus simplified 
the whole system by teaching that the   
earth rotated around its axis1 and      
around the sun4 ,keppler next showed    
that the earth moved around the sun in  
certain curves termed ellipses4         
,finally1 ,newton hit upon the          
wide-embracing law of gravitation1 which
 unifies all the known facts of         
astronomy4,a ,all the earlier laws were 
correct1 so far as they included all the

 knowledge of the age in which they were
 proposed1 but were insufficient to     
include the new discoveries4  ,footnote 
,a3 ,see ,the ,grammar of ,science1     
,pearson1 pp4 #aag1 #aah4  ,laws of     
nature are1 therefore1 man's simplest   
and most comprehensive expression of his
 knowledge of certain groups of natural 
phenomena4 ,they are man-made1 and      
subject to change as knowledge grows2   
but1 as they change1 they approach or   
should approach more and more nearly to 
the perfect law4 ,modern science is     
built upon the assumption that the      
relations between cause and effect are  
invariable1 and that these relations may
 be grouped to form great natural laws1 
which express the modes by which the    
forces of the universe manifest         
themselves4  ,sidenote3 ,a miracle is a 
law not understood4  ,in this matter1   
science is frankly humble1 and          
acknowledges that the region of the     
unknown is far greater than that of the 
known4 ,forces1 relations and laws may  

exist as yet unknown to the world of    
science1 which1 used by a human or      
superhuman being1 might to all          
appearances change well-established     
relations of known forces4 ,that would  
be a miracle2 but a miracle simply means
 a phenomenon not understood1 in its    
cause and effect relations4 ,it must    
also be admitted that men possess no    
absolute certainty that though certain  
forces1 brought into a certain          
conjunction a thousand times1 have      
produced the same effect1 they will     
continue to do so4 ,should a variation  
occur1 however1 that also must be       
ascribed to an inherent property of the 
forces or conditions1 or the existence  
of a law not understood4,a ,there can be
 no chance in the operations of nature4 
,this is a universe of law and order4   
,footnote ,a3 ,the ,credentials of      
,science1 the ,warrant of ,faith1       
,cooke1 pp4 #afi1 #agj4  ,sidenote3     
,joseph ,smith taught the invariable    
relation of cause and effect4  ,were it 

not for the sake of the completeness of 
the argument running through these      
chapters1 it would be unnecessary to    
call attention to the fact that ,joseph 
,smith in a very high degree held views 
similar to those taught by science      
relative to cause and effect1 and the   
reign of law4  ,from the beginning of   
his career1 the ,prophet insisted upon  
order1 or system1 as the first law in   
the religion or system of philosophy    
which he founded4,a ,moreover1 the order
 which he taught was of an unchangeable 
nature1 corresponding to the invariable 
relation between cause and effect4 ,he  
wrote1 ,there is a law1 irrevocably     
decreed in heaven before the foundations
 of this world1 upon which all blessings
 are predicated2 and when we obtain any 
blessing from ,god1 it is by obedience  
to that law upon which it is            
predicated4,b ,no text book in science  
has a clearer or more positive statement
 than this1 of the fact that like causes
 have like effects1 like actions like   

results4 ,the eternal nature of natural 
law is further emphasized as follows3   
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#bh3ac2 #acb2 #h4  ,footnote ,b3        
,doctrine and ,covenants1 #acj3bj1 #ba4 
,if there be bounds set to the heavens1 
or to the seas3 or to the dry land1 or  
to the sun1 moon or stars2 all the times
 of their revolutions2 all the appointed
 days1 months1 and years1 and all the   
days of their days1 months1 and years1  
and all their glories1 laws1 and set    
times1 shall be revealed1 in the days of
 the dispensation of the fullness of    
times1 according to that which was      
ordained in the midst of the ,council of
 the ,eternal ,god of all other ,gods   
before this world was4,a  ,footnote ,a3 
,doctrine and ,covenants1 #aba3cj-cb4   
,those who may be inclined to believe   
that this doctrine was taught in a      
spiritual sense only1 should recall that
 ,joseph ,smith taught also that spirit 
is only a pure form of matter1,a so that
 the principles of the material world   

must have their counterparts in the     
spiritual world4 ,besides1 in the last  
quotation reference is made to such     
material bodies as sun1 moon1 and stars4
 ,in other places1 special mention is   
made of the fact that the material      
universe is controlled by law4 ,for     
instance3  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and  
,covenants1 #aca3g4  ,all kingdoms have 
a law given3 and there are many         
kingdoms2 99 99 99 99 and unto every    
kingdom is given a law2 and unto every  
law there are certain bounds also and   
conditions4 99 99 99 99 ,and again1     
verily ,i say unto you1 he hath given a 
law unto all things by which they move  
in their times and their seasons2 and   
their courses are fixed2 even the       
courses of the heavens and the earth1   
which comprehend the earth and all the  
planets4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and 
,covenants1 #hh3cf-cc1 #db1 #dc4  ,this 
also is a clear1 concise statement of   
law and its nature1 which is not        
excelled by the definitions of science4 

,there can be no doubt from these       
quotations1 as from many others that    
might be made1 that ,joseph ,smith based
 his teachings upon the recognition that
 law pervades the universe1 and that    
none can transcend law4 ,in the material
 world or in the domain of ether or     
spirit1 like causes produced like       
effects--the reign of law is supreme4   
,sidenote3 ,the law also maketh you     
free4  ,certainly the claim cannot be   
made that ,joseph ,smith anticipated the
 world of science in the recognition of 
this important principle2 but it is a   
source of marvel that he should so      
clearly recognize and state it1 at a    
time when many religious sects and      
philosophical creeds chose to assume    
that natural laws could be set aside    
easily by mystical methods that might be
 acquired by anyone4 ,in some respects1 
the scientific test of the divine       
inspiration of ,joseph ,smith lies here4
 ,ignorant and superstitious as his     
enemies say he was1 the mystical would  

have attracted him greatly1 and he would
 have played for his own interest upon  
the superstitious fears of his          
followers4 ,instead1 he taught doctrines
 absolutely free from mysticism1 and    
built a system of religion in which the 
invariable relation of cause and effect 
is the cornerstone4 ,instead of priding 
himself1 to his disciples1 upon his     
superiority to the laws of nature1 he   
taught distinctly that the law also     
maketh you free4,a ,herein he recognized
 another great principle--that freedom  
consists in the adaptation to law1 not  
in the opposition to it4  ,footnote ,a3 
,doctrine and ,covenants1 #ih3h4        
,however1 whatever else the ,prophet    
,joseph ,smith was1 he most certainly   
was in full harmony with the scientific 
principle that the universe is          
controlled by law4     ,,the            
,,constitution ,,of ,,the ,,universe4   
,chapter ,,vi4  ,,the ,,new ,,astronomy4
   ,sidenote3 ,the laws of the motions  
of the heavenly bodies have been learned

 very slowly4  ,from the dawn of written
 history1 when the first men1 watching  
through the nights1 observed the regular
 motions of the moon and stars1 humanity
 has been striving to obtain a correct  
understanding of the relation of the    
earth to the4 ,first it was believed    
that the sun1 moon1 and stars revolved  
in circles around the earth 7which for a
 time was supposed to be flat instead of
 spherical74 ,the great ,greek          
philosopher1 ,hipparchus1 after         
observing the movements of the heavenly 
bodies1 suggested that the earth was not
 exactly in the middle of the circles4  
,three hundred years later1 ,ptolemy    
discovered a number of facts concerning 
the movements of the sun1 moon and      
planets1 which were unknown to          
,hipparchus1 and which led him to       
suggest that the sun and moon move in   
circles around the earth1 but that the  
planets move around the earth in        
circles1 whose centres again move around
 the earth4 ,this somewhat complex      

theory explained very well what was     
known of astronomy in the days of the   
ancients4 ,in fact1 the views of        
,ptolemy were quite generally accepted  
for #acjj years4  ,about #aejj1 ,a4 ,d41
 ,copernicus1 a ,dutch astronomer1      
having still more facts in his          
possession than had ,ptolemy1 concluded 
that the simplest manner in which the   
apparent movements of the sun1 moon1 and
 planets could be explained1 was to     
assume that the sun is the center of the
 planetary system1 and that the earth1  
with the moon and planets1 revolves     
according to definite laws around the   
sun4 ,this theory1 supported by numerous
 confirmatory observations1 was         
generally accepted by astronomers1 and  
really did explain very simply and      
clearly many of the facts of planetary  
motion4  ,fifty years after the death of
 ,copernicus1 the celebrated astronomer1
 ,kepler1 proposed extensions and       
improvements of the ,copernican         
doctrine1 which made the theory that the

 planets revolve about the sun more     
probable than ever before4 ,he suggested
 first that the planets move around the 
sun in closed curves1 resembling        
flattened circles1 and known as         
ellipses4 ,by assuming this to be true1 
and assisted by other discoveries1 he   
was also able to state the times        
required by the planets for their       
revolutions around the sun1 and the     
velocity of their motions at different  
times of the year4 ,later investigations
 have proved the great laws proposed by 
,copernicus and ,kepler to be true2 and 
from their days is dated the birth of   
modern astronomy4  ,sidenote3 ,the law  
of gravitation is universal and explains
 many of the motions of celestial       
bodies4  ,after the laws of the motions 
of the planets had been determined1 it  
was only natural that men should ask    
themselves what forces were concerned in
 these motions4 ,the ancient            
philosophers had proposed the idea that 
the sun attracts all heavenly bodies1   

but the suggestion had not been accepted
 by the world at large4 ,however1 after 
the discoveries of ,kepler1 the         
,english1 philosopher ,newton advanced  
the theory that there is in the universe
 an attractive force which influences   
all matter1 beyond the limits of known  
space4 ,he further proved that the      
intensity of this force varies directly 
with the product of the attractive      
masses1 and inversely1 with the square  
of the distances between them--that is1 
the greater the bodies the greater the  
attraction2 the greater the distance    
between them1 the smaller the           
attraction4 ,this law of gravitation has
 been verified by repeated experiments1 
and1 taken in connection with the       
astronomical theories of ,copernicus and
 ,kepler1 has made celestial mechanics  
what they are today4  ,by the aid of the
 law of gravitation1 many astronomical  
predictions have been fulfilled4 ,among 
the most famous is the following        
incident3  ,in the early part of the    

last century1 astronomers noticed that  
the motions of the planet ,uranus did   
not agree with those derived from       
calculations based upon the law of      
gravitation4 ,about #ahdf1 two          
investigators1 ,m4 ,leverrier1 of       
,france1 and ,mr4 ,adams of ,england1   
stated1 as their opinion1 that the      
discordance between theory and          
observation in the case of the motions  
of ,uranus1 was due to the attraction of
 a planet1 not yet known1 and they      
calculated by means of the law of       
gravitation1 the size and orbit of the  
unknown planet4 ,in the fall of #ahdf1  
this planet was actually discovered and 
named ,neptune4 ,it was found to        
harmonize with the predictions made by  
the astronomers before its discovery4   
,during the days of ,newton1 the        
question was raised if the celestial    
bodies outside of the solar system obey 
the law of gravitation4 ,among the      
stars1 there are some which are called  
double stars1 and which consist of two  

stars so near to each other that the    
telescope alone can separate them to the
 eye4 ,in #ahjc1 after twenty years of  
observation1 ,william ,herschel         
discovered that some of these couples   
were revolving around each other with   
various angular velocities4 ,the son of 
,william ,herschel continued this work1 
and many years later1 he discovered that
 the laws of motion of these double     
stars are the same as those that prevail
 in the the solar system4,a ,this result
 indicated not only the universality of 
the law of gravitation1 but also the    
probability that all heavenly bodies are
 in motion4  ,footnote ,a3 ,history of  
the ,inductive ,sciences1 ,whewell1 #crd
 ed4 ,vol4 ,i1 pp4 #dfg-dfi4  ,sidenote3
 ,the invention of the spectroscope laid
 the foundation of the new astronomy4   
,then1 early in the nineteenth century1 
a new method of research began to be    
developed1 which was destined to form a 
new science of astronomy4 ,it had long  
been known that white light when passed 

through a glass prism is broken into a  
colored spectrum1 with colors similar to
 those observed in the rainbow4 ,now it 
was discovered that when white light    
passes through vapors of certain        
composition1 dark lines appear in the   
spectrum1 and that the position of the  
lines varies with the chemical          
composition of the vapors4 ,by the      
application of these principles1 it was 
shown1 towards the middle of the last   
century1 that the chemical composition  
of the heavenly bodies may be           
determined4 ,later1it was discovered    
that by noting the positions of the dark
 lines in the spectrum1 it could be     
known when a star or any heavenly body  
is moving1 as also the direction and    
amount of its motion4 ,these unexpected 
discoveries led to a study of the       
heavens from the spectroscopic point of 
view1 which has resulted in a marvelous 
advance in the science of astronomy4    
,sidenote3 ,all heavenly bodies are in  
motion4  ,it has been determined that   

all heavenly bodies are in motion1 and  
that their velocities are great compared
 with our ordinary conceptions of       
motion4 ,most of the stars move at the  
rate of about seven miles per second1   
though some have a velocity of          
forty-five miles1 or more1 per second4  
,many stars1 formerly thought to be     
single1 have been resolved into two or  
more components4 ,the rings of ,saturn  
have been proved to consist of small    
bodies revolving about the planet in    
obedience to ,kepler's law4,a ,clusters 
of stars have been found that move      
through space as one body1 as possible  
counterparts of the planetary system4,b 
,it has been demonstrated1 further1 that
 the sun itself1 with its planets1 is   
moving through space at a very rapid    
rate4 ,professor ,simon ,newcomb1       
perhaps the greatest astronomer of the  
day1 says1 ,the sun1 and the whole solar
 system with it1 have been speeding     
their way toward the star of which ,i   
speak 7,alpha ,lyrae7 on a journey of   

which we know neither the beginning nor 
the end4 ,during every clock-beat       
through which humanity has existed1 it  
has moved on this journey by an amount  
which we cannot specify more exactly    
than to say that it is probably between 
five and nine miles per second4 ,the    
conclusion seems unavoidable that a     
number of stars are moving with a speed 
such that the attraction of all the     
bodies of the universe could never stop 
them4,c ,in brief1 the new astronomy    
holds that all heavenly bodies are in   
motion1 and that the planetary system is
 but a small cluster of stars among the 
host of heaven4 ,further1 it has weighed
 the stars1 measured the intensity of   
their light1 and determined their       
chemical composition1 and it affirms    
that there are suns in the heavens1 far 
excelling our sun in size and lustre1   
though built of approximately the same  
elements4  ,footnote ,a3 ,see ,c4 ,g4   
,abbott1 ,report of ,smithsonian        
,institution1 for #aija1 pp4 #aec-aee4  

,footnote ,b3 ,light ,science for       
,leisure ,hours1 ,proctor1 pp4 #db-eb4  
,footnote ,c3 ,the ,problems of         
,astronomy1 ,s4 ,newcomb1 ,science1 ,may
 #ba1 #ahig4  ,sidenote3 ,the solar     
system is only one of many4  ,sir       
,robert ,ball expresses his views as    
follows3 ,the group to which our sun    
belongs is a limited one4 ,this must be 
so1 even though the group included all  
the stars in the milky way4 ,this       
unnumbered host is still only a cluster1
 occupying1 comparatively speaking1 an  
expressibly small extent in the ocean of
 infinite space4 ,the imagination will  
carry us further still--it will show us 
that our star cluster may be but a unit 
in a cluster of an order still higher1  
so that a yet higher possibility of     
movement is suggested for our           
astonishment4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,the     
,story of the ,sun1 ,r4 ,s4 ,ball1 pp4  
#cfj1 #cfa4  ,another eminent astronomer
 expresses the same idea briefly but    
eloquently3 ,it is true that from the   

highest point of view the sun is only   
one of a multitude--a single star among 
millions--thousands of which1 most      
likely1 exceed him in brightness1       
magnitude and power4 ,he is only a      
private in the host of heaven4,a        
,footnote ,a3 ,the ,sun1 ,c4 ,a4 ,young1
 p4 #aa4  ,and still another student of 
the stars propounds the following       
questions3 ,does there exist a central  
sun of the universe8 ,do the worlds of  
,infinitude gravitate as a hierarchy    
round a divine focus8 ,some day the     
astronomers of the planets which        
gravitate in the light of ,hercules     
7towards which constellation the solar  
system is moving7 will see a little star
 appear in their sky4 ,this will be our 
sun1 carrying us along in its rays2     
perhaps at this very moment we are      
visible dust of a sidereal hurricane1 in
 a milky way1 the transformer of our    
destinies4 ,we are mere playthings in   
the immensity of ,infinitude4,a         
,footnote ,a3 ,popular ,astronomy1 ,c4  

,flammarion1 p4 #cji4  ,sidenote3       
,scientists believe that heavenly bodies
 are inhabited by living1 thinking      
beings4  ,it is not strange that men who
 have learned to look at the universe in
 this lofty manner should go a step     
farther1 beyond the actually known1 and 
suggest that some of these countless    
heavenly bodies must be inhabited by    
living1 thinking beings4 ,sober1        
thoughtful truthseekers1 who never      
advance needlessly a new theory1 have   
suggested1 in all seriousness1 that     
other worlds than ours are peopled4 ,for
 instance1 ,what sort of life1 spiritual
 and intellectual1 exists in distant    
worlds8 ,we can not for a moment suppose
 that our little planet is the only one 
throughout the whole universe on which  
may be found the fruits of civilization1
 warm firesides1 friendship1 the desire 
to penetrate the mysteries of           
creation4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,the         
,problems of ,astronomy1 ,s4 ,newcomb4  
,such1 then1 is in very general terms   

the view of modern astronomy with       
reference to the constitution of the    
universe4 ,most of the information upon 
which this view rests has been gathered 
during the last fifty years4  ,sidenote3
 ,joseph ,smith taught that all heavenly
 bodies are in motion4  ,joseph ,smith  
was doubtlessly impressed with the      
beauty of the starry heavens1 and1 in   
common with all men of poetical nature1 
allowed his thoughts to wander into the 
immensity of space4 ,however1 he had no 
known opportunity of studying the       
principles of astronomy1 or of becoming 
familiar with the astronomical questions
 that were agitating the thinkers of his
 day4 ,naturally1 very little is said in
 his writings that bears upon the       
planetary and stellar constitution of   
the universe2 yet enough to prove that  
he was in perfect harmony with the      
astronomical views developed since his  
day4  ,first1 he believed that stellar  
bodies are distributed throughout space4
 ,and worlds without number have ,i     

created4,a ,and there are many kingdoms2
 for there is no space in which there is
 no kingdom4,b ,he is further in harmony
 with modern views in that he claims    
that stars may be destroyed1 and new    
ones formed4 ,for1 behold1 there are    
many worlds that have passed away by the
 word of my power4,c ,and as one earth  
shall pass away1 and the heavens        
thereof1 even so shall another come4,d  
,footnote ,a3 ,book of ,moses1 #a3cc4   
,footnote ,b3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#hh3cg4  ,footnote ,c3 ,book of ,moses1 
#a3ce4  ,footnote ,d3 ,doctrine and     
,covenants1 #a3ch4  ,at the time that   
,joseph ,smith wrote1 there was         
considerable discussion as to whether   
the laws of the solar system were       
effective with the stars4 ,the ,prophet 
had no doubts on that score1 for he     
wrote1 ,and unto every kingdom is given 
a law2 and unto every law there are     
certain bounds also and conditions4,a   
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#hh3ch4  ,likewise1 his opinions        

concerning the motions of celestial     
objects were very definite and clear4   
,he hath given a law unto all things by 
which they move in their times and      
seasons2 and their courses are fixed2   
even the courses of the heavens and the 
earth1 which comprehend the earth and   
all the planets4 ,the earth rolls upon  
her wings1 and the sun giveth his light 
by day1 and the moon giveth her light by
 night1 and the stars also giveth their 
light1 as they roll upon their wings in 
glory1 in the midst of the power of     
,god4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and    
,covenants1 #hh3dc1 #de4  ,in another   
place the same thought is expressed4    
,the sun1 moon or stars2 all the times  
of their revolutions2 all the appointed 
days1 months1 and years1 and all the    
days of their days1 months1 and years1  
and all their glories1 laws1 and set    
times1 shall be revealed4,a  ,footnote  
,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 #aba3cj1  
#ca4  ,the two revelations from which   
these quotations are made1 were given to

 the ,prophet in #ahcb and #ahci        
respectively1 many years before the fact
 that all celestial bodies are in motion
 was understood and accepted by the     
world of science4  ,sidenote3 ,joseph   
,smith taught that the solar system is  
only one of many--in advance of the     
astronomers of his day4  ,the accepted  
conception that groups or clusters of   
stars form systems which revolve around 
some one point or powerful star1 was    
also clearly understood by ,joseph      
,smith1 for he speaks of stars of       
different orders with controlling stars 
for each order4 ,and ,i saw the stars   
that they were very great1 and that one 
of them was nearest unto the throne of  
,god2 and there were many great ones    
which were near unto it3 and the ,lord  
said unto me3 ,these are the governing  
ones2 and the name of the great one is  
,kolob because it is near unto me--,i   
have set this one to govern all those   
which belong to the same order as that  
upon which thou standest4,a ,that the   

governing star1 ,kolob1 is not the sun  
is evident1 since the statement is made 
later in the chapter that the ,lord     
showed ,abraham ,shinehah1 which is the 
sun4 ,kolob1 therefore1 must be a mighty
 star governing more than the solar     
system2 and is possibly the central sun 
around which the sun with its attendant 
planets is revolving4 ,the other great  
stars near ,kolob are also governing    
stars1 two of which are mentioned by    
name ,oliblish and ,enish-go-ondosh1    
though nothing is said of the order or  
stars that they control4 ,the reading of
 the third chapter of the ,book of      
,abraham leaves complete conviction that
 ,joseph ,smith taught that the         
celestial bodies are in great groups1   
controlled 7under gravitational         
influence7 by large suns4 ,in this      
doctrine1 he anticipated the world of   
science by many years4  ,footnote ,a3   
,book of ,abraham1 chapter #c4          
,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith taught that   
other worlds are inhabited4  ,it is     

perhaps less surprising to find that    
,joseph ,smith believed that there are  
other peopled worlds than ours4 ,for    
instance1 ,the reckoning of ,god's time1
 angel's time1 prophet's time1 and man's
 time1 is according to the planet on    
which they reside1,a which distinctly   
implies that other planets are          
inhabited4 ,another passage reads1 ,the 
angels do not reside on a planet like   
this earth1 but they reside in the      
presence of ,god1 on a globe like a sea 
of glass and fire4,b  ,footnote ,a3     
,doctrine and ,covenants1 #acj3d4       
,footnote ,b3 ,loc4 cit41 verses #f and 
#g4 ,see also #hh3fa4  ,while the idea  
that the planets and stars may be       
inhabited is not at all new1 yet it is  
interesting to note that ,joseph ,smith 
taught as an absolute truth that such is
 the case4 ,probably no other           
philosopher has gone quite that far4    
,these brief quotations go to show that 
the doctrines of the ,prophet of the    
,latter-day ,saints are in full accord  

with the views that distinguish the new 
astronomy4 ,it is also to be noted that 
in advancing the theories of universal  
motion among the stars1 and of great    
stars or suns governing groups of stars1
 he anticipated by many years the       
corresponding theories of professional  
astronomers4  ,in various sermons the   
,prophet dealt more fully with the      
doctrines here set forth and showed more
 strongly than is done in his doctrinal 
writings1 that he understood perfectly  
the far reaching nature of his          
astronomical teachings4  ,did ,joseph   
,smith teach these truths by chance8 or1
 did he receive inspiration from a      
higher power8     ,chapter ,,vii4       
,,geological ,,time4   ,sidenote3 ,the  
history of the world written in the     
rocks4  ,god speaks in various ways to  
men4 ,the stars1 the clouds1 the        
mountains1 the grass and the soil1 are  
all1 to him who reads aright1 forms of  
divine revelation4 ,many of the noblest 
attributes of ,god may be learned by a  

study of the laws according to which    
,omnipotent ,will directs the universe4 
,nowhere is this principle more         
beautifuly illustrated and confirmed    
than in the rocks that constitute the   
crust of the earth4 ,on them is written 
in simple plainness the history of the  
earth almost from that beginning1 when  
the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face 
of the waters4 ,yet1 for centuries1 men 
saw the rocks1 their forms and their    
adaptations to each other1 without      
understanding the message written in    
them4 ,only1 as the wonderful nineteenth
 century approached1 did the vision     
open1 and the interpretation of the     
story of the rocks become apparent4     
,sidenote3 ,water and heat among the    
shaping forces of the earth4  ,how the  
earth first came into being has not yet 
been clearly revealed4 ,from the first1 
however1 the mighty forces which act    
today1 have shaped and fashioned the    
earth and prepared it for man's         
habitation4 ,water1 entering the tiny   

cracks of the rocks1 and expanding as1  
in winter1 it changed to ice1 crumbled  
the mighty mountans2 water1 falling as  
rain from the clouds1 washed the rock   
fragments into the low-lying places to  
form soil2 the water in mighty rivers   
chiseled the earth with irresistible    
force1 as shown by the ,grand ,canyon of
 the ,colorado4 ,the internal heat of   
the earth1 aided by the translocation of
 material by water1 produced large      
cracks in the earth's crust1 through    
which oceans of molten matter flowed and
 spread themselves over the land2 the   
same heat appeared in volcanoes1 through
 which were spurted liquid earth1       
cinders and foul gases2 as the earth    
heat was lost1 the crust cooled1        
contracted and great folds appeared1    
recognized as mountains1 and as time    
went on1 many of the mountains were     
caused to sink and the ocean beds were  
brought up in their stead4 ,wonderful   
and mighty have been the changes on the 
earth's surface since the ,lord began   

its preparation for the race of men4    
,sidenote3 ,the geological history of   
the earth is in many chapters4  ,in the 
beginning1 it appears that water covered
 the whole earth4 ,in that day1 the     
living creatures of earth dwelt in the  
water1 and it was the great age of      
fishes and other aquatic animals4 ,soon 
the first land lifted itself timidly    
above the surface of the ocean1 and     
formed inviting places for land animals 
and plants4 ,upon the land came1 first1 
according to the story of the rocks1 a  
class of animals known as amphibians1   
like frogs1 that could live both in     
water and on land4 ,associated with     
these creatures were vast forests of low
 orders of plants1 that cleared the     
atmosphere of noxious gases1 and made it
 fit for higher forms of life4 ,then    
followed an age in which the            
predominating animals were gigantic     
reptiles1 a step higher than the        
amphibians1 but a step lower than the   
class of ,mammals to which man belongs4 

,during the age of these prehistoric    
monsters1 the earth was yet more fully  
prepared for higher life4 ,following the
 age of reptiles1 came the age of       
mammals1 which still persists1 though1  
since the coming of man upon the earth1 
the geological age has been known as the
 age of man4  ,this rapid sketch of the 
geological history of the earth does    
very poor justice to one of the most    
complete1 wonderful and beautiful       
stories brought to the knowledge of man4
 ,the purpose of this chapter is not1   
however1 to discuss the past ages of the
 earth4  ,it is1 of course1 readily     
understood that such mighty changes as  
those just described1 and the succession
 of different kinds of organic life1    
could not have taken place in a few     
years4 ,vast periods of time must of    
necessity have been required for the    
initiation1 rise1 domination and final  
extinction of each class of animals4 ,a 
year is too small a unit of measurement 
in geological time2 a thousand years or1

 better1 a million years1 would more    
nearly answer the requirements4         
,sidenote3 ,the earth is probably       
millions of years old4  ,it is possible 
in various ways to arrive at a          
conception of the age of the earth since
 organic life came upon it4 ,for        
instance1 the gorge of the ,niagara     
,falls was begun in comparatively recent
 days1 yet1 judging by the rate at which
 the falls are now receding1 it must    
have been at least #ca1jjj years since  
the making of the gorge was first begun1
 and it may have been nearly #djj1jjj   
years4,a ,lord ,kelvin1 on almost purely
 physical grounds1 has estimated that   
the earth cannot be more than           
#ajj1jjj1jjj years old1 but that it may 
be near that age4,b ,it need not be     
said1 probably1 that all such           
calculations are very uncertain1 when   
the actual number of years are          
considered2 but1 all human knowledge1   
based upon the present appearance of the
 earth and the laws that control known  

phenomena1 agree in indicating that the 
age of the earth is very great1 running 
in all probability into millions of     
years4 ,it must have been hundreds of   
thousands of years since the first life 
was placed upon earth4  ,footnote ,a3   
,dana's ,new ,text ,book of ,geology1 p4
 #cge4  ,footnote ,b3 ,lectures and     
,addresses1 vol4 #b1 p4 #aj4  ,sidenote3
 ,the war concerning the earth's age has
 helped theology and science4  ,when    
these immense periods of time were first
 suggested by students of science1 a    
great shout of opposition arose from the
 camp of the theologians4 ,the ,bible   
story of creation had been taken        
literally1 that in six days did the     
,lord create the heavens and the earth2 
and it was held to be blasphemy to      
believe anything else4 ,the new         
revelation1 given by ,god in the message
 of the rocks1 was received as a        
man-made theory1 that must be crushed to
 earth4 ,it must be confessed likewise  
that many of the men of science1        

exulting in the new light1 ridiculed the
 story told by ,moses1 and claimed that 
it was an evidence that the writings of 
,moses were not inspired1 but merely    
man-made fables4  ,the war between the  
,mosaic and the geological record of    
creation became very bitter and lasted  
long1 and it led to a merciless         
dissection and scrutiny of the first    
chapter of ,genesis1 as well as of the  
evidence upon which rests the geological
 theory of the age of the earth4 ,when  
at last the din of the battle grew      
faint1 and the smoke cleared away1 it   
was quickly perceived by the unbiased   
on-lookers1 that the ,bible and science 
had both gained by the conflict4        
,geology had firmly established its     
claim1 that the earth was not made in   
six days of twenty-four hours each2 and 
the first chapter of ,genesis had been  
shown to be a marvelously truthful      
record of the great events of creation4 
,sidenote3 ,the word day in ,genesis    
refers to indefinite time periods4      

,moses1 in the first chapter of         
,genesis1 enumerates the order of the   
events of creation4 ,first1 light was   
brought to the earth and was divided    
from darkness1 and the evening and the  
morning were the first day4 ,then the   
firmament was established in the midst  
of the waters1 and the evening and the  
morning were the second day4 ,after each
 group of creative events1 the same     
expression occurs1 and the evening and  
the morning were the third fourth1      
fifth1 and sixth days4 ,those who       
insisted upon the literal interpretation
 of the language of the ,bible          
maintained that the word day1 as used in
 ,genesis #a1 referred to a day of      
twenty-four hours1 and that all the     
events of creation were consummated by  
an all-powerful ,god in one hundred and 
forty-four earthly hours4 ,an           
examination of the original ,hebrew for 
the use of the word translated day in   
,genesis1 revealed that it refers more  
frequently to periods of time of        

indefinite duration4,a ,when this became
 clear1 and the records of the rocks    
became better known1 some theologians   
suggested1 that as we are told that a   
thousand years are as one day to ,god1  
the day of ,genesis #a refers to periods
 of a thousand years each4 ,this did not
 strengthen the argument4 ,the best     
opinion of today1 and it is well-nigh   
universal1 is that the ,mosaic record   
refers to indefinite periods of time    
corresponding to the great divisions of 
historical geology4  ,footnote ,a3      
,compare ,the ,mosaic ,record of        
,creation1 ,a4 ,mc,caul1 ,d4 ,d41 p4    
#bac4  ,even as late as the sixties and 
seventies of the last century this      
question was still so unsettled as to   
warrant the publication of books        
defending the ,mosaic account of        
creation4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,for instance
 ,aids to ,faith1 containing ,mc,caul's 
most able discussion4 ,the ,origin of   
the ,world1 ,j4 ,w4 ,dawson4  ,sidenote3
 ,joseph ,smith's teachings concerning  

creation found in the ,book of ,abraham4
  ,in #ahcj1 certain visions1 given to  
the ,jewish lawgiver ,moses1 were       
revealed to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4
 ,these visions are now incorporated    
with other matter in the ,pearl of      
,great ,price1 under the title1 ,the    
,book of ,moses4 ,in chapter two of this
 book is found an account of the        
creation1 which is nearly identical with
 the account found in ,genesis #a4 ,the 
slight variations which occur tend only 
to make the meaning of the writer       
clearer4 ,in this account1 the          
expression and the evening and the      
morning were the first etc4 day1 occurs 
just as it does in the ,mosaic account  
in the ,bible4 ,in #ahce1 certain       
ancient records found in the catacombs  
of ,egypt fell into the hands of ,joseph
 ,smith1 who found them to be some of   
the writings of ,abraham1 while he was  
in ,egypt4 ,the translation of these    
records is also found in the ,pearl of  
,great ,price1 under the title1 ,the    

,book of ,abraham4 ,in the fourth and   
fifth chapters of the book is found an  
account of the creation according to the
 knowledge of ,abraham4 ,the two        
accounts are essentially the same1 but  
the ,abrahamic version is so much fuller
 and clearer that it illumines the      
obscurer parts of the ,mosaic account4  
,we shall concern ourselves here only   
with the variation in the use of the    
word day4  ,sidenote3 ,the ,book of     
,abraham conveys the idea that the      
creative periods included much time4    
,in ,genesis #a3e we read1 ,and ,god    
called the light ,day1 and the darkness 
he called ,night4 ,and the evening and  
the morning were the fist day4 ,the     
corresponding period is discussed in the
 ,book of ,abraham #d3e as follows3 ,and
 the ,gods called the light ,day1 and   
the darkness they called ,night4 ,and it
 came to pass that from the evening     
until the morning they called night2 and
 from the morning until the evening they
 called day2 and this was the first1 or 

the beginning1 of that which they called
 night and day4  ,it is to be noted that
 in ,abraham's version names were given 
to the intervals between evening and    
morning1 and morning and evening2 but   
absolutely nothing is said about a first
 day3 the statement is simply made1 that
 this was the beginning of the          
alternating periods of light and        
darkness which they1 the ,gods1 had     
named night and day4 ,according to this 
version1 the first creative period      
occupied an unknown period of time4  ,in
 ,genesis #a3h it further says3 ,and    
,god called the firmament ,heaven4 ,and 
the evening and the morning were the    
second day4  ,the corresponding passage 
in the ,book of ,abraham #d3h1 reads1   
,and the ,gods called the expanse       
,heaven4 ,and it came to pass that it   
was from evening until morning that they
 called night2 and it came to pass that 
it was from morning until evening that  
they called day1 and this was the second
 time that they called night and day4   

,here it must be noted that nothing is  
said about a second day4 ,it is said    
that it was the second time that they   
called day--which leaves the second     
creative period entirely indefinite so  
far as time limits are concerned4  ,in  
,genesis #a3ac1 it reads1 and the       
evening and the morning were the third  
day4  ,in ,abraham #d3ac1 the           
corresponding passage reads1 ,and it    
came to pass that they numbered the     
days2 from the evening until the morning
 they called night2 and it came to pass1
 from the morning until the evening they
 called day2 and it was the third time4 
,here it is explicitly stated that the  
,gods numbered the days2 evidently1 they
 counted the days that had passed during
 the third creative period1 and it was  
the third time that the numbering had   
been done4 ,again1 the third creative   
period is left indefinite1 as to time   
limits4  ,gen4 #a3ai1 reads1 ,and the   
evening and the morning were the fourth 
day4  ,correspondingly1 in ,abraham     

#d3ai1 is found1 ,and it came to pass   
that it was from evening until morning  
that it was night2 and it came to pass  
that it was from morning until evening  
that it was day2 and it was the fourth  
time4  ,this quotation from ,abraham1   
standing alone1 would be somewhat       
ambiguous1 for it might indicate that it
 was the fourth time that the periods   
between evening and morning1 and morning
 and evening were called night and day4 
,in the light of previous passages1     
however1 the meaning of the passage     
becomes clear4 ,certainly there is      
nothing in the verse to confine the     
fourth creative period within certain   
time limits4  ,the fifth day in ,genesis
 closes as does the fourth2 and the     
fifth time in ,abraham closes as does   
the fourth4 ,the remarks made concerning
 the fourth creative period apply to the
 fifth4  ,concerning the sixth creative 
period1 ,gen4 #a3ca1 says1 ,and ,god saw
 everything that he had made1 and1      
behold1 it was very good4 ,and the      

evening and the morning were the sixth  
day4  ,of the same period ,abraham says1
 ,and the ,gods said3 ,we will do       
everything that we have said1 and       
organize them2 and behold1 they shall be
 very obedient4 ,and it came to pass    
that it was from morning until evening  
that they called night2 and it came to  
pass that it was from evening until     
morning that they called day2 and they  
numbered the sixth time4  ,as in the    
previous periods1 the sixth ended by the
 ,gods numbering the days of the        
creative period2 the sixth period1 like 
those preceding1 being indeterminate as 
to time4  ,repeated reading and study of
 the ,abrahamic account1 as revealed    
through ,joseph ,smith1 make it certain 
beyond doubt that the intent is to      
convey the idea that the creative       
periods included much time1 and that1 at
 the end of each period1 the measure of 
night and day1 was applied to the       
period1 in order that its length might  
be determined4 ,whether or not the      

different creative periods represented  
days to the mighty beings concerned in  
the creation1 we do not know1 and it    
matters little to the argument of this  
article4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,the writer   
understands the creation1 reported in   
,abraham1 #dth chapter1 to be spiritual 
in its nature2 but he also believes that
 this spiritual account is a perfect    
picture of the actual material creation4
 ,if chapter #d of ,abraham represents  
the ,gods planning creation1 the        
measuring of time becomes easily        
understood4 ,it then means1 ,how long   
will it take to accomplish the work8    
,all this1 however1 has no bearing upon 
the present argument4  ,now1 then1 we   
must remember that ,joseph ,smith made  
this translation long before the        
theologians of the world had consented  
to admit that the ,mosaic days meant    
long periods of time2 and long before   
geology had established beyond question 
that immense time periods had been      
consumed in the preparation of the earth

 for man4  ,joseph ,smith1 the humble1  
unlearned1 despised boy1 unfamiliar with
 books and the theories of men1 stated  
with clear and simple certainty1 if his 
works be read with the eye of candid    
truth1 this fundamental truth of        
geological science and the ,bible1 long 
before the learned of the world had     
agreed upon the same truth4,a  ,footnote
 ,a3 ,it may be remarked that other     
geological doctrines were taught by the 
,prophet1 that science has since        
confirmed4 ,one of these was discussed  
by ,dr4 ,j4,e4 ,talmage in the          
,improvement ,era1 ,vol4 #g1 p4 #dha4   
,standing alone1 this fact might be     
called a chance coincidence1 a result of
 blind fate4 ,but recalling that it is  
one of many similar and even more       
striking facts1 what shall be said1 ,has
 ever impostor dared what ,joseph ,smith
 did8 ,has ever false prophet lived     
beyond his generation1 if his prophecies
 were examined8 ,shall we of this       
foremost age accept convincing1 logical 

truth1 though it run counter to our     
preconceived notions8 ,glorious were the
 visions of ,joseph the ,prophet2       
unspeakable would be our joy1 should    
they be given to us4     ,chapter       
,,viii4  ,,organized ,,intelligence4    
,sidenote3 ,a complete philosophy must  
consider living beings4  ,the student of
 the constitution of the universe must  
take into account living beings4        
,plants1 animals and men are essentially
 different from the mass of matter4 ,the
 rock1 apparently1 is the same forever2 
but the plant has a beginning1 and after
 a comparatively short existence dies4  
,animals and men1 likewise1 begin their 
earthly existence2 then1 after a brief  
life1 die1 or disappear from the        
immediate knowledge of living things4   
,man1 the highest type of living things1
 differs from the rock1 moreover1 in    
that he possesses the power to exercise 
his will in directing natural forces4   
,animals and even plants seem to possess
 a similar power to a smaller degree4   

,the rock on the hillside is pulled     
downward by gravitation1 but can move   
only if the ground is removed from      
beneath it by some external force4 ,man1
 on the other hand1 can walk up or down 
the hill1 with or against the pull of   
gravity4  ,sidenote3 ,science teaches   
that all phenomena may be referred to   
matter and ether in motion4  ,modern    
science refers all phenomena to matter  
and motion2 in other words1 to matter   
and force or energy4 ,in this general   
sense1 matter includes the universal    
ether1 and force includes any or all of 
the forces known1 or that may be known1 
to man4  ,to illustrate3 the electrician
 develops a current of electricity1     
which to the scientist is a portion of  
the universal ether moving in a certain 
definite manner4 ,when the vibrations of
 the ether are caused to change1 light1 
or magnetism or chemical affinity may   
result from the electricity4 ,in every  
case1 matter is in motion4 ,the ear     
perceives a certain sound4 ,it is       

produced by the movements of the air4   
,in fact1 sounds are carried from place 
to place by great air waves4 ,the heat  
of the stove is due to the rapid        
vibration of the molecules in the iron  
of the stove1 which set up corresponding
 vibrations in the ether4  ,in nature no
 exceptions have been found to the great
 scientific claim that all natural      
phenomena may be explained by referring 
them to matter in motion4,a ,variations 
in the kind of matter and the kind of   
motion1 lead to all the variations found
 in the universe4  ,footnote ,a3        
,tyndall1 ,fragments of ,science1 ,i4   
chaps4 ,i and ,,ii4  ,sidenote3 ,life is
 a certain form of motion4  ,by many it 
has been held that life and its         
phenomena transcend the ordinary        
explanations of nature4 ,yet1 those who 
have learned1 by laborious researches1  
that the fundamental ideas of the       
universe are only eternal matter1       
eternal energy and the universe-filling 
medium1 the ether1 find it very         

difficult to conceive of a special force
 of life1 which concerns itself solely  
with very limited portions of matter1   
and is wholly distinct from all other   
natural forces4  ,to the student of     
science it seems more consistent to     
believe that life is nothing more than  
matter in motion2 that1 therefore1 all  
matter possesses a kind of life2 and    
that the special life possessed by      
plants1 animals and man1 is only the    
highest or most complex motion in the   
universe4 ,the life of man1 according to
 this view1 is essentially different    
from the life of the rock2 yet both are 
certain forms of the motion of matter1  
and may be explained ultimately by the  
same fundamental conceptions of science4
 ,certainly1 such an idea is more       
beautifully simple than that of a       
special force of life1 distinct from all
 other natural forces4  ,it is argued by
 those who uphold this view1 that the   
simple forces of nature are converted by
 living things into the higher forces   

that characterize life4 ,for instance1  
to keep the human body1 with its        
wonderful will and intelligence1 in     
health1 it is necessary to feed it4 ,the
 food is actually burned within the     
body4 ,the heat thus obtained gives to  
the man both physical and intellectual  
vigor4 ,it would really appear1         
therefore1 that heat1 which is a well   
known1 simple physical force1 may be    
converted by the animal body into other 
and more complex forces1 or modes of    
motion1 such as the so-called life      
force4  ,sidenote3 ,a certain           
organization characterizes life4        
,naturally1 should science class life as
 the highest or most complex of the     
modes of material motion1 the question  
would arise concerning the manner in    
which this conversion were made         
possible4 ,the answer must be that the  
ultimate particles of the matter        
composing the living thing are so       
arranged or organized that the great    
natural forces may be converted into    

life force4 ,it is possible by passing  
heat through certain substances to make 
them luminous1 thus converting heat into
 light2 by employing a dynamo1          
mechanical energy may be converted into 
electrical energy2 by coiling a wire    
around a rod of soft iron1 electricity  
may be converted into magnetism4 ,in    
short1 it is well understood in science1
 that by the use of the right machines  
one form of energy may be changed into  
another4 ,it is generally assumed1 that 
the human body is so organized that the 
forces of heat1 light and undoubtedly   
others1 may be converted into higher    
forms1 peculiar to living things4,a     
,footnote ,a3 ,compare1 ,fiske1         
,outlines of ,cosmic ,philiosophy1 chap4
 ,,xvi4 ,pearson1 ,grammar of ,science1 
pp4 #djd-djg4 ,dolbear1 ,matter1 ,ether 
and ,motion1 chap4 ,,xi1 pp4 #bid-big4  
,sidenote3 ,protoplasm1 a highly        
organized body1 is always associated    
with life4  ,to substantiate this view1 
it may be recalled that the fundamental 

chemical individual in living thing is a
 very complex1 unstable substance known 
as protoplasm4 ,no living cell exists   
without the presence of this substance4 
,it is far from being known well1 as    
yet1 but enough is known to enable      
science to say that it is composed of   
several elements1 so grouped and        
regrouped as to transcend all present   
methods of research4,a ,by means of this
 highly organized body1 it is assumed   
that the ordinary forces of nature are  
worked over and made suited for the     
needs of the phenomena of life4         
,footnote ,a3 ,pearson1 ,grammar of     
,science1 p4 #djh4  ,the existence of   
the complex life-characteristic         
substance protoplasm1 renders probable  
the view that living things1 after all1 
differ from the rest of creation only in
 the kind and degree of their           
organization1 and that life1 as the word
 is ordinarily used1 depends upon a     
certain kind or organization of         
matter1,a which leads to a certain kind 

of motion4  ,footnote ,a3 ,tyndall1     
,fragments of ,science4 ,,ii1 chaps4    
,,iv and ,,vi4  ,as to the origin of the
 special organization called life1      
science has nothing to say4 ,science is 
helpless when she deals with the        
beginning of things4 ,the best          
scientific explanation of life is that  
it is a very complex mode of motion     
occasioned by a highly complex          
organization of the matter and ether of 
the living body4  ,there are still some 
students who prefer to believe in the   
existence of a special vital force1     
which is not subject to the laws that   
govern other forces4 ,this view1        
however1 is so inconsistent with the    
modern understanding of the contents of 
the universe that it has few followers4 
,sidenote3 ,the modern conception of    
life is very recent4  ,the view that    
life is a special organization by which 
the great natural forces are focussed   
and concentrated1 so as to accomplish   
the greatest works1 necessarily implies 

a belief in the modern laws of nature4  
,since modern science is of very recent 
development it was quite improbable for 
such a conception of life to have been  
held clearly before modern times4 ,in   
fact it is within the last thirty or    
forty years that these views have found 
expression among scientific             
investigations4  ,sidenote3 ,joseph     
,smith taught the universality of life4 
,as observed in chapters two and three1 
,joseph ,smith taught that the energy of
 matter or of ether is a form of        
intelligence4 ,if1 according to this    
doctrine1 matter and ether are          
intelligent2 then life also must reside 
in all matter and ether4 ,hence         
everything in the universe is alive4    
,further1 since all force is motion1    
universal motion is universal life4 ,the
 difference between rock1 plant1 beast  
and man is in the amount and            
organization of its life or             
intelligence4 ,for instance1 in harmony 
with this doctrine1 the earth must      

possess intelligence or life4 ,in fact  
the ,prophet says the earth444444shall  
be sanctified2 yea1 notwithstanding it  
shall die1 it shall be quickened again1 
and shall abide the power by which it is
 quickened4,a ,the statement that the   
earth shall die and shall be quickened  
again1 certainly implies that the earth 
possess life1 though1 naturally1 of an  
order wholly different from that of men 
or other higher living things4          
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants  
#hh3be1 #bf4  ,sidenote3 ,man is        
coexistent with ,god4  ,it is an        
established ,mormon doctrine that man is
 coexistent with ,god4 ,note the        
following statements3 ,ye were also in  
the beginning with the ,father4 ,man was
 also in the beginning with ,god4       
,intelligence1 or the light of truth1   
was not created or made1 neither indeed 
can be4,a ,yet these two spirits1       
notwithstanding one is more intelligent 
than the other1 have no beginning2 they 
existed before1 they shall have no end1 

they shall exist after for they are     
eternal4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and 
,covenants #ic3bc and #bi4  ,footnote   
,b3 ,book of ,abraham #c3ai4  ,sidenote3
 ,joseph ,smith taught that man is      
organized from matter1 spirit and       
intelligence4  ,in the account of the   
,creation1 given in the ,book of        
,abraham1 it is clearly stated that the 
,gods organized the earth and all upon  
it from available materials1 and as the 
fitting climax to their labors they went
 down to organize man in their own      
image1 in the image of ,gods to form    
him4,a ,the creation of man was in part 
at least the organization of individuals
 from eternal materials and forces4 ,the
 nature of that organization is made    
partly clear by the ,prophet when he    
says ,the spirit and the body are the   
soul of man4,b ,the spirit here referred
 to may be compared to the ether of     
science1 vibrating with the force of    
intelligence1 which is the first and    
highest of the many forces of nature4   

,the body1 similarly1 refers to the     
grosser elements1 also fired with the   
universal energy--intelligence4 ,the    
word ,soul1 in the above quotation1     
means man as he is on earth and is used 
as in ,genesis4 ,man1 according to this1
 is composed of matter2 the spirit which
 may be likened to ether1 and energy4   
,the organization of man at the         
beginning of our earth history1 was only
 the clothing of the eternal spiritual  
man with the matter which constitutes   
the perishable body4 ,in confirmation of
 this view note another statement1 ,for 
man is spirit4 ,the elements are        
eternal1 and spirit and element1        
inseparably connected1 receiveth a      
fullness of joy1 and when separated1 man
 can not receive a fullness of joy4,c   
,here also it is taught that man is     
composed of matter1 spirit and energy4  
,footnote ,a3 ,book of ,abraham1 #dth   
chap4 7,note verse #bg47  ,footnote ,b3 
,doctrine and ,covenants #hh3ae4        
,footnote ,c3 ,doctrine and ,covenants  

#ic3cc and #cd4  ,sidenote3             
,intelligence is universal4  ,president 
,brigham ,young has left an interesting 
paragraph that confirms the statement   
that according to ,mormon doctrine1 all 
matter is intelligent1 and that man is  
superior only because of his higher     
organization4 ,is this earth1 the air   
and the water1 composed of              
life444448444444,if the earth1 air and  
water1 are composed of life is there any
 intelligence in this life84444,are     
those particles of matter life2 if so1  
are they in possession of intelligence  
according to the grade of their         
organization8444444,we suggest the idea 
that there is an eternity of life1 an   
eternity of organization1 and an        
eternity of intelligence from the       
highest to the lowest grade1 every      
creature in its order1 from the ,gods to
 the animalculae4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,the 
,resurrection1 p4 #c4 ,ed4 of #ahhd4    
,sidenote3 ,spirit unaided knows matter 
with difficulty4  ,the statement that   

man can receive a fullness of joy only  
when spirit and element are united1 is  
of itself a scientific doctrine of high 
import4 ,this is a world of matter2 and 
a spiritual man1 that is one made only  
of the universal ether1 would not be    
able to receive fully the impressions   
that come from the contact of element   
with element4 ,to enjoy and understand  
this world1 it is necessary for the     
spirit to be clothed with matter4 ,the  
ether or spirit world is not within our 
immediate view2 and it is probable that 
the material world is far away from     
purely spiritual beings4  ,sidenote3    
,god is the ,master-builder4  ,this     
whole doctrine means that ,god is the   
organizer of worlds1 and all upon them4 
,he is not the ,creator of the materials
 and forces of the universe1 for they   
are eternal2 ,he is the master buidler  
who uses the simple elements of nature  
for his purposes4 ,it is also plain     
that1 according to ,mormon doctrine1    
there is no special life force4 ,the    

intelligence residing in a stone is in  
quality1 as far as it goes1 the same as 
the intelligence possessed by man4 ,but1
 man is so organized that a greater     
amount of intelligence1 a fullness of   
it1 centers in him1 and he is as a      
consequence essentially and eternally   
different from the stone4 ,president    
,young also said1 ,the life that is     
within us is a part of an eternity of   
life1 and is organized spirit1 which is 
clothed upon by tabernacles1 thereby    
constituting our present being1 which is
 designed for the attainment of further 
intelligence4 ,the matter comprising our
 bodies and spirits has been organized  
from the eternity of matter that fills  
immensity4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,journal of 
,discourses1 vol4 #g3bhe4 7,brigham     
,young47  ,sidenote3 ,a lower           
intelligence cannot become a higher     
intelligence except by disorganization4 
,this doctrine does not permit of the   
interpretation that a lower             
intelligence1 such as that of an animal1

 may in time become the intelligence of 
a man4 ,it remaineth in the sphere in   
which ,i1 ,god1 created it4,a ,the horse
 will ever remain a horse1 though the   
intelligence of the animal may increase4
 ,to make any of the constituent parts  
or forces of an animal1 part of the     
intelligence of a man1 it would be      
necessary to disorganize the animal2 to 
organize the elements into a man1 and   
thus to begin over again4  ,footnote ,a3
 ,book of ,moses #c3i4  ,sidenote3      
,joseph ,smith anticipated science in   
the modern conception of life4  ,men1   
beasts and plants--those beings that    
possess the higher life1 differ from    
inanimate nature1 so called1 by a higher
 degree of organization4 ,that is the   
dogma of ,mormonism1 and the doctrine of
 science4 ,about #ahca ,joseph ,smith   
gave this knowledge to the world2 a     
generation later1 scientific men arrived
 independently at the same conclusion4  
,sidenote3 ,the thinkers and writers of 
,mormonism have taught the foregoing    

doctrine of life4  ,the thinkers and    
writers of ,mormonism have more or less 
directly taught the same doctrine4      
,apostle ,orson ,pratt believed that the
 body of man1 both spiritual and        
earthly1 was composed of atoms or       
ultimate particles--of the ,holy ,spirit
 for the spiritual body and material    
elements for the mortal body4 ,it has   
already been shown that the ,holy       
,spirit of ,mormonism may be compared   
with the ether of science1 vibrating    
with the greater force of the           
universe--intelligence4 ,for instance3  
,the intelligent particles of a man's   
spirit are by their peculiar union1 but 
one human spirit4,a ,several of the     
atoms of this spirit exist united       
together in the form of a person4,b     
,undoubtedly ,elder ,pratt believed that
 the living man is simply organized from
 the elements and elementary forces of  
the universe4  ,footnote ,a3            
,absurdities of ,immaterialism1 ed4     
#ahdi1 p4 #bf4  ,footnote ,b3 ,ibid1 p4 

#bi4  ,perhaps the best and safest      
exposition of the philosophy of         
,mormonism is ,parley ,p4 ,pratt's ,key 
to ,theology4 ,in it he states          
definitely that the spirit of man is    
organized from the elementary ,holy     
,spirit4 ,the holiest of all elements1  
the ,holy ,spirit1 when organized in    
individual form1 and clothed upon with  
flesh and bones1 contains1 etc4,a ,that 
the earthly body was likewise organized 
is equally plain for he says ,at the    
commencement--the elements--were found  
in a state of chaos4,b ,then man was    
moulded from the earth as a brick4,c    
,again1 ,the spirit of man consists of  
an organization of the elements of      
spiritual matter1,d which finds entrance
 into its tabernacle of flesh4 ,in      
another place he defines creation by    
asking ,what is creation8 ,merely       
organization444444 ,the material of     
which this earth was made always did    
exist1 and it was only an organization  
which took place during the time spoken 

of by ,moses4,e  ,footnote ,a3 ,key to  
,theology1 #eth ed41 p4 #df4  ,footnote 
,b3 ,ibid1 p4 #di4  ,footnote ,c3 ,ibid1
 p4 #ea4  ,footnote ,d3 ,ibid1 p4 #aca4 
,footnote ,e3 ,roberts1 ,mormon         
,doctrine of ,deity1 pp4 #bgh1 #bgi4    
,numerous other authorities might be    
quoted to prove that the above is the   
,mormon view4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,see     
especially the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith's
 ,sermon1 ,contributor1 vol4 #d1 pp4    
#bef-bfh4  ,in this chapter the         
intention has not been to explain fully 
the doctrines of ,joseph ,smith relating
 to the nature of man1 but to call      
attention to the fact that the present  
scientific conception of the nature of  
living things is the same as that of    
,mormonism4 ,that ,mormonism goes       
farther than science1 and completes the 
explanation1 is to the credit of the    
,prophet4  ,it must not be forgotten    
that in stating the doctrine that man is
 organized from the eternal elements and
 elementary forces of the universe1 in  

such a way as to produce the phenomena  
of higher life1 ,joseph ,smith          
anticipated the workers in science by   
nearly a generation4  ,how wonderful was
 this boy-prophet of ,mormonism1 if all 
this was orginated within his own mind6 
,at every point of contact1 the sanest  
of modern philosophy finds counterpart  
in the theological structure of the     
,gospel as taught by ,joseph ,smith4 ,is
 the work divine8     ,,the ,,laws      
,,governing ,,the ,,individual4         
,chapter ,,ix4  ,,faith4   ,sidenote3   
,faith is the assurance of the existence
 of things not seen4  ,for the          
government of the individual the first  
principle in ,mormon theology is faith4 
,joseph ,smith defined faith in the     
words of the ,apostle ,paul1 ,now1 faith
 is the substance of things hoped for2  
the evidence of things not seen4 ,to    
this the ,prophet added ,from this we   
learn that faith is the assurance which 
men have of things which they have not  
seen4,a ,on this principle1 with this   

definition1 many young persons who have 
ventured upon the sea of unbelief have  
wrecked the religion of their childhood2
 for1 the human mind1 in some stages of 
its development1 is disinclined to      
accept as knowledge anything that can   
not be sensed directly4  ,footnote ,a3  
,doctrine and ,covenants1 ,lecture ,i1  
verses #h1 #i4  ,nowadays1 the young    
doubter who can not accept as the       
foundation of his religion things which 
he has not seen1 usually turns for      
comfort and future growth to the results
 of science4 ,there he finds truths upon
 truths1 glorious in their beauty and   
susceptibility to direct and            
unmistakeable proof2 and soon he        
declares that in so-called natural      
science1 there is no need of faith1 for1
 if a person has only advanced far      
enough1 every concern of science may be 
known through one1 two or several       
senses4  ,sidenote3 ,such faith lies at 
the formation of science4  ,it is true  
that in the beginning of science no     

faith seems to be required2 for every   
statement is based on experiments and   
observations that may be repeated by    
every student2 and nothing is taken on  
trust4 ,as the deeper parts of science  
are explored1 however1 it is soon       
discovered that in science as in        
theology1 a faith in things that can not
 be seen1 is an essential requisite for 
progress4 ,in fact1 the fundamental laws
 of the great divisions of science deal 
with realities that are wholly and      
hopelessly beyond the reach of man's    
five senses4  ,sidenote3 ,the molecules 
are beyond man's direct senses4  ,an    
exposition of the fundamental conception
 of chemical science will illustrate the
 nature of scientific faith4 ,a fragment
 of almost any substance may easily be  
divided into two or three pieces by a   
stroke of a hammer4 ,each of the pieces 
may be broken into smaller pieces and   
this process of division continued until
 the powder is as fine as dust4 ,still1 
each particle of the dust may be divided

 again and again1 if we only have       
instruments fine enough to continue the 
process4 ,a question which philosophy   
asked itself near its beginning was3 ,is
 it possible to keep on dividing the    
dust particles forever1 or is there a   
particle so small that it can not be    
divided again8 ,neither science nor     
abstract philosophy has yet been able to
 answer this question fully4 ,however1  
science has learned that if such a      
process of division occurs1 in course of
 time a particle will be obtained which 
is so small that if it is divided or    
broken1 the fragments will no longer be 
of the same nature as the original      
substance4 ,these smallest particles in 
which the properties of the original    
substance inhere1 are known as          
molecules4 ,thus a molecule of sugar1   
when broken1 falls into the elements    
carbon1 hydrogen and oxygen2 of salt1   
into sodium and chlorine and of water   
into hydrogen and oxygen4  ,the size of 
such a molecule can not be comprehended 

by the human mind2 its smallness seems  
infinite4 ,the mortal eye1 though aided 
by the most powerful miscroscopes of    
modern days could not distinguish a     
sugar molecule or even a pile of        
thousands of them2 placed on the tongue1
 there would be no sensation of         
sweetness2 though it were hurled against
 our body with the velocity of lightning
 we should not feel the impact4 ,to all 
our senses1 the molecule is wholly      
unknown and no doubt shall remain so    
while the earth is as it is4 ,yet1 no   
fact is better established than the     
existence of the realities that we      
interpret as molecules4 ,their relative 
weights and other properties have been  
securely determined4 ,the existence of  
such a particle is as certain as is the 
existence of the sun in the high        
heavens4  ,sidenote3 ,science teaches   
the composition of the directly         
unknowable molecules4  ,not only does   
science teach the existence of          
molecules2 it looks within them and     

reveals their composition4 ,for         
instance1 a molecule of the sugar known 
as glucose1 and used by candy makers1 is
 made up of six particles of the element
 carbon1 twelve of the element hydrogen 
and six of the element oxygen4 ,the     
particles of carbon in the glucose      
molecule are so small that if one were  
divided it would no longer be carbon2   
the same with the particles of hydrogen 
and oxygen3 if divided they would change
 into something else--into what is not  
yet known to man4 ,these smallest       
particles are called atoms of the       
elements charcoal1 hydrogen and oxygen4 
,if instead of an atom of carbon1       
hydrogen and oxygen1 we write ,c1 ,h1   
,o1 the composition of a molecule of    
glucose would be written ,c#f;,h#ab,o#f4
 ,these are also indisputable facts of  
science4 ,if the molecules are far      
beyond the range of our senses1 the     
atoms are of course much further removed
 from the known world4  ,sidenote3      
,science teaches the arrangements of the

 atoms within the molecules4  ,but the  
chemist does not stop here4 ,he is able 
to state accurately how the invisible1  
unsensed atoms are arranged within the  
unknowable molecule4 ,in nature are     
found several glucose-like sugars1 the  
molecules of which contain the same     
numbers of carbon1 hydrogen and oxygen  
atoms4 ,the varying properties of these 
sugars have been found to result from   
the different arrangements of the atoms 
within the molecules4 ,the structure of 
the molecules of three of the most      
common sugars are as follows3           
----------------------------------------
------------------------------        ,i
                 ,,ii                   
,,iii     ,,dextrose ,a      ,,laevulose
 ,a       ,,galactose ,a                
,h#b;,c-,,oh           ,h#b;,c-,o ,h    
,h#b;,c-,,oh                            
,,ho-,c-,h           ,h ,o-,c-,h        
,,ho-,c ,h                              
,,ho-,c-,h           ,h ,o-,c-,h        
,,hc-,,oh                               

,h-,c-,o-,h           ,h ,c-,o ,h       
,,hc-,,oh                               
,,ho-,c-,h               ,c,o           
,,ho-,,ch                               
,h-,c,o             ,h ,c,o             
,h-,c,o                                 
----------------------------------------
------------------------------          
,footnote ,a3 ,dextrose and laevulose   
combine to form ordinary cane or beet   
sugar4 ,dextrose and galactose combine  
to form the sugar found in milk4        
,referring to the above diagrams it will
 be observed that although each         
arrangement contains the same number of 
atoms1 yet1 because of the difference in
 arrangement1 they are far from being   
identical4 ,in fact1 the difference in  
the properties of the sugars may be     
referred to the arrangement of the atoms
 in the molecules4 ,this truth is one of
 the most splendid achievements of      
modern science4 ,all the facts1 here    
briefly outlined1 are included in the   
atomic hypothesis1 which is the         

foundation of the modern science of     
chemistry4  ,sidenote3 ,science requires
 a strong faith in things not seen4     
,science asks us to believe in the      
existence of particles1 unknowable to   
our senses1 the molecules2 then to      
believe in still smaller particles1 the 
atoms1 which make up the molecules but  
whose relative weights and general      
properties have been determined4 ,here1 
a faith is required in things that can  
not be seen1 and in the properties of   
these things4 ,true1 the scientist does 
not pretend to describe the atoms in    
detail1 he does not need to do that to  
establish the certainty of their        
existence4 ,he looks upon them as       
ultimate causes of effects that he may  
note with his physical senses4 ,does    
theology require more8 ,does any sane   
man in asking us to believe in ,god1 for
 instance1 attempt to describe him in   
detail8  ,the scientist goes farther    
than this1 however1 for he asks us not  
only to have faith in the invisible1    

untasteable1 unfeelable atoms1 but also 
in the exact manner in which these atoms
 are arranged within the molecule4      
,true1 it is claimed1 only1 that the    
relative arrangement is known1 yet the  
faith required still leads us far beyond
 the simple faith in atoms4 ,has any man
 asked us to believe that he can        
describe the structure of ,god's        
dwelling8 ,no principle taught by       
,joseph ,smith requires a larger faith  
than this4  ,sidenote3 ,the conception  
of the ether requires large faith4  ,not
 only in chemistry are such transcendent
 truths required4 ,the fundamental      
conception of physics requires1 if      
possible1 a larger faith4 ,the          
explanations of modern physics rest     
largely upon the doctrine of the        
universal ether4 ,this ether is         
everywhere present1 between the         
molecules and atoms2 in fact the things 
of the universe are1 as it were1        
suspended in the ocean of ether4 ,this  
ether is so attenuated that it fills the

 pores of the human body without        
impressing itself upon our              
consciousness1 yet some of its          
properties indicate that its elasticity 
is equal to that of steel4 ,as shown in 
chapter #e1 the most eminent scientists 
of the day declare that the existence of
 this world-ether is one of the few     
things of which men may be absolutely   
sure4 ,yet the ether cannot be seen1    
heard1 tasted1 smelled or felt4 ,to our 
senses it has neither weight nor        
substance4 ,to believe the existence of 
this ether requires a faith which is    
certainly as great as the greatest faith
 required by ,mormon theology4          
,numerous other illustrations might be  
cited1 without greatly emphasizing the  
truth that the great fundamental        
doctrines of science require a great    
faith in realities that are beyond the  
reach of our senses4  ,sidenote3 ,faith 
comes slowly and naturally4  ,the great 
foundations of science have not come as 
a great wakening light1 but have come   

slowly1 through a process of normal1    
guided growth4 ,the first experiment was
 made1 from which a simple conclusion   
was drawn2 the second experiment        
furnished a second conclusion2 the two  
results combined produced a third       
conclusion1 and so on through thousands 
of experiments and conclusions1 until   
the brilliant conceptions of modern     
science were attained4 ,in short1 the   
scientist works very simply by careful  
observation of nature1 the earth and its
 fullness1 and by as careful reasoning  
from the observed facts4 ,the mind      
builds noble structures of the materials
 the senses bring4 ,the same method may 
be employed in gaining faith in the     
principles of theology2 and the ,apostle
 ,paul tells us distinctly that the     
righteousness of ,god is revealed from  
faith to faith1 and that the eternal    
power of ,god and the ,godhead and the  
invisible things of ,him from the       
creation of the world are clearly seen1 
being understood by the things that are 

made4 ,the scientist1 likewise1 begins  
with the things that are made and       
proceeds from faith to faith1 gaining   
here a little1 and there a little1 until
 a faith is reached which1 to him who   
has not followed its growth1 may seem   
absurd in its loftiness4  ,sidenote3    
,science cannot progress without faith4 
,certainly1 no man can progress in      
science unless he has faith in the great
 inductions of scientific men4 ,faith is
 as indispensable for scientific        
progress as for theological advancement4
 ,in both cases it is the great         
principle of action4  ,this subject     
merits more extended discussion1 but the
 exposition of the nature of faith is   
outside the argument running through    
these chapters4 ,it must be sufficient  
to remark again that ,mormonism is      
strictly scientific in stating as the   
first principle of the guidance of the  
individual1 that of faith in unseen     
things2 for that is the basic principle 
for the beginner in modern science4,a   

,footnote ,a3 ,read for a fuller        
exposition1 ,we walk by ,faith1         
,improvement ,era1 ,volume #c1 p4 #efa4 
,chapter ,x4  ,,repentance4   ,the      
second principle for the government of  
the individual1 according to ,mormon    
theology1 is repentance4 ,so commonly   
has this principle been discussed from  
its relation to moral law that its      
counterpart in all human effort has     
often been overlooked4  ,sidenote3      
,repentance follows faith4  ,to repent  
is first to turn from old practices4    
,thus1 he who violates any of ,god's    
laws renders himself liable to certain  
punishment1 but1 if he repents1 and sins
 no more1 the punishments are averted4  
,naturally1 such a change of heart and  
action can come only after faith has    
been established4 ,no man will change a 
habit without a satisfactory reason4 ,in
 fact1 all the actions of men should be 
guided by reason4 ,repentance then is a 
kind of obedience or active faith2 and  
is great in proportion to the degree of 

faith possessed by the individual4      
,certainly1 the repentance of no man can
 transcend his faith1 which includes his
 knowledge4  ,sidenote3 ,scientific     
repentance follows scientific faith4    
,so it is in science4 ,for centuries1   
wounds of the body were treated         
according to certain methods1 assumed to
 be correct2 and1 especially in time of 
war1 large numbers of the patients died4
 ,then it was found that low forms of   
life--the bacteria--infected the wounds1
 and caused the high mortality4 ,this   
led to the antiseptic treatment in      
surgery1 which destroys germ life1 and  
leaves the wound absolutely clean4 ,as a
 consequence the mortality from flesh   
and other wounds has diminished         
remarkably4 ,the medical profession     
repented1 or turned away1 from its      
former methods1 and the reward was      
immediately felt4 ,however1 before      
antisceptic surgery was finally and     
fully established1 faith in the practice
 had to be awakened among the members of

 the profession4 ,a chemist1 making     
refined analysis may apply a certain    
factor1 assumed to be correct in his    
calculations1 but in reality incorrect4 
,as a result1 the determinations are    
wrong4 ,when later1 the correct factor  
is discovered1 and applied1 the results 
of the work become correct4 ,repentance 
from the previous error1 changes the    
chemist's work from wrong to right4 ,in 
fact1 in any department of knowledge1   
when it is discovered that a law of     
nature has been violated1 it becomes    
necessary1 if further progress is       
desired1 to cease the violation4 ,should
 a scientist persist in violation of a  
known law1 he knows that the            
consequences1 great or small will       
certainly follow4  ,sidenote3           
,repentance means adopting new habits2  
not simply turning from old ones4  ,to  
repent is more than to turn from        
incorrect practices4 ,it implies also   
the adoption of new habits4 ,the man who
 has turned from his sins1 may learn of 

a law1 which he has never violated1 yet 
which if obeyed1 means progress for him4
 ,if he does not follow such a law1 but 
remains neutral in its presence1 he     
certainly is a sinner4 ,to repent from  
such sin1 is to obey each higher law as 
it appears4 ,in the spiritual life1 it  
is impossible for the person who desires
 the greatest joy to remain passive in  
the presence of new principles4 ,he must
 embrace them2 live them2 make them his 
own4  ,not only must the worker in      
science turn from scientific error2 he  
must also accept new science as it is   
discovered4 ,when the chemist1 working  
with the best known analytical methods1 
learns that a more rapid or more        
accurate method has been found1 he must 
adopt the new fact1 in order to make the
 results of his work more accurate4     
,when the chemists of a hundred years   
ago learned of the atomic hypothesis1 it
 became necessary to adopt it1 in order 
to insure more rapid progress in        
chemistry4 ,those who failed to accept  

the new doctrine worked in greater      
darkness1 and made no material progress4
 ,newton's doctrine of gravitation      
opened a new method of investigating the
 universe4 ,those who did not adopt it  
were soon outdistanced by their more    
active colleagues4  ,in every such case1
 the obedience yielded to the new       
knowledge is a kind of repentance4 ,when
 a person1 in religion or science1      
ceases to break law1 he ceases from     
active evil2 when he accepts a new law1 
he ceases from passive evil4 ,no        
repentance can be complete which does   
not cease from both active and passive  
evil4  ,sidenote3 ,repentance is active 
faith4  ,viewed in this manner1 then1   
repentance is obedience to law and is   
active faith4 ,the law1 before it is    
obeyed1 must be understood--that is1    
faith must precede repentance4          
,therefore1 the obedience yielded can   
increase only with the knowledge or     
faith of the individual4 ,as the        
,prophet ,joseph ,smith stated it1 ,no  

man can be saved in ignorance and a     
person is saved no faster than he gains 
intelligence4  ,repentance is as truly  
the second principle of action for      
individuals1 in the domain of science as
 of theology4     ,chapter ,,xi4        
,,baptism4   ,a repentant man turns from
 previous violation of law1 and accepts 
every new law that may be revealed to   
him4 ,repentance is obedience2 and the  
repentant person is always ready to obey
 righteous laws4  ,baptism is one of the
 laws of the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,except  
ye repent and be baptized ye can in     
nowise enter the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,the 
repentant person must of necessity      
accept this law with the others with    
which he may be familiar4  ,sidenote3   
,the equivalent of baptism found in     
science4  ,students of science1 who     
agree that faith and repentance have a  
place in science1 frequently assert that
 the equivalent of baptism is not found 
in external nature4 ,this claim may be  
proved false by examining the nature of 

law4  ,the chemist must frequently      
produce the gas hydrogen4 ,to do it1 an 
acid must be poured upon fragments of   
certain metals4 ,in thus producing the  
gas1 the chemist obeys law4 ,the        
astronomer who studies the stars        
discovers that by using a piece of glass
 properly ground1 his powers of vision  
appear to be strengthened4 ,he therefore
 prepares such lenses for his           
telescopes1 and thus obeys law4 ,the    
surgeon uses antisceptics in the        
treatment of wounds because he has      
learned that such application will      
destroy germ life1 and thus the surgeon 
obeys law4 ,the electrician has found   
that by winding a wire in a certain     
manner around iron and rotating it near 
a magnet1 electric currents are set up4 
,he builds dynamos according to such    
principles1 and thus shows his obedience
 to law4  ,it must be noted that the    
scientist does not know just why acid   
added to metal produces hydrogen1 or why
 a certain curved lens brings the stars 

nearer2 or why certain chemicals destroy
 low forms of life or why wire wound in 
a certain way when rotated in the       
magnetic field will produce electricity4
 ,nature requires1 without volunteering 
an explanation1 that to produce         
hydrogen1 see the stars1 destroy germs  
and produce the electric current1       
certain invariable laws must be obeyed4 
,baptism is essentially of the same     
nature4 ,to enter the ,kingdom of ,god1 
a person must be baptized4 ,just why    
baptism should be the ordinance that    
opens the door1 no man knows4 ,it       
undoubtedly has high symbolic value2 but
 the symbolism might be expressed in    
many other ways4 ,all that man can do is
 to obey4  ,sidenote3 ,it is            
unreasonable to do only what is fully   
understood4  ,men say at times that they
 will do nothing which they do not fully
 understand1 and therefore they will not
 be baptized4 ,it would be as           
unreasonable for a man to say that      
because he does not fully understand why

 a certain winding of the wire is       
necessary to produce electricity he will
 not produce this wonderful natural     
force4 ,all theology and all science    
contain laws that must be obeyed in     
order to obtain certain results1        
although the full reasons for the       
required combinations are not           
understood4  ,he who is baptized1 enters
 the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,he who throws   
acid on metal enters the kingdom of     
hydrogen2 he who grinds the lens right1 
enters the kingdom of the stars2 he who 
uses antisceptics right1 enters the     
kingdom of lower life1 and he who winds 
the wire correctly1 enters the kingdom  
of electricity4 ,yielding obedience to  
any of these various laws1 is a form of 
baptism1 which gives entrance to a      
kingdom4  ,sidenote3 ,baptism is        
obedience to law4  ,the essential virtue
 of baptism is obedience to law4 ,the   
prime value of any natural law is       
attained only after obedience has been  
yielded to it4 ,baptism is conformity to

 certain details in entering ,god's     
,kingdom4 ,scientific baptism is        
conformity to certain details in        
entering the kingdom of science4 ,only  
by baptism can a man attain salvation2  
only by using lenses of the right       
curvature can a man view the stars4     
,religious success does not rest in the 
degree to which every law is explained2 
but rather in the degree to which all   
known laws are obeyed4 ,scientific      
success does not rest upon the degree to
 which every law is explained2 but      
rather in the degree to which every     
discovered law is obeyed and applied for
 man's advancement4  ,in science and in 
theology man must be content to see     
through a glass1 darkly4 ,until the     
essential nature of infinitude itself   
shall be understood1 man must be content
 to learn to use unexplained laws4      
,science is the great explainer1 but she
 explains relations and not the absolute
 foundations of phenomena4  ,after faith
 or knowledge has been obtained1 the    

alpha and omega of religious or         
scientific progress is obedience4 ,the  
cry of universal nature is1 ,obedience6 
,viewed rationally1 therefore1 the      
baptism taught in theology is an        
ordinance which has its counterpart in  
every department of science4 ,joseph    
,smith was strcitly scientific in       
classing baptism as the third great     
principle governing human action4       
,chapter ,,xii4  ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,the
 ,,holy ,,ghost4   ,sidenote3 ,the gift 
of the ,holy ,ghost is a gift of        
intelligence4  ,baptism by water is     
insufficient to open the door to ,god's 
,kingdom4 ,the ,gift of the ,holy       
,ghost1 obtained by the laying on of    
,hands by one having authority1         
completes the ordinance4 ,not only      
,joseph ,smith1 but the ,savior ,himself
 taught distinctly that to enter the    
,kingdom of ,god1 a person must be      
baptized by water and by fire2 and the  
promise is given that those are baptized
 by water for the remission of sins1    

shall receive the ,holy ,ghost4,a       
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#hd3fc1 #fd4  ,jesus1 speaking to ,his  
disciples1 taught that the ,comforter1  
which is the ,holy ,ghost1 whom the     
,father will send in my name1 ,he shall 
teach you all things1 and bring all     
things to your remembrance1 whatsoever  
,i have said unto you4,a ,this clearly  
implies that the promised gift is       
essentially a gift of increased         
intelligence with the added power that  
results from a more intelligent action4 
,that this is the ,mormon view of the   
effect of the ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost 
may be amply demonstrated from the      
standard works of the ,church and from  
the writings of the leading interpreters
 of ,mormon doctrine4 ,parley ,p4 ,pratt
 in the ,key to ,theology says1 ,it     
quickens all the intellectual faculties1
 increases1 enlarges1 expands and       
purifies all the natural passions and   
affection 99 99 99 994 ,it develops and 
invigorates all the faculties of the    

physical and intellectual man4,b ,the   
,prophet ,joseph ,smith declared ,this  
first ,comforter or ,holy ,ghost has no 
other effect than pure intelligence4 ,it
 is 99 99 99 99 powerful in expanding   
the mind1 enlightening the              
understanding1 and storing the intellect
 with present knowledge4,c ,concisely   
expressed1 therefore1 ,joseph ,smith and
 the ,church he restored1 teach that the
 ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 is a gift of
 intelligence4  ,footnote ,a3 ,john     
#ad3bf4  ,footnote ,b3 ,key to          
,theology1 #eth ed41 pp4 #aja1 #ajb4    
,footnote ,c3 ,history of the ,church1  
,vol4 ,,iii1 p4 #chj4  ,sidenote3       
,science furnishes an equivalent of the 
gift of the ,holy ,ghost4  ,if the      
equivalents of faith1 repentance and    
baptism are irrevocable laws for the    
individual who studies science1 the     
question arises1 ,is there also1 a      
scientific equivalent for the ,gift of  
the ,holy ,ghost8 ,even a superficial   
view of the matter will reveal such an  

equivalent4 ,to use again the           
illustrations employed in the preceding 
chapter1 if the chemist has obeyed      
natural law in producing hydrogen1 that 
is1 has been baptized into the kingdom  
of hydrogen1 he may by the proper use   
and study of the gas obtained1 add much 
to his knowledge4 ,he may learn that it 
is extremely light2 that it forms an    
explosive mixture with air2 that it will
 destroy many vegetable colors1 and will
 burn with an almost invisible flame4   
,thus1 the possession of the gas        
enlarges the knowledge and develops the 
intelligence of the scientist4 ,is not  
this another form of the ,gift of the   
,holy ,ghost8  ,the man who is baptized 
into the kingdom of heavenly bodies by  
grinding the lenses right1 is enabled to
 learn many new facts concerning the    
nature and motions of celestial bodies2 
and thus receives intelligence4 ,he who 
obediently winds the wire correctly     
around the iron core1 may generate a    
current of electricity with which many  

mighty works may be accomplished4 ,do   
not these men1 as their intelligences   
are expanded1 receive a ,gift of the    
,holy ,ghost1 as a reward for their     
obedience to the demands of nature8  ,it
 would be possible to carry the         
comparisons into every scientific action
 without strengthening the argument4 ,in
 science1 if a person has faith1        
repentance and is baptized1 that is     
obeys1 he will receive added            
intelligence1 which is the equivalent of
 the ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost as taught
 in theology4 ,the four fundamental laws
 for the guidance of the individual are 
identical in ,mormon theology1 and in   
modern science4  ,just why the laying on
 of hands should be necessary to        
complete the ordinance of baptism is not
 known1 any more than the reasons are   
known for the results that follow the   
numberless relations that may be        
established by mortal man4 ,however1 the
 dogma of the ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost1
 is logically the fourth step in        

attaining scientific salvation4  ,thus1 
each of the minor laws of ,mormonsim    
might be investigated1 and be shown to  
have a scientific counterpart4 ,for the 
purpose of this volume1 however1 a more 
extended consideration of the laws      
governing the actions of the individual1
 is unnecessary4     ,chapter ,,xiii4   
,,the ,,word ,,of ,,wisdom4   ,it has   
already been remarked that the nature of
 the mission of ,joseph ,smith made it  
unlikely that references to scientific  
matters1 and much less to isolated      
scientific facts1 obtainable by proper  
methods of experimentation should be    
found in the writings of the ,prophet4  
,nevertheless1 in a revelation given    
,march #h1 #ahhc1 statements are made   
that can now be connected with facts of 
science1 not generally or not at all    
known1 at the time the revelation was   
received4  ,inasmuch as any man drinketh
 wine or strong drink among you1 it is  
not good1 99 99 99 strong drinks are not
 for the belly but for the washing of   

your bodies4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine 
and ,covenants1 #hi3e1 #g4  ,sidenote3  
,the doctrine that alcohol is injurious 
to man is scientific4  ,at the time this
 was written1 many persons believed that
 the use of alcoholic drinks was        
injurious to human health2 but more1    
especially among the uneducated classes1
 held quite the opposite opinion4 ,since
 that day1 the question concerning the  
value of alcohol in any form has been   
greatly agitated1 and much new light has
 been obtained4 ,this is not the place  
to examine this famous controversy1 but 
a few quotations from authoritative     
books1 which are not controversial in   
their nature1 will show the coincidence 
between the position of science1 and the
 doctrine of ,joseph ,smith1 in respect 
to this matter4  ,the ,united ,states   
,dispensatory 7#agth ed47 speaks of the 
medicinal properties of alcohol as      
follows1 ,it is irritant even to the    
skin1 and much more so to the delicate  
organs2 hence1 the various abdominal    

inflammations that are so frequent in   
habitual drunkards4 ,a single dose of   
it1 if large enough1 may produce death4 
,the nervous symptoms caused by alcohol 
show that it has a very powerful and    
direct influence upon the nerve-centers4
 ,the arterial pressure and the         
pulse-rate are both increased by        
moderate doses of alcohol1 by a direct  
influence upon the heart itself4 99 99  
99 ,taken habitually in excess1 alcohol 
produces the most deplorable results1   
and is a very common cause of fatal     
maladies4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,page #abi1  
art41 ,alcohol ,ethylicum4  ,dr4 ,w4    
,gilman ,thompson in his authoritative  
book on ,practical ,dietetics1 speaking 
of the constant use of alcoholic        
beverages1 says1 ,the use of alcohol in 
any shape is wholly unnecessary for the 
use of the human organism in health4 99 
99 99 99 ,the lifelong use of alcohol in
 moderation does not necessarily shorten
 life or induce disease in some persons1
 while in others it undoubtedly produces

 gradual and permanent changes which    
tend to weaken vital organs so that the 
resistance of the body to disease is    
materially impaired4 99 99 99 99 ,many  
persons should be particularly warned   
against the use of alcohol4 99 99 99 99 
,although alcohol is such a strong      
force-producer and heat-generator1 its  
effect in this direction is very soon   
counter-balanced by its stronger        
influence in lowering the general tone  
of the nervous system and in producing  
positive degeneration in the tissues4,a 
,footnote ,a3 ,pages #bjf1 #bjg4  ,the  
recent newspaper statements that alcohol
 has been shown to be a food are based  
on a complete misunderstanding4 ,the    
experiments demonstrated that alcohol is
 burned within the body--which is the   
simplest manner in which the body can   
rid itself of the alcohol4  ,no more    
authoritative opinions on this subject  
can be found than those contained in the
 two volumes from which quotations have 
been made--and the strongest opinions   

are not quoted4 ,in spite of the        
isolated claims made for alcohol1 the   
fact remains that the knowledge of the  
world indicates that alcohol is a poison
 to the human system2 that it is not for
 the belly4 ,however1 the value of the  
external use of alcohol1 for various    
purposes1 has never been denied4 ,on the
 contrary almost every up to date       
practitioner recommends the external use
 of alcohol1 as for instance after baths
 for lowering the temperature of fever  
patients4 ,in this matter1 then1 ,joseph
 ,smith was in perfect harmony with the 
latest results of science4 ,it is       
strange that he1 unlearned as he was1   
should have stated what is now known as 
truth1 so clearly and simply1 yet so    
emphatically1 more than seventy years   
ago1 before the main experiments on the 
effect of alcohol on the human organsim 
had been made4  ,sidenote3 ,the doctrine
 that tobacco is injurious to man is    
scientific4  ,and again1 tobacco is not 
for the body1 neither for the belly1 and

 is not good for man1 but is an herb for
 bruises and all sick cattle1 to be used
 with judgment and skill4,a ,although   
tobacco has been used for several       
centuries by civilized man1 the real    
cause of the effect which it has upon   
the human body was not understood until 
the early part of the last century4 ,in 
#ahji1 a chemist separated from tobacco 
an active principle1 in an impure state1
 some of the properties of which he     
observed4 ,in #ahbb1 two other chemists 
succeeded in isolating the same         
principle1 in a pure condition1 and     
found it to be a colorless1 oily liquid1
 of which two to eight per cent is found
 in all tobacco4 ,this substance has    
been called nicotine2 later             
investigations have shown it to be one  
of the most active poisons known4       
,tobacco owes its activity entirely to  
this poison4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine 
and ,covenants1 #hi3h4  ,footnote ,b3   
,wormley1 ,micro-chemistry of ,poisons1 
#bnd ed41 pp4 #dcd1 #dce4  ,the         

intensely poisonous nature of nicotine  
is illustrated by a number of cases on  
record4 ,one drop placed on the tongue  
of a cat caused immediate prostration1  
and death in seventy-eight seconds4 ,a  
smaller drop was placed on the tongue of
 another cat1 which resulted in death   
after two minutes and a half4 ,a third  
cat to which a similar quantity had been
 administered was dead after            
seventy-five seconds4 ,a man who was    
accustomed to smoking took a chew of    
tobacco1 and after a quarter of an hour 
accidently swallowed the mass4 ,an hour 
later he became unconscious and died4   
,in another case1 in which an ounce of  
tobacco had been swallowed1 death       
resulted in seven hours4 ,in still      
another case1 one ounce of tobacco was  
boiled in water1 and the solution drunk 
as an remedy for constipation4 ,the     
patient died in three quarters of an    
hour4,a ,these1 and numerous other      
cases1 illustrate the intensely         
poisonous nature of tobacco4 ,the evil  

effects of the repeated use of small    
amounts of tobacco1 in smoking or       
chewing are also well understood4       
,footnote ,a3 ,ibid1 pp4 #dcf1 #dcg4    
,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith probably did  
not know the poisonous nature of tobacco
 in #ahcc4  ,it was in #ahbh1 about five
 years before ,joseph ,smith's doctrine 
with respect to tobacco was given1 that 
nicotine was obtained in a pure state4  
,many years later the chemists and      
physiologists learned to understand the 
dangerous nature of the tobacco poison4 
,it does not seem probable that ,joseph 
,smith had heard of the discovery of    
nicotine in #ahcc2 the discovery was    
announced in a ,german scientific       
journal1 and in those days of few       
newspapers1 scientific news1 even of    
public interest1 was not made generally 
known as quickly as is the case today4  
,in fact1 ,hyrum ,smith1 the brother of 
the ,prophet1 on ,may #bi1 #ahdb1       
delivered a sermon upon the ,word of    
,wisdom in which he says1 ,tobacco is a 

nauseous1 stinking1 abominable thing2,a 
but nothing worse1 thus basing his main 
objection to it on the revealed word of 
the ,lord4 ,had ,joseph and his         
associates been familiar with the       
isolation of nicotine and its           
properties1 they would undoubtedly have 
mentioned it in sermons especially      
directed against the use of tobacco4 ,in
 any case1 at a time when it was but    
vaguely known that tobacco contained a  
poisonous principle1 it would have been 
extremely hazardous for the reputation  
of an impostor to have claimed a        
revelation from ,god1 stating distinctly
 the injurious effects of tobacco4      
,footnote ,a3 ,the ,contributor1 vol4   
iv41 p4 #ac2 ,improvement ,era1 ,vol4   
#d4 pp4 #idc-i4  ,it should also be     
noted that ,joseph ,smith says that when
 tobacco is used for bruises and all    
sick cattle1 it should be used with     
judgment and skill1 thus impressing     
caution even in the external application
 of the herb4 ,this is fully borne out  

by facts1 for it has been found that the
 external application of tobacco to     
abraded surfaces1 and even to the       
healthy skin1 has been attended with    
violent symptoms1 and even death4,a     
,footnote ,a3 ,wormley1 ,micro-chemistry
 of ,poisons1 p4 #dcf4  ,in the matter  
of the chemistry and physiological      
action of tobacco1 then1 the ,prophet1  
in #ahcc1 was in full accord with the   
best knowledge of #aijh4 ,in the        
emphasis of his doctrine1 he even       
anticipated the world of science4  ,and 
again1 hot drinks are not for the body  
or belly4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and
 ,covenants1 #hi3i4  ,sidenote3 ,the    
doctrine that tea and coffee are        
injurious to man is scientific4  ,when  
this statement was made1 in #ahcc1 the  
meaning of the expression hot drinks was
 not clearly understood4 ,many believed 
that the only meaning of the above      
statement was that drinks that are hot  
enough to burn the mouth should not be  
used4 ,others1 however1 claimed for the 

doctrine a deeper meaning4 ,to settle   
the difficulty1 appeal was made to      
,joseph ,smith who explained that tea1  
coffee and similar drinks were meant by 
the expression hot drinks4 ,from that   
time on1 the ,church has taught that tea
 and coffee should not be used by       
mankind4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,see ,the     
,contributor1 vol4 iv4 p4 #ac2          
,improvement ,era1 vol #d1 pp4 #idc-i4  
,in the year #ahba1 several chemists    
isolated from coffee a bitter principle1
 of peculiar properties1 which was named
 caffein4 ,in #ahbg1 the same substance 
was found to occur in tea4 ,numerous    
analysis show that there are between one
 and two per cent of caffein in coffee1 
and between three and six percent in    
tea4 ,later investigations have shown   
that caffein belongs to the vegetable   
poisons1 and that its poisonous action  
is very strong4  ,among the medical     
properties of caffein are the following1
 in doses of three to five grains1 it   
produces a peculiar wakefulness--after a

 dose of twelve grains1 it produces     
intense physical restlessness and mental
 anxiety4 ,upon the muscles it acts as a
 powerful poison--it is used in         
medicines as a brain and heart          
stimulant4,a ,fatal cases of poisoning  
are also on record4  ,footnote ,a3 ,u4  
,s4 ,dispensatory1 #agth ed41 pp4 #bgh  
and #bgi4  ,caffein is not in any sense 
a food1 but1 as a stimulant1 must be    
classed with tobacco1 opium and other   
similar substances4 ,owing to its action
 on the heart and circulation1 the body 
becomes heated1 and in that sense a     
solution of caffein is a hot drink4 ,the
 use of tea and coffee in health is now 
generally condemned by the best informed
 persons in and out of the medical      
profession4 ,dr4 ,w4 ,gilman ,thompson  
says1 ,the continuance of the practice  
of drinking coffee to keep awake soon   
results in forming a coffee or tea      
habit1 in which the individual becomes a
 slave to the beverage4 99 99 99        
,muscular tremors are developed1 with   

nervousness1 anxiety1 dread of impending
 evil1 palpitation1 heartburn1 dyspepsia
 and insomnia4 99 99 99 ,it produces    
great irritability of the whole nervous 
system and one may even overexcite the  
mind4,a ,while it is true that one cup  
of coffee or tea does not contain enough
 caffein to injure the system1 yet the  
continual taking of these small doses   
results in a weakening of the whole     
system1 that frequently leads to        
premature death4  ,footnote ,a3         
,practical ,dietetics1 p4 #aii4  ,the   
,u4 ,s4 ,consular and ,trade ,report for
 ,january1 #aijf1;,a warns against the  
use of coffee in the following words1   
,the important connection between       
consumption of coffee and epilepsy which
 deserves to be known everywhere1 serves
 as a warning to be extremely careful   
with coffee made of beans containing    
caffein1 and at any rate1 children      
should be deprived of it entirely1      
otherwise their health will be exposed  
to great danger4  ,footnote ,a3 ,page   

#bdi4  ,besides caffein1 both tea and   
coffee contain an astringent known as   
tannic acid4 ,in coffee this substance  
is present only in small quantity1 but  
in tea from four to twelve per cent     
occurs4 ,tannic acid is the substance   
found in oak bark1 and has the property 
of making animal tissues hard--that is1 
makes leather of them4 ,the habitual tea
 drinker subjects the delicate lining of
 the stomach and intestines to the      
action of this powerful drug4  ,without 
going into further details1 it is       
readily seen that the teachings of      
,joseph ,smith1 in #ahcc1 in relation to
 the value of tea and coffee in human   
drinks1 harmonizes with the knowledge of
 today4 ,moreover1 he was in advance1 in
 the certainty of his expressions1 of   
the scientists of his day4 ,it is true  
that caffein had been found in coffee   
and tea a few years before the          
revelation of #ahcc1 but the            
physiological action of the drug was not
 known until many years afterwards4     

,besides1 as in the case of tobacco1 the
 ,church leaders in speaking against the
 use of tea and coffee did not mention  
the poisonous principle that had        
recently been discovered in them2 thus  
revealing their ignorance of the matter4
  ,sidenote3 ,the doctrines regarding   
the values of herbs and fruits harmonize
 with recent scientific truths4  ,and   
again1 99 99 99 all wholesome herbs ,god
 hath ordained for the constitution1    
nature1 and use of man4 ,every herb in  
the season thereof1 and every fruit in  
the season thereof2 all these to be used
 with prudence and thanksgiving4,a      
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants  
#hi3aj1 #aa4  ,this doctrine1 which     
seems self-evident now1 also evidences  
the divine inspiration of the ,prophet  
,joseph4 ,at the time this revelation   
was given1 food chemistry was not       
understood2 and1 in fact1 it was not    
until about #ahfj1 that the basis upon  
which rests our knowledge of food       
chemistry1 was firmly established4 ,we  

now know that every plant contains four 
great classes of compounds3 mineral     
substances1 fats1 sugars and starches1  
and protein1 or the flesh-forming       
elements4 ,we further know that no plant
 can live and grow without containing   
these groups of nutrients4 ,it is also  
well understood that these substances   
are necessary for the food of the animal
 body1 and that animal tissues are1     
themselves1 composed of these groups1   
though in different proportions4 ,in    
short1 it has long been an established  
fact of science that any plant that does
 not contain a poisonous principle1 may 
by proper cooking be used as a food for 
man4  ,when ,joseph ,smith wrote1 this  
was a daring suggestion to make1 for    
there was absolutely no fact aside from 
popular experience1 upon which to base  
the conclusion4 ,the qualifying phrase1 
all wholesome herbs1 undoubtedly refers 
to the existence of classes of plants   
like coffee1 tea1 tobacco1 etc41 which  
contain some special principle injurious

 to the health4  ,sidenote3 ,the        
doctrine concerning the use of meats is 
scientific4  ,yea1 flesh also of beasts 
and of the fowls of the air1 ,i1 the    
,lord1 have ordained for the use of man 
with thanksgiving2 nevertheless they are
 to be used sparingly2 and it is        
pleasing unto me that they should not be
 used only in times of winter1 or of    
cold1 or of famine4,a  ,footnote ,a3    
,doctrine and ,covenants1 #hi3ab1 #ac4  
,the breadth of this doctrine lies in   
the fact that it is not absolutely      
forbidden to eat meat1 as in all        
probability a fanatic1 guided by his own
 wisdom1 might have done2 yet it must be
 observed1 the implication is clear that
 it is possible for man to live without 
meat4 ,vegetarianism had been taught and
 practiced long before the days of      
,joseph ,smith2 but there had been no   
direct1 positive proof that plants      
contain all the substances necessary for
 the sustenance of life4 ,as stated     
above1 it is now known that every class 

of nutritive substance found in meat is 
also found in plants4 ,this is in full  
harmony with the implied meaning of     
,joseph ,smith in the statement         
regarding the abstaining from meat4     
,sidenote3 ,the distinction between the 
values of grains is also scientific4    
,all grain is ordained for the use of   
man and of beasts1 to be the staff of   
life4 99 99 99 ,all grain is good for   
the food of man1 as also the fruit of   
the vine1 that which yieldeth fruit1    
whether in the ground or above the      
ground4 ,nevertheless1 wheat for man1   
and corn for the ox1 and oats for the   
horse1 and rye for the fowls and for    
swine1 and for all beasts of the field1 
and barley for all useful animals1 and  
for mild drinks1 as also other grain4,a 
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#hi3ad1 #af and #ag4  ,the first part of
 this teaching1 that all grain can be   
used by man and beast1 corresponds to   
the earlier statement that all wholesome
 plants may be used by man4 ,the latter 

part respecting the best grain for      
certain classes of animals1 is of a     
different nature and merits special     
consideration4 ,as already mentioned1   
all plants and plant parts contain four 
great groups of nutritive substances4   
,the relative proportions of these      
grains are different in different plants
 or plant parts4 ,for instance1 wheat   
contains about #ga4i per cent of starch 
and sugar2 corn1 #gj4b per cent2 oats1  
#ei4g per cent2 rye1 #gb4e per cent2 and
 barley1 #fi4h per cent4 ,wheat contains
 about #aa4i per cent of protein or the 
flesh-forming elements2 corn1 #aa4d per 
cent2 oats1 #aa4h per cent2 rye1 #aj4f  
per cent2 and barley #ab4d per cent4,a  
,it has further been demonstrated that a
 man or beast doing heavy work1 requires
 a larger proportion of starch and sugar
 in his dietary than does one which has 
less work to do4 ,likewise1 different   
classes of animals require different    
proportions of the various nutrients1   
not only through life but at the various

 periods of their lives4 ,this principle
 has been recognized so fully that      
during the last thirty-five or forty    
years the attention of experimenters has
 been directed toward the elucidation of
 laws which would make known the best   
combinations of foods for the various   
classes of farm animals1 as well as for 
man4 ,it must also be remarked that     
recent discoveries in science are       
showing more deep-seated differences in 
the composition of grains1 than those   
here mentioned1 as also corresponding   
differences in various classes of       
animals4 ,science will soon throw more  
light on this subject1 and in all       
probability will confirm the views of   
,joseph ,smith1 with respect to the     
grain best adapted to certain animals4  
,footnote ,a3 ,the ,feeding of ,animals1
 ,jordan1 p4 #dbd4  ,a thoughtful       
reading of the above quotation clearly  
shows that ,joseph ,smith recognized the
 fundamental truth of food chemistry2   
namely1 that while all plants contain   

the elements necessary for animal       
growth1 yet the proportions of these    
elements are so different as to make    
some plants better adapted than others  
to a certain class of animals4 ,that the
 ,mormon prophet should have enunciated 
this principle from twenty to thirty    
years in advance of the scientific      
world1 must excite wonder in the breast 
of any person1 be he follower or        
opponent of ,joseph ,smith4  ,the       
discussion of the important statements  
made in section #hi of the book of      
,doctrine and ,covenants1 might be      
elaborated into a volume4 ,the merest   
outline has been given here4 ,the       
physiological teachings of the prophet  
concerning work1 cleanliness and sleep1 
might also be considered with profit4   
,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith anticipated   
the world of science in the word of     
wisdom4  ,to summarize the contents of  
this chapter3 ,joseph ,smith clearly    
recognized and taught the physiological 
value of alcohol1 tobacco1 anticipated  

the tea and coffee1 at a time when      
scientific world of science discoveries 
were just beginning to reveal the active
 principles of these commodities4 ,the  
probability is that he knew nothing of  
what the world of science was doing in  
this direction1 at the time the doctrine
 was taught4 ,joseph ,smith clearly     
recognized and taught the fundamental   
truths of food chemistry1 and the food  
relation of vegetable products to man1  
nearly a generation before scientists   
had arrived at the same doctrine4       
,whence came his knowledge8    ,,the    
,,destiny ,,of ,,earth ,,and ,,man4     
,chapter ,,xiv4  ,,the ,,law ,,of       
,,evolution4   ,sidenote3 ,whence8      
,where8  ,to every intelligence the     
question concerning the purpose of all  
things must at some time present itself4
 ,every philosophical system has for its
 ultimate problem the origin and the    
destiny of the universe4 ,whence8       
,where8--the queries which arise before 
every human soul1 and which have        

stimulated the truth-seekers of every   
age in their wearisome task of searching
 out nature's laws4 ,intelligent man    
cannot rest satisfied with the          
recognition of the forces at work in the
 universe1 and the nature of their      
actions2 he must know1 also1 the        
resultant of the interaction of the     
forces1 or how the whole universe is    
affected by them2 in short1 man seeks   
the law of laws1 by the operation of    
which1 things have become what they are1
 and by which their destiny is          
controlled4 ,this law when once         
discovered1 is the foundation of        
religion as well as of science1 and will
 explain all phenomena4  ,sidenote3 ,the
 only rational philosophy is based on   
science4  ,it was well toward the       
beginning of the last century before    
philosophical doctrines rose above mere 
speculation1 and were based upon the    
actual observation of phenomena4 ,as the
 scientific method of gathering facts   
and reasoning from them became          

established1 it was observed that in all
 probability the great laws of nature   
were themselves controlled by some      
greater law4 ,while many attempts have  
been made to formulate this law1 yet it 
must be confessed1 frankly1 that only   
the faintest outline of it is possesesd 
by the world of science4  ,the sanest of
 modern philosophers1 and the one who   
most completely attempted to follow the 
method of science in philosophical      
writings1 was ,herbert ,spencer4 ,early 
in his life1 he set himself the task of 
constructing a system of philosophy     
which should be built upon man's        
reliable knowledge of nature4 ,a long   
life permitted him to realize this      
ambition4 ,though his works are filled  
with conclusions which cannot be        
accepted by most men1 yet the facts used
 in his reasoning are authentic4 ,by the
 world at large1 the philosophy of      
,herbert ,spencer is considered the only
 philosophy that harmonizes with the    
knowledge of today4  ,sidenote3 ,all    

things are continually changing4--,this 
is the foundation of evolution4  ,after 
having discussed1 with considerable     
fullness1 the elements of natural       
phenomena1 such as space1 time1 matter1 
motion and force1 ,mr4 ,spencer         
concludes that all evidence agrees in   
showing that every object1 no less than 
the aggregate of objects1 undergoes from
 instant to instant some alteration of  
state4,a ,that is to say that while the 
universe is one of system and order1 no 
object remains exactly as it is1 but    
changes every instant of time4          
,footnote ,a3 ,first ,principles1 p4    
#bhg4  ,in two directions only can this 
ceaseless change affect an object2 it   
either becomes more complex or more     
simple2 it moves forward or backward2 it
 grows or decays4 ,in the words of      
,spencer1 ,all things are growing or    
decaying1 accumulating matter or wearing
 away1 integrating or disintegrating4,a 
,this1 then1 is the greatest known      
fundamental law of the universe1 and of 

all things in it--that nothing stands   
still1 but either progresses            
7evolution71 or retrogrades             
7dissolution74 ,now1 it has been found  
that under normal conditions all things 
undergo a process of evolution2 that is1
 become more complex1 or advance4,b     
,this1 in its essence1 is the law of    
evolution1 about which so much has been 
said during the last fifty years4       
,undoubtedly1 this law is correct1 and  
in harmony with the known facts of the  
universe4 ,it certainly throws a flood  
of light upon the phenomena of nature2  
though of itself1 it tells little of the
 force behind it1 in obedience to which 
it operates4  ,footnote ,a3 ,loc4 cit41 
p4 #bib4  ,footnote ,b3 ,loc4 cit41 p4  
#ccg4  ,spencer himself most clearly    
realized the insufficiency of the law of
 evolution alone1 for he asks1 ,may we  
seek for some all-pervading principle   
which underlies this all pervading      
process6,a and proceeds to search out   
this all-pervading principle which at   

last he determines to be the persistence
 of force--the operation of the         
universal1 indestructible1              
incomprehensible force1 which appears as
 gravitation1 light1 heat1 electricity1 
magnetism1 chemical affinity and in     
other forms4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,first    
,principles1 p4 #djh4  ,footnote ,b3    
,loc4 cit41 p4 #did4  ,sidenote3        
,evolution does not admit a final death4
  ,a natural question now is1 ,is there 
any limit to the changes undergone by   
matter1 and which we designate as       
evolution8 ,will they go on forever8 or 
will there be an end to them8,a ,as far 
as our knowledge goes1 there is an end  
to all things1 a death which is the     
greatest known change1 and as far as    
human experience goes1 all things tend  
toward a death-like state of rest4 ,that
 this rest is permanent is not possible 
under law of evolution2 for it teaches  
that an ulterior process initiates a new
 life2 that there are alternate eras of 
evolution and dissolution4 ,and thus    

there is suggested the conception of a  
past during which there have been       
successive evolutions analogous to that 
which is now going on2 and a future     
during which successive other such      
evolutions may go on ever the same in   
principle but never the same in concrete
 result4,b ,this is practically the same
 as admitting eternal growth4  ,footnote
 ,a3 ,loc4 cit41 p4 #dif4  ,footnote ,b3
 ,loc4 cit41 p4 #eej4  ,the final       
conclusion is that we can no longer     
contemplate the visible creation as     
having a definite beginning or end1 or  
as being isolated4 ,it becomes unified  
with all existence before and after2 and
 the force which the universe presents  
falls into the same category with space 
and time1 as admitting of no limitation 
in thought4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,loc4 cit41
 p4 #efd4  ,sidenote3 ,spirit and matter
 are alike4  ,it is interesting to note 
the conclusion concerning spirit and    
matter1 to which ,mr4 ,spencer is led by
 the law of evolution4 ,the materialist 

and spiritualist controversy is a mere  
war of words1 in which the disputants   
are equally absurd--each thinking that  
he understands that which it is         
impossible for any man to understand4   
,though the relation of subject and     
object renders necessary to us these    
antithetical conceptions of spirit and  
matter2 the one is no less than the     
other to be regarded as but a sign of   
the ,unknown ,reality which underlies   
both4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,first           
,principles1 pp4 #egj and #egb4  ,while 
the law of evolution1 as formulated by  
,spencer and accepted by the majority of
 modern thinkers1 is the nearest        
approach to the truth possessed by the  
world of science1 yet there is no       
disposition on the part of the writer to
 defend the numerous absurdities into   
which ,spencer and his followers have   
fallen when reasoning upon special      
cases4  ,sidenote3 ,evolution and       
natural selection do not necessarily go 
together4  ,many years before ,mr4      

,spencer's day1 it had been suggested1  
vaguely1 that advancement seemed to be  
the great law of nature4 ,students of   
botany and zoology were especially      
struck by this fact1 for they observed  
how animals and plants could be made to 
change and improve under favorable      
conditions1 by the intervention of man's
 protection4 ,in #ahei1 ,mr4 ,charles   
,darwin published a theory to account   
for such variation1 in which he assumed 
that there is a tendency on the part of 
all organisms to adapt themselves to    
their surroundings1 and to change their 
characteristics1 if necessary1 in this  
attempt4 ,he further showed that in the 
struggle for existence among animals and
 plants1 the individual best fitted for 
its environment usually survives4 ,these
 facts1 ,mr4 ,darwin thought1 led to a  
process of natural selection1 by which1 
through long ages1 deep changes were    
caused in the structure of animals4 ,in 
fact1 ,darwin held that the present-day 
plants and animals have descended from  

extinct and very different ancestors4,a 
,the experiences of daily life bear out 
the assertion that organic forms may be 
changed greatly--witness the breeding of
 stock and crops1 practiced by all      
intelligent farmers--and all in all the 
theory seemed so simple that numerous   
biologists immediately adopted it1 and  
began to generalize upon it4 ,having    
once accepted the principle that the    
present-day species have descended from 
very unlike ancestors1 it was easy to   
assume that all organic nature had      
descended from one common stock4 ,it was
 claimed that man1 in a distant past1   
was a monkey2 still earlier1 perhaps1 a 
reptile2 still earlier a fish1 and so   
on4 ,from that earliest form1 man had   
become what he is by a system of natural
 selection4 ,in spite of the absence of 
proofs1 such ideas became current among 
the scientists of the day4 ,in this view
 was included1 of course1 the law of    
evolution or growth1 and thus1 too1 the 
law became associated with the notion   

that man has descended from the lower   
animals4 ,in fact1 however1 the law of  
evolution is just as true1 whether or   
not ,darwin's theory of natural         
selection be adopted4  ,footnote ,a3    
,origin of ,species1 p4 #f4  ,in justice
 to ,darwin1 it should be said that he  
in nowise claimed that natural selection
 was alone sufficient to cause the      
numerous changes in organic form and    
life2 but1 on the contrary1 held that it
 is only one means of modification4,a   
,footnote ,a3 ,origin of ,species1 p4   
#f2 also ,darwin and ,after ,darwin     
,romanes1 ,vol4 ,,ii4 pp4 #b-f4         
,professor ,huxley1 who1 from early     
manhood1 was an eminent and ardent      
supporter of the ,darwinian hypothesis  
frankly says1 ,i adopt ,mr4 ,darwin's   
hypothesis1 therefore1 subject to the   
production of proof that physiological  
species may be produced by selective    
breeding2 and for the reason that it is 
the only means at present within reach  
of reducing the chaos of observed facts 

to order4,a ,after writing a book to    
establish the descent of man from apes1 
,professor ,huxley is obliged to confess
 that the fossil remains of man hitherto
 discovered do not seem to take us      
appreciably nearer to that lower        
pithecoid form1 by the modification of  
which he has1 probably1 become what he  
is4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,man's ,place in   
,nature1 p4 #abh4  ,footnote ,b3 ,loc4  
cit41 p4 #ahc4  ,this is not the place  
to enter into this famous controversy4  
,the relation of the theory of natural  
selection to the law of evolution is not
 established2 that man and the great    
classes of animals and plants have      
sprung from one source is far from      
having been proved2 that the first life 
came upon this earth by chance is as    
unthinkable as ever4 ,even at the       
present writing1 recent discoveries have
 been reported which throw serious doubt
 upon natural selection as an           
all-sufficient explanation of the       
wonderful variety of nature4 ,the true  

scientific position of the ,darwinian   
hypothesis is yet to be determined4     
,the moderate law of evolution which    
claims that all normal beings are       
advancing1 without asserting that one   
form of life can pass into another1 is1 
however1 being more and more generally  
accepted1 for it represents an eternal  
truth1 of which every new discovery     
bears evidence4  ,sidenote3 ,joseph     
,smith taught the law of eternal        
growth--evolution4  ,were it not that   
the law of evolution is of such         
fundamental value in the understanding  
of natural phenomena1 it would hardly be
 expected that the calling of ,joseph   
,smith would necessitate any reference  
to it4 ,besides1 upwards of fifteen     
years elapsed after the martyrdom of    
,joseph and ,hyrum ,smith before the    
world of science conceived the          
hypothesis4 ,one of the leading         
doctrines of the ,church resembles the  
spirit of the law of universal growth so
 nearly that one is forced to believe   

that the great truth embodied by this   
doctrine is the truth shadowed forth by 
the law of evolution4  ,the doctrine of 
,god1 as taught by ,joseph ,smith1 is   
the noblest of which the human mind can 
conceive4 ,no religion ascribes to ,god 
more perfect attributes than does that  
of the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,yet the    
,church1 asserts that ,god was not      
always what he is today4 ,through       
countless ages he has grown towards     
greater perfection1 and at the present1 
though in comparison with humankind1 he 
is omniscient and omnipotent1 he is     
still progressing4 ,of the beginning of 
,god1 we have no record1 save that he   
told his servant ,abraham1 ,i came down 
in the beginning in the midst of all the
 intelligences thou hast seen4,a        
,footnote ,a3 ,book of ,abraham1 #c3ba4 
,as told by ,joseph ,smith1 in ,may1    
#ahcc1 ,john the ,apostle said of ,god1 
,jesus ,christ1 ,and ,i1 ,john1 saw that
 he received not of the fulness at      
first1 but continued from grace to      

grace1 until he received a fulness2 and 
thus he was called the ,son of ,god1    
because he received not of the fulness  
at first4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and
 ,covenants1 #ic3ab-ad4  ,sidenote3 ,man
 will develop until he becomes like     
,god4  ,man1 likewise1 is to develop    
until1 in comparison with his present   
condition1 he becomes a ,god4 ,for      
instance1 in speaking of the salvation  
to which all men who live correct lives 
shall attain1 the ,prophet says1 ,for   
salvation consists in the glory1        
authority1 majesty1 power and dominion  
which ,jehovah possesses2,a and in      
another place1 ,then shall they be      
,gods1 because they have no end2        
therefore shall they be from everlasting
 to everlasting1 because they continue2 
then shall they be above all1 because   
all things are subject unto them4 ,then 
shall they be ,gods1 because they have  
all power4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine   
and ,covenants1 ,lectures on ,faith1    
#g3h4  ,footnote ,b3 ,doctrine and      

,covenants1 #acb3bj4  ,that this is not 
a sudden elevation1 but a gradual       
growth1 is evident from many of the     
writings of ,joseph ,smith1 of which the
 following are illustrations4 ,he that  
receiveth light and continueth in ,god1 
receiveth more light1 and that light    
groweth brighter and brighter until the 
perfect day4,a ,for if you keep my      
commandments you shall receive of his   
fulness1 and be glorified in me as ,i am
 in the ,father2 therefore1 ,i say unto 
you1 you shall receive grace for        
grace4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,ibid41 #ej3bd4 
,footnote ,b3 ,ibid41 #ic3bj4  ,in      
various sermons ,joseph ,smith enlarged 
upon the universal principle of         
advancement1 but few of them have been  
preserved for us4 ,in a sermon delivered
 in ,april1 #ahdd1 the following        
sentences occur1 ,god himself was once  
as we are now1 and is an exalted ,man1  
and sits enthroned in yonder heavens4   
,you have got to learn how to be ,gods  
yourselves1 and to be kings and priests 

to ,god1 the same as all ,gods have done
 before you2 namely1 by going from one  
small degree to another1 and from a     
small capacity to a great one2 from     
grace to grace1 from exaltation to      
exaltation4,a  ,footnote ,a3            
,contributor1 vol4 #d1 pp4 #bed and     
#bee4  ,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith        
anticipated science in the statement of 
the law of evolution4  ,the preceding   
quotations suffice to show that with    
regard to man1 ,joseph ,smith taught a  
doctrine of evolution which in grandeur 
and extent surpasses the wildest        
speculations of the scientific          
evolutionist4 ,yet ,joseph ,smith taught
 this doctrine as one of eternal truth1 
taught him by ,god4 ,there can be no    
doubt that the truth behind ,spencer's  
law of evolution1 and the doctrine      
taught by the ,mormon prophet1 are the  
same4 ,the great marvel is that ,joseph 
,smith1 who knew not the philosophies of
 men1 should have anticipated by thirty 
years or more the world of science in   

the enunciation of the most fundamental 
law of the universe of living things4   
,sidenote3 ,animals are subject to      
evolution4  ,now1 it is true that       
,joseph ,smith did not extend this law  
to the lower animals2 but it must be    
remembered that his mission on earth was
 to teach a system of redemption for    
men4 ,yet1 it is an interesting         
observation that he taught that men and 
animals had a spiritual existence1      
before they were placed on earth4 ,for  
,i1 the ,lord ,god1 created all things  
of which ,i have spoken1 spiritually1   
before they were naturally upon the face
 of the earth4 ,and out of the ground   
made ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 to grow every  
tree1 naturally1 that is pleasant to the
 sight of man2 and man could behold it4 
,and it became also a living soul4 ,for 
it was spiritual in the day that ,i     
created it2 for it remaineth in the     
sphere in which ,i1 ,god1 created it4,a 
,footnote ,a3 ,book of ,moses1 #c3e and 
#i4 ,see also ,doctrine and ,covenants1 

#bi3ca1 #cb4  ,if1 in common with men1  
animals and plants were created         
spiritually1 it may not be an idle      
speculation that the lower forms of life
 will advance1 in their respective      
fields1 as man advances in his4         
,however1 a statement in the above      
quotation must not be overlooked1 ,it   
remaineth in the sphere in which ,i1    
,god1 created it4 ,this would preclude  
any notion that by endless development a
 plant may become an animal1 or that one
 of the lower classes of animals become 
a high animal1 or a man4 ,is not this   
the place where1 perhaps1 the evolution 
of science has failed8 ,all things      
advance1 but each order of creation     
within its own sphere4 ,there is no     
jumping from order to order4 ,the limits
 of these orders are yet to be found4   
,spencer's belief that one period of    
evolution follows another,a is brought  
strongly to mind in contemplating the   
doctrine of ,joseph ,smith that man1 and
 other things1 had first a spiritual    

existence1 now an earthly life1 then a  
higher existence after death4 ,is not   
the parallelism strong--and may it not  
be that here1 also1 the ,mormon prophet 
could have shown the learned philosopher
 the correct way8  ,footnote ,a3 ,first 
,principles1 p4 #eej4  ,sidenote3 ,god  
is the compelling power of evolution4   
,finally1 one other suggestion must be  
made4 ,spencer1 after a long and        
involved argument1 concludes 7or proves 
as he believes7 that the great law of   
evolution is a necessity that follows   
from the law of the persistence of      
force4 ,in chapter two of this series1  
the scientific conception of the        
persistence of force was identified with
 the operations of the ,holy ,spirit1 as
 taught by ,joseph ,smith4 ,this ,spirit
 is behind all phenomena2 by it as a    
medium1 ,god works his will with the    
things of the universe1 and enables man 
to move on to eternal salvation1 to     
advance1 and become a ,god2 every law is
 of necessity a result of the operation 

of this ,spirit4 ,here1 again1 the      
,mormon prophet anticipated the world of
 science2 and his conceptions are       
simplier and more direct than those     
invented by the truth-seekers1 who      
depended upon themselves and their own  
powers4  ,marvelous is this view of the 
founder of ,mormonism4 ,where did he    
learn in his short life1 amidst         
sufferings and persecution such as few  
men have known1 the greatest mysteries  
of the universe6     ,chapter ,,xv4     
,,the ,,plan ,,of ,,salvation4          
,sidenote3 ,why am ,i on earth8  ,in the
 preceding chapter the law of evolution 
was shown to be the cementing law of    
nature1 which explains the destiny of   
man4 ,to live is to change1 and 7if the 
change is right7 to grow4 ,through all  
the ages to come righteous man will     
increase in complexity and will grow    
towards a condition of greater          
knowledge1 greater power and greater    
opportunity4  ,while the great law of   
evolution may be quite sufficient for   

the general survey1 it does not explain 
the special conditions amidst which     
organized intelligences find themselves4
 ,man asks1 ,why am ,i on earth8        
,science is silent4 ,up to the present  
time1 many scientific men have not found
 it necessary to postulate an           
intelligent force behind the phenomena  
of nature1 which would explain our      
earthly existence4  ,the ,mormon answer 
to this question lies in the ,mormon    
doctrine of the plan of salvation4      
,there can be no attempt to harmonize   
the ,mormon plan with that of science1  
for science has none2 but1 that the     
,mormon plan of salvation is strictly   
scientific1 and rests upon the          
irrevocable laws of the universe can    
certainly be demonstrated4  ,sidenote3  
,perfection comes only when matter1     
spirit and intelligence are associated4 
,fundamental1 in the doctrines of       
,joseph1 is the statement that all      
intelligence is eternal2 and that ,god  
at the best is the organizer of the     

spirits of men4 ,the ether of science   
has been compared with the ,holy ,spirit
 of ,mormonism4 ,the spirit body may be 
likened to an ether body of man1 and is 
the condition of his original existence4
 ,from the original condition1 at man's 
spiritual birth1 under the law of       
evolution he has steadily grown in      
complexity1 which means in power4  ,in  
the universe are recognized ether or    
spirit1 force or intelligence1 and      
matter4 ,matter may act upon the ether  
and the ether upon matter2 but ether    
acts most effectively upon ether1 and   
matter upon matter4 ,the original man1  
in whom intelligence and other forces   
acted through a purely spiritual or     
ether body1 could impress matter and be 
impressed by it only in part4 ,the man  
was imperfect because he did not touch  
directly the world of matter1 and could 
know only in part the phenomena of the  
material world1 which forms an integral 
part of the universe4 ,in the words of  
,joseph ,smith1 ,spirit and element     

inseparably connected1 receiveth a      
fullness of joy1 and when separated1 man
 can not receive a fullness of joy4,a   
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#ic3cc1 #cd4  ,for man's perfection1 it 
then became necessary that his spiritual
 body should be clothed with a material 
one1 and that he should become as       
familiar with the world of matter1 as he
 had become with the world of spirit4   
,god1 as the supreme intelligence1 who  
desired all other spirits to know and   
become mighty1 led in the formulation of
 the plan1 whereby they should obtain   
knowledge of all the contents of the    
universe4  ,sidenote3 ,the fall of ,adam
 necessary to perfect intelligence4     
,for the purpose of perfecting the plan1
 a council of the ,gods1 or perfected   
intelligences was called4 ,it was       
decided to organize an earth from       
available materials1 and place the      
spirits on it1 clothed with bodies of   
the grosser elements4 ,an essential     
function of intelligence is free agency2

 and that the spirits might have the    
fullest opportunity to exercise this    
agency in their earthly career1 they    
were made to forget the events of their 
spiritual existence4 ,to learn directly 
the nature of grossest matter1 the earth
 bodies of necessity were made subject  
to the process of the disintegration    
called death4  ,to make possible the    
subjection of eternal1 spiritual        
organized intelligences to perishable1  
material structures1 certain natural    
laws would naturally be brought into    
operation4 ,from the point of view of   
the eternal spirit1 it might mean the   
breaking of a law directed towards      
eternal life2 yet to secure the desired 
contact with matter1 the spirit was     
compelled to violate the law4 ,thus1 in 
this earth life1 a man who desires to   
acquire a first hand acquaintance with  
magnetism and electricity1 may subject  
himself to all kinds of electric shocks1
 that1 perhaps1 will affect his body    
injuriously2 yet1 for the sake of       

securing the experience1 he may be      
willing to do it4 ,adam1 the first man1 
so used natural laws that his eternal1  
spiritual body became clothed upon with 
an earthly body1 subject to death4 ,then
 in begetting children1 he was able to  
produce earthly bodies for the waiting  
spirits4  ,according to this doctrine1  
the socalled ,fall of ,adam was         
indispensable to the evolving of        
organized intelligences that should have
 a complete acquaintance with all       
nature1 and a full control over their   
free agencies4 ,if laws were broken1 it 
was done because of the heroism of the  
first parents1 and not because of their 
sinfulness4  ,mormon theology does not  
pretend to say in what precise manner   
,adam was able to secure his corruptible
 body2 neither is science able to answer
 all the whys suggested by recorded     
experiences4 ,the doctrines of ,joseph  
,smith maintain1 however1 that the      
events connected with the introduction  
of organized intelligences on this      

earth1 were in full accord with the     
simple laws governing the universe4     
,that the ,mormon view of this matter1  
so fundamental in every system of       
theology1 is rational1 can not be       
denied4  ,sidenote3 ,the atonement was  
in harmony with natural law4  ,however1 
the bodies given to the spirits         
continued for only a few years2 then    
they were disorganized in death4 ,adam's
 work had been done well4 ,after the    
death of the mortal body1 the spirit was
 still without a permanent body of      
matter1 that would complete his contact 
with the elements of the universe4      
,therefore1 it was necessary to bring   
other laws into operation1 that would   
reorganize these dead material bodies in
 such a way that they would no longer be
 subject to the forces of               
disorganization1 death and decay4 ,the  
eternal spiritual body1 united with this
 eternal material body1 then constituted
 a suitable home for eternal            
intelligence1 whereby it might be able1 

under the law of evolution to attain the
 greatest conceivable knowledge and     
power4  ,the personage who directed the 
laws that cancelled the necessary work  
of ,adam1 and made the corruptible body 
incorruptible was the ,savior1 ,jesus   
,christ4 ,as ,adam1 by his personal     
work1 made the earth career possible for
 all who succeeded him2 so ,jesus1 by   
,his personal work1 made it possible for
 the spirits to possess immortal        
material bodies4  ,conditions that may  
be likened to the atonement are found in
 science4 ,suppose an electrical        
current1 supplying a whole city with    
power and light1 is passing through a   
wire4 ,if for any reason the wire is cut
 the city becomes dark and all machines 
driven by the current cease their       
motion4 ,to restore the current1 the    
ends of the broken wire must be         
reunited4 ,if a person1 in his anxiety  
to restore the city to its normal       
conditions1 seizes the ends of the wire 
with his bare hands1 and unites them1 he

 probably will receive the full charge  
of the current in his body4 ,yet1 as a  
result1 the light and power will return 
to the city2 and one man by his action1 
has succeeded in doing the work for     
many4  ,the actual method by which      
,jesus was enabled to make mortal bodies
 immortal1 is not known to us4 ,neither 
can we understand just why the shedding 
of the ,savior's blood was necessary for
 the accomplishment of this purpose4    
,like the work of ,adam1 the exact      
nature of the atonement is unknown4     
,still1 throughout this plan of         
,salvation1 every incident and          
accomplished fact are strictly rational4
 ,there is no talk of a ,god1 who       
because of his own will1 and in         
opposition to natural laws1 placed man  
on earth4  ,sidenote3 ,earth life is a  
link in man's evolution4  ,the presence 
of organized intelligences in earth is  
simply a link in the evolution of man4  
,the plan of salvation is the method    
whereby the evolution of man is         

furthered4 ,the intelligence who        
conforms to the ,plan1 at last attains  
salvation1 which means eternal life and 
endless development1 directed by the    
free agency of an organized intelligence
 clothed with an incorruptible body of  
spirit and matter4  ,can any other      
system of theology produce an           
explanation of the presence of man on   
earth1 which connects earthly life with 
the time before and the time after1 on  
the basis of the accepted laws of the   
universe8  ,flawless seems the structure
 reared by the ,mormon ,prophet4 ,had he
 been an imposter1 human imperfection   
would have revealed itself somewhere4,a 
,footnote ,a3 ,it must not be assumed   
that in this chapter has been given a   
full account of the ,mormon doctrine of 
the ,atonement4 ,these essays are not in
 any sense a full exposition of ,mormon 
theology4     ,,the ,,region ,,of ,,the 
,,unknown4  ,chapter ,,xvi4  ,,the      
,,sixth ,,sense4   ,sidenote3 ,the six  
senses1 need help to reorganize many    

phenomena of nature4  ,the five senses  
are the great gateways through which all
 the knowledge in man's possession has  
been obtained4 ,examine the matter as we
 may1 the truth of this statement       
persists4 ,by seeing1 hearing1 smelling1
 tasting and feeling1 only1 is man      
brought into contact with external      
nature and himself1 and is furnished    
material upon which the intellect can   
act4 ,true it is1 that the sense of     
feeling may be divided into a number of 
poorly known sub-senses1 of which that  
of touch is the best known1 but1        
probably1 these are very nearly related1
 and we may still maintain the existence
 of the five senses of man4  ,wonderful 
as these senses are1 yet1 in the        
presence of many natural phenomena1 they
 are very weak1 and require help1 in    
order that the operations of nature may 
be recognized4 ,take1 as an             
illustration1 the refined sense of      
sight4 ,light1 coming from a distant    
star1 is readily recognized2 the same   

quantity of light coming from a house1  
half a mile distant1 is even more       
distinctly sensed by the eye4 ,in both  
these cases1 though the light is        
recognized1 the sensation is not so     
sharply defined as to produce a distinct
 image of the star or of the house4 ,to 
make the images of distant objects      
distinct1 the telescope has been        
invented2 and this instrument is a most 
important aid to the sense of sight4    
,the microscope is a similar aid to the 
eye1 by which the lightrays coming from 
minute objects are so bent and arranged 
that the object appears magnified1 and  
may be sensed in its details by the eye4
 ,the ear-trumpet is a similar device   
for collecting1 concentrating and       
defining sound waves that ordinarily    
would be1 to the ear1 a confusion of    
sounds4 ,the ear-trumpet is a mighty    
help to the sense of hearing4  ,the     
light which passes through the lenses of
 the telescope and microscope1 is the   
light which is ordinarily recognized by 

the eye4 ,the instruments effect no     
change in the light2 they merely arrange
 the waves so as to produce a clear and 
distinct outline of the objects from    
which the light comes4 ,likewise1 the   
sound waves entering the ear-trumpet are
 in nowise changed in their essential   
nature1 but are simply rearranged or    
concentrated to produce a more definite 
impression on the ear4 ,instruments     
similar to those here mentioned are the 
simplest aids to man's senses4  ,with   
respect to many forces of nature1 the   
unaided senses of man are helpless4 ,the
 subtle force of magnetism1 for         
instance1 appears incapable of affecting
 directly any of the senses4 ,a person  
may hold a powerful lodestone in his    
hand and feel no influence different    
from that coming from a piece of        
sandstone4 ,a person may work near a    
wire carrying a current of electricity1 
and1 though it is well known that       
peculiar conditions exist in the        
universal ether around such a wire1 yet1

 through his five senses1 he may never  
become aware of the existence of this   
current4 ,a piece of uranium ore1 as has
 been found in recent years1 emits      
various kinds of rays related to the now
 famous ,x- or ,roentgen rays1 yet no   
indication comes directly through any of
 the five senses that such is the case4 
,in fact1 men of science worked with the
 ores of uranium for many years before  
discovering the emission of ether waves4
 ,in the light which comes from the sun 
are numerous forms of energy that do not
 directly affect the senses1 and        
therefore remained unknown for many     
centuries4 ,numerous other illustrations
 might be quoted to show the existence  
of natural forces that are beyond the   
direct recognition of man4 ,in the great
 ocean of the unknown1 lie1 undoubtedly1
 countless forces that shall never be   
known by a direct action upon the senses
 of man4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,the writer is
 aware of the beliefs held by many      
students regarding the so-called touch  

sense1 heat sense1 magnetic sense1      
electrical sense1 spiritual sense1 etc4 
,so little is known of these            
subdivisions of the sense of feeling1   
that they are not considered in this    
popular writing4 ,there is1 moreover1 no
 evidence that the magnetic sense1 as an
 example1 if it exists1 is a direct     
effect of magnetic forces2 it is as     
easily believed that the body somehow   
converts magnetic forces1 under certain 
circumstances1 into other forces that   
may be sensed by man4  ,sidenote3 ,the  
advance of knowledge requires           
instruments that convert natural        
phenomena into intelligible forms4 ,thus
 the unknown is revealed4  ,as is well  
understood1 however1 even these         
apparently unknowable manifestations of 
nature may be known1 if proper aids be  
secured4 ,in every case the problem is  
this3 ,to obtain some medium1 be it     
natural or manufactured1 which          
transforms the unknown force into a     
known force1 that is capable of         

affecting the senses of man4 ,the search
 for such media is one of the most      
important labors of science4 ,for       
instance1 sunlight has been known from  
the beginning of the human race1 and its
 nature has been studied by almost every
 generation of thinkers4 ,to the time of
 ,newton1 it was only white light--or   
little more4 ,newton discovered that if 
a ray of white light be allowed to fall 
upon a triangular prism or glass1 it is 
dispersed or broken into a number of    
colored rays known as the spectrum4 ,all
 sunlight1 passed through a glass prism1
 produces this colored spectrum2 and the
 colors are arranged invariably in the  
same order2 namely from violet through  
the intermediate colors to red4 ,by     
passing this spectrum through another   
prism1 white light is produced4         
,sunlight was thus proved to consist of 
a number of kinds of colored light4 ,the
 eye alone is incapable of resolving    
white light into its elements3 the glass
 prism thus becomes an aid to the sense 

of sight1 by which a new domain of      
science is laid open to view4  ,above   
the red end of the spectrum1 obtained   
from white light1 nothing is visible1   
yet if a delicate thermometer be placed 
there1 the increase in temperature shows
 the presence of certain invisible heat 
rays1 and by moving the thermometer1 it 
may be shown that the invisible heat    
spectrum is longer than the light       
spectrum itself4 ,this1 again1 makes    
known to man a world that the five      
senses can recognize only with          
difficulty2 and in this case1 the       
thermometer is the necessary aid4  ,even
 more interesting is the violet end of  
the spectrum4 ,like the red end1 it is  
invisible4 ,in fact1 for centuries it   
was believed that the light spectrum    
represented the whole spectrum4 ,during 
the last century it was found that if a 
photographic plate be placed below the  
violet end of the spectrum1 it is       
affected by invisible light rays1 which 
are popularly denominated chemical rays4

 ,by placing the photographic plate in  
various positions1 it has been          
discovered that the chemical spectrum is
 as long as the visible part4 ,since the
 days of ,newton1 therefore1 the known  
part of the spectrum of sunlight has    
been trebled in length1 and there is no 
certainty that all is now known         
concerning the matter4 ,in this         
particular1 the photographic plate has  
become a means of revealing an unknown  
world to the senses4  ,if a low tension 
current of electricity passes through a 
wire1 it cannot be sensed directly by   
man2 but if a delicately adjusted       
magnetic needle be placed above and     
parallel to such wire1 the current will 
turn the needle to one side and keep it 
there4 ,the magnetic needle then makes  
known the presence of a current of      
electricity which has no appreciable    
effect upon any of man's five senses4   
,similarly1 the magnetic currents       
passing over the earth are not felt by  
man in such a way as to be recognized1  

but a magnetic needle1 properly         
adjusted1 will immediately assume an    
approximately north and south direction1
 in obedience to the pull of the        
magnetic currents4 ,in this manner the  
magnetic needle1 again1 reveals to man  
the existence and presence of forces    
that he cannot sense directly4  ,a piece
 of glass into which has been           
incorporated a small amout of the       
element uranium1 is an instrument which 
reveals many wonders of the unsensed    
world4 ,if the uranium glass be brought 
near the violet end of the spectrum of  
sunlight1 it immediately glows1 because 
it has the power of changing the        
invisible chemical rays into ordinary1  
white light rays4 ,with such an         
instrument1 darkness can be literally   
changed into light4 ,similarly1 many of 
the class of rays to which belong the   
,x-rays1 and which are dark to the eye1 
and do not directly affect any of the   
other senses1 are converted by uranium  
glass into visible rays4 ,this glass1   

then1 becomes another means whereby the 
world which does not directly affect our
 senses1 may be made known4  ,the ,x- or
 ,roentgen rays have been mentioned     
several times4 ,it is generally known   
that they have the power of passing     
through the body and various other      
opaque bodies4 ,the rays themselves are 
invisible1 both before entering and     
after leaving the body2 moreover1 they  
do not affect any of the other senses of
 man4 ,were it not that the power is    
possessed of changing these rays to     
light rays1 man could know nothing of   
the ,roentgen rays4 ,in fact1 a screen1 
covered with powdered crystals of a     
chemical compound known as barium       
platinocyanide1 is held behind the      
object through which the rays are       
passing1 and the moment they touch this 
substance they are changed to light     
rays1 and the screen glows4 ,or1        
instead1 a photographic plate may be    
used1 for the ,roentgen rays affect the 
materials from which these plates are   

made4 ,the screen of barium             
platinocyanide is1 therefore1 another   
means for revealing the unknown world4  
,sidenote3 ,tuning to establish         
sympathetic vibrations is a form of the 
aids for explaining the unknown4  ,such 
illustrations might be multiplied1 but  
would add no strength to the discussion4
 ,there is1 however1 another class of   
instruments which enable the senses to  
recognize natural forces that do not act
 directly upon the consciousness of man4
 ,if a musical note is produced on a    
violin1 near a piano1 the piano string  
which is stretched or tuned right1 will 
give out the same note4 ,the sound waves
 from the violin penetrate the piano1   
and the string which is tuned to give   
out the same note takes up the energy of
 the sound waves1 and is set in         
vibration1 with the result that the same
 note is given out by the piano4 ,this  
is known as sympathetic vibrations4 ,it 
is possible1 therefore1 to make a piano 
give out any note within its range1     

without any solid object touching the   
instrument4 ,in the universal ether1    
which surrounds and penetrates all      
things1 are numberless waves of all     
kinds1 and of all vibrations4 ,if the   
proper instrument be used1 and tuned    
aright1 it is possible to separate from 
this tumult of waves any desired kind or
 degree of wave motion1 and to convert  
it into some known form of energy1 say  
electricity4  ,this principle is used in
 modern wireless telegraphy4 ,electric  
waves are sent out by the operator with 
a certain rapidity4 ,these waves radiate
 into space1 in all directions1 and are 
lost1 apparently1 in the confusion of   
myriads of other waves4 ,nevertheless1  
if the waves are not by some chance     
totally destroyed1 it is possible to    
obtain them again1 by the use of a      
receiving instrument which is tuned     
exactly the same as that used by the    
operator1 at the station where the waves
 are sent out4 ,a message sent from     
,london may be received anywhere on     

earth where the receiving instruments   
are tuned aright2 at the same time1 if  
the peculiar note or vibration of the   
message is not known1 so that the       
receivers can not be tuned properly1 the
 message1 though it be all about it1 can
 never be received4  ,such aids to our  
senses do not depend so much upon the   
nature of the material1 as upon the     
degree to which it is brought into      
sympathy with the force to be           
recognized4  ,sidenote3 ,with proper    
aids man's senses may discover the whole
 of nature4  ,now1 though our senses are
 imperfect1 and recognize only a small  
part of the phenomena of nature1 yet it 
is very probable that1 with such helps  
as have been described1 nothing in      
nature need remain forever unknown4 ,the
 means by which the forces of nature1   
that cannot be sensed directly1 are     
brought to man's recognition may well be
 named1 collectively1 man's sixth sense4
  ,the progress of science depends upon 
the discovery of aids to man's senses2 a

 new and vast field is invariably opened
 whenever a new aid is discovered4      
,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith recognized the
 existence of media which render the    
unknown1 known4  ,in the works of       
,joseph ,smith1 which teach that there  
is no real line of demarkation between  
the natural and spiritual worlds1 it    
would be not surprising to find         
recognized the scientific principle1    
above discussed1 that by the use of     
proper instruments1 the world outside of
 the five senses1 may be brought within 
man's consciousness4  ,according to the 
story of ,joseph ,smith1 he was first   
visited by an angel1 ,september #ba1    
#ahbc1 when the ,prophet was less than  
eighteen years of age4 ,among other     
things1 the angel told the boy that     
there was a book deposited1 written on  
gold plates1 giving an account of the   
former inhabitants of the ,american     
continent2 also1 that there were two    
stones in silver bows--and these stones1
 fastened to a breastplate1 constituted 

what is called the ,urim and            
,thummim--deposited with the plates2 and
 the possession and use of these stones 
were what constituted ',seers' in       
ancient or former times2 and that ,god  
had prepared them for the purpose of    
translating the book4,a ,this reference 
to the ,urim and ,thummim1 and their    
purpose1 makes it clear that the        
,prophet1 at the beginning of his       
career1 recognized 7whether consciously 
or unconsciously we know not71 the      
existence of means or media by which    
things unknown1 such as a strange       
language1 may be converted into forms   
that can reach the understanding4       
,footnote ,a3 ,history of the ,church1  
vol4 #a1 p4 #ab4  ,sidenote3 ,the ,book 
of ,mormon was translated by such       
aids--the ,urim and ,thummim4  ,when the
 actual work of translation began1 the  
,urim and ,thummim were found           
indispensable1 and in various places the
 statement is made that the translation 
was made1 by means of the ,urim and     

,thummim4,a ,on one occasion1 when the  
,prophet1 through the defection of      
,martin ,harris1 lost a portion of the  
manuscript translation the ,urim and    
,thummim were taken from him1 and the   
power of translation ceased4 ,upon the  
return of the instruments the work was  
resumed4,b ,while it is very probable   
that the ,prophet was required to place 
himself in the proper spiritual and     
mental attitude1 before he could use the
 ,urim and ,thummim successfully1 yet it
 must also be true that the stones were 
essential to the work of translation4   
,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 
#aj3a4  ,footnote ,b3 ,history of the   
,church1 vol4 #a1 p4 #bc4  ,sidenote3   
,revelations were received by such aids4
  ,the ,urim and ,thummim were not used 
alone for translation1 but most of the  
early revelations were obtained by their
 means4 ,speaking of those days1 the    
,prophet usually says3 ,i enquired of   
the ,lord through the ,urim and         
,thummim1 and obtained the following4,a 

,the stones in silver bows seemed1      
therefore1 to have possessed the general
 power of converting manifestations of  
the spiritual world into terms suitable 
to the understanding of ,joseph ,smith4 
,footnote ,a3 ,history of the ,church1  
vol4 #a1 pp4 #cc1 #cf1 #de1 #di and #ec4
  ,the doctrine of the use of the ,urim 
and ,thummim is in perfect harmony with 
the established law of modern science1  
that special media are necessary to     
bring the unknown world within the range
 of man's senses4 ,to believers in the  
,bible1 the use of the ,urim and        
,thummim can offer no obstacles1 and to 
those who possess a rational conception 
of ,god--that he is the ,master of the  
universe1 who works his will by natural 
means--it cannot be more difficult to   
believe that ,god's will may appear     
through the agency of special stones in 
silver bows1 than to concede that       
invisible ether waves1 become luminous  
when they fall upon a piece of uranium  
glass4 ,the virtue possessed by the     

latter glass is no more evident than is 
the virtue claimed by ,joseph ,smith to 
be possessed by the ,urim and ,thummim4 
,it is a noteworthy fact that the       
,prophet does not enter into an argument
 to prove the necessity of the use of   
the ,urim and ,thummim4 ,only in an     
incidental way1 as he tells the         
straightforward story of his life1 does 
he mention them2 and with a simplicity  
that argues strongly for his veracity1  
does he assume that1 of course1 they    
were necessary and were used as he      
recounts4 ,a shrewd imposter1 building a
 great theological structure as is the  
,church founded by ,joseph ,smith1 would
 have appreciated that difficult        
questions would be asked concerning the 
seer stones1 and would have attempted to
 surround them with some explanation4   
,joseph ,smith offers no defense for the
 use of these instruments2 neither does 
the scientist excuse himself for using  
uranium glass1 in the study of certain  
radiations4  ,sidenote3 ,as the ,prophet

 placed himself in tune with the        
unknown1 he became less dependent on    
external aids4  ,the ,prophet did not   
always receive his revelations by the   
assistance of the ,urim and ,thummim4   
,as he grew in experience and           
understanding1 he learned to bring his  
spirit into such an attitude that it    
became a ,urim and ,thummim to him1 and 
,god's will was revealed without the    
intervention of external means4 ,this   
method is clearly1 though briefly1      
expressed in one of the early           
revelations3      ,behold1 you have not 
understood2 you have supposed that ,i   
would     give it unto you1 when you    
took no thought1 save it was to ask me2 
but1 behold1 ,i say unto you1 that you  
must study it out in your     mind2 then
 you must ask me if it be right1 and if 
it is right1 ,i     will cause that your
 bosom shall burn within you2 therefore1
 you     shall feel that it is right2   
but if it be not right1 you shall       
have no such feelings1 but you shall    

have a stupor of thought1     that cause
 you to forget the thing which is       
wrong4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,doctrine and   
,covenants1 #i3g-i4  ,sidenote3 ,the    
testimony of the spirit is scientific4  
,the essence of this statement is that  
if a person will concentrate his powers 
so as to come into harmony with ,god1   
truth will be revealed to him2 and is   
not that like the tuning of a coil of   
wire so that it can take up the waves of
 certain lengths1 that may be passing   
through the ether8 ,if an inert mass of 
iron can be so tuned1 can anyone refuse 
to believe that man1 highly organized as
 he is1 can tune himself to be in       
harmony with the forces of the universe8
 ,the universal ether of science is like
 the ,holy ,spirit1 and the waves or    
energy of the ether is like the         
intelligent action of that ,spirit      
controlled by ,god4 ,heat1 light1       
magnetism1 electricity1 and the other   
forces1 become1 then1 simply various    
forms of ,god's speech1 any of which may

 be understood1 if the proper means of  
interpretation is at hand4  ,in the     
,book of ,mormon1 the ,prophet states   
that ,when ye shall receive these       
things1 ,i would exhort you that ye     
would ask ,god1 the ,eternal ,father1 in
 the name of ,christ1 if these things   
are not true2 and if ye shall ask with a
 sincere heart1 with real intent1 having
 faith in ,christ1 he will manifest the 
truth of it unto you1 by the power of   
the ,holy ,ghost2 and by the power of   
the ,holy ,ghost ye may know the truth  
of all things4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,moroni 
#aj3d1 #e4  ,this involves the principle
 discussed above4 ,by placing oneself in
 harmony with the requirements of the   
subject in hand1 the truth must become  
known1 even as an instrument properly   
tuned must feel the influence of the    
ether waves with which it is in harmony4
  ,again1 then1 the conceptions of the  
,mormon ,prophet rise to equal heights  
with the best theories of the           
scientists4 ,in simple phrases1         

apparently unconscious of the           
philosophical meaning of the doctrines1 
,joseph ,smith recognized the various   
means whereby man's senses may be       
enabled to seize upon and comprehend the
 natural forces which to man's unaided  
senses must remain unknown forever4  ,it
 cannot be justly claimed that the      
,prophet anticipated the world of       
science in the recognition of this      
principle1 but reading his works in the 
light of modern progress1 it cannot be  
denied that he placed a greater value   
upon the aids to man's senses1 with     
respect to the subtle forces of the     
universe1 than did any of his           
contemporaries4 ,that acknowledgment is 
a wonderful tribute to the powers of an 
unlearned boy4  ,evidence crowds upon   
evidence1 and testimony upon testimony1 
until the opposition of logic falls     
away2 and ,joseph ,smith rises above the
 fog of prejudice1 a mighty prophet of  
our ,god4     ,,the ,,force ,,of        
,,forces4  ,chapter ,,xvii4  ,,the      

,,nature ,,of ,,god4   ,sidenote3       
,nearly all thinkers believe in ,god or 
an equivalent4  ,in every philosophy of 
the universe1 the question concerning   
the primary cause of the phenomena of   
nature always arises4 ,ancient and      
modern philosophers1 alike1 have        
discussed the probability of the        
existence of this primary cause and its 
properties4 ,plato1 putting the words   
into the mouth of ,socrates1 declares1  
,i do believe in the ,gods4,a           
,aristotle1 the greatest of early       
thinkers1 assumed that a ,god exists1   
from whom all other forces are derived4 
,for example1 ,from a first principle1  
then1 of this kind--,i mean1 one that is
 involved in the assumption of a ,first 
,mover--hath depended the ,heaven and   
,nature4,b ,spencer1 speaking in these  
latter days1 likewise implies the       
existence of the equivalent of the ,god 
of men1 thus1 ,if religion and science  
are to be reconciled1 the basis of      
reconciliation must be this deepest1    

widest and most certain of all          
facts--that the ,power which the        
universe manifests to us is utterly     
inscrutable4,c  ,footnote ,a3 ,plato1   
,the ,apology1 chap4 ,,xxiv4  ,footnote 
,b3 ,aristotle1 ,metaphysics1 chap4     
,,vii1 sec4 #d4  ,footnote ,c3 ,first   
,principles1 p4 #dh4  ,to the great     
majority of men1 in all ages1 the idea  
of a ,god or ,power1 has appeared to be 
a necessity4 ,naturally1 there has been 
a great variety of opinions concerning  
the nature of ,god1 or the great ,power 
behind things4 ,some1 including the     
early ,greek thinkers1 looked upon ,god 
as a personal being of transcendental   
attributes2 others gave ,him a more     
shadowy form1 and made of ,him nothing  
more than an all pervading spiritual    
essence4 ,still others1 considering the 
relations of all natural operations to  
the infinite power of ,god1 identified  
,him with ,nature1 and then1 with       
astonishing shortsight denied ,his      
personal existence4 ,thus1 by degrees1  

arose the various theists1 who accepted 
a personal ,god with varying attributes2
 the pantheists1 who identified ,god    
with nature1 and the atheists1 who      
denied absolutely ,god1 or any          
equivalent4 ,among those who have       
adopted the idea of ,god1 the chief     
dispute has been largely as to ,his     
personality2 to the atheists the        
essential consideration has been that   
the laws of nature are self-operative   
and need no directing force such as is  
implied in the conception of a ,god4    
,sidenote3 ,science points to a force of
 forces4  ,as modern science arose1     
certain conceptions became established  
which were directly related to the idea 
of ,god4 ,in obedience to the modern    
tendency towards simplification1 the    
great variety in the material world has 
been referred to a few elements 7nearly 
#hj72 and all the forces of nature are  
now held to be modes of motion of matter
 or of the one all pervading substance1 
the ether4 ,the complexity of nature is 

produced by new combinations of matter1 
ether and motion4 ,according to this    
doctrine1 all the phenomena in the      
universe may be explained by referring  
them to the action of forces upon matter
 and ether4 ,there is a limited number  
of elements1 which1 at the present1 can 
not be converted into each other4 ,there
 is only one ether1 which can probably  
exist in various degrees of density4    
,there are numerous forces1 which may be
 converted into each other4 ,thus light 
may be changed into heat2 heat into     
electricity and electricity into light  
again4  ,scientists have long asked if  
there is one great universal force1 of  
which all other forces are merely       
variations4 ,usually1 the thinkers have 
agreed that the indications point to    
such a central force1 which by many has 
been identified with gravitation4       
,newton and many of the men who followed
 him in the development of the theory of
 gravitation1 agreed that probably the  
force of gravitation is the source of   

all other natural forces4 ,thus the     
doctrines of modern science point to one
 force from which all other forces are  
derived2 and thus1 the complexity of    
nature has been simplified1 by          
explaining it on the assumption of this 
one force4 ,those who believe in ,god   
have claimed that this points to one    
great ,being as the mover behind all    
things2 the atheists have declared1 that
 these scientific conceptions indicate  
that there is no real necessity for a   
,god2 and many honest searchers who have
 reached this closed door1 have         
declared1 ,i do not know4 ,it may be    
,god2 it may be force4 ,it cannot be    
known4  ,sidenote3 ,mormonism teaches   
that intelligence is the force of       
forces4  ,mormonism has harmonized      
science and theology in its conception  
of ,god4 ,as has been shown earlier in  
this volume1 ,joseph ,smith taught that 
the central force of the universe is    
intelligence4 ,gravitation1 heat1 light1
 magnetism1 electricity1 chemical       

attraction1 are all various             
manifestations of the all-pervading     
force of intelligence4 ,this1 it may be 
seen1 is the simple theory advanced by  
scientists1 with the definition of the  
first force added4  ,sidenote3 ,god is  
the greatest intelligence4  ,the ,mormon
 ,prophet taught1 further1 that the     
individual is organized intelligence2   
that the organization is the instrument 
whereby intelligence may be             
concentrated1 focussed and directed4    
,man is superior to beasts because his  
organization permits a greater use of   
the universal force of intelligence4    
,under the law of evolution1 man's      
organization will become more and more  
complex4 ,that is1 he will increase in  
his power of using intelligence until in
 time1 he will develop so far that1 in  
comparison with his present state1 he   
will be a ,god4 ,conversely1 ,god1 who  
is a superior organization1 using and   
directing the force of intelligence1    
must at one time have possessed a       

simpler organization4 ,perhaps1 at one  
time ,he was only what man is to-day4   
,god1 in ,mormon theology1 is the       
greatest intelligence2 it will always   
remain the greatest2 yet1 it must of    
necessity1 under the inexorable laws of 
the universe1 grow4 ,god is in no sense 
the ,creator of natural forces and laws2
 ,he is the director of them4  ,the     
correct conclusion from this doctrine is
 that all the forces of nature are      
supported by intelligent action4 ,this  
leads of necessity to order in nature4  
,blind forces1 acting independently of  
intelligence1 could not have brought    
about the perfect order that appears    
everywhere in the universe4 ,every atom 
of matter2 every particle of ether is   
endowed with a form of intelligence4    
,all the attractions1 repulsions and    
equilibriums among natural objects are  
modes of expression of the force of     
intelligence4 ,the explanations of the  
mysteries of nature will be greatly     
simplified when the ,mormon doctrine of 

the position of intelligence in         
universal phenomena is clearly          
understood by scientific workers4       
,sidenote3 ,many grades of intelligence2
 hence1 many ,gods4  ,since these       
teachings practically imply the         
definition that ,god is a superior      
intelligence evolved from a lower       
condition1 there can be no logical      
objection to the idea that there are    
many ,gods4 ,yet1 ,mormon theology      
acknowledges the supremacy of the ,god  
of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob4  ,god  
transcends all human imagination4 ,he is
 omniscient1 and omnipotent2 for ,his   
great knowledge enables ,him to direct  
the forces of nature4 ,he is full of    
love and mercy1 because these qualities 
are attributes of intelligence1 which   
,god possesses in the highest degree4   
,the ,mormon idea of ,god1 is delicate1 
refined1 advanced and reasonable4  ,the 
interesting fact about this matter is1  
naturally1 that in this conception of   
,god1 ,joseph ,smith was strictly       

scientific4 ,he departed from the notion
 that ,god is a ,being foreign to nature
 and wholly superior to it4 ,instead1 he
 taught that ,god is part of nature1 and
 superior to it only in the sense that  
the electrician is superior to the      
current that is transmitted along the   
wire4 ,the great laws of nature are     
immutable1 and even ,god can not        
transcend them4  ,this doctrine of ,god 
was taught by ,joseph ,smith early in   
his career4 ,can ignorance or disease   
produce such a logical climax of a      
scientific system of belief8 ,such a    
conclusion would be absurd4             
,,conclusion4  ,chapter ,,xviii4        
,,joseph ,,smith',s ,,education4        
,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith's early       
educational opportunities were very     
limited4  ,joseph ,smith had few        
educational advantages during his life4 
,his scientific teachings do not rest   
upon information gained in schools or   
from books4 ,his parents fully          
appreciated the value of an education1  

but the pioneer lives which they led1   
and their numerous financial            
misfortunes1 made it impossible for them
 to realize their desires for the       
education of their children4 ,the       
,prophet's mother writes that when      
,joseph was about six years old1 ,hyrum1
 the elder brother1 was sent to an      
academy at ,hanover1 ,new ,hampshire1   
and the smaller children to a common    
school4,a ,it is probable that          
throughout the wanderings of the family1
 the children were given such meager    
schooling as was possible4 ,joseph was a
 remarkably quiet1 well-disposed child1 
and his life up to the age of fourteen  
was marked only by those trivial        
circumstances which are common to       
childhood4,b  ,footnote ,a3 ,history of 
the ,prophet by his ,mother1            
,improvement ,era1 ,vol4 #e1 p4 #aff4   
,footnote ,b3 ,ibid41 p4 #bdg4  ,a few  
months after his fourteenth birthday1   
the future prophet beheld his first     
vision4 ,in his autobiography he        

mentions that at the time he was doomed 
to the necessity of obtaining a scanty  
maintenance by his daily labor4,a ,this 
would indicate that at this age he was  
spending little or no time in school4   
,during the time that elapsed between   
his fourteenth and eighteenth years1    
there is nothing to show that the boy   
was receiving scholastic education4 ,the
 ,prophet says that he was left to all  
kinds of temptation1 and mingled with   
all kinds of society4,b ,nothing is said
 about the acquirement of book learning4
 ,about the age of nineteen he writes1  
,as my father's worldly circumstances   
were very limited1 we were under the    
necessity of laboring with our hands1   
hiring out by day's work and otherwise1 
as we could get opportunity4 ,in the    
month of ,october1 #ahbe1 ,i hired with 
an old gentleman by the name of ,josiah 
,stoal4 ,during the time ,i was thus    
employed1 ,i was put to board with a    
,mr4 ,isaac ,hale--it was there ,i first
 saw my wife 7his daughter71 ,emma      

,hale4 ,on the #ahth of ,january1 #ahbg1
 when the ,prophet was a little more    
than twenty-one years old we were       
married1 while ,i was yet employed in   
the service of ,mr4 ,stoal4 ,immediately
 after my marriage1 ,i left ,mr4        
,stoal's and went to my father's1 and   
farmed with him that season4,c ,from his
 eighteenth to his twenty-second year1  
then1 there is evidence that he worked  
as an ordinary laborer1 and attended no 
school4  ,footnote ,a3 ,history of the  
,church1 vol4 #a1 p4 #g4  ,footnote ,b3 
,ibid41 p4 #i4  ,footnote ,c3 ,history  
of the ,church1 ,vol4 #a1 pp4 #af1 #ag4 
,it seems1 moreover1 that ,joseph ,smith
 was not a boy to gather information    
from books1 for his mother says of him1 
when he was eighteen years old1 that he 
seemed much less inclined to the perusal
 of books than any of the rest of our   
children1 but far more given to         
meditation and deep study4,a ,from the  
records extant1 the conclusion is       
justifiable that from his fourteenth to 

his twenty-second year ,joseph ,smith   
received practically no school          
education1 and did no extensive reading4
 ,what he might have gathered from      
conversation with others during that    
time is unknown to us4 ,however1 it is  
known that the heavenly messengers who  
visited him at intervals gave him much  
valuable information1 which more than   
compensated for his poor scholastic     
advantages4  ,footnote ,a3 ,history of  
the ,prophet ,joseph1 ,improvement ,era1
 ,vol4 #e1 p4 #beg4  ,one month before  
his twenty-second birthday1 the golden  
plates were delivered to the ,prophet1  
and the next two and a half years he was
 engaged with various assistants in     
translating the ,book of ,mormon2 though
 at different times during this period  
he farmed and did other manual labor4   
,during this period 7twenty-two to      
twenty-four and a half years of age71 he
 most certainly attended no school nor  
gave special attention to worldly       
knowledge4  ,on the #fth of ,april1     

#ahcj1 when the ,prophet was twenty-four
 years and four months old1 the ,church 
was organized4 ,the life led by the     
,prophet from this time to #ahdd1 when  
he was assassinated1 was not conducive  
to the gathering of information1 and    
quiet1 deep reflection4 ,during almost  
the whole of this period his life was in
 danger2 scores of times he was arrested
 on trumped-up charges2 the ,church was 
driven from place to place2 he built at 
least three cities1 and two temples2    
organized and governed the body of the  
,church2 taught the doctrinal system    
accepted by his followers2 organized the
 public ministry of the ,church for     
spreading the ,gospel among all men1    
wrote his autobiography2 compiled the   
revelations given him1 and made a       
revision of parts of the ,bible4        
,sidenote3 ,joseph ,smith taught the    
importance of schools and education4    
,the mistake must not be made1 however1 
of assuming that because the ,prophet's 
education had been limited1 he lacked a 

due appreciation of schools and         
scholastic attainments4 ,on the         
contrary1 at a very early date in the   
history of the ,church1 schools were    
organized even for the older men1 that  
they might improve their time and make  
up in a manner for the lack of          
opportunity during their early days4    
,during the winter of #ahcb-c1 a school 
of the prophets was organized in        
,kirtland1 ,ohio1 and another in        
,independence1 ,missouri1 at which the  
elders of the ,church received various  
instructions4 ,in the discussion        
relative to the building of temples1    
references to schools being held in them
 were always made1 and1 in fact1 in the 
fall of #ahce1 when a portion of the    
,kirtland temple was finished1 schools  
were opened in the various apartments4  
,many were organized into a school for  
the purpose of studying the ,hebrew     
language4,a ,the reading of ,greek had  
previously been begun4 ,in these        
languages as well as in ,german1 the    

,prophet acquired considerable facility4
 ,his studies tended1 of course1 towards
 the interpretation of the ,bible and   
the explanation of ,gospel truths2      
though at times his investigations      
appeared quite foreign to his special   
work1 as when1 in #ahch1 he began the   
methodical study of law4  ,footnote ,a3 
,autobiography of ,p4 ,p4 ,pratt1 p4    
#adj4  ,when the city of ,nauvoo was    
chartered1 a section was included1      
providing for the establishment of a    
university1 to be called the ,university
 of the ,city of ,nauvoo1 under the     
direction of which should be taught all 
matters pertaining to education1 from   
common schools up to the highest        
branches of a most liberal collegiate   
education4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,history of 
,joseph ,smith1 ,george ,q4 ,cannon1 pp4
 #cda1 #cdc4  ,in numerous revelations  
did the ,lord urge the ,prophet and the 
,church to gather information from every
 source1 of which the following         
quotations are good illustrations3      

,teach ye diligently1 that you may be   
instructed in theory1 in principle1 of  
things both in heaven and in the earth1 
and under the earth2 things which have  
been1 things which are1 things which    
must shortly come to pass2 things which 
are at home1 things which are abroad2   
the wars and perplexities of the        
nations1 and a knowledge also of        
countries and kingdoms4 ,seek ye out of 
the best books words of wisdom2 seek    
learning even by study4,a ,obtain a     
knowledge of history1 and of countries  
and of kingdoms1 of laws of ,god and    
man4,b ,study and learn and become      
acquainted with all good books1 and with
 languages1 tongues and peoples4,c ,it  
is impossible for a man to be saved in  
ignorance4,d ,a more comprehensive      
outline of education can hardly be      
imagined4 ,the energetic manner in which
 the ,church has acted upon these       
instructions1 during its whole history1 
need not be recounted here4  ,footnote  
,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 #hh3gh1   

#gi1 #aah4  ,footnote ,b3 ,ibid41       
#ic3ec4  ,footnote ,c3 ,ibid41 #ij3ae4  
,footnote ,d3 ,ibid41 #aca3f4  ,however 
much the ,prophet sought for knowledge1 
even from books1 in his later life1 the 
fact remains that the evidence in our   
possession indicates that1 up to the    
time of the organization of the ,church1
 his book learning was very slight1 and 
that during the years immediately       
following1 his time was so fully        
occupied with the details of the        
organization that little or no time was 
given to education1 as ordinarily       
understood4 ,these statements are of    
especial importance1 in view of the fact
 that all the principles discussed in   
this volume were enunciated before the  
end of the year #ahcc4  ,sidenote3      
,though the ,prophet had little book    
learning1 the spiritual and intellectual
 growth was great4  ,the associates of  
the ,prophet are unanimous in saying    
that his spiritual and intellectual     
growth was marvelous1 from the time that

 the work of the ministry fell upon him4
 ,he was transformed from a humble      
country lad to a leader among men1 whose
 greatness was felt by all1 whether     
unlearned or educated1 small or great4  
,of himself the ,prophet said1 ,i am a  
rough stone4 ,the sound of the hammer   
and chisel was never heard on me until  
the ,lord took me in hand4 ,i desire the
 learning and wisdom of heaven alone4   
,certainly1 his whole history shows that
 the great learning which he did        
manifest was acquired in a manner very  
different from that followed by the     
majority of men4     ,a ,,summary       
,,restatement ,,of ,,principles4        
,chapter ,,xix4   ,sidenote3 ,philosophy
 and its methods4  ,in its broadest     
sense1 philosophy includes all that man 
may know of the universe--of himself and
 of the things about him4 ,to be worthy 
of its name1 a system of philosophy must
 possess certain comprehensive1         
fundamental principles1 which if clearly
 understood1 make intelligible to the   

human mind any or all of the phenomena  
in the universe4 ,the simpler these     
foundation principles are1 the greater  
is the system as a philosophy4 ,in the  
words of ,spencer1 ,philosophy is       
knowledge of the highest degree of      
generality1 or completely unified       
knowledge4,a  ,footnote ,a3 ,first      
,principles1 pp4 #acc and #acf4  ,it is 
to be observed1 that the great laws of  
nature are inferred only from a number  
of lesser laws that have been gathered  
by man4 ,a generalization which is not  
built upon numerous confirmatory        
observations1 is at best an uncertain   
guess1 which can be accepted only when  
demonstrated to be correct by numerous  
isolated experiences4 ,the rational     
philosopher proceeds from the many to   
the few2 he groups and groups again1    
until the wide1 fundamental laws have   
been attained4  ,in olden days1 and at  
times today1 this method was not        
pursued4 ,a philosopher1 so called1     
would assume that a certain statement or

 idea were true4 ,upon this idea an     
elaborate1 speculative1 philosophical   
superstructure was reared4 ,if by       
chance1 and the chance usually came1 the
 fundamental notion were shown to be    
false1 the whole system fell with a     
crash into the domain of untruth4  ,it  
is the glory of modern science that by  
its methods1 innumerable facts1 correct 
so far as present instruments and man's 
senses will allow1 have been gathered2  
and1 that present day philosophy is     
built upon these certain facts4 ,the    
errors1 if any exist1 of this philosophy
 lie not in the foundation stones1 but  
in the inferences that have been drawn  
from them4 ,modern philosophy rests upon
 the truths of the universe1 and not    
upon the wild speculations of men4      
,sidenote3 ,the fundamental conceptions 
of scientific philosophy4  ,the         
philosophy of science1 which is the     
basis of all rational philosophy1 rests 
upon the doctrine of the                
indestructibility of matter4 ,matter    

cannot be destroyed1 and it is          
unthinkable that it ever was created4   
,true1 matter may appear in various     
forms3 the tangible coal may escape     
through the chimneys as an intangible   
gas2 water may vanish into vapor2 gold  
may unite with acids to form compounds  
entirely unlike gold4 ,however1 the     
weight of the coal in the gases passing 
through the chimney is the same as the  
weight of the coal fed into the stove2  
the water vapor in the air weighs       
precisely as much as the water that was 
in the vessel2 the gold in the compound 
weighs the same as the metallic gold    
used2 in every case matter has been     
changed into another form1 but has not  
been destroyed4  ,along with this       
fundamental principle1 science holds the
 doctrine of the indestructibility of   
energy4 ,matter of itself is dead and   
useless2 it is only when it is in motion
 or in the possession of energy that it 
can take part in the processes of       
nature4 ,matter without energy is not   

known to man2 however inert it may be1  
it possesses some energy4 ,the ultimate 
particles of all things1--rock and      
plant1 and beast and man--are in motion2
 that is1 they possess energy4 ,the     
immediate source of energy for this     
earth is the sun1 though the ultimate   
source of universal energy is not known4
  ,energy may appear in various forms1  
as light1 heat1 electricity1 magnetism1 
gravitation and mechanical motion2 and  
each of these forms of energy may be    
changed into any of the others4 ,in     
every change1 however1 there is no loss1
 but simply a change of condition4 ,that
 which men call energy1 the vivifying   
principle of matter1 is indestructible4 
,it has never had a beginning1 and shall
 never have an end4  ,to the mind of    
man1 however1 a motion independent of   
something in motion1 is inconceivable4  
,an ocean wave without water is         
nonsense4 ,it is equally difficult to   
conceive of energy which is immaterial1 
passing from the sun to the earth1      

through empty space4 ,there must be     
something between the earth and the sun1
 which carries the energy4 ,such        
reflections have led the thinkers to the
 belief that all space is filled with a 
subtle medium1 now called the ether1    
through which energy passes in the form 
of waves4 ,today1 few doctrines of      
science are so well established as that 
of the universal ether4 ,the ether is a 
refined kind of matter which fills all  
space1 and permeates all things4 ,it is 
in the table on which ,i write2 in and  
through the ink2 between the ultimate   
particles of the glass of the ink       
bottle4 ,this earth1 and all heavenly   
bodies1 are simply suspended in the     
all-and-ever-present ocean of ether4 ,by
 the agency of the ether1 energy is     
carried from the sun to the earth1 and  
may be carried anywhere in space4       
,light1 heat1 electricity1 magnetism and
 gravitation are all various            
manifestations of ether motion4 ,many   
scientists believe that this            

world--ether is the original matter from
 which the various elements have been   
made4  ,on these three doctrines1 the   
indestructibility of matter1 the        
indestructibility of energy1 and the    
existence of the universal ether1 rest  
primarily the explanations of the       
phenomena of nature4 ,hand in hand they 
stand1 an almost perfect example of the 
greatness of the human mind4  ,sidenote3
 ,mormonism and science have the same   
fundamental laws4  ,the religion founded
 by ,joseph ,smith rests upon the same  
or similar laws4 ,to the very beginner  
in ,mormon theology1 it is a familiar   
fact that ,joseph ,smith taught that    
matter is eternal1 and has not been nor 
can be created4 ,matter is coexistent   
with ,god4 ,god1 himself1 is material1  
in the sense that ,his body is composed 
of a refined kind of matter4 ,in the    
fundamental laws that underlie all      
nature1 there is perfect harmony between
 science and ,mormonism4 ,few religions 
can say as much4 ,in most systems of    

theology1 it is assumed that the ruling 
power1 ,god1 can create matter4 ,in     
,mormon theology he can only organize   
it4  ,it is not quite so well understood
 that the doctrine of the               
indestructibility of energy lies also at
 the foundation of ,mormon theology1 and
 was taught by ,joseph ,smith4 ,it was  
clearly comprehended by the ,prophet and
 his associates that intelligence is the
 vivifying force of all                 
creation--animate or inanimate--that    
rock and tree and beast and man1 have   
ascending degrees of intelligence4 ,the 
intelligence spoken of by the ,prophet  
corresponds fully with the energy of    
science4  ,that the ,prophet did not use
 the word current among scientific men  
at that time does not destroy the       
validity of this claim4 ,different words
 have no quarrel when they mean the     
same4  ,the ,prophet also taught that   
this intelligence fills all space1 and  
that it may appear in various forms1    
such as heat1 light1 and electricity1   

and that it is eternal1 and can neither 
be created nor destroyed4 ,these are the
 very qualities assigned to energy by   
scientific workers4 ,this doctrine and  
its coincidence with the doctrine of    
science appears marvelous1 when it is   
recalled that the ,prophet laid down    
these teachings in #ahca1 more than ten 
years before they were discovered by    
scientists1 and a generation before they
 were generally accepted by the         
scientific world4  ,the ,prophet did not
 stop with the enunciation of these two 
fundamental doctrines4 ,he declared that
 a refined medium1 called the ,holy     
,spirit1 fills all space1 whereby       
intelligence is conveyed from place to  
place4 ,in the terms of ,joseph ,smith1 
the forces of nature1 such as heat1     
light and electricity1 are simply       
various manifestations of the           
intelligence of the ,holy ,spirit2 in   
the terms of science1 of the energy of  
the universal ether4 ,the parallelism is
 complete4 ,the ,holy ,spirit1 in       

,mormon theology1 corresponds with the  
ether of science4 ,this doctrine1 too1  
was enunciated many years before the    
corresponding doctrines were established
 among men of science4  ,sidenote3      
,cause and effect4  ,the ,prophet also  
taught the unchanging relation of cause 
and effect1 which brings the whole      
universe under a reign of law1 and      
overthrows the mysticisms of old4 ,this 
doctrine was emphasized at a time when  
the world was just beginning to insist  
upon it4 ,he further taught clearly the 
manner in which nature's laws may be    
discovered by man4  ,sidenote3          
,astronomy4  ,the ,prophet further      
taught that all the heavenly bodies are 
in motion2 that the solar system is but 
a small part of a greater and grander   
whole1 controlled by the same laws1 and 
that some of these other worlds are     
inhabited4 ,these doctrines1 which now  
form the foundation of the new          
astronomy1 was discovered and accepted  
by the world of science after the days  

of ,joseph ,smith4  ,sidenote3 ,geology4
  ,he also held clear and modern views  
regarding time limits in geology1 or the
 prehistoric ages of the world1 at a    
time when students were not agreed on   
the subject4  ,sidenote3 ,the           
individual4  ,moreover1 the ,mormon     
prophet declared that the living beings 
found on earth were organized from the  
commonly occurring elements and forces  
of nature in such a manner that through 
them the force of intelligence might    
exert itself in the greatest degree4    
,hence the individual is only an        
organized intelligence4 ,this1 too1 is  
in perfect harmony with the results of  
the latest scholarship4  ,sidenote3 ,the
 laws for the individual4  ,on the basis
 of the fundamental laws1 above defined1
 what does science require of its       
devotees8 ,how does it affect the       
actions of the individual8 ,as in       
theology1 the scientific worker must    
have faith in the principles that have  
been discovered4 ,it is not possible in 

one lifetime for a man to repeat all the
 work of preceding workers1 to          
demonstrate the accuracy of their       
results4 ,much must be taken on trust2  
though at any time1 should it be        
necessary1 the earlier work may be      
repeated4 ,besides requiring faith in   
the principles discovered and enunciated
 by others1 science demands that its    
every worker shall believe in things    
that lie far beyond the reach of man's  
senses4  ,in theology1 at least in the  
system established by ,joseph ,smith1 a 
similar faith is required of the        
individual4 ,god and angels have been   
seen by very few individuals4 ,these    
realities must be accepted by faith4 ,in
 the words of the ,prophet ,joseph1     
,faith is the assurance which men have  
of the existence of things which they   
have not seen1 and the principle of     
action in all intelligent beings4 ,with 
respect to the first principle of       
science and theology1 ,mormonism is in  
entire accord with the best philosophy4 

,the individual1 whether scientist or   
theologian1 must base his work on faith4
  ,the scientist who has acquired faith 
in a law of nature will no longer       
transgress that law4 ,he will obey it4  
,if he establishes the faith that a wire
 connected in a certain way with the    
electric dynamo carries a current       
sufficiently strong to destroy life1 he 
will not wantonly seize that wire in his
 hands4 ,before this faith came to him1 
he probably came near losing his life1  
by the careless handling of the charged 
wire4 ,to conform to the laws of nature 
is scientific repentance4 ,faith in     
science or religion is a high form of   
intelligence and is opposed to          
ignorance4 ,repentance is the use of    
this intelligence for the benefit of    
man4  ,in ,mormonism the second         
principle of action for the individual  
is repentance4 ,if faith in ,god has    
been attained and his laws have been    
made clear1 the believer will no longer 
violate those laws2 he will obey them4  

,that is repentance4 ,not by a jot or   
tittle does this kind of repentance     
differ from the repentance taught by    
science4 ,true1 science does not speak  
of repentance1 but it thinks it4 ,in the
 matter of the great principle of       
repentance1 governing the action of     
workers in science or theology1         
,mormonism is eminently sane and        
philosophical4 ,faith does not compel   
men to repent2 but it is a necessary    
precedent4 ,the man who does not repent 
in science or theology1 after he has    
acquired faith1 renders himself liable  
to injury and retards his own progress4 
,in the system of theology taught by    
,joseph ,smith1 baptism is the third    
great principle to be obeyed by the     
individual2 that is1 unless baptism     
follows faith and repentance it is      
impossible to enter the kingdom of ,god4
 ,in science there is a counterpart of  
baptism which is the third principle of 
scientific progress4  ,a man who has    
attained faith in electricity resolves  

to refrain from violating any of the    
laws of electricity4 ,if he desires to  
produce a current of electricity1 he    
winds a wire around a piece of iron1 and
 revolves the coil in the field of a    
magnet1 and the current is produced4 ,if
 the wire has not been wound in a       
certain definite manner1 and has not    
been placed in the proper relation to   
the magnet1 no current can be produced4 
,the scientist may rail and object that 
it is all nonsense to insist that the   
work be done just so to produce the     
current4 ,nature is inexorable4 ,the man
 to enter the kingdom of the electric   
current must yield obedience to the     
order of nature2 he must receive a      
scientific baptism4  ,the baptism taught
 by the theology of ,joseph ,smith is   
nothing more than obedience to law4     
,just why it is necessary to be buried  
in the water to enter the ,church1      
perhaps no man fully knows4 ,nor does   
any one know just why the wire must be  
wound1 just so1 to produce the current  

of electricity4 ,of one thing every     
thinker may be certain1 that the        
essential principle of baptism is as    
necessary in science as in theology4 ,in
 this matter also1 then1 ,joseph the    
,prophet is eminently philosophical4    
,the fourth principle in ,mormon        
theology teaches that after baptism1 the
 gift of the ,holy ,ghost is conferred  
which enlightens the mind1 clears the   
intelligence1 and brings man nearer the 
presence of ,god4 ,so also in science1  
to the man who obeys the law of nature1 
come greater power and intelligence1 to 
him who winds the wire right1 the       
electric current comes1 with all its    
latent powers4 ,thus is the ,holy ,ghost
 conferred in science2 and thus1 also1  
in a more subtle and greater degree is  
it conferred in the ,church4 ,the dogma 
of ,joseph ,smith and the teachings of  
science harmonize perfectly in the      
examination of the fourth fundamental   
principle of the philosophy governing   
the individual4  ,sidenote3 ,evolution4 

,it is becoming fairly well demonstrated
 that the ceaseless changes and         
transformations in nature cause a       
greater and greater complexity in       
nature4 ,this1 in other words1 means    
that the earth and all on it are        
developing and progressing4 ,according  
to ,darwin and his followers1 man and   
animals advance4 ,only those who        
progress1 persist2 those who retrograde1
 die4 ,creation as a whole grows and    
develops1 and must of necessity do so4  
,by this law1 the purpose of the earth  
and the universe is explained to be     
endless growth4 ,the law of evolution is
 the great cementing law of science4    
,even so1 in the philosophy of ,joseph  
,smith1 the doctrine is taught that all 
things advance2 that man shall continue 
to advance1 in intelligence1 and all    
pertaining to it1 until he shall become 
as ,god is now4 ,meanwhile1 our ,god    
will also increase in his fulness1 and  
ever be a ,god to us4 ,through this     
doctrine1 all the principles of the     

,gospel are made coherent4 ,all the     
requirements of man have in view his    
eternal growth4 ,man's presence here on 
earth is simply that he may better learn
 to understand the nature of gross      
matter1 and thus to develop and progress
 more completely4  ,it is remarkable    
that ,joseph ,smith taught the law of   
evolution as an eternal truth1 twenty or
 more years before ,darwin published his
 views4  ,sidenote3 ,god4  ,above the   
law of laws is the force of forces--or  
the central force of the universe4      
,science has little to say of ,god4 ,it 
is content to accept the laws of nature 
as they are found4 ,yet1 at times1 in   
some branches of science1 a knowledge of
 the beginning of things is desired4    
,usually science answers1 ,i do not     
know2 but it nevertheless affirms that  
there must be a central force1 unknown  
and unnamed1 to which the manifestations
 of all other forces may be referred4   
,science1 which is essentially orderly1 
is chaotic when the question of the     

beginning of things is raised4 ,the     
,mormon ,prophet left no such weakness  
in his philosophy4 ,he1 too1 realized   
the necessity of a controlling universal
 force4 ,this he named ,god4 ,god is an 
organized1 material being1 filled with  
the form of energy known as             
intelligence4 ,the glory of ,god is     
intelligence4 ,all other forces of      
nature may be converted into            
intelligence2 and from intelligence all 
other forces may be obtained2 ,god is   
the center of these forces1 and their   
directing power4 ,because of this       
centralization1 nature is orderly4      
,natural laws are not1 as supposed by   
some philosophers1 accidental relations 
of phenomena1 observed and recorded by  
man4 ,the force of intelligence controls
 all phenomena2 there is mind behind the
 operations of nature4 ,god1 himself a  
part of nature1 is not the creator of   
nature1 but the organizer and director  
of it4 ,what a beautifully reasonable   
climax that is to the wonderful         

philosophy of ,joseph the ,prophet6     
,the intelligence of ,god is organized2 
therein lies his individuality and life4
 ,man is organized intelligence2 therein
 lies his life4 ,through obedience to   
law1 intelligence grows2 by the         
violation of law1 which is sin1 it      
decays4 ,it is the degree of organized  
intelligence that ultimately            
distinguishes one man from other men2   
men from beasts1 beasts from plants1 and
 plants from rocks4 ,since intelligence1
 as defined by ,joseph ,smith1          
corresponds with the main form of energy
 of the universe1 the doctrine of ,god1 
and all other beings1 and of life1 finds
 expression in terms of energy4 ,that is
 exactly what science demands4          
,sidenote3 ,theology and science agree4 
,is it any wonder that workers in       
science1 who have been taught the       
doctrine of an immaterial ,god who is   
able to create something from nothing1  
and to transcend all laws of nature1    
depart from the faith of their          

childhood8 ,truth is truth forever4     
,scientific truth cannot be theological 
lie4 ,to the sane mind1 theology and    
philosophy must harmonize4 ,they have   
the common ground of truth on which to  
meet4  ,thus1 on every hand1 from the   
highest to the lowest1 from the force of
 forces and the law of laws to the      
fundamental laws governing the          
operations of the universe1 and the     
actions of the individual1 the          
philosophy of the ,mormon ,prophet is   
consistently referred back to matter1   
energy and law4 ,in its completeness1 it
 transcends the philosophy of science4  
,wherever the doctrines of ,mormonism   
and science meet1 they agree4 ,no       
discord has yet been found between them4
 ,science is daily confirming the truth 
of the universe--embracing philosophy of
 the unlearned founder of ,mormonism4   
,back of the revelations of the         
greatness of the ,prophet's knowledge   
that come to all who enter upon such a  
discussion1 stands the eminent fact that

 ,mormon philosophy is plain1 simple1   
and easily understood4 ,there is no need
 and no room for mysteries in the       
teachings of ,joseph the ,prophet4      
,similarly1 the philosophy of men1 based
 upon nature1 is essentially simple1 and
 easily understood4 ,only untruth needs 
to hide itself in mysteries4  ,one      
hundred years have passed since ,joseph1
 honored and chosen of ,god1 entered the
 school of life4 ,face to face with     
,god1 ,joseph learned the ,gospel1      
planned before the foundations of the   
world were laid1 and he taught it to a  
careless world4 ,it is not ,joseph      
,smith's philosophy2 but ,god's code of 
fundamental laws1 which the world is    
laboriously deciphering in the          
beautifully written pages of nature4 ,is
 it any wonder that the philosophy is   
perfect8  ,of simple brilliancy must    
have been the mind of the ,prophet which
 was able to discover in the forgotten  
corners of thought the priceless gems of
 controlling1 universal truth4          

,chapter ,,xx4  ,,concluding ,,thoughts4
   ,it has been shown in the preceding  
chapters that ,joseph ,smith recognized 
and stated the fundamental laws of all  
science1 the fundamental principles of  
physical and biological science and     
astronomy1 together with a great number 
of scientific facts1 and made these     
statements usually in advance of workers
 in science4  ,it is a surprising fact  
that a young man of twenty-eight1 who   
had had no educational advantages of    
schooling1 or reading1 or society1      
should state clearly and correctly known
 laws of science2 but it is marvelous   
that he should state fundamental laws   
that the workers in science did not     
discover until many years later4 ,every 
honest man1 be he friend or enemy1 must 
marvel1 and ask1 ,whence did this man   
derive his knowledge8  ,was he a man of 
lively imagination who guessed shrewdly8
 ,if so1 he was the shrewdest guesser   
the world has known4 ,all that he said  
has come true2 his bitterest enemies    

have been unable to prove incorrect     
statements of facts4 ,their attacks have
 always been on the origin of the work1 
on its ethical ideals 7which are largely
 personal opinions71 and on the         
probability that ,joseph ,smith was the 
real founder of ,mormonism--thus tacitly
 admitting the greatness of the work4   
,had he been a guesser1 simply1 he would
 have failed somewhere1 and thus        
revealed his weakness4 ,but let any man 
show one error in the inspired writings 
of ,joseph ,smith1 even when he dealt   
with matters which lay far outside of   
his daily mission4 ,though thousands of 
persons have felt impelled to war       
against ,mormonism1 no such error has   
been found4 ,all human logic denies that
 he was a guesser4  ,did he receive his 
knowledge from well educated persons1   
who kept themselves in the background8  
,no documentary evidence has been found 
to substantiate such a view4 ,primarily1
 it is unlikely that men of intelligence
 and education would hide behind an     

ignorant boy1 from the time he was      
fourteen until his death at thirty-nine 
years of age4 ,there was nothing to gain
 by it2 the prophet never had more      
wealth than just enough to live on2 the 
pleasure that his power over his        
followers gave him1 was more than offset
 by the ceaseless persecution which     
followed him4 ,besides1 nearly all the  
fairly well educated men who joined the 
,church in the early days were given    
prominent positions in the ,church1 yet 
it is known that they were instructed or
 chastised by the youthful prophet      
whenever occasion required1 as were     
those of no or little education4 ,joseph
 ,smith was always greater than any of  
his followers4 ,but above all1 no       
educated man would have been able to    
tell ,joseph1 by means of his education1
 of things not yet known4 ,the idea that
 ,joseph ,smith was only a dummy for    
clever heads is not tenable4  ,since    
ordinary means were beyond his power1   
how did he acquire his knowledge8 ,how  

was he able to look into the future1 and
 reveal its secrets8 ,ah1 says a new    
philosopher1 ,i have it1 he was         
epileptic1 and had trances1 during which
 his visions appeared2 and the          
philosopher proceeds to write a book    
proving his theory to be correct4,a     
,what a pitiful attempt to push the     
question into the region of the unknown2
 and at the same time1 what a splendid  
acknowledgment of the fact that the life
 and labors of ,joseph ,smith transcend 
ordinary human explanations6 ,do        
epileptics1 in their phantasms1 see     
orderly systems of truth1 which are     
carried into effect in their days of    
health and sanity8 ,does the epileptic  
see the truth that shall be revealed in 
the coming ages1 and teach it with a    
stately soberness of language which     
admits of no uncertainty8 ,if so1 then  
might the race well long for the time   
when the great gift of healthful1       
reasoning imagination shall be exchanged
 for the ghastly disease of epilepsy4   

,folly of follies6 ,the life1 writings  
and works of ,joseph ,smith are healthy1
 above all else2 no trace of physical1  
or mental1 or spiritual disease can be  
found in them4 ,his teachings are given 
as eternal truths revealed by the ,god  
of nature2 and they rise loftily above  
the vague theorizings of the            
investigator1 or the uncertain gibberish
 of the diseased intellect4 ,clearness1 
reason1 logic in method and execution1  
characterize the teachings and works of 
,joseph ,smith4 ,have such qualities    
ever indicated disease8  ,footnote ,a3  
,the ,founder of ,mormonism4 ,riley4    
,to the person who can rise above his   
prejudices1 and confess to himself that 
he is not able to explain in the manner 
of men how ,joseph ,smith came by his   
knowledge of ideas1 men and things1     
comes the strong conviction that the    
,mormon prophet was inspired by a       
mightier power than men possess2 and if 
that conviction is followed by a        
prayerful desire to know what that power

 is1 the testimony will be given that   
from ,god1 the ,controller of the       
universe1 known by various men under    
divers names1 did ,joseph ,smith        
receive1 directly1 the truths which fill
 the pages of his published writings1   
and direct the lives of his followers4  
,god spoke to ,joseph1 and gave him the 
revelations necessary for building his  
kingdom in the last days4 ,little more  
than was necessary did the ,lord reveal1
 but occasionally1 for the comfort of   
the prophet and his associates1 truths  
were given which hinted of the glorious 
order of the universe4 ,may it not be1  
also1 that the ,lord showed ,joseph many
 truths1 similar to those touched upon  
in these papers1 in order that later    
generations might have additional       
testimonies of the divinity of the      
latter-day work8 ,under the influence of
 the ,holy ,spirit1 the boy ,joseph grew
 into a man1 whose mind was filled with 
the great vision of the contents and the
 destiny of the universe1 including the 

future lot of mankind4 ,no man has had a
 nobler education than that received by 
,joseph ,smith4  ,when the historian of 
future days shall review the history of 
the growth of science1 and shall judge  
men by the record that they have left   
behind them1 he will place ,joseph      
,smith as the greatest philosopher of   
science of the nineteenth century1 and  
possibly of the twentieth4 ,then will   
men reverently speak of that mighty mind
 and clear vision1 which1 inspired by   
the ,god of heaven1 saw1 as in an open  
book1 the truths which men have later   
developed1 through ceaseless labor and  
countless vigils4 ,then shall the       
thinkers of the future speak of him as  
,joseph1 the clearsighted4  ,knowledge1 
concentrated into wisdom1 is the end of 
existence4 ,to those who live according 
to ,god's law1 knowledge will come      
easily4 ,it will continue to come to his
 people1 until it shall be the most     
intelligent among the nations4 ,the     
,lord has said it4  ,how long can       

rolling waters remain impure8 ,what     
power shall stay the heavens8 ,as well  
might man stretch forth his puny arm to 
stop the ,missouri ,river in its decreed
 course1 or turn it up stream1 as to    
hinder the ,almighty from pouring down  
knowledge from heaven upon the heads of 
the ,latter-day ,saints4,a  ,footnote   
,a3 ,doctrine and ,covenants1 #aba3cc4  
,,appendix4  ,chapter ,,xxi4  ,a ,,voice
 ,,from ,,the ,,soil4   ,i4  --the      
defenced city shall be desolate1 and the
 habitation forsaken1 and left like a   
wilderness4--,isaiah1 xxvii3 #aj4  ,it  
is a fact1 which has impressed itself   
upon all readers of history1 that       
countries which have been the homes of  
the most powerful and cultured nations1 
are now great stretches of the veriest  
desert4 ,no country teaches this truth  
better than the extensive valley of the 
,mesopotamia which looms giant-like in  
the dawn of history4 ,upon its plains   
and highlands1 the great nations of     
antiquity acted the tragedies of their  

existence2 like the schoolboys' snowman1
 they rose1 with vast proportions1 in a 
day1 and fell ere the setting of the    
next sun4 ,in this district1 advanced   
and retreated with wonderful precision1 
as it appears to us so many ages removed
 from the time of action1 the           
,chaldeans1 the ,babylonians and the    
,assyrians2 here the ,medes and         
,persians achieved the victories that   
made them famous1 and here came all the 
great generals of old to crown their    
successes4 ,a hundred populous cities   
clustered1 in the lower part of the     
valley1 around ,babylon the great1 the  
most marvelous city of any past age2 a  
hundred cities were in the upper half1  
with ,nineveh1 also magnificent and     
great1 as their center4 ,from           
,mesopotamia come evidences of          
art--painting1 sculpture1 music1        
literature and architecture--the        
indication of a higher civilization4    
,still1 today1 even the sites of many of
 the great cities are lost1 and         

,mesopotamia is a stretch of barren     
land4  ,to the west of ,mesopotamia is  
the valley containing the promised land 
of ,palestine--it1 also1 has fallen from
 its former splendor1 and is a desert   
compared with the days of its greatest  
prosperity4 ,still further west and     
south lies the land of ,egypt1 in the   
valley of the ,nile4 ,it was the        
fostermother of science1 and the shaker 
of empires4 ,it has fallen likewise2 and
 a blight has come upon the soil1 until 
it bears the appearance of a sandy      
waste4 ,over the sites of other famous  
nations of antiquity1 in ,europe and    
,asia1 hovers1 today1 the spirit of     
desolation4  ,the same story is told on 
the ,american continent4 ,peru1 the land
 of the ,incas1 once populous1 powerful1
 wealthy1 is today largely a wilderness4
 ,mexico1 the ,aztec home1 is now a vast
 desert1 in spite of the evidence1      
through the discovered ruins of mighty  
cities and gigantic temples1 that it was
 once the home of a strong people4      

,central ,america tells a similar story4
 ,it seems to be a general fact that    
wherever a large people lived formerly1 
there1 today1 a desert often occurs4    
,however1 these countries are deserts   
only because human effort is no longer  
applied to them2 by proper treatment the
 lands would again be raised to the     
flourishing condition that prevailed in 
their prosperous days4 ,intrinsically   
the soils are extremely fertile1 but are
 dry and require the application of     
water to make the fertility suitable for
 the use of crops4 ,the soils of        
,babylon1 ,assyria1 ,egypt1 ,peru and   
,mexico1 raise crops of wonderful yields
 when properly irrigated2 and there is  
abundant proof that in former days      
irrigation was practiced in these       
countries on a scale far larger than in 
,utah or in any other country of the    
present day4  ,many of the old          
irrigation canals of ,babylon still     
exist1 and prove the magnitude of the   
practice1 there1 of the art of          

irrigation4 ,the old historians1 also1  
agree in explaining the ingenious       
devices by which whole rivers were      
turned from their courses to flow over  
the soil4 ,in ,egypt1 likewise1         
irrigation was more commonly practiced  
in the past than it is today2 though    
even now a large portion of the soil of 
that country is made to yield crops by  
the artificial application of water4 ,in
 ,peru1 ,central ,america1 and ,mexico1 
the irrigation canals that remain from  
prehistoric days are even more wonderful
 as feats of engineering and as         
evidences of a populous and enlightened 
condition of the country than the       
massive temples and extensive cities    
that are also found4 ,in the            
construction of these canals every      
precaution1 apparently1 was taken to    
have the water applied to the lands in  
the right manner1 and to reduce the loss
 to a minimum4 ,in some places immense  
canals remain1 that are tiled for miles1
 on sides and bottom1 in order to render

 them watertight1 and thus prevent any  
loss by seepage4  ,instead of saying1   
then1 that the countries where most     
great nations have lived are now        
deserts1 we may as well say that most   
great nations have lived in countries   
where irrigation was necessary2 in fact1
 that history indicates that a dense    
population1 and high culture1 usually go
 hand in hand with a soil that thirsts  
for water4 ,what can science1 the great 
explainer1 say on this subject8   ,,ii4 
,science moves1 but slowly1 slowly1     
moving on from point to                 
point4--,locksley ,hall4  ,a plant feeds
 in two ways--by its leaves1 and by its 
roots4 ,the leaves feed from the air2   
the roots from the soil4 ,in the air is 
found a colorless1 heavy gas1 known as  
carbon dioxide1 which is made up partly 
of the element of carbon1 or charcoal4  
,when an animal or a plant is burned at 
a low heat1 it first chars1 showing the 
presence of charcoal2 then if the       
burning be continued1 it disappears1    

with the exception of the ash1 as the   
gas1 carbon dioxide4 ,since animal and  
vegetable matters are constantly being  
burned upon the earth's surface1        
naturally the air contains a perceptible
 quantity of carbon dioxide4 ,the leaves
 of a living plant1 waving back and     
forth1 draw into themselves the carbon  
dioxide with which they come into       
contact1 and there break it up and take 
the carbon away from it4 ,the carbon    
thus obtained by the leaves is built    
into the many ingredients of a plant1   
and carried to the parts that are in    
greatest need4 ,the plant is able to do 
this by virtue of the peculiar          
properties of the green coloring matter 
in all its leaves1 leaf green2 which    
acts1 however1 only in the presence of  
bright sunlight4 ,since one-half or more
 of the dry matter of a plant is carbon1
 the importance of the leaf-air-feeding 
of a plant may be understood4  ,the     
water which a plant contains and the    
incombustible portions1 the mineral     

matters or ash1 are taken directly from 
the soil by means of the roots4 ,the old
 idea that vegetable mould and other    
corbonaceous matters are also taken from
 the soil by the roots has been shown to
 be erroneous4 ,the mineral portions of 
a plant are of the highest value to the 
life of the plant--without them1 in     
fact1 it languishes and dies4 ,if a soil
 on which a plant is growing contains1  
for instance1 no iron1 the leaves become
 pale1 soon white1 and finally they lose
 the power of appropriating carbon from 
the air4 ,if potash is absent from the  
soil1 the plants growing upon it will   
develop in an imperfect manner and      
finally die4 ,it has been found by      
careful experiment that seven mineral   
substances must be found in every soil1 
if it shall support the life of plants1 
namely3 7#a7 ,potash2 7#b7 lime2 7#c7   
magnesia2 7#d7 oxide of iron or iron    
rust2 7#e7 sulphuric acid or oil of     
vitriol2 7#f1 phosophoric acid1 and 7#g7
 nitric acid or aqua fortis4 ,the       

fertility of any soil or soil district  
is determined by the quantity of these  
indispensable ash ingredients contained 
by it4  ,all soils are produced by the  
breaking down of the mountains under the
 influence of weathering4 ,the broken   
down rock is washed into the hollows and
 lowlands by the rains and floods of    
melted snow1 and there forms soil4 ,soil
 may1 therefore1 be defined1 in a       
general way1 as pulverized rock4 ,nearly
 all rocks contain the elements above   
enumerated as being essential to a      
plant's life2 and nearly every soil     
will1 consequently1 be in possession of 
them4 ,rocks1 however1 in being         
subjected to the action of weathering1  
undergo other changes than mere         
pulverization4 ,the potash1 lime and    
other plant foods held by a rock are in 
an insoluble condition1 and can not be  
taken up with any ease by the plant     
roots4 ,as the rock is pulverized in the
 process of weathering1 it is also made 
more soluble1 and the juices of the     

plant roots can then absorb the needed  
foods with greater facility4 ,this      
process of making the soil more soluble1
 continues while time lasts1 and every  
year will find the soil more soluble    
than the year before1 if there are no   
opposing actions4 ,therefore1 the       
fertility of a soil is determined not   
only by the quantity of plant food it   
contains1 but also by the condition of  
solubility the soil constituents are in4
  ,according to the facts above given1  
it would be fair to infer that a soil   
becomes more fertile with every year    
that passes4 ,this would be the case    
were it not for opposing tendencies4    
,first1 the crops grown upon a soil     
remove considerable quantities of       
mineral plant food4 ,this alone would   
not seriously affect the fertility of a 
soil did not other forces act in        
conjunction with it4 ,the most important
 cause of lowering the fertility of     
soils is the loss of plant food due to  
drainage4 ,in districts of abundant     

rainfall1 as1 for instance1 the ,eastern
 ,united ,states1 sufficient rain falls 
to soak the soil thoroughly and to drain
 through and go off as drainage water4  
,the water1 in passing through the soil1
 will dissolve1 as far as it can1 the   
soluble ingredients1 including the plant
 foods1 and carry them away into the    
rivers and finally into the ocean4 ,this
 action1 continued for many years1 will 
rob the soil to feed the ocean2 in fact1
 the saltness of the ocean is due1      
largely1 to the substances washed out of
 the soils4 ,most of the poor soils of  
the world have been rendered infertile  
in this way4 ,if1 on the other hand1    
only a small quantity of rain falls upon
 the soil--an amount sufficient to soak 
the soil without draining through--the  
water will gradually be evaporated back 
into the air1 and there will be no loss 
of plant food4 ,in such a district the  
soils1 if they are treated right1 become
 richer year by year1 even though       
subjected to tillage1 if the tillage be 

according to our best knowledge4  ,in   
every rainless district1 or in every    
district where the rainfall is so slight
 as to render irrigation necessary1 the 
soils would be expected to be richer    
than in a place of abundant rainfall4   
,leaving out of consideration           
differences due to local conditions1    
this has been verified by the study of  
soils from many parts of the world4 ,the
 soils of an arid district contain more 
soluble plant food than those of a humid
 district1 and1 with proper treatment1  
will not only raise larger crops1 but   
remain fertile much longer4 ,they will  
also bear harsher treatment1 closer     
cultivation1 and are in every respect   
superior to the water-washed soils of a 
humid country4 ,a recent study of the   
soils of ,utah has shown that the       
fertility of our soils is exceedingly   
high1 and that they will endure long and
 close cultivation2 that is1 that       
because of the peculiar climatic        
conditions of the ,state1 they can      

support bountifully a large population4 
,several years ago ,dr4 ,e4 ,w4         
,hilgard1 an eminent student of climate 
and soils1 threw out the suggestion that
 upon the facts just discussed rests the
 explanation of the historical datum    
that the great nations of antiquity on  
this and on other continents sought for 
the abodes the rainless1 arid stretches 
of the world4 ,a large1 active          
population1 which does not depend on    
other peoples for its support1 must of  
necessity possess the most fertile      
lands1 which are found only in districts
 of limited rainfall4 ,in the whole     
history of the world1 the great         
granaries of the world have been located
 on the arid stretches2 and on our      
continent1 the great ,west1 largely     
arid1 is becoming the source of the food
 staples of the nation4 ,utah is the    
heart of the arid region of ,north      
,america2 her soils are heavy with      
wealth of plant food4 ,if the time comes
 that her valleys be filled with people1

 crowding in from the nations of the    
earth1 her soils1 responding to the     
better treatment which science is       
developing day by day1 will display     
their strength1 and feed the world1     
should the demand be made4   ,,iii4     
,therefore will ,i make solitary places 
to bud and blossom1 and to bring forth  
in abundance1 saith the                 
,lord4--,doctrine and ,covenants4       
,sixty years ago the facts of plant     
feeding1 as just outlined1 were         
practically unknown4 ,the erroneous     
ideas of the preceding century still    
held full sway4 ,in #ahdj ,liebig       
published his treatise on agricultural  
chemistry which threw a faint light on  
the relation of the plant and the soil4 
,during the twenty years following1 the 
indispensable nature of some of the     
plant foods was ascertained2 and it is  
only within the last ten or fifteen     
years that the superiority of arid      
districts over humid ones1 for the      
purpose of supporting man1 has been     

demonstrated4 ,even today it is a new   
light which has not been fully received4
  ,in #ahdb ,joseph the ,prophet wrote3 
,i prophesied that the saints would     
continue to suffer much affliction and  
would be driven to the ,rocky ,mountains
 99 99 99 and some of you will live to  
go and assist in making settlements and 
build cities and see the saints become a
 mighty people in the midst of the      
,rocky ,mountains4 ,why did ,joseph     
,smith speak of the ,rocky ,mountains as
 a gathering place for his people8 ,was 
it simply because the place was far off 
and offered1 apparently1 good security8 
,if so1 he builded better than he knew4 
,but what prompted ,brigham ,young to   
plant his cane by the shore of an alkali
 lake and say1 ,here we shall remain8   
,that certainly was not for security    
only4 ,perhaps he was tired of          
wandering8 ,though he may have been so1 
yet he was not the man to give up when  
near something better4 ,perhaps he      
thought the valley fair1 and the blue   

mountains may have rested his eyes8 ,if 
that was the motive of settlement1 he1  
too1 builded better than he knew4       
,certainly it is that these two men who 
historically hold the responsibility for
 bringing the ,latter-day ,saints here1 
did not know1 by the world's learning1  
that the valleys of ,utah are filled    
with the richest soil1 waiting only to  
yield manifold to the husbandman2 for   
the world did not yet know1 and had no  
means for predicting it4 ,these men were
 not scientists4 ,they had no           
laboratories in which1 by long hours1   
over long drawn fires1 and among a      
hundred fumes1 to draw out for          
themselves the law of the fertility of  
arid soils1 which has but recently      
become the property of modern science4  
,it is not likely that the records of a 
lost learning1 unknown today1 taught    
them this fact4 ,though they had had    
such records1 they were unlettered men1 
and the ancient tongues would have been 
dead indeed to them1 had they attempted 

an interpretation by their own efforts4 
,why then1 did they bring the people    
here8 ,was it a chance move8 ,a blind   
effort1 acting out the desperation that 
comes from long persecution8 ,if an     
element of chance entered into the      
location in the valleys of ,utah1 it was
 akin to wisdom4  ,and it was wisdom of 
the highest kind2 at which the world    
ever stands in reverent wonder2         
inspiration from the living ,god4 ,the  
logic that science1 itself1 applies to  
facts in the deduction of its laws1     
makes it impossible to believe that the 
settlement of the pioneers in the ,salt 
,lake ,valley was a chance move4        
,nothing1 from the point of view of     
human wisdom1 encouraged the pioneers to
 remain in ,utah--they were in the      
center of a desert2 the leaders were    
urged by many of the company to go on1  
for there were fairer climes to the west
 or the south1 or on the islands of the 
sea4 ,but the leaders were possessed of 
a wisdom higher than that of men1 and   

founded an empire on the wastes of the  
,great ,american ,desert4  ,now1 let    
every reader of this paper consider     
these wonderful facts3 ,of the vast     
possibilities of agriculture in ,utah   
being the same with those of the        
countries where the great nations of the
 world have lived2 of a people1 claiming
 that the nations shall in the future   
flee to it for safety1 making its home  
in a place which possesses the          
capabilities of supporting the nations2 
and of the choice of that country when  
it was named a desert2 when science1 the
 world's knowledge1 did not dream of the
 fertility of that desert any more than 
it was able to give a correct           
explanation of the fertility of the     
valley of ,mesopotamia3 and every honest
 heart will recognize the unseen hand of
 the ,god of ,israel1 guiding the people
 of ,god to the destined land4