,bytheway1 ,byron ,clark1 ,ben ,crowder1 ,tom ,de,forest1 ,eric ,heaps1 ,jason ,hills1 ,tod ,robbins4 ,rational ,theology ,as ,taught by the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints ,,by ,,john ,a4 ,,widtsoe ,published for the ,use of the ,melchizedek ,priesthood by the ,general ,priesthood ,committee #aiae ,copyright1 #aiae ,,by ,,john ,a4 ,,widtsoe ,,preface ,a rational theology1 as understood in this volume1 is a theology which 7#a7 is based on fundamental principles that harmonize with the knowledge and reason of man1 7#b7 derives all of its laws1 ordinances and authority from the accepted fundamental principles1 and 7#c7 finds expression and use in the everyday life of man4 ,in short1 a rational theology is derived from the invariable laws of the universe1 and exists for the good of man4 ,this volume is an exposition2 it is not an argument4 ,the principles of the ,gospel1 as held by the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 are stated1 briefly1 simply and without comment1 to show the coherence1 reasonableness and universality of the gospel philosophy4 ,the authority for many of the statements found in the volume is given in the references included in the appendix4 ,the doctrines herein stated are1 however1 the common knowledge of the members of the ,church4 ,no attempt has been made to correlate the doctrines discussed with current philosophical opinions4 ,those who are led to study this rational theology in the light of the best knowledge and soundest thought1 will enter a fertile field1 and will find a surprising harmony between the ,gospel and all discovered truth4 ,the book could not be made larger1 were it to serve well the special purpose for which it was written4 ,therefore1 the treatment is brief and many important and interesting subjects are omitted4 ,moreover1 the book had to be completed within a short1 set time1 and many of the imperfections of the work are the results of the hurried preparation4 ,every writer who in this day attempts an exposition of the ,gospel must draw heavily upon the clear thoughts of those who1 from ,joseph ,smith to the living workers1 have written and spoken in behalf of the truth4 ,i acknowledge1 gratefully1 my obligation to the makers of ,mormon literature4 ,many friends have1 also1 in various ways1 given kindly aid2 to them ,i offer hearty and sincere thanks4 ,,john ,a4 ,,widtsoe4 ,,logan1 ,,utah4 ,,contents ,,fundamentals ,,and ,,pre-,,existent ,,state4 ,chapter #a4 9999,the ,meaning of ,theology9999 ,man in the ,universe--,a ,man's ,religion--,theology ,defined--,the ,gospel--,the ,purpose of this ,book4 ,chapter #b4 9999,how ,knowledge is ,gained9999 ,the ,senses--,the ,sixth ,sense--,transmitted ,knowledge--,the ,use of the ,reason--,the ,foundation of ,rational ,theology4 ,chapter #c4 9999,eternalism9999 ,all ,knowledge1 the ,basis--,eternal ,matter--,universal ,matter1 ,indestructible--,eternal ,energy--,universal ,intelligence--,eternal ,intelligence--,the ,eternal ,relationship--,an ,eternal ,plan--,eternalism4 ,chapter #d4 9999,the ,will of ,man9999 ,the ,primeval ,condition--,the ,intelligence of ,man--,the ,will of ,man-- ,value of the ,will4 ,chapter #e4 9999,the ,great ,law9999 ,increasing ,complexity of the ,universe--,man and the ,great ,law--,the ,law of ,development4 ,chapter #f4 9999,god and ,man9999 ,why ,god is ,god--,many ,gods--,why ,man is ,man--,god's ,help to ,man--,man's ,help to ,god--,god's ,attributes4 ,chapter #g4 9999,man ,is ,that ,he ,may ,have ,joy9999 ,consciousness and the ,universe--,the ,primeval ,condition--,the ,first ,estate--,the ,second ,estate--,the ,third ,estate--,everlasting ,joy4 ,chapter #h4 9999,man's ,free ,agency9999 ,in the ,beginning--,the ,council in ,heaven--,the ,need of a ,savior--,man's ,part in the ,great ,plan--,free ,agency4 ,chapter #i4 9999,the ,great ,plan9999 ,forgetfulness--,subject to ,earth ,conditions--,laws to ,be ,obeyed--,an ,organization--,all to ,accept the ,plan--,the ,meaning of the ,earth ,plan4 ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,the ,,earth ,,work4 ,chapter #aj4 9999,the ,coming of ,man9999 ,making of the ,earth--,the ,builders--,the ,coming of ,man--,the ,fall-- ,the ,first ,blessing--,the ,garden of ,eden--,a ,wise ,beginning4 ,chapter #aa4 9999,the ,course of the ,gospel on ,earth9999 ,adam ,hears the ,gospel--,the ,first ,dispensation--,the ,first ,apostasy-- ,later ,dispensation of the ,meridian of ,time--,the ,great ,apostasy--,the ,restoration--,the ,vital ,facts4 ,,man ,,and ,,god4 ,chapter #ab4 9999,the ,gods of this ,earth9999 ,the ,order of ,gods--,plurality of ,gods--,god1 the ,father--,god1 the ,son--,god1 the ,holy ,ghost--,other ,beings--,sex ,among the ,gods4 ,chapter #ac4 9999,man's ,communion with ,god9999 ,the ,will to ,ask--,by ,personal ,appearance--,by the ,visitation of ,angels--,by the ,holy ,spirit--,the ,eternal ,record4 ,chapter #ad4 9999,man ,walks with ,god9999 ,reading ,god's ,message--,spirit ,blindness--,prayer--,active ,prayer--,the ,gift of ,understanding--,man ,walks with ,god4 ,,man ,,and ,,the ,,devil4 ,chapter #ae4 9999,the ,kingdom of the ,evil ,one9999 ,descending ,beings--,the ,devil--,man and the ,devil--,the ,devil ,subject to ,god4 ,,man ,,and ,,the ,,church4 ,chapter #af4 9999,why a ,church89999 ,man ,helped by ,god on ,earth--,the ,plan of ,salvation for ,all-- ,orderliness--,test of ,attitude--,authority--,the ,great ,purpose of the ,church4 ,chapter #ag4 9999,conditions of ,membership9999 ,faith--,repentance--,baptism--,the ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost--,continued ,conformity--,acceptance of ,authority4 ,chapter #ah4 9999,the ,priesthood in the ,church9999 ,priesthood ,defined--,divisions of the ,priesthood--,the ,aaronic ,priesthood--,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood--,all ,hold the ,priesthood--,the ,power of the ,priesthood4 ,chapter #ai4 9999,the ,organization of the ,church9999 ,the ,general ,authorities--,the ,stakes of ,zion--,the ,wards of the ,stakes--,the ,priesthood in ,stakes and ,wards--,auxiliary ,organizations--,all ,must ,work--,the ,tenure of ,office--,an ,unpaid ,ministry--,appointments in the ,priesthood--,common ,consent--,bestowal of the ,priesthood4 ,chapter #bj4 9999,the ,authority of the ,priesthood9999 ,the ,foundation of ,authority--,absolute ,authority--,derived ,authority-- ,the ,authority of ,office--,authority and ,free ,agency--,authority ,over ,self--,the ,exercise of ,authority--,the ,unrighteous ,exercise of ,authority--,the ,church ,authoritative4 ,chapter #ba4 9999,obedience9999 ,the ,restraint of ,nature--,an ,active ,condition--,the ,restraint of ,man-- ,the ,life of ,law--,disobedience--,the ,church ,worth ,having4 ,chapter #bb4 9999,a ,missionary ,church9999 ,a ,church with a ,purpose--,the ,hope of ,today--,temporal ,salvation--,the ,foreign ,mission ,system--,the ,home ,mission ,service--,for the ,common ,good4 ,chapter #bc4 9999,temple ,ordinances9999 ,educational--,symbolism--,covenants--,b lessings--,temple ,authority-- ,possible ,repetition4 ,,man ,,and ,,man4 ,chapter #bd4 9999,the ,brotherhood of ,man9999 ,common ,origin--,common ,purposes--,common ,destiny--,inter-,dependence-- ,brothers4 ,chapter #be4 9999,the ,equality of ,man9999 ,the ,pre-existent ,effort--,the ,earth ,effort--,the ,variety of ,gifts--,the ,equality of ,opportunity--,unequal ,equality--,the ,test of ,equality4 ,chapter #bf4 9999,mutual ,support9999 ,the ,duty of the ,strong--,co-operation--,education4 ,chapter #bg4 9999,the ,united ,order9999 ,purpose--,historical--,co-operation--,t ithing--,voluntary ,offerings--,the ,common ,good4 ,chapter #bh4 9999,work for the ,dead9999 ,all ,must ,be ,saved--,earthly ,ordinances--,a ,work of ,love--,the ,need of ,records--,the ,result4 ,chapter #bi4 9999,marriage9999 ,eternity of ,sex--,the ,waiting ,spirits--,the ,meaning of the ,first ,command--,the ,family--,celestial ,marriage--,the ,sealing ,powers4 ,chapter #cj4 9999,the ,community9999 ,community ,defined--,the ,individual in the ,community--,the ,rights of the ,community--,training for the ,community--,the ,supremacy of the ,community4 ,,man ,,and ,,nature4 ,chapter #ca4 9999,man and ,nature9999 ,the ,intelligence of ,nature--,a ,living ,earth--,the ,lower ,animals--,all for the ,use of ,man--,man's ,conquest of ,nature--,miracles--,harmony of ,man and ,nature4 ,,man ,,and ,,himself4 ,chapter #cb4 9999,the ,sound ,body9999 ,the ,importance of the ,body--,food--,exercise--,rest--,stimula nts--,moral ,purity--,the ,gospel and the ,sound ,body4 ,chapter #cc4 9999,education for the ,inner ,life9999 ,the ,senses--,the ,reasoning ,power--,the ,feelings--,the ,spiritual ,sense-- ,symbolism--,education4 ,chapter #cd4 9999,satisfaction with ,daily ,work9999 ,variety of ,earthly ,tasks--,all ,work ,may ,be ,intelligent--,nothing ,temporal--,subjection to ,self4 ,chapter #ce4 9999,the ,hope of ,tomorrow9999 ,today--,tomorrow--,the ,resurrection--,our ,place in the ,hereafter--,the ,destiny of ,man4 ,chapter #cf4 9999,the ,law of the ,earth9999 ,the ,unknown ,meaning--,the ,earth ,law--,to ,love ,god--,to ,love a ,neighbor as ,oneself--,the ,triumph of ,man4 ,,appendix--,references to ,authorities ,,index ,rational ,theology4 ,,chapter #a4 ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,theology4 ,earth1 stars and the vastness of space2 yesterday1 today and tomorrow1 and the endlessly increasing knowledge of the relations of forces1 present an illimitable universe of numberless phenomena4 ,only as a whole1 and in general outline1 can the human mind understand the universe4 ,in its infinite variety of expressions1 it wholly transcends the human mind4 9999,man in the ,universe49999 ,in the midst of this complexity1 man finds himself4 ,as he progresses from childhood to manhood1 and as his slumbering faculties are awakened1 he becomes more fully aware of the vastness of his universe and of the futility of hoping to understand it in detail4 ,nevertheless1 conscious man can not endure confusion4 ,from out the universal mystery he must draw1 at least1 the general1 controlling laws1 that proclaim order in the apparent chaos2 and1 especially is he driven1 by his inborn and unalterable nature1 to know1 if he can1 his own place in the system of existing things4 ,every normal man desires and seeks an understanding of his relation to all other things1 and practically every man has worked out for himself1 on the basis of his knowledge1 some theory which explains1 more or less satisfactorily1 the mystery of star and earth and man and life4 ,no other quest is followed by man with such vigorous persistence1 as is that of establishing an intelligible and satisfactory philosophy of earth-life4 9999,a ,man's ,religion49999 ,the philosophy1 or system of thought1 adopted to explain man's place in nature determines largely the joy and manner of a man's life4 ,if the philosophy be poor and loose1 life will be confused2 if rich and firm1 life will be clear cut1 and if law be made supreme1 life will be orderly4 ,those who have no religion at all become the playthings of unknown forces4 ,every act of a man's life is influenced by the philosophy of his life4 ,it is the most important product of an individual life1 and is the most compelling power in life4 ,in a broad sense1 the philosophy1 according to which a man orders his life1 may be called that man's religion4 ,it may or may not involve the idea of ,god or an organized body of believers4 ,if it guides a life1 it is that life's religion1 whether it leads to weakness or to strength4 9999,theology ,defined49999 ,since all men are placed in the same universe1 with approximately the same powers1 and under conditions nearly alike1 it is possible for each person to establish for himself a religion as above defined1 for the guidance of his life4 ,all religions must be organized from the content of the one1 and so far as we know1 the only universe2 and the presumption would be1 therefore1 that the religions of all men should be the same1 in as far at least as men are the same4 ,in fact1 however1 during the course of human history1 many more or less dissimilar religions have been established and accepted4 ,true1 most of these religions show close kinship1 but the vital differences are often very great4 ,for instance1 the religions of men fall naturally into two great classes3 those that adopt as their central idea a great governing intelligence and power--a ,god2 and those that refuse to include a ,god in their system of thought4 ,a religion which accepts the idea of a ,god is a theology4 ,the great majority of the religions of men are theologies1 for the majority of men believe in some form of personal divine power4 9999,the ,gospel49999 ,the word gospel is also frequently used1 among ,christians1 to designate the religion of men4 ,the ,gospel is a theology which includes the doctrine of the life and mission of ,jesus ,christ1 as the ,son of ,god4 ,among ,christians1 the words religion1 theology and gospel are freely used in the same sense4 ,it is well1 however1 to bear in mind the distinction in meaning of the three words4 ,the ,christian religion1 the ,christian theology and the ,gospel are equivalent in meaning4 ,in the following pages1 the terms are often used interchangeably without the qualifying words4 ,indeed1 the ,gospel will be used most frequently1 and wherever used1 it must be understood to stand for the rational theology discussed in this book4 9999,the ,purpose of ,this ,book49999 ,this volume is devoted to the exposition of the fundamental principles of a rational theology--a philosophy of life which1 because of its complete harmony with all knowledge1 should be the one to which all men might give adherence4 ,,chapter #b4 ,,how ,,knowledge ,,is ,,gained4 ,knowledge is the material upon which the reasoning mind of man acts4 ,just as physical strength can neither be developed nor exercised unless material bodies are at hand1 so mental strength can neither be developed nor exercised unless facts or knowledge are in man's possession4 ,the acquisition of knowledge or experience is the first step towards formulating an acceptable religion4 ,it is of interest1 therefore1 to consider1 briefly1 the sources of human knowledge4 9999,the ,senses49999 ,through eyes1 ears1 nose1 the sense of taste and the complex and poorly understood sense of feeling1 man becomes acquainted with the universe4 ,that which is seen by the eyes1 heard by the ears1 smelled by the nose1 tasted by the mouth1 or felt by any part of the body1 becomes impressed and registered upon the mind1 there later99 to be used4 ,the detailed method by which knowledge is added to man is not understood4 ,the theories that prevail concerning the entrance of knowledge into the human mind need not here be discussed4 ,it follows that the man who wishes to gain much knowledge must guard his senses from harm1 and must sharpen them1 so that during the few days of life they may do as much as is possible to help man establish a rational religion for his guidance4 ,the foundation of human knowledge is derived from the direct action of the senses4 9999,the ,sixth ,sense49999 ,important as are the senses in adding knowledge to man1 yet it must be admitted that they recognize without help only a very small part of the universe4 ,our universe is infinite in its variety of expression--of that man feels certain1--and it could hardly be expected1 therefore1 that man1 who admittedly is yet far from perfection1 should be able to know1 even with the greatest aid1 all of the universe4 ,the truth that an immeasurable part of the universe lies outside of human experience1 is borne in upon every thinking man4 ,in recent times1 the developments of science have emphasized this vast region of the unknown4 ,the mystery of electricity1 in the telephone and telegraph2 the wonder of space1 in wireless telegraphy2 the marvel of the elements1 speak clearly of places and conditions of which we as yet have no clear and accurate conception1 and before which the senses of man1 unaided1 stand helpless4 ,nevertheless1 glimpses into this unknown region may be had by helps to the senses4 ,by the telescope the far is brought near2 by the microscope the small is made large2 by the photographic plate unseen light is made visible2 by the well tuned coil of wire the wireless message is taken out of space2 by the spectroscope1 light is broken into its elements1 and so on through almost the whole field of human endeavor4 ,facts that are gathered in such an indirect way are as correctly certain as are those that are sensed directly4 ,the world would lose tremendously should all the truth gathered through aids to the senses be removed4 ,man himself1 through what may be called1 for want of a better name1 the sixth sense1 may become a great aid to his own direct senses4 ,by proper exertion he may intercept messages from out the directly unknown1 as completely as this may be done by man-made instruments4 ,throughout history this power of man has been recognized and usually respected4 ,the experience or knowledge thus gained should1 when properly examined by the mind1 be given an equal place beside that gained directly through the commoner senses4 ,prophets1 poets1 men of vision and faith1 have all builded their work largely upon this kind of knowledge or inward feeling4 9999,transmitted ,knowledge49999 ,the inexhaustible universe and the limited powers of man1 make it possible for a person to discover for himself relatively a very small amount of truth4 ,much effort may be saved and more knowledge gained1 if each person learn as much as he may of what has already been learned1 to which he may add the little new discovery that he may make4 ,this method of obtaining knowledge has been in vogue since the first day4 ,what the first man learned1 he told to others1 and they in turn communicated it1 with the addition of whatever new knowledge they had gained4 ,thus comes the present value of tradition--the spoken record1--and of books--the written record4 ,men who desire to build a safe religion or a safe science1 make themselves familiar with as much as they can of what is already known1 instead of attempting to traverse the known field as original discoverers1 and to this transmitted knowledge1 they add whatever in the course of their pursuit they may discover independently4 ,those who in the present day will accept only what they themselves discover1 will make slow progress4 ,to them the treasuries of the greatest age will not be opened4 ,if1 in the course of events1 it becomes necessary for ,god to speak to a man for the benefit of many1 it would be contrary to rational thinking that each man for whom the message was given1 should directly hear ,god's voice1 unless1 indeed1 the means of communicating the knowledge become effectually blocked4 ,such transmitted knowledge is every whit as sound as that acquired by direct communion with nature4 ,true1 the knowledge already possessed by man is so large that it can in nowise be transmitted1 in all its details1 to one man4 ,the efforts of humanity are directed1 therefore1 to the devising of general statements1 or laws1 which embody the meaning of a multitude of facts1 while they are yet easily intelligible to the human mind4 ,more and more important will become the repositories of such general principles containing the knowledge of mankind4 ,the ,bible1 in its various books1 presents such great underlying principles of our knowledge relating to several very important phases of earth-life4 9999,the ,use of the ,reason49999 ,whether knowledge be obtained by any or all of the methods indicated1 it should be carefully examined in the light of reason4 ,the only knowledge that will help in the establishment of a satisfactory religion is true knowledge4 ,truth is the end of the search4 ,false or apparently true knowledge often intrudes itself upon the attention and at times it is so well disguised as to be dangerously deceptive4 ,man must learn of the universe1 precisely as it is1 or he can not successfully find his place in it4 ,a man should therefore use his reasoning faculty in all matters involving truth1 and especially as concerning his religion4 9999,the ,foundation of ,rational ,theology49999 ,the ,gospel1 or rational theology1 is founded on truth1 on all truth1 for truth is knowledge of things as they are1 and as they were1 and as they are to come1 and truth has no end4 ,in building a philosophy of life a man1 therefore1 can not say that some truth must be considered and other truth rejected4 ,only on the basis of all truth1 that is1 all true knowledge1 can his religion be built4 ,further1 the perfection of his knowledge1 that is1 the extent of his truth possessions1 will determine the value of his religion to him4 ,therefore1 it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance1 a man is saved no faster than he obtains knowledge1 and the glory of ,god is intelligence4 ,,chapter #c4 ,,eternalism4 ,the conceptions necessary for logical thought belong to the ,gospel as well as to science1 for a satisfactory life philosophy must be based on all knowledge known to man4 9999,all ,knowledge1 the ,basis49999 ,the ,gospel1 as the largest knowledge1 must include the knowledge of all sciences4 ,the conceptions of time and space are quite as necessary in theology as in natural science or in any other branch of human thought4 ,the ,gospel does not claim1 however1 possession of ultimate knowledge concerning space or time or other fundamental conceptions4 ,indeed1 man is1 ordinarily1 allowed to work out for himself the truths of the universe and to organize them into systems of thought which he may follow profitably4 ,knowledge is given directly by a superior intelligence only when it becomes indispensable4 ,moreover1 there are innumerable phenomena in the universe which can not be explained by the human understanding as at present developed4 ,the distinguishing feature of the ,gospel is that it possesses the key to the final philosophy of life4 ,in outline it offers the entire plan of life in the universe2 and man may engage for all time to come in the elaboration and development of each department of this great universal plan of human life1 without requiring an expansion of the outline4 ,the plan is complete4 9999,eternal ,matter49999 ,the saddest feature of manmade religions is their lack of security4 ,one man constructs one theology2 another a different one1 and men flock hither and thither1 accepting the one that appears1 for the moment1 to be the best1 without the deep feeling that the one finally accepted is absolutely the one and only correct system of thought4 ,yet1 this is logically absurd1 for a house is either red or not red2 a stick is straight or not straight2 a man has truth or only the semblance of truth4 ,two different truths can not be parallel with respect to the same thing4 ,the final philosophy of life must be based on irrevocable truth4 ,that which is true must always remain true1 though the applications may change greatly from generation to generation4 ,it is the absence of such fundamental certainties1 no doubt1 that leads men into a new search for a satisfying religion1 or that drives them away from their old theology4 ,the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ is obviously a system founded on unvarying certainties4 ,its doctrines rest on demonstrated truths that lie at the foundation of all sound1 acceptable thinking4 ,for instance1 as a cornerstone of theology1 the ,gospel recognizes1 in connection with the existence of space and time1 the existence of matter4 ,without matter1 the mind of man would have no material on which to act1 and the existence of matter becomes1 therefore1 a fundamental conception of the ,gospel4 ,it is the business of man to become acquainted with matter in all of its forms1 so far as may be possible1 in order to provide a foundation on which the reasoning mind of man may increasingly build its power4 ,the ,gospel holds strictly to the conception of a material universe4 ,much inconsistency of thought has come from the notion that things occur in a material and an immaterial state4 ,this unthinkable condition has been made the basis of doctrines concerning ,god and man1 which have led to utter confusion of thought4 ,the ,gospel accepts the natural view1 supported by all human experience1 that matter occurs in many forms1 some visible to the eye1 others invisible1 and yet others that may not be sensed by any of the senses of man4 ,in short1 there is no such thing as immaterial matter1 but some forms of matter are more refined than others4 ,light1 heat1 and other similar forces are held by science to be manifestations of a subtle state of matter1 beyond the immediate senses of man1 which has been called ether4 ,in fact1 matter as ordinarily known1 and ether1 a finer form of matter1 are every day conceptions of science4 ,the material universe may appear in a variety of forms2 but man recognizes1 directly1 only that form which is the ordinary matter of our daily lives4 9999,universal ,matter ,is ,indestructible49999 ,matter is eternal1 that is1 everlasting4 ,whether the various forms of matter may be converted one into the other1 is not definitely known4 ,any such conversion would1 however1 leave the total quantity of matter unchanged4 ,god1 the supreme ,power1 can not conceivably originate matter2 he can only organize matter4 ,neither can he destroy matter4 ,god is the ,master1 who1 because of his great knowledge1 knows how to use the elements1 already existing1 for the building of whatever he may have in mind4 ,the doctrine that ,god made the earth or man from nothing becomes1 therefore1 an absurdity4 ,the doctrine of the indestructibility of matter makes possible much theological reasoning that would be impossible without this doctrine4 ,the nature of matter is not1 in and of itself1 a subject of deep concern in practical religion4 ,by the slow1 laborious methods of man's search for truth1 the nature of matter will gradually be revealed4 ,whether it shall be found to be something distinct1 or a form of the universal energy1 will not be of consequence in the ,gospel structure4 ,that matter1 whatever it is1 is eternal1 is1 however1 a principle of highest theological value1 for it furnishes a foundation for correct reasoning4 9999,eternal ,energy49999 ,matter1 wherever found and in whatever form1 always possesses energy4 ,it is frequently said that matter in motion1 only1 can impress the human mind4 ,matter without motion1 were it conceivable1 could not be recognized by the human mind as at present constituted4 ,matter is always associated with energy2 energy with matter4 ,it is not conceivably possible to separate them4 ,whether one is a manifestation of the other1 so that there is only matter or only energy1 or if they are distinct things1 we do not know4 ,all sound thought recognizes1 however1 the existence of energy throughout the universe4 ,energy appears in many forms1 such as heat1 light1 electricity1 magnetism1 gravitation1 and1 according to the ,gospel1 the many spiritual forces4 ,these various forms of energy seem to be convertible1 one into the other1 thus indicating the existence of one central force1 of which all other forces are manifestations4 ,the question of energy will probably be answered gradually1 as the knowledge of man increases4 ,of one thing the ,gospel1 as well as science1 is perfectly certain1 namely1 that the energy in the universe is indestructible4 ,changed it may be1 from heat to light1 from light to electricity1 from electricity to magnetism1 or from any form to any other form of energy1 but destroyed it can not be4 ,like matter1 energy had no beginning and can have no end4 ,god1 possessing the supreme intelligence of the universe1 can use energy in accomplishing his ends1 but create it1 or destroy it1 he cannot4 ,undiminished1 everacting1 universal energy will continue through all times4 9999,universal ,intelligence49999 ,in one particular1 however1 the ,gospel goes beyond the teachings of modern science4 ,the ,gospel teaches that1 associated with the universal energy that vivifies universal matter1 and possibly identified with it1 is universal intelligence1 a force which is felt wherever matter and energy are found1 which is everywhere4 ,the forces of the universe do not act blindly1 but are expressions of a universal intelligence4 ,that a degree of intelligence is possessed by every particle of energized matter cannot be said2 nor is it important4 ,the great consideration is that1 since intelligence is everywhere present1 all the operations of nature1 from the simplest to the most complex1 are the products of intelligence4 ,we may even conceive that energy is only intelligence1 and that matter and intelligence1 rather than matter and energy1 are the two fundamentals of the universe6 9999,eternal ,intelligence49999 ,throughout the universe are found1 in addition to indestructible matter1 everlasting energy and universal intelligence pervading space4 ,man was also in the beginning with ,god4 ,the doctrine that man is an eternal being leads to untold possibilities4 ,eternal man lived a personal life before the earth-life began1 and he continues a personal existence hereafter4 9999,the ,eternal ,relationship49999 ,the phenomena of the universe result from the interaction of matter1 energy and intelligence4 ,these fundamental1 universal elements are forever acting upon each other to produce the infinite variety of the universe4 ,nevertheless1 space is not filled with disorder2 chaos does not prevail4 ,on the contrary1 the universe1 so far as known1 is essentially orderly4 ,this comes from the great law of cause and effect4 ,if energy acts on matter in a given way1 a definite effect is obtained4 ,under like conditions1 the same cause will forever give the same effect4 ,where1 therefore1 like conditions are permanently operating1 like results will always be found4 ,this law lies at the foundation of the orderliness of nature4 ,there is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven upon which all blessings are predicated1 and it is only by obedience to this law that any blessing may be obtained4 9999,an ,eternal ,plan49999 ,the ,gospel itself1 the so-called plan of salvation1 or ,great ,plan1 in obedience to which men guide their earth-lives1 is eternal4 ,it is not a temporary or transient thing1 made primarily for the handful of men and women on earth1 but it is an eternal plan based upon the everlasting relationship of the elements of the universe--a plan which1 in some form1 is adapted everywhere and forever1 for the advancement of personal beings4 ,this must be so1 for it leads to a definite end1 and in accordance with the law of cause and effect1 it must have a universal meaning4 9999,eternalism49999 ,the ,gospel is founded on tangible and eternal things and relationships4 ,these eternal realities1 no doubt1 in their essence1 lie beyond the full understanding of man1 just as time and space transcend human understanding4 ,this conception1 carried far enough1 leads to a gospel or life philosophy which is unshakable1 because it rests upon eternal certainty4 ,without certainty1 man is1 in the great affairs of life1 merely the driftwood of existence1 moved hither and thither by the wind of doubt4 ,the ,gospel may be said to be ,the ,philosophy of ,eternalism4 ,the ,gospel is immersed in the ocean of eternity4 ,,chapter #d4 ,,the ,,will ,,of ,,man4 ,the doctrine of the eternal nature of man is most characteristic of the ,gospel4 ,it is a doctrine which gives great satisfaction to all who have accepted the ,gospel4 9999,the ,primeval ,condition49999 ,all that is really clear to the understanding is that man has existed from the beginning1 and that1 from the beginning1 he has possessed distinct individuality impossible of confusion with any other individuality among the hosts of intelligent beings4 ,through endless ages1 man has risen by slow degrees to his present state4 ,possibly1 with respect to the coming day1 man understands as little as did the spiritual beings with respect to present day conditions4 9999,the ,intelligence of ,man49999 ,to speculate upon the condition of man when conscious life was just dawning is most interesting1 but so little is known about that far-off day that such speculation is profitless4 ,nevertheless1 of some things pertaining to the beginning we are fairly certain4 ,the being which later became man1 even in the first day possessed intelligence4 ,that is1 he was able to become aware of the external universe1 to learn1 and by adding knowledge to knowledge1 to learn more4 ,then1 as now1 the universe was filled with matter acted upon by many forces1 and an intelligent being in the midst of the interaction of forces and matter1 must have become aware1 measurably1 of what was going on4 ,from the beginning1 the ego of man has been a conscious being1 saying to itself1 ,this is ,i2 that is not ,i4 ,this life is apart from the life of all the rest of the universe4 9999,the ,will of ,man49999 ,in addition to his power to learn and his consciousness of his own existence1 the spiritual personality possessed1 from the beginning1 the distinguishing characteristic of every intelligent1 conscious1 thinking being--an independent and individual will4 ,no one attribute so clearly distinguishes man as does the intelligent will or the will to act intelligently4 ,it was by the exercise of their wills that the spirits in the beginning gathered information rapidly or slowly1 acquired experiences freely or laboriously4 ,through the exercise of their wills they grew1 or remained passive1 or perhaps even retrograded1 for with living things motion in any direction is possible4 ,naturally1 the original spirit1 possessing1 with all other attributes of intelligence1 the power of will1 exercised that will upon the contents of the universe4 ,the exercise of the will upon the matter and energy within reach1 enabled the intelligent beings1 little by little1 to acquire power4 ,by the use of his will upon the contents of the universe1 man must have become what he now is4 9999,value of the ,will49999 ,the above doctrine involves the idea of self-effort4 ,it is only when the will is exercised in a certain direction that the support of other forces may be invited so that progress in that direction may be accelerated4 ,from the beginning1 the deliberate use of the will has moved personal beings onward2 and in this latest day of our existence1 it is the will that moves men into greater lives4 ,undoubtedly1 the will of man will determine the completion of the structure built through all ages into a perfected man4 ,the ,gospel1 resting upon eternal1 indestructible principles1 maintains the living supremacy of the will of man4 ,the culture1 training and use of the will1 for good or for evil1 determine primarily the direction of an individual life4 ,,chapter #e4 ,,the ,,great ,,law4 ,the innumerable interactions of the matter1 energy and intelligences of the universe1 must be held together by some great law4 ,this universal law to which all lesser laws contribute1 must be of real concern to the man who seeks a true philosophy of life4 9999,increasing ,complexity of the ,universe49999 ,it has already been said that a universe controlled by intelligence and under the reign of the law of cause and effect cannot be conceived to be in confusion4 ,man is absolutely certain1 if his knowledge is rational1 that1 whether it be yesterday1 today or tomorrow1 the same act1 under the same conditions1 will produce the same result4 ,under a set of given conditions1 a ray of sunshine passed through a glass prism will always be broken into the same spectrum1 or a straight stick standing in water will always appear crooked4 ,whether in the physical1 mental or moral world1 the law of cause and effect reigns supreme4 ,quiescence in the universe can not be conceived1 for then there would be no universe4 ,constant action or movement characterizes the universe4 ,the multiplicity of actions upon each other1 of the various forms of matter1 energy and intelligence1 composing the universe1 must cause an equal multiplicity of effects4 ,moreover1 increasing intelligent wills1 acting upon matter and energy1 must and do produce an increasing series of reactions among the forces of the universe4 ,moreover1 each new set of effects becomes the cause of still other effects4 ,thus1 in our universe1 as we conceive it to be constituted1 increasing complexity would seem to be the great resultant law of the operation of universal forces4 ,this is the great law of nature1 to which every living thing must conform1 if it is to be in harmony with all other things4 ,in a universe controlled by intelligence1 it is only natural to find everything within the universe moving along towards one increasing purpose4 ,as new light has come to man1 the certainty of this law as a controlling one1 has become more and more emphatic4 9999,man and the ,great ,law49999 ,the law of increasing complexity is fundamental4 ,since man is constantly being acted upon and acting upon matter and energy1 he must himself be brought under the subjection of the great law4 ,that is1 under normal conditions1 he will increase in complexity4 ,as man observes phenomena and reasons upon them and applies them he grows in knowledge4 ,where he formerly had one fact to use1 he now has many4 ,this is the essence of his complexity4 ,a carpenter with one tool does less and poorer work than does one with a full kit of modern tools4 ,likewise1 man1 as he gathers experience1 becomes more powerful in using the forces of nature in the accomplishment of his purposes4 ,with this thought in mind the great law becomes a law of increasing power1 of progressive mastery over the universe4 ,for that reason1 the law expressing the resultant of the activities of universal forces is often called the law of progression4 ,the degree of man's growth or progression will depend upon the degree his will is exercised1 intelligently1 upon the things about him4 ,it is even conceivable that by the misuse of will1 man may lose some of his acquired powers4 ,in any case1 the operation of the will1 under normal conditions1 adds power to man2 and by the use of the intelligent will in a world of matter and energy1 the increasingly complex man grows in power and strength towards perfection1 in an increasingly interesting world4 ,those who do not conform to the law of progression are abnormal and do not exert their powers1 to the requisite degree1 in the right direction4 ,nature is inexhaustible in the possible number of inter-relations among matter1 energy and intelligence4 ,it follows1 therefore1 that man will forever be able to add knowledge unto knowledge1 power unto power1 or progress unto progress4 ,this law of progression is the great law of the universe1 without beginning and without end1 to which all other laws contribute4 ,by adherence to this law the willing1 intelligent beings have risen to their present splendid state of manhood1 and by further compliance with this law they will advance to a future ,godlike state of perfection4 ,the supreme intelligence and perfected will of the universe1 ,god1 has attained ,his position by an obedient recognition of the conditions of the law of progression4 ,the law of progression gives hope and purpose to those who accept the ,gospel4 ,the feeling of security that comes from the knowledge that the elements of the universe are eternal1 is made living by the hope established by the great law that there is purpose in all the operations of the universe4 ,whatever man may do1 whatever his life may bring1 provided all his faculties are working actively among the things and forces about him1 he is acquiring knowledge1 thereby power1 and1 under the law of progression1 he is being moved onward to a more advanced position than he now occupies1 in which he may do mightier work4 ,men1 discouraged by their failure to accomplish exactly what they desire1 often speak of their lives as purposeless1 but it is idle talk1 for1 in fact1 no intelligent life which concerns itself vigorously with the things about it1 can be said to be purposeless4 ,such a life adheres1 automatically1 to the law of progression1 and is therefore moving on to the great destiny of supreme power and accompanying joys4 ,the only purposeless life is the one that does not use its faculties4 ,it matters little what tasks men do in life1 if only they do them well and with all their strength4 ,in an infinite universe1 one cannot possibly learn all or do all1 at once4 ,a beginning must be made somewhere1 and corner by corner1 department by department1 space by space1 all will be known and conquered4 ,in the end1 all must be explored1 and whether one begin in the east or the west cannot matter much4 ,the big concern is to what extent a man offer himself1 mind and body1 to his work4 ,upon that will growth depend4 9999,the ,law of ,development49999 ,the law of progression is then a law of endless development of all the powers of man in the midst of a universe becoming increasingly complex4 ,no more hopeful principle can be incorporated into a philosophy of life4 ,,chapter #f4 ,,god ,,and ,,man4 ,the doctrine of man's pre-existence leads to an understanding of the relationship between ,god and man1 which must lie at the very basis of rational theology4 9999,why ,god is ,god49999 ,to determine this relationship between ,god and man it is necessary to discuss1 first1 the conditions under which ,god became ,god4 ,as already said1 ,god is the supreme intelligent ,being in the universe1 who has the greatest knowledge and the most perfected will1 and who1 therefore1 possesses infinite power over the forces of the universe4 ,however1 if the great law of progression is accepted1 ,god must have been engaged from the beginning1 and must now be engaged in progressive development1 and1 infinite as ,god is1 he must have been less powerful in the past than he is today4 ,while it is folly for man to attempt to unravel in detail the mystery of the past1 yet it is only logical to believe that a progressive ,god has not always possessed his present position4 ,it is clear also that1 as with every other being1 the progress of ,god began with the exercise of his will4 ,in the beginning which transcends our understanding1 ,god undoubtedly exercised his will vigorously1 and thus gained great experience of the forces lying about him4 ,as knowledge grew into greater knowledge1 by the persistent efforts of will1 his recognition of universal laws became greater until he attained at last a conquest over the universe1 which to our finite understanding seems absolutely complete4 ,we may be certain that1 through self-effort1 the inherent and innate powers of ,god have been developed to a ,god-like degree4 ,thus1 he has become ,god4 ,god1 the supreme ,being of the universe1 absolutely transcends the human understanding4 ,his intelligence is as the sum of all other intelligences4 ,there can be no rational discussion of the details of ,god's life or nature4 ,to him we give the most complete devotion1 for to us he is in all respects infinite and perfect4 ,his ,godhood1 however1 was attained by the use of his power in simple obedience to the laws he discovered as he grew in experience4 9999,many ,gods49999 ,during the onward march of the ,supreme ,being1 other intelligent beings were likewise engaged1 though less vigorously1 in acquiring power over the forces of the universe4 ,among many intelligent beings thus moving onward1 there is little probability of any two attaining exactly the same place1 at the same time4 ,there is rather the probability of infinite gradation from the lowest to the highest development4 ,next to ,god1 there may be1 therefore1 other intelligent beings so nearly approaching his power as to be coequal with him in all things so far as our finite understanding can perceive4 ,these beings may be immeasurably far from ,god in power1 nevertheless immeasurably far above us mortal men of the earth4 ,such intelligent beings are as ,gods to us4 ,under this definition there may be a great number of intelligent beings who possess to a greater or less degree the quality of ,godhood4 ,the acceptance of the preceding doctrines makes it almost a logical necessity that there are many gods or beings so highly developed that they are as gods1 in fact are ,gods4 ,this is a fundamental doctrine of the ,gospel4 9999,why ,man is ,man49999 ,it is fairly evident from what has been said why man is man4 ,man is subject-to eternal laws1 and in the far-off beginning he must have exercised his will more slowly or not at all2 perhaps1 even1 as laws came to him he ignored or opposed them4 ,as more knowledge and power are attained1 growth becomes increasingly more rapid4 ,god1 exalted by his glorious intelligence1 is moving on into new fields of power with a rapidity of which we can have no conception1 whereas man1 in a lower stage of development1 moves relatively at a snail-like1 though increasing pace4 ,man is1 nevertheless1 moving on1 in eternal progression4 ,as man is1 ,god once was2 as ,god is1 man may become4 ,in short1 man is a god in embryo4 ,he comes of a race of gods1 and as his eternal growth is continued1 he will approach more nearly the point which to us is ,godhood1 and which is everlasting in its power over the elements of the universe4 9999,god's ,help to ,man49999 ,self-effort1 the conscious operation of will1 has moved man onward to his present high degree4 ,however1 while all progress is due to self-effort1 other beings of power may contribute largely to the ease of man's growth4 ,god1 standing alone1 cannot conceivably possess the power that may come to him if the hosts of other advancing and increasing workers labor in harmony with him4 ,therefore1 because of his love for his children and his desire to continue in the way of even greater growth1 he proceeded to aid others in their onward progress4 ,knowledge may be transmitted from intelligence to intelligence4 ,god offered to the waiting intelligent beings the knowledge that he had already gained1 so that they need not traverse that road1 but might attack some other phase of universal existence4 ,he devised plans of progression whereby the experiences of one person might be used by an inferior one4 ,each person should give of his experience to others1 so that none should do unnecessary work4 ,in that manner1 through the united effort of all1 the whole race of progressive beings would receive an added onward impetus4 9999,man's ,help to ,god49999 ,the progress of intelligent beings is a mutual affair4 ,a lone ,god in the universe cannot find great joy in his power4 ,god1 being in harmony with eternal laws1 can progress best as the whole universe becomes more complex1 or advances4 ,the development of intelligence increases the complexity of the universe1 for each active individual may bring new relationships into view1 and increases many-fold the body of acquired truth4 ,in that sense1 the man who progresses through his increase in knowledge and power1 becomes a co-laborer with ,god1 and may be said1 indeed1 to be a help to ,god4 ,it is a comforting thought1 not only that we need ,god but also that ,god needs us4 ,true1 the need ,god has of us is relatively small1 and the help he gives us is infinitely large1 yet the relation exists for the comfort and assurance of man4 9999,god's ,attributes49999 ,to analyze the supreme intelligence of the universe1 the ,god whom we worship1 is a futile attempt1 to which men of shallow minds1 only1 give their time4 ,that which is infinite transcends the human understanding4 ,the ,gospel accepts this condition1 calmly1 knowing that1 in the scheme of things1 greater truths will come with increased power1 until1 in the progress of time1 we shall understand that which now seems incomprehensible4 ,for that reason1 eternal1 or everlasting1 or infinite things are things understood by ,god1 the supreme and governing ,power1 but not understood by us4 ,thus1 eternal punishment is ,god's punishment2 endless punishment is ,god's punishment4 ,likewise1 everlasting joy or endless blessings are ,god's joy and ,god's blessings4 ,man acknowledges in this manner that all things are relative to ,god4 ,man does not understand ,god fully1 yet an understanding between man and ,god does exist in that1 ,god in the course of his progression has gone over the road that we are traveling and therefore understands us fully4 ,he understands our difficulties1 our hopes1 our sorrows1 our faults and our follies4 ,god is supreme1 and his justice is perfect2 his love is unmeasurable and his mercy without end2 for his justice and love and mercy are tempered by the memory of his own upward career4 ,god's relation to man is1 in a literal sense1 that of father to son1 for we are of the same race with ,god4 ,we may rest secure that ,god's attributes are1 with others1 those that man possesses1 made great and beautiful4 ,he is our ,father who knows and understands us4 ,,chapter #g4 ,,man ,,is ,,that ,,he ,,may ,,have ,,joy4 ,is the increasing power of man a sufficient reward for the effort and struggle that must accompany progression8 ,this is a question that comes to every student of the ,gospel4 ,power in itself may not be the ideal end of existence4 ,it becomes necessary1 therefore1 to determine if there is associated with power1 gifts that make worth while the eternal searching out of knowledge in order that greater power may be won4 9999,consciousness and the ,universe49999 ,intelligent spirits have possessed1 from the beginning1 a consciousness of the world in which they found themselves4 ,they must have been susceptible1 from the first1 of feeling pleasure and pain1 and must have had equivalents of our senses1 which1 possibly1 were keener than those we now possess4 ,when they were placed in opposition to any law of nature1 pain or its equivalent undoubtedly resulted exactly as today4 ,when they moved along with law1 joy must have been sensed1 as today4 ,intelligent beings can not rejoice in pain1 therefore1 from the beginning1 to avoid pain and to secure joy1 they have searched out and obeyed law4 ,the more advanced the intelligence1 the greater the number of laws that are understood to which adaptation may be made1 and therefore the greater the possibility of joy4 ,the search for increasing power1 carried on by all normal beings is then really a search for a greater and more abiding joy4 ,there is no ,godliness in pain1 except as it is an incident in securing more knowledge4 ,true freedom1 which is full joy1 is the complete recognition of law and adaptation to it4 ,bondage comes from ignorance of law or opposition to it4 9999,the ,primeval ,condition49999 ,man's approach to a fullness of joy is pictured in his revealed history4 ,through the veil of forgetting we see but dimly our pre-existent condition4 ,the ,gospel student does not really concern himself1 greatly1 with the details of the life before this one2 so much needs to be done in this life that he is content with the great outlines of pre-existent life1 which may assist him to understand the eternal journey of intelligence4 ,of the primeval condition of man little is known4 ,he found about him many forces1 operating in diverse ways1 and to control them1 and thus to sense joy1 he began to study them4 ,the story of that early day of striving for the greatest goal has not been told to mortal man4 9999,the ,first ,estate49999 ,matter exists1 perhaps1 in many forms1 but may be classified1 as the ponderable matter of earth1 known directly through the senses1 and1 as the imponderable matter which cannot be sensed directly by man4 ,this second class1 often called spirit matter1 is perhaps most important1 for it is not unlikely that from it are derived all other forms of matter4 ,it was of first importance that the intelligent beings aiming at the conquest of the universe1 should learn to understand1 thoroughly1 the properties of universal matter1 in all of its forms4 ,as nearly as can be learned1 the efforts of man were first devoted to education in the properties of spirit matter4 ,we were begotten spirits by ,god1 who thus became our ,father1 and we are his sons and daughters4 ,our career in the spirit world is often spoken of as man's first estate4 ,how long man remained in the first estate1 is not known4 ,undoubtedly1 however1 it was long enough to enable him to become thoroughly familiar with the manifestations of all forms of spirit substance4 ,only when education in this division of the universe was completed were we permitted to enter the next estate4 9999,the ,second ,estate49999 ,the kind of matter characteristic of this earth and the so-called material universe1 also forms an important part of the universe4 ,no spirit can acquire real mastery over the universe until this form of matter is so thoroughly understood as to be used and governed4 ,the next step in the education of these intelligent beings was therefore to teach them familiarity with gross matter4 ,consequently1 the spirits passed out of the spirit world1 and were born into the world of earthly things1 the world we now occupy1 as men and women clothed upon by a body consisting of gross matter1 so that intimate familiarity with the nature and possibilities of gross matter might be acquired4 ,this is called the second estate of man4 ,the business of man is to become so thoroughly acquainted with earth conditions1 that through the possession of an earthly body1 he may go on1 forever4 9999,the ,third ,estate49999 ,we pass out of this1 but reappear in another world1 for a brief time separated from our earth-won body1 but finally possessing bodies of both kinds of universal matter4 ,in this estate1 both the spirit matter and the grosser matter composing our final bodies are represented by their essences1 and therefore permit perfect freedom and ease of movement and thought4 ,these celestial bodies1 as they are called1 connect the intelligence with all parts of the universe1 and become mighty helps in the endless search for truth4 ,this is the third estate of man4 ,such then are the three estates1 and as far as known1 all the estates of man4 ,whether the outline1 as here presented1 in its details1 is precise or not1 matters little4 ,the essential thing is that man has to undergo experience upon experience1 to attain the desired mastery of the external universe2 and that we1 of this earth1 are passing through an estate designed wholly for our further education4 9999,everlasting ,joy49999 ,it follows that1 in each estate1 with each onward step1 a profounder knowledge of the laws of nature is attained4 ,when conscious1 active wills are thus at work1 the new knowledge makes possible a more perfect adaptation of man to law4 ,the more completely law is obeyed the greater the consciousness of perfect joy4 ,throughout eternal life1 increasing knowledge is attained1 and with increasing knowledge comes the greater adaptation to law1 and in the end an increasingly greater joy4 ,therefore it is that eternal life is the greatest gift of ,god1 and that the plan of salvation is priceless4 ,,chapter #h4 ,,man',s ,,free ,,agency4 ,the question of the rights of each intelligent being as pertaining to himself and to all others must always have been and must always remain a chief one4 9999,in the ,beginning49999 ,in each intelligent being has resided1 from the beginning1 an individual and distinct will1 which1 of itself1 has been acting in some degree upon the external universe4 ,each being1 with its developing will1 has learned more and more of natural forces and of the methods of controlling them4 ,each has striven to adapt his knowledge of surrounding forces to his own particular needs or desires4 ,clearly1 since many wills have been so engaged1 it might easily occur that different wills might use acquired knowledge in different ways to suit their different desires4 ,it is easily conceivable1 therefore1 that one will might attempt so to control the surrounding forces as to give itself joy1 yet to affect another will adversely4 ,in general1 whatever is desirable for one is desirable for all1 since all spirits are cast in the same mold and have the same derivation4 ,nevertheless1 when individuality is assumed1 it is equally clear that there is always a possibility of one will crossing another to the detriment of one or possibly both4 ,the universal plan may follow its developing path1 unhindered1 only when all the intelligent beings within it labor harmoniously together for the upbuilding of each and all4 ,the only solution for the problem of the possible conflicts resulting from the activities of a great number of beings is an agreement among them relating to the general good4 ,laws established for the community of beings must be obeyed as rigidly as those found in external nature4 ,each may act freely and to his full power in any desired way so long as the general laws respecting the freedom of all others are not violated4 ,the right of an individual can never transcend the rights of the community4 9999,the ,council in ,heaven49999 ,a dim though wonderfully attractive picture has come down of an event in the spiritual estate of man1 the first estate1 that deals directly with the great question of the one and the many1 the individual and the community4 ,there had been born1 in time1 a family of spirits1 the innumerable destined hosts of earth1 who1 at length1 seemed fitted for further education in another field4 ,god1 the ,father of these spirits1 saw that they were ready for further light1 and came down among them1 to discuss their future4 ,as the ,supreme ,being1 ,god had in mind a plan1 the ,great ,plan1 whereby each spirit could enter upon his second estate and become acquainted with the properties of gross matter4 ,however1 as each intelligent spirit possessed a free and untrammeled will which must be respected1 ,god called together the spirits in question1 and presented the plan for their approval4 ,in the ,great ,council then held1 of which a dim and distant picture only has been left1 the great question was with respect to man's free agency4 ,the essence of the proposed plan was that the spirits1 forgetting temporarily their sojourn in their spirit home should be given a body of grosser matter1 and should be subject to this form of universal matter1 and even be brought into a temporal death4 ,to bring an eternal1 free spirit under the bondage of matter and forgetfulness1 it was necessary for some one to begin the work by1 figuratively speaking1 breaking a law1 so that the race might be brought under the subjection of death4 ,this may be likened1 roughly1 to the deliberate breaking1 for purposes of repair or extension1 of a wire carrying power to light a city4 ,someone had to divert the current of eternal existence1 and thus temporarily bring man's earthly body under the subjection of gross matter4 ,adam1 the first man1 was chosen to do this work4 ,by the deliberate breaking of a spiritual law1 he placed himself under the ban of earthly death and transmitted to all his posterity the subjection to death4 ,this was the so-called sin of ,adam4 ,to obtain or give greater joys1 smaller pains may often have to be endured4 9999,the ,need of a ,savior49999 ,the purpose of the earth career was1 however1 two-fold1 to learn to understand gross matter1 and to acquire a body made of the essence of such matter4 ,the bodies laid in the grave must1 therefore1 be raised again4 ,as the spirits1 by their own act had not brought upon themselves death1 so by their own act they should not conquer it4 ,it was necessary1 therefore1 that someone1 in time1 should reunite the broken wires and reestablish the flow of eternal life1 and thus to conquer death4 ,for this work ,jesus ,christ was chosen4 ,jesus actually came on earth1 lived and taught the ancient ,gospel again to the children of men1 and in time suffered death so that the act of ,adam might be atoned for4 ,by this work1 the purpose of the earth-life was completed1 and thus ,jesus ,christ became the central figure in the plan of salvation4 ,why death1 so-called1 should be necessary for us to achieve an intimate knowledge of matter1 and why ,jesus should die to permit the current of eternal life to flow freely between the earthly body and the eternal spirit1 are not fully known4 ,through ,adam man was brought on earth1 subject to death2 through ,jesus1 the ,christ1 he was lifted out of death to continue an eternal life in association with the earth-acquired body4 9999,man's ,part in the ,great ,plan49999 ,in this great gathering in the heavens many questions arose4 ,by ,adam man was to come on earth2 by ,jesus he was to be resurrected4 ,in both of these great acts1 man had no part1 beyond permitting himself to be acted upon4 ,in the plan1 what was to be man's part8 ,lucifer1 a great leader in the ,council1 proposed that1 since others were acting for man in bringing him on and taking him away from the earth1 it was not necessary for man1 during his earth-career1 to exercise his own will4 ,lucifer proposed that1 in spite of himself1 his will1 his desires and his individuality1 man should be placed on earth1 and be taken from it1 and without effort1 be filled with a knowledge of earth conditions4 ,all men should be forced into salvation4 ,jesus ,christ1 who became the ,savior of men1 objected to this change in ,god's plan1 as it interfered with the essential right of intelligent beings to act for themselves4 ,jesus insisted that1 as without will there can be no growth1 man1 placed on earth through the agency of ,adam and resurrected and brought into a full life through the agency of ,jesus1 should retain1 during his earth-career1 his full free agency4 ,though he might walk an forgetfulness of the past1 and have no visions of the future1 he would yet be allowed a free and untrammeled agency as he walked in the clearness of the earth's day4 ,while upon earth he might learn much or little1 might accept a law or reject it1 just as he had been1 privileged to do in all the days that had gone before4 ,these two views regarding man's part in the plan led1 we are told1 to a great difference of opinion among the spirits4 ,naturally1 the first proposition appealed to many1 for it is the easy way of obtaining victory1 if victory it may be called4 ,the other way seems always somewhat hard and bitter1 though in the end the joy obtained surpasses that attained without effort4 ,lucifer1 who led the fight for the first method1 could not agree to the original plan which was finally accepted2 and so1 in that great1 dim day1 many of the spirits followed ,lucifer1 and have not yet entered upon their earth-careers1 but are independently and in opposition to ,god's will1 following paths that are not leading them onward4 ,the majority accepted ,god's law1 as championed by the ,son1 though it is said that many weak and fearful spirits remained neutral1 daring neither to accept nor to reject either proposition4 ,the hosts who accepted the plan of ,god1 girded themselves with the necessary strength to begin the pilgrimage1 ending in an earthly death1 but reaching1 through the resurrection1 into an eternal life of exceedingly great progress4 9999,free ,agency49999 ,on the earth1 as elsewhere1 then1 the free agency of man1 as expressed in the individual will1 is supreme4 ,though our environment is that of gross matter1 and though we dwell in forgetfulness of the past1 our free agency is as vigorous as ever4 ,however1 the free agency of man cannot transcend the plan which all of us of earth accepted1 together1 in the day of the ,great ,council4 ,man's will is always circumscribed by great laws that are self-existent or that are formulated or may be formulated for the benefit of the race4 ,the many must devise laws whereby individual and community progress are simultaneous4 ,it is the full right of the individual to exercise his will in any way that does not interfere with the laws made for the many2 and1 under proper conditions1 the laws for the many are of equal value to the individual4 ,under the law we are free4 ,,chapter #i4 ,,the ,,great ,,plan4 ,the plan proposed by ,god for the government of the spirits who entered upon their earth careers is revealed only so far as it is necessary for the guidance of man4 ,we may remain certain that the ,great ,plan is based upon eternal laws that always have been and always will be operative4 ,matters pertaining to man's earth-life are matters of eternal interest2 and the laws formulated for the guidance of man on earth must be laws which in some form are fundamental for the guidance of man in any place and at all times4 ,nothing is temporary or transient about the ,plan itself1 for it rests on eternal foundations4 9999,forgetfulness49999 ,a condition of the ,plan seems to be that the spirits1 transferred to this earth1 shall remain on earth in forgetfulness of an earlier existence4 ,as in a dream1 in moments of deep spiritual fervor1 do we occasionally seem to recall our preexistent life4 ,a veil has been drawn over the past2 and1 without the aid of memory1 man fights his battle with the world of gross matter4 ,this forgetfulness seems reasonable4 ,the spirit of man accepted the earth-plan in detail1 and if he remembered every step that led to this acceptance1 and every detail of the ,plan itself1 there would not be much reason for the exercise of will in adhering to it4 ,left as he is1 with little memory to steady him1 he must exercise all his power1 to compel surrounding forces to serve him in searching out the past and in prophesying for the future4 ,by such vigorous exercise of his will he develops a more intimate acquaintanceship with the things of the earth4 9999,subject to ,earth ,conditions49999 ,intimacy with the conditions of earth1 alone1 will give a man final knowledge of them4 ,such information can not be obtained second hand nor by casual or superficial acquaintanceship4 ,for that reason1 probably1 man has been brought so completely under the subjection of gross matter1 that he has no power over it beyond that which he gains as he obtains knowledge of it4 ,hence1 on this earth1 stripped of all power1 and left1 as it were1 helpless in the midst of contending universal forces1 man must search out the nature of the things about him and determine their laws before he acquires power over nature and thereby brings himself into a condition of joy4 ,in the face of the impending change called death1 man is possibly more determined to acquire the power that will lift him from the grave and give him an eternal association with all the elements of the universe1 including his earthly body4 9999,laws to be ,obeyed49999 ,to enter into the fullness of progressive joy1 a man must1 as has been said1 naturally subject himself to the laws of the universe4 ,in ,god's ,plan for life on earth1 is a system of laws1 representing eternal realities1 to which man must conform4 ,such a law1 for instance1 is faith1 which1 in its simple universal meaning1 is man's certainty that in the universe is found everything he may desire for his upbuilding and advancement1 and that the eternal relations of universal forces will prevail for his good4 ,another such fundamental law to which man must conform1 is that of repentance1 which in its larger sense1 is merely faith made active4 ,passive faith can do little for man's advancement4 ,yet another such law is that of baptism1 which is essentially obedience to existing laws4 ,and still another such law is that of the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 which perhaps means that a man may place himself in touch with the whole of the universe and to draw knowledge from it1 including the beings of superior intelligence that it contains4 ,these and other laws are given as guides for man4 ,they sharpen his free agency2 develop his habits of obedience to law1 and establish for him communication with ,god4 ,moreover1 a plan formulated by an intelligent ,being must be composed of laws1 for even the infinite relationships of matter and energy fall naturally into groups of invariable laws4 ,the laws of the ,plan1 like those above stated1 are logical necessities1 if the earth-plan is at all accepted4 9999,an ,organization49999 ,it follows of necessity that if there is a plan1 there must also be an organization4 ,the plan is not for one alone1 but for many4 ,all must be served and blessed by the ,great ,plan4 ,those1 therefore1 who subject themselves to the earth-plan with its laws1 must needs group themselves so that the laws may be operative for all4 ,a person may be able to serve in the advancement of the whole race of man1 only when there is a unity of purpose and effect1 which can be secured only by organization4 ,the question of organization involves those of priesthood1 authority1 and others1 later to be discussed4 9999,all to ,accept the ,plan49999 ,the earth-plan1 fully completed1 must be accepted or definitely rejected by all the spirits who have appeared on earth in conformity with their vote in the ,great ,council4 ,that is fundamental4 ,those who enter upon their earth-careers may accept or reject the ,gospel2 but1 since the full success of the ,plan is based upon the advancement of all the spirits1 it becomes necessary to use every possible effort to secure for the ,plan a recognition of all those who accepted it in the spirit world1 and who1 therefore1 entered upon the pilgrimage of earth4 ,god's purpose in the ,plan will be incomplete so long as one soul remains unconverted4 ,life on earth deals directly with gross matter and the forces pertaining to it4 ,the laws formulated for the guidance of man1 are especially devised for earth conditions1 and belong to the earth4 ,for instance1 baptism1 the symbol of obedience to ,god and acceptance of his love1 is not necessarily an ordinance that belongs elsewhere than on earth4 ,more probably1 water baptism is essentially an ordinance of and for this earth4 ,it is unlikely that water baptism is practiced in a future estate4 ,if it be true1 then all who enter upon the earth-career1 and who desire at the years of discretion the perfected joy derived from the ,gospel1 must have baptism on this earth4 ,should some of the spirits refuse1 while on earth1 to accept the ,gospel1 or fail to hear it1 baptism1 belonging to the earth1 must be done for them1 vicariously1 on earth1 so that they1 having had the work done for them here1 may accept or reject the ordinance in their life beyond the grave4 ,this is the motive of the work for the dead4 ,the earth ordinances must be done by or for every soul born upon the earth so that the earth experience may not be in vain1 should the ,gospel be accepted in the remotest day of eternity4 ,this view becomes more important when it is recalled that ordinances of the earth1 belonging primarily to the earth1 stand for vast1 eternal realities1 indispensable to man's progress4 ,when the simple ordinances of the ,gospel1 as pertaining to the earth1 have been done for the dead1 then may the dead be judged as of the earth1 and may receive the blessings of the obedient who conform to law4 9999,the ,meaning of the ,earth ,plan49999 ,the earth-plan1 plan of salvation1 or ,great ,plan1 for the guidance of the spirits placed on earth1 may perhaps be more clearly understood if it is compared to the great chart in the captain's cabin by which the vessel is steered4 ,life on earth is as the large and angry ocean4 ,the chances of shipwreck and of being driven out of the set course1 are many4 ,if1 however1 the ocean is well charted1 the mariners can better avoid the sunken reefs1 and the dangerous places1 and after the storm can more readily return to the course so that the destined port may be entered with a good bill of health4 ,the ,gospel is such a chart1 on which the journey is outlined1 showing the dangers of the journey1 the havens of rest and the final destination4 ,if a man accept the chart1 and use it in his life's career1 he will find the voyage pleasant and his arrival secure1 and his life will be as that of one cast in pleasant places4 earth so that the earth experience may not be in vain1 should the ,gospel be accepted in the remotest day of eternity4 ,this view becomes more important when it is recalled that ordinances of the earth1 belonging primarily to the earth1 stand for vast1 eternal realities1 indispensable to man's progress4 ,when the simple ordinances of the ,gospel1 as pertaining to the earth1 have been done for the dead1 then may the dead be judged as of the earth1 and may receive the blessings of the obedient who conform to law4 9999,the ,meaning of the ,earth ,plan49999 ,the earth-plan1 plan of salvation1 or ,great ,plan1 for the guidance of the spirits placed on earth1 may perhaps be more clearly understood if it is compared to the great chart in the captain's cabin by which the vessel is steered4 ,life on earth is as the large and angry ocean4 ,the chances of shipwreck and of being driven out of the set course1 are many4 ,if1 however1 the ocean is well charted1 the mariners can better avoid the sunken reefs1 and the dangerous places1 and after the storm can more readily return to the course so that the destined port may be entered with a good bill of health4 ,the ,gospel is such a chart1 on which the journey is outlined1 showing the dangers of the journey1 the havens of rest and the final destination4 ,if a man accept the chart1 and use it in his life's career1 he will find the voyage pleasant and his arrival secure1 and his life will be as that of one cast in pleasant places4 ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,the ,,earth ,,work ,,chapter #aj4 ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,man4 ,the decision arrived at in the ,great ,council was promptly carried out by those to whom the authority to do so was confided4 9999,making of the ,earth49999 ,the first step1 in carrying out the ,great ,plan1 was to secure a place on which the desired experience might be gained4 ,to accomplish this1 the earth was made from materials1 found in the universe1 which1 by the intelligent power of ,god1 were collected and organized into the earth4 ,the earth was not made from nothing1 nor by the fiat of ,god1 except as his will and words determined that the work should be undertaken4 ,in the clumsy way of man1 by adding stone to stone or material to material1 the earth was not made2 rather1 great forces1 existing in the universe1 and set into ceaseless operation by the directing intelligence of ,god1 assembled and brought into place the materials constituting the earth1 until1 in the course of long periods of time1 this sphere was fitted for the abode of man4 ,in the making of the earth1 as in all other matters pertaining to the destiny of man1 the work was done in complete and orderly harmony with the existing laws of the universe4 ,the ,mosaic six days represent successive stages in the earth's construction1 each measured by ages of time4 ,the forces of nature act steadily but slowly in the accomplishment of great works4 9999,the ,builders49999 ,the creation of the earth1 the details of which are not known1 must have been marvelously and intensely appealing in its interest to the intelligent beings who1 because of their exalted knowledge1 had the necessary power over the elements and forces of the universe to accomplish the forming of an earth4 ,three great intelligent ,beings were in supreme authority in the building of the earth1 namely1 ,god1 the ,father1 his ,son1 ,jehovah1 who became the ,christ1 and ,michael1 who became the first man1 ,adam4 ,these three beings were naturally the ones concerned in the making of an earth for the sojourn of the spirits1 for it was through the agency of ,god1 the ,father1 that the spiritual bodies were started on the road of eternal progression2 it was about the mission of ,jehovah1 the ,son of ,god1 that the differences of opinion raged in the ,great ,council1 and1 finally1 it was ,adam1 or ,michael1 who was appointed to be the one to come upon the earth1 and there to subject himself to death1 so that the procreation of spirits in earthly tabernacles1 might be started4 ,these three beings1 who are so vitally concerned in the destinies of the human race1 had charge of the making of an earth which should be a suitable and a pleasant habitation for the earth-clad spirits4 9999,the ,coming of ,man49999 ,the earth at last was finished4 ,adam1 the first man1 and his wife1 ,eve1 then appeared on earth4 ,the statement that man was made from the dust of the earth is merely figurative1 and means that he was made of universal materials1 as is the earth4 ,likewise1 the statement that ,god breathed into man the breath of life is only a figure of the existence of the spirit within the body4 ,the exact process whereby man was placed upon earth is not known with certainty1 nor is it vital to a clear understanding of the plan of salvation4 ,we may rest assured that the first man and the first woman were eternal beings1 who subjected themselves to life on this earth1 so that the process of clothing eternal spirits with mortal bodies might begin on the earth4 ,adam and ,eve1 in view of the great sacrifices they made to make the ,great ,plan a reality1 are the great hero and heroine of human history4 9999,the ,fall49999 ,biblical lore and traditions among all of the races of man1 tell of the fall of the first parents from the grace of ,god4 ,an event called the fall did occur1 but it was a necessary part of the ,great ,plan4 ,adam and ,eve were eternal beings1 and were not under the ban of mortal death4 ,subject to death they must become1 however1 if their posterity should inherit corruptible bodies4 ,the fall then was simply a deliberate use of a law1 by which act ,adam and ,eve became mortal1 and could beget mortal children4 ,the exact nature of this event or the exact manner in which the law was used is not understood4 ,the ,bible account is1 undoubtedly1 only figurative4 ,there was no essential sin in the fall1 except that the violation of any law1 whether deliberately or otherwise1 is always followed by an effect4 ,the fall of ,adam and ,eve was necessary1 for without it1 there would have been no begetting on the earth of spirits with mortal bodies1 and the ,plan proposed and confirmed in the ,great ,council would have remained inoperative4 ,adam fell that man might be4 9999,the ,first ,blessing49999 ,the curse1 so-called1 pronounced by ,god upon ,adam as he went out of the ,garden of ,eden1 that in the sweat of his brow he should earn his bread1 is possibly the greatest of all human blessings1 and it is a simple extension of a great eternal law4 ,from the beginning of the dim past1 when man slumbered with only a feeble thought of his possible vast future1 the great law of his progress has been that only personal effort can achieve desirable things4 ,the price to be paid for advancement is vigorous self-effort4 ,the active will precedes every step of progress4 ,to exercise the will means labor1 which may well be represented by the sweat of the brow4 ,the so-called curse1 however1 carries with it the magnificent promise that man1 by the exercise of his powers1 may subdue the earth1 and make it serve all his needs4 ,in a universe controlled and directed by the intelligent ,god1 there can be no question but that1 ultimately1 the intelligent will shall control for its own use not only the things of this earth but all the forces of the universe4 ,the subjection to which the earth will be brought depends entirely upon the degree to which man exercises his will1 that is1 the degree to which he accepts the benefits of the first blessing4 9999,the ,garden of ,eden49999 ,the first days on earth of the first man and the first woman are of intense interest to every student of the subject1 and it is to be regretted that so little knowledge of those early times has survived the vicissitudes of time4 ,in the ,garden ,god walked with man and taught him the living truth4 ,according to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 the ,garden of ,eden1 the first home of ,adam and ,eve1 was located near the city known as ,independence1 ,missouri4 ,to the north and east of ,independence1 some scores of miles1 is probably the place where ,adam dwelt after he had been driven out of the ,garden4 ,the ,state of ,missouri1 and the country around it1 is1 therefore1 of tremendous interest to those who accept the ,gospel as restored in the latter days4 9999,a ,wise ,beginning49999 ,in all matters pertaining to the beginning of man's earth career1 it may be observed that proper preparations have been made4 ,there has been no blind destiny working out unknown purposes2 instead1 intelligent forces have provided for man from beginning to end1 so that the whole scheme of man's life1 here and hereafter1 is one of order and system4 ,,chapter #aa4 ,,the ,,course ,,of ,,the ,,gospel ,,on ,,earth4 ,the ,great ,plan provided that man should come upon earth with the memory of his past taken from him1 so that1 beginning his earth-life as a child1 he might repeat on earth the efforts that earned for him progress in the pre-existent life4 ,even ,adam and ,eve forgot the details of their previous lives1 for it was necessary that all be under the same law1 and that no improper strength be derived1 by anyone1 from the pre-existent experiences4 9999,adam ,hears the ,gospel49999 ,the only rational thing that could be done to spirits so placed on earth was to teach them fully the story of man's origin and destiny and the meaning and duties of the earth-life4 ,the plea of ignorance would not then be valid4 ,consequently1 soon after the first parents had been driven out of the ,garden of ,eden1 an angel appeared and taught ,adam the story of man from the first to the last day4 ,the plan of salvation1 including the atoning sacrifice of ,jesus1 the organized ,church1 the purpose and powers of the priesthood and the rights and duties of man upon earth1 whether within or without the ,church1 was fully unfolded4 ,adam1 the first earth-pupil of ,god1 was taught1 as his first lesson1 the great philosophy overshadowing the existence of man4 ,when ,adam had been taught all this1 and had accepted the truth1 he was baptized1 even as men are baptized today1 and he entered into all the other ordinances of the ,gospel and was given full authority through the ,priesthood conferred upon him to officiate in ,god's name in all matters pertaining1 under the ,great ,plan1 to the welfare of man4 9999,the ,first ,dispensation49999 ,as children and children's children came to ,adam he taught them carefully all that had been taught him1 so that the knowledge of the law might remain upon the earth4 ,the ordinances of the ,gospel were practiced1 the righteous were organized into the ,church1 even as today1 and the authority of the ,priesthood was transmitted by ,adam to his children1 and by them to their children1 so that the precious gift might not be lost4 ,in those days the ,church was probably fully organized1 according to the patriarchal order2 at least in the days of ,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam1 it seems quite clear that the ,church was established with all of its essential parts4 ,the activity in behalf of the ,gospel which began with ,adam and continued until ,noah1 at the time of the great flood1 is ordinarily known as the first dispensation of the ,gospel4 9999,the ,first ,apostasy49999 ,from the beginning of his earth-career1 ,adam retained his free agency4 ,god1 directly or through agents1 might teach and command1 but ,adam1 a free agent1 had the right to accept or reject as seemed him best4 ,adam's children1 likewise1 though taught by the patriarch of the race of the way of righteousness1 could accept or reject for themselves whatever was taught them4 ,free agency was with man in that early day as it is now4 ,the descendants of ,adam soon began to exercise their free agency1 some for1 and many against1 the ,great ,plan4 ,cain exercised his free agency in the murder of ,abel4 ,as time went on1 large numbers departed from the truth concerning man's place in the universe as taught by ,adam1 and refused to accept the ,gospel4 ,concurrently with the establishment of the ,church in the first dispensation there was1 therefore1 a first great apostasy4 ,it is ever so1 it has ever been so1 and will ever be so1 that in a world of intelligent beings1 possessing free agency1 some will accept and some will reject the truth4 ,no doubt1 in the process of time1 truth will triumph1 and all may be brought to understand the will of ,god1 but the conquest is attended by many temporary departures from the truth4 ,nevertheless1 ,adam and those who remained true to his teachings1 continued1 faithfully1 to teach to others the eternal truth1 so that they might perchance be made to return to the great truth which they had so lightly cast aside4 9999,the ,later ,dispensations49999 ,the first apostasy culminated in the flood1 which was sent because of the violence of the first apostasy and the corruption of men4 ,as far as known1 only ,noah and his immediate family were preserved4 ,in them1 however1 was represented all the blood of the world4 ,to the new race ,noah explained fully that the flood was due1 entirely1 to the wicked hardness of the hearts of the people1 and their refusal to accept eternal truth or to respect the authority of ,god1 and that it was necessary1 should calamity be avoided1 to live in accordance with the ,great ,plan4 ,to them all1 the ,gospel was taught in its purity4 ,nevertheless1 it was only a short time before apostasy again occurred among many4 ,the free agency of man can not be curbed4 ,yet1 probably1 there has not been1 since the flood1 such utter corruption as prevailed during the first apostasy4 ,from the days of the flood1 ,god or his messengers have appeared on earth1 at various times1 to restore the truth or to keep it alive in the hearts of the faithful1 so that man might possess a full knowledge of the ,gospel and that the earth might never need to be without the story of the ,great ,plan and the authority of the ,priesthood4 ,for instance1 ,melchizedek1 the high priest1 possessed a full measure of the authority of the holy priesthood4 ,to ,abraham1 ,god and his angels appeared1 and endowed him with the authority of ,god4 ,so on1 down the course of time1 there are numerous instances of the appearance of ,god to men to help the children of men to a perfect understanding of the great truths that must be understood and obeyed1 if men are to continue in their progressive development4 ,it is not known how many men and women at various times have received such visitations1 but it is probable that hosts of men and women at various times1 even when the ,church has not been organized1 have received and used the truth of life as embodied in the ,great ,plan4 9999,the ,dispensation of the ,meridian of ,time49999 ,in the course of human history and in accordance with the ,great ,plan1 ,jesus the ,son of ,god1 appeared on earth1 to atone for the act of ,adam and ,eve1 who fell that men might be4 ,this is called the dispensation of the meridian of time4 ,jesus did live on earth1 and gave his life so that mortal bodies may rise from the grave and pass into an eternal existence1 beyond the reach of corruption4 ,during the sojourn of ,jesus on earth1 he devoted himself to a restatement of the ,gospel1 including the story of the past and the present and the hope of the future4 ,at no time since the days of ,adam1 had the ,gospel been so fully taught and made so simply clear to the understanding as in the days of ,jesus4 ,under the teachings of the ,savior1 the ,church was re-established in order and completeness4 9999,the ,great ,apostasy49999 ,after the ascension of ,jesus1 the ,church remained1 for some time1 fully organized4 ,thousands flocked to it1 and the people lived in accordance with the doctrines taught by the ,savior4 ,soon1 however1 history repeated itself4 ,in the right of their free agency1 men refused1 in many cases1 to obey the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel1 and more often changed them to suit their own convenience4 ,such departures from the truth became more numerous and more flagrant as time wore on1 until error permeated the whole ,church4 ,at last1 about six hundred years after ,christ1 the ,gospel laws and ordinances had become so completely warped that it was as if the ,church had departed from the earth4 ,the authority of the ,priesthood no longer remained with the ,church4 ,this was the great apostasy4 ,from that time1 complete darkness reigned for many centuries4 ,in those days1 however1 many honest men could see that the truth was not upon the earth1 and hoped that the simple principles of the ,gospel might again be correctly practiced by man4 ,among such men were ,luther and many others1 who used their best endeavors to show the people that error ruled4 ,at last many were awakened1 and the days of the ,reformation began4 ,the ,reformation was a period of preparation for the last restoration of the ,gospel on earth4 ,many years were required before the darkness of centuries could be lifted from the souls of men4 9999,the ,restoration49999 ,finally1 as men broke through the darkness1 as intelligence became diffused among all men1 and as liberality of thought grew and became respected1 the world was ready for the eternal truth4 ,again the ,gospel was restored with the authority of the ,priesthood and the organization of the ,church4 ,on an early spring day1 in the year #ahbj1 in the woods of western ,new ,york1 ,god the ,father1 and ,god the ,son1 appeared to a fourteen-year-old boy named ,joseph ,smith1 who had faithfully asked for divine help4 ,through the instrumentality of this boy1 guided constantly by ,god1 the ,church was re-established1 the authority of the ,priesthood again conferred upon many men1 and a fulness of knowledge pertaining to man's place in the universe offered to all who would listen4 ,in time the ,church was organized precisely as was the primitive ,church1 and more fully than at any other time in the history of the world4 ,this was the great restoration4 9999,the ,vital ,facts49999 ,the ,gospel was fully taught to the first man1 who in turn taught it to others4 ,the ,church was organized from the beginning4 ,as apostasy dimmed men's knowledge of the ,gospel and undermined the ,church1 the full truth was repeatedly restored4 ,at least four times has a complete statement of the ,great ,plan been made to the people of the earth--at the time of ,adam1 of ,noah1 of ,jesus ,christ and of ,joseph ,smith4 ,consequently1 the ,gospel has been on the earth and within the reach of men practically during the whole course of the earth's history4 ,the fundamental truths of the ,great ,plan were taught to ,father ,adam and since that time have been scattered broadcast over the earth4 ,this wide dissemination of the truth1 in all ages1 explains the fact that practically every life philosophy proposed by man contains some of the truths of the ,gospel4 ,in every system of theology and in every sect there is a certain measure of truth1 for all have drawn from the one fountain4 ,all1 no doubt1 seek for truth1 and believe that they have found it2 but1 in fact1 they have only fragments1 picked up here and there and worked into a system4 ,the full truth must encompass the complete philosophy of man and the universe1 including the authority to act for ,god in the working out of the ,plan4 ,those who thus accept the whole ,plan1 constitute the ,church of ,christ4 ,in the churches of the world there is much of truth and consequently none is wholly wrong1 though at times the truth has been so warped that it appears worse than untruth4 ,in the matter of full truth1 and of authority1 however1 do the ,church and its imitators differ absolutely4 ,there can be no duplicate set of truth1 and no double seat of authority4 ,it is clear that free agency1 for which the heavenly battle was waged1 is in full operation upon the earth4 ,at first sight it may seem that ,lucifer's plan would have been best1 for by it all men1 in spite of themselves1 would have been given the earth-experience and kept in the righteous path that leads to salvation4 ,yet1 the origin of man1 and the doctrine that he can advance only by self-effort1 make it unthinkable that he should allow himself to be1 as it were1 blindfolded and then compellingly directed by some greater power4 ,men are directed1 no doubt1 by beings of higher intelligence1 but in that directing our wills must be allowed to play their part4 ,there can be no real satisfaction1 if it were possible1 in advancement which has been forced upon man ,lucifer's plan was impossible4 ,it must also be remembered1 that men are not necessarily evil because they do not accept the ,gospel4 ,some find it impossible to understand the truth because their hearts are so set upon other things1 and others have been led by their free agency in one direction1 whereas the ,gospel would lead them in another4 ,nevertheless1 though men are not evil because they refuse to accept the ,gospel1 they retard themselves of necessity1 when they fail to obey the law2 and thereby they invite upon themselves the punishment that comes without fail to all who are not in full harmony with the great1 controlling universal laws4 ,,man ,,and ,,god4 ,,chapter #ab4 ,,the ,,gods ,,of ,,this ,,earth4 ,the conception of a universe directed by a ,god of intelligence can not include a ,god of mystery4 ,in mystery there is only confusion4 ,it does not follow that because he is not mysterious he is fully comprehended4 ,in our general conception of ,god1 his origin1 his destiny1 and his relation to us1 we understand him clearly2 but1 in the details of his organization1 powers and knowledge he transcends our understanding4 ,intelligent man dwelling in a universe containing many superior intelligent beings will often find need of the help that higher intelligence only can give4 ,earth-bound as we are1 we need a close acquaintance with the ,god who shapes the destinies of men4 ,the better ,god is known1 the better may the eternal truths we learn be applied in our daily lives4 9999,the ,order of ,gods49999 ,god has had no beginning and will have no end4 ,from the first1 by the exercise of his will1 he has constantly acquired new knowledge and thereby new power4 ,because of the wisdom which he has gained1 and the love thereby begotten for the unnumbered hosts of striving intelligent beings1 he formulated the plan which will lead them readily and correctly in the way of continued progression4 ,in so far as man accepts the plan of salvation he is being educated by ,god1 to become even as ,god is4 ,god and man are of the same race1 differing only in their degrees of advancement4 ,true1 to our finite minds1 ,god is infinitely beyond our stage of progress4 ,nevertheless1 man is of the order of ,gods1 else he cannot know ,god4 9999,plurality of ,gods49999 ,since innumerable intelligent beings are moving onward in development1 there must be some in almost every conceivable stage of development4 ,if intelligent beings1 far transcending the understanding of man1 be called ,gods1 there must be many ,gods4 ,god1 angel and similar terms denote merely intelligent beings of varying degree of development4 ,the thought1 however1 that there is a plurality of gods and other beings of varying grades1 is a thought of fundamental truth1 which may be applied in every-day life1 for it gives the assurance that it is possible for all1 by self-effort and by gradual steps1 to attain the highest conceivable power4 ,a division of labor is necessary among men on earth1 and it is only reasonable that a similar division of labor may exist in all intelligent systems4 ,the conception of a community of men may be applied to the community of heavenly beings4 ,in the community of men1 different men have different duties2 so1 perhaps1 on an exalted scale1 the gods are organized with a perfected division of labor4 9999,god1 the ,father49999 ,god1 the ,father1 the greatest ,god concerned in our progression1 is the supreme ,god4 ,he is the ,father of our spirits4 ,he is the being of highest intelligence with whom we deal4 ,to our senses and understanding he is as perfection4 ,in his fulness he can not be fathomed by the human mind1 and it is1 indeed1 useless for man to attempt to define in detail the great intelligent beings of the universe4 ,god1 the ,father1 the supreme ,god1 has gone through every phase of the ,great ,plan1 which we are working out4 ,therefore1 he has had our experiences or their equivalents1 and understands from his own experience the difficulties of our journey4 ,his love for us is an understanding love4 ,our earth troubles we may lay fully before him1 knowing that he understands how human hearts are touched by the tribulations and the joys of life4 ,god1 the ,father1 the supreme ,god of whom we have knowledge1 is the greatest intelligence in the infinite universe1 since he is infinite in all matters pertaining to us and transcends wholly our understanding in his power and wisdom4 ,we know no greater ,god than the omniscient1 omnipotent ,father4 9999,god1 the ,son49999 ,with the ,father is associated his only begotten ,son on earth1 ,jesus ,christ1 who came on earth and submitted himself to a painful and ignoble death so that all men might be raised from the grave with the body of flesh and bones made indestructible and everlasting4 ,because of the central position occupied by ,jesus in the ,great ,plan1 he is essentially the ,god of this earth4 ,he1 also1 is beyond our understanding1 he sits on the right hand of the ,father1 and is one with the ,father in all that pertains to the welfare of the human race4 ,to us he is perfect1 possessing all the attributes of the ,father4 ,whether he is as far advanced as the ,father is an idle question1 since he surpasses our understanding4 ,in all matters pertaining to the earth1 the ,son is the agent of the ,father4 ,through him the will of the ,father pertaining to this earth is given4 ,all our communications with the ,father are made in the name of the ,son1 so that they may be properly authorized4 ,this is in simple accord with the order that prevails in the heavens and that should prevail everywhere on earth4 9999,god1 the ,holy ,ghost49999 ,the ,father and the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost constitute the ,godhead1 or ,trinity of ,gods1 guiding the destinies of men on earth4 ,god1 the ,holy ,ghost1 is a personage of spirit1 who possesses special functions which have not yet been clearly revealed4 ,we know that this member of the ,godhead is a knowledge-giver and an inspirer of all that is great and noble and desirable1 and that his functions in the ,godhead are indispensable to the welfare of man4 9999,other ,beings49999 ,many other intelligent beings1 superior to us1 no doubt take part in the work of man on earth4 ,there are angels and spirits who no doubt have assigned to them the care of the men and women who walk upon the earth4 ,man is not alone2 he walks in the midst of such heavenly company1 from whom he may expect help if he seek it strongly4 ,a plan for the schooling of intelligent spirits1 walking in semi-darkness through the acquiescence of beings of higher intelligence1 must of a certainty include such continuous though invisible help4 9999,sex ,among the ,gods49999 ,sex1 which is indispensable on this earth for the perpetuation of the human race1 is an eternal quality which has its equivalent everywhere4 ,it is indestructible4 ,the relationship between men and women is eternal and must continue eternally4 ,in accordance with the ,gospel philosophy there are males and females in heaven4 ,since we have a ,father who is our ,god1 we must also have a mother1 who possesses the attributes of ,godhood4 ,this simply carries onward the logic of things earthly1 and conforms with the doctrine that whatever is on this earth1 is simply a representation of great spiritual conditions1 of deeper meaning than we can here fathom4 ,,chapter #ac4 ,,man',s ,,communion ,,with ,,god4 ,man is not left to himself on the face of the earth4 ,though his memory has been taken away1 he will not be allowed to drift unwatched and unassisted through the journey on earth4 ,at the best1 man is only a student who often needs the assistance of a teacher4 ,it is indispensable1 therefore1 to know how communication may be established by man with intelligent beings wherever they may be4 9999,the ,will to ,ask49999 ,the first of the fundamental principles by which man may confer with ,god1 is that man must show his desire to receive1 by asking for help4 ,man has the right to reject whatever is offered him2 in the midst of plenty he may refuse to eat4 ,therefore1 whatever a man gains from the surrounding wisdom is initiated either by a petition or by a receptive attitude which is equivalent to a request4 ,unless a man ask1 he is in no condition to receive1 and ordinarily nothing is given him4 ,on extraordinary occasions1 when ,god uses a man to accomplish his purposes1 something may be given without the initiatory prayer1 but such gifts are rarely of value to the man himself4 ,to get help from without1 a man must ask for it4 ,that is the law4 ,history confirms this doctrine4 ,adam prayed to ,god and the angel came to explain the plan of salvation4 ,joseph ,smith1 the latter-day restorer of the ,gospel1 prayed in the grove and the ,father and the ,son appeared4 ,it is unnatural to believe that gifts are given without prayer4 ,that the answer is often overwhelmingly greater than the expressed desire1 is only a sign of the love of the ,giver1 and does not remove the necessity of asking1 as the first step in obtaining what a person desires4 ,it is probable that no request1 addressed to a being of superior intelligence1 is refused4 ,however1 the answer comes at a time and place not predetermined by man4 9999,by ,personal ,appearance49999 ,in answer to prayer1 ,god may appear personally4 ,there is no physical or spiritual reason why ,god should not appear to his children in person whenever he so desires4 ,in fact1 sacred history indicates that ,god appeared to ,adam in the ,garden of ,eden1 to ,abraham in the ,holy ,land1 to ,moses on the mountain1 to ,joseph in the sacred grove1 and to many others at various times during the earth's history4 ,likewise1 ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 lived upon this earth and walked and talked with men4 ,to limit the powers of ,god by saying that he cannot or will not now appear to man1 is to make him a creature of less power than is possessed by man4 9999,by the ,visitation of ,angels49999 ,the will of ,god may be transmitted to man by visible representatives who are beings of a lower degree of intelligence4 ,angels have frequently visited men and brought to them divine messages concerning their own affairs or the affairs of the world4 ,after ,adam was driven out of the ,garden of ,eden1 an angel came and laid before him the philosophy of man's existence4 ,similarly1 angels appeared to ,enoch1 ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,moses1 ,joseph ,smith and numerous others1 many of which are not recorded in history4 ,these vivid personages1 intelligent beings vastly superior to man1 knowing well the laws of nature and therefore able to control them1 may be with man1 though they are not seen with the natural eye4 ,most probably we walk in the midst of such invisible intelligent spirits4 ,the development from the earth-journey comes largely from the self-efforts of man1 who1 apparently1 must depend upon himself4 ,if at will he could bring to his aid visible1 supernatural beings1 to tide him over his difficulties1 his need of self-development and self-dependence would become very small1 and the man would not grow strong4 9999,by the ,holy ,spirit49999 ,god is a personal being of body--a body limited in extent4 ,he cannot1 therefore1 at a given moment be personally everywhere4 ,time and space surround him as they surround us4 ,it is difficult to believe that ,god can in person answer the numberless petitions reaching his throne4 ,nevertheless1 it is known distinctly that ,god1 by his power1 will and word is everywhere present4 ,it is almost as difficult to believe that1 in spite of the hosts of heavenly beings1 personal administrations are possible in the great majority of the countless petitions to ,god4 ,god must be1 therefore1 in possession of other agencies whereby his will may be transmitted at his pleasure to the uttermost confines of space4 ,the chief agent employed by ,god to communicate his will to the universe is the holy spirit1 which must not be confused with the ,holy ,ghost1 the personage who is the third member of the ,godhead4 ,the holy spirit permeates all the things of the universe1 material and spiritual4 ,by the holy spirit the will of ,god is transmitted4 ,it forms what may be called the great wireless system of communication among the intelligent beings of the universe4 ,the holy spirit vibrates with intelligence2 it takes up the word and will of ,god as given by him or by his personal agents1 and transmits the message to the remotest parts of space4 ,by the intelligent domination and infinite extent of the holy spirit1 the whole universe is held together and made as one whole4 ,by its means there is no remoteness into which intelligent beings may escape the dominating will of ,god4 ,by the holy spirit1 ,god is always with us1 and is nearer than breathing1 and nearer than hands and feet4 ,the intelligent earthly manifestations of the holy spirit are commonly spoken of as the natural forces4 ,it is conceivable that the thunders and the lightnings1 the movements of the heavenly bodies1 the ebb and flow of the oceans1 and all the phenomena known to man1 are only manifestations of the will of ,god as transmitted and spread by the measureless1 inexhaustible1 infinite1 all-conducting holy spirit4 ,by the holy spirit1 which fills every person1 man may obtain information from ,god4 ,by its means come the messages which transcend the ordinary methods of acquiring knowledge4 ,by it man may readily communicate with ,god1 or ,god with him4 ,when a person utters his prayer in faith it is impressed upon the holy spirit1 and transmitted1 so that ,god may read the man's desire4 ,this doctrine of a rational theology has been duplicated in a modest way by the development of wireless telegraphy4 ,according to science1 the universe is filled with a subtle substance called the ether1 on the waves of which the message is spread throughout the universe to be taken up by any person who has the proper receiving apparatus4 9999,the ,eternal ,record49999 ,so thoroughly permeated with the holy spirit is the immensity of space that every act and word and thought is recorded and transmitted everywhere1 so that all who know how to read may read4 ,thus we make an imperishable record of our lives4 ,to those whose lives are ordered well this is a blessed conception2 but to those of wicked lives1 it is most terrible4 ,he who has the receiving apparatus1 in whose hands the key is held1 may read from the record of the holy spirit1 an imperishable history of all that has occurred during the ages that have passed in the world's history4 ,this solemn thought1 that in the bosom of the holy spirit is recorded all that pertains to the universe--our most secret thought and our faintest hope--helps man to walk steadily in the midst of the contending appeals of his life4 ,we can not hide from the ,master4 ,,chapter #ad4 ,,man ,,walks ,,with ,,god4 ,the knowledge of means of communication between man and ,god is of great help to man in all the affairs of his life4 9999,reading ,god's ,message49999 ,in possession of the holy spirit is a record of the will of ,god with respect to all things and all occurrences1 great or small1 in the universe from the first day4 ,the big problem of man is to read the message of ,god as it is held by the holy spirit4 ,in wireless telegraphy1 a spark coil sets up waves in the ether and other coils similarly tuned1 receive the waves anywhere in the universe4 ,in wireless telegraphy the all-important thing is that the transmitting and receiving instruments be tuned alike1 for only then may the message be read4 ,the same principle holds with the holy spirit4 ,the giver and the receiver must be tuned alike1 that is1 must be in harmony1 if the messages are to pass readily and understandingly from one to the other4 ,the clearness of the message depends wholly upon the degree to which this tuning approaches perfect harmony4 9999,spirit ,blindness49999 ,there are many who1 walking among vast spiritual forces1 yet feel themselves wholly alone4 ,they do not have the assurance that there is something or someone near them which may not be known by the ordinary judgment of the senses1 yet which may be known by man4 ,these persons are so untuned as to be unable to understand the messages of the holy spirit4 ,many will not be brought into an understanding harmony with the holy spirit2 others merely find it so hard to be brought into tune with the infinite that they would rather be without the messages than to do the necessary labor of acquiring harmonious relations with the holy spirt4 ,those who can not feel and in part commune with the holy spirit1 are blind to the larger part of the universe1 which lies outside of the circumscribed world1 swept by our immediate senses4 ,in terms of the unseen forces will the earth at last be cleared of all its mystery4 ,in yesterday and tomorrow shall today be glorified4 ,the eternal concern of man will be1 as it has been1 to secure an understanding knowledge of all the forces of space4 ,they1 therefore1 who cannot on this earth possess a direct assurance of the existence and assistance of the great unseen world1 are indeed spiritually blind1 and much to be pitied4 9999,prayer49999 ,as already stated1 all communication between man and a higher intelligent ,being must be initiated by a request from the man4 ,thus1 the place of prayer in the life of man is at once established4 ,prayer is a request for further light1 protection1 or whatever else is desired4 ,prayer is the first and greatest means of reading ,god's messages1 for by intense prayer man gradually places himself in tune with the infinite so far as his request is concerned4 ,those who do not ask1 naturally do not establish an understanding relationship with the unseen world1 and no message appears4 ,the ,being of higher intelligence1 to whom the request is directed1 may or may not grant the prayer1 but some answer will be given4 ,prayer has been said to be the soul's sincere desire4 ,only when it is such will the highest answer be obtained1 and it is doubtful if such a prayer is ever refused4 ,no prayer is unheard4 ,the place and time of prayer are of less importance4 ,morning1 noon and night1 prayer is always fitting4 ,however1 it is well to be orderly1 and to beget habits of prayer1 and certain hours of the day should therefore be set aside for prayer1 both in private and in the family4 ,frequent and regular prayer helps to remind man of his dependence on a ,being of higher intelligence in accomplishing the great work of his heart4 ,a man should pray always2 his heart should be full of prayer2 he should walk in prayer4 ,answers will then be heard as ,god pleases4 ,seldom is a man greater than his private prayers4 9999,active ,prayer49999 ,to become properly tuned with the guiding intelligent ,being1 one must not pray in a stereotyped way4 ,a man must give himself to the matter devotedly desired1 in the form of prayer1 and then support it with all his works4 ,prayer is active and not passive4 ,if a thing is wanted a man must try to secure it4 ,then1 as a man devotes all of himself to the matter of the prayer1 his attitude becomes such as to make him susceptible to the answer when it shall be sent4 ,prayer may be said to be the soul's whole desire4 9999,the ,gift of ,understanding49999 ,every now and then a man is found who seems to possess a knowledge above that of his fellow men4 ,knowledge is gained by tremendous self-effort1 and the men who know most are usually those who have exerted themselves most to learn4 ,however1 it is well known that those who have given themselves with all their might to a certain study1 often have great flashes of insight1 whereby they leap as it were from knowledge to knowledge1 until their progress becomes tremendously rapid1 compared with that of ordinary men4 ,this means of acquiring knowledge may be compared crudely with the switch of an electric lighting system4 ,when the switch is out1 though the great dynamo in the canyon mouth hammer and generate its electricity1 there is no flow of current through the city system and all is darkness4 ,yet a man1 with a slight effort1 can raise the switch and connect the wires1 thereby flooding the city with light4 ,the result appears to be infinitely greater than the cause4 ,thus1 those who by great effort build up systems of truth often reach a place where by relatively little effort a flood of new light may be thrown upon the subject to which the mind has given itself4 ,that is one of the compensations to those who strive with all their might for the mastery of any subject4 ,this power becomes the gift of understanding1 which may come to all who study deeply4 ,the gift of understanding is the result of the operation of the holy spirit4 ,the holy spirit which is in communication with the whole universe1 is in a measure subject to those who give themselves devotedly and with all their heart to any righteous matter4 ,it is one of the most precious of gifts1 and one that should be sought after by all men1 because by its aid1 the chance for development is greatly increased4 9999,man ,walks with ,god49999 ,literally1 then1 through the assistance of the mighty and all-pervading holy spirit1 man is1 indeed1 always in the presence of ,god and his agencies4 ,from this point of view man is immersed in the light and power of ,godliness4 ,he1 who by earnest prayer1 close attention1 and noble desires seeks the intelligence above and about him is not alone4 ,he walks hand in hand with intelligent beings and draws from them the power that he does not of himself possess4 ,in times of need such a man may reach into the black unknown and bring out hope1 born of high knowledge4 ,,man ,,and ,,the ,,devil4 ,,chapter #ae4 ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,the ,,evil ,,one4 ,if there is progression1 there may also be retrogression2 if there is good1 there may be evil4 ,everything has its opposite4 9999,descending ,beings49999 ,in a universe containing eternal1 intelligent1 personalities possessing free agency1 there may be beings who are in opposition to the general law of progress4 ,in fact1 such opposing intelligent spirits or men have always and everywhere been found4 ,naturally1 those who devote themselves to the opposition of law are waging a hopeless battle1 and lose their strength as time goes on4 ,nevertheless1 since many of them have acquired great knowledge before they turn against the truth1 they may long continue active in their opposition to righteousness4 ,the final end of such beings is not known4 ,as they are eternal1 it is doubtful if they can ever fully destroy themselves4 ,nevertheless1 as they oppose law1 they will at last shrivel up and become as if they were not4 ,beings who would stand in the way of progress1 also use the forces of the universe1 as best they can1 and must be considered1 in the ordering of life1 whether in or out of the earth4 9999,the ,devil49999 ,the number of descending spirits in the universe is not known4 ,in fact1 little is known about the whole matter1 which probably is for the good of man4 ,the scant knowledge that we have1 comes largely from the account of the ,great ,council4 ,one of the great spirits there present1 proposed to save men without the use of their free agency4 ,when he and his numerous followers failed to secure the adoption of this plan they left the ,council1 and set themselves thenceforth against the plan adopted by the majority4 ,the leader in this rebellion was ,lucifer1 said to be a prince of the morning1 who1 undoubtedly1 through much diligence1 had acquired a high position among the spirits4 ,even those of high degree may fall4 ,no man is sure of himself1 unless from day to day he can keep the germ of opposition from settling within his breast4 ,lucifer and his followers1 who fell from the ,great ,council1 are the devil and his angels1 possessing definite wills and free agencies1 who are still continuing the battle that originated in the heavens4 ,the fundamental conceptions of eternalism1 including eternal beings1 make reasonable the existence of a personal devil1 with personal agents1 whose indestructible wills are used to oppose the ,great ,plan through adherence to which man entered upon his earth career4 9999,man and the ,devil49999 ,in a measure1 ,god and all other intelligent beings are affected by the active will of man4 ,if man wills not to be helped by ,god1 it is difficult for ,god to send him divine help4 ,even so1 in the face of the will of man1 the devil has little or no power4 ,it is only when man so wills that he hears fully the voice of ,god2 and it is only when man so wills that he hears the message of the devil4 ,the doctrine that a request must initiate the gift is as true in the relationship that may be established between man and the devil as between man and ,god4 ,god sends his messages throughout the universe2 so does the devil as far as his knowledge permits him4 ,however1 the messages of the evil one need not be heard unless man so desires4 ,in reality1 therefore1 man does not need to fear the evil one4 ,he is not a force that can work harm1 unless man places himself under the subjection of evil2 but1 if the devil be allowed a hearing1 he may become the master of the man1 and lead him downward on the road of retrogression4 9999,the ,devil ,subject to ,god49999 ,though the free agency of man is supreme with respect to himself1 under the direction of a perfected intelligence1 it must not interfere with the free agencies of others4 ,this law holds for all ascending or descending intelligent beings4 ,for that reason the devil is subject to ,god1 and is allowed to operate only if he keeps within well-defined limits4 ,he can suggest ways of iniquity1 but he cannot force men to obey his evil designs4 ,a man who sincerely desires to walk in righteousness need have no fear of the devil4 ,by the knowledge of opposites1 man may draw conclusions of far-reaching importance in his course of progression4 ,the operations of the devil and his powers may1 therefore1 serve some good in giving contrasts for man's guidance4 ,this does not mean that it is necessary for man to accept the suggestions of the evil one1 or to commit evil to know truth4 ,on the contrary1 every rational impulse resents the thought that a man must know sin so that he may know righteousness better4 ,unfortunately1 the works of the evil one may be plentifully observed in the world1 among those who have forsaken the ,great ,plan and the path of progression4 ,,man ,,and ,,the ,,church4 ,,chapter #af4 ,,why ,a ,,church8 ,those who believe in the ,great ,plan form the community known as the ,church4 ,many men1 who have given the subject only superficial study1 find it difficult to understand why a church should be necessary4 9999,man ,helped by ,god on ,earth49999 ,it was not intended1 in the plan of salvation1 that man1 though in forgetfulness1 should wander alone and helpless through the earth4 ,rather was it intended and made necessary that men should gain experience by actual contact and contest with the earth and earthly forces1 under the watchful care of beings of superior intelligence1 who would help as demanded by man's free agency4 ,in an intelligent world it could not well be otherwise4 ,in fact1 without the help of superior intelligence1 the earth would be chaotic instead of orderly4 ,the ,great ,plan is founded on intelligence1 guided by a ,god of intelligence1 and has for its purpose greater intelligence4 ,avenues of communion with ,god have been pointed out1 but many men are impervious to divine messages and need earthly help to understand the will of ,god4 ,the ,church1 the community of persons with the same intelligent faith and desire1 is the organized agency through which ,god deals with his children1 and through which such help may be given man4 ,through the ,church1 ,god's mind may be read by all1 at least with respect to the ,church community4 ,moreover1 the authority to act for ,god must be vested somewhere on earth4 ,the ,church holds this authority for the use of man4 ,besides1 it is the common law of the universe that when intelligent beings are organized1 as of one body1 they progress faster1 individually and collectively4 ,the ,church as an organization represents ,god on earth and is the official means of communication between men and ,god4 9999,the ,plan of ,salvation for ,all49999 ,in the ,great ,council the earth-career was planned for all the spirits there assembled who accepted the ,plan4 ,the earth and whatever pertains to it1 are for all and not for the one or the few4 ,this means that man must not go through his earth-life independently1 doing as he pleases1 living apart from his fellowmen and accepting the ,great ,plan in his own way4 ,by his own free agency he became a member of the hosts of the earth1 and by his own promise1 given in the ,great ,council1 he must live in accordance with definite rules to be enforced by ,god4 ,the ,church is the community of those who1 having accepted the ,plan1 desire unitedly to work out their mutual salvation under the settled authority of ,god4 ,the purpose of the ,great ,plan can not be wholly fulfilled until all have heard the ,gospel4 ,the ,church as a body undertakes to carry out this purpose4 ,only when the ,church is not organized on earth1 may individuals who know the ,great ,plan1 stand alone2 but even in such case it is the bounden duty of those having the knowledge1 to give themselves to the converting of others1 so that the ,church may be organized4 9999,orderliness49999 ,if each intelligent being placed on this earth1 were to lead an independent life and deal independently with his ,god1 relative to all matters concerning him1 many of which would of necessity involve others1 there would soon be disorder among humanity4 ,it has been found desirable in all earthly affairs to organize so that order may prevail4 ,by the organization known as a church all things may be done in order4 ,chaos is abhorrent to the intelligent mind4 9999,test of ,attitude49999 ,there is yet another reason for the organization of a church4 ,the plan of salvation is one founded in intelligence4 ,man must accept and live its laws and ordinances intelligently4 ,the ,church1 by his adherence to these laws and ordinances1 gives a man a means of testing himself as to his attitude towards the whole ,plan4 ,whatever is done in life somehow connects itself with the ,church4 ,a ,church which separates itself from the actual1 daily life of the man does not acknowledge the essential unity of the universe and is not founded on man's intelligent conceptions of the constitution of the universe4 ,the ,church1 therefore1 must possess a system of laws the compliance with which will enable a man or his fellows to test his progress and spiritual condition1 which1 in turn1 will be a guide for his future work4 ,it would be difficult for a man to apply such tests to himself if he stands alone1 away from his fellow men and making laws for himself to fit his apparent needs4 9999,authority49999 ,there is much to be done for man and by man during the earth-career4 ,every day brings its problems2 laws are to be enforced2 ordinances to be performed1 and ,god must communicate with his earthly children4 ,much of this work involves authority1 which must be settled somewhere if order is to prevail4 ,the authority to act for ,god is committed to the ,church1 as the organized community of believers1 and1 indeed1 authority is a distinguishing characteristic of the ,church4 ,every man has or may receive authority to act in his own behalf in many matters1 but to exercise authority in behalf of others1 requires the kind of authority which ,god has delegated to the ,church4 ,some form of authority from ,god is necessary in all our work1 and the earthly source of ,god's authority is the ,church1 organized by the supreme1 intelligent ,god4 9999,the ,great ,purpose of the ,church49999 ,finally1 the plan of eternal progress involves every living soul who comes upon earth4 ,to the ,church is committed the great task of keeping alive this ,plan and of carrying it to all the nations4 ,those who have accepted the truth must be kept active2 those who have not accepted it must be taught2 all must hear it2 even for the dead must the essential ordinances be performed4 ,the ,church1 then1 is a great missionary organization4 ,this1 of itself1 justifies1 the existence of the ,church1 for it is improbable that any individual would or could undertake the conversion of all the people to eternal truth4 ,,chapter #ag4 ,,conditions ,,of ,,membership4 ,members of the ,church must necessarily accept the conceptions for which it stands4 ,these are1 essentially1 the plan of salvation1 the progressive development of all spirits concerned in the ,plan1 and the authority of a supreme intelligent ,being1 to deal with the men and women placed on earth4 ,the conditions of membership are not many1 nor difficult to understand4 ,they are1 rather1 of a kind naturally appearing before an intelligent being concerned in any organization4 9999,faith49999 ,all who enter the ,church1 or accept the ,great ,plan must1 as a first condition1 possess the faith which has been defined as the substance of things hoped for2 the evidence of things not seen4 ,in other words1 they must first acknowledge the existence in the universe of things and powers that may not be sensed directly1 but which may be used to accomplish the purposes of man4 ,such an attitude is required to admit the existence of a ,god or a plan of salvation4 ,such a faith yields to man a comprehensive possession of the universe1 and may establish a philosophy of life that conforms to every law of nature4 ,the man who has no such faith stands before the plan of salvation as before a sealed book4 ,he can not open it1 nor opened1 can he read it4 ,a faith that admits the universe1 seen and unseen1 enables man to accomplish great things2 in fact1 all who have done the great labor of the world1 have had such a faith4 ,the law of faith is a general law4 ,faith is not necessarily removed from the ordinary experiences of life4 ,on the contrary it is the beginning of all knowledge4 ,man observes the phenomena of nature1 classifies and groups them until he reaches great general laws representing many individual phenomena4 ,by the use of such laws1 reasoning from the known to the unknown1 laws may be inferred1 the existence of which cannot be sensed directly4 ,by this method of using human knowledge1 man rapidly becomes aware of the certainty of the great universe that lies around him but beyond his immediate ken4 ,moreover1 and possibly of chief importance1 such inferred but certain knowledge makes man confident that he can continue forever in the acquisition of knowledge and power1 and it thus becomes a help in every duty of life4 9999,repentance49999 ,another fundamental requirement of those who enter the ,church is repentance4 ,this is also self-evident1 for if man is convinced of the correctness of a certain procedure1 that is1 if he has faith in it1 he certainly will use that faith1 if it is to become of any value to him4 ,an active faith is repentance4 ,it is commonly felt that repentance is only the turning away from evil practices4 ,it is probably just as important for man to act out the good he learns as to refrain from doing evil4 ,repentance1 then1 is not merely negative2 it is also positive4 ,this also is a general law4 ,great work can be done by those only who have faith and who put that faith into action4 9999,baptism49999 ,the third requirement of those who desire entrance into the ,church is baptism4 ,the candidate for baptism1 presenting himself to one who has authority from ,jesus ,christ1 is buried in the water and taken out again1 as a symbol of the death and resurrection1 the atoning sacrifice1 and the conquest over death1 of the ,savior4 ,the ordinance of baptism1 as far as man is concerned1 is essentially an acknowledgment of the atoning sacrifice of ,jesus1 a promise of obedience to the requirements of the ,great ,plan1 and the acceptance of divine authority4 ,baptism is also a principle of general application1 for in whatever pursuit a man may be engaged1 whether in or out of the ,church1 he must first have faith in the work he has to do1 then repent1 in the sense of putting his faith into action and1 finally1 he must give obedience to the laws involved in the work4 9999,the ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost49999 ,the fourth condition of ,church membership1 which is in the nature of a result of the three first requirements1 is that the candidate receive the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this is accomplished when one having authority places his hands on the head of the candidate1 confirms him a member of the ,church1 and says1 ,receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,this establishes an authoritative connection between man and ,god1 the ,holy ,ghost1 by which it is possible to secure1 through the active support of the ,holy ,ghost1 more light and power and confidence than man may secure unaided4 ,every man born into the world has life by the holy spirit and may1 through its operations1 and his own self-effort1 be in communication with all other intelligent beings in the universe2 but1 only those who conform to the first ordinances of the ,gospel are connected officially with the powers of the ,holy ,ghost in such a way as to secure added help4 ,a distinct and real power conies to the individual who has received the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is as if he had been given a key to a great and wonderful building which he enters at his pleasure4 ,however1 the key may be kept unused2 then the gift has been of no value4 ,man must draw upon the ,holy ,ghost1 if the gift shall be real4 ,the gift of the ,holy ,ghost also represents a general law1 for it is evident that all who have faith made active by repentance1 and have shown obedience by baptism1 will be in such harmony with intelligent forces as to receive great light from them if desired or needed4 9999,continued ,conformity49999 ,it is not sufficient that a man secure entrance into the ,church by compliance with the first four principles of the ,gospel4 ,after he has attained membership he must become active in the practice of the laws which constitute the body of ,church doctrine1 and which are quite as important as the fundamental ones preceding entrance4 ,passivity will not suffice2 activity only constitutes an unqualified membership in the ,church4 ,the man will be in tune with the work only when he lives out daily the principles of the ,great ,plan4 ,this is self-evident1 moreover1 because the ,church has the mission of bringing the ,gospel to the understanding of all men on earth1 and unless the members of the ,church are active in missionary work1 they will not acquire the full spirit of the ,church4 ,unselfishness should characterize the members of the ,church4 9999,acceptance of ,authority49999 ,the conditions of membership here mentioned are all vital4 ,nevertheless1 in addition to them1 candidates for admission to the ,church must acknowledge the full authority of the ,church as a divine institution1 to which has been committed1 by ,god1 the authority to act for him in all matters pertaining to the plan of salvation4 ,without this authority1 the ,church is no more than any man-made institution4 ,the acceptance of authority means that all the laws of the ,gospel must be obeyed1 by every member4 ,the law cannot be varied for individuals1 to please their fancies or supposed needs4 ,this is clearly brought out by the historical fact that ,adam1 after he had been taught and had accepted the ,gospel1 was baptized1 confirmed1 and received all the ordinances of the ,church4 ,similarly1 ,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 began his official labors by being baptized by one having authority4 ,the pattern has been set for all2 and it has been followed in all dispensations4 ,if men be on the full road of progress they will comply with the laws of membership1 and become active in the support of the ,church and its work4 ,,chapter #ah4 ,,the ,,priesthood ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,the ,priesthood of the ,church differs vitally from that of churches composed only of fragments of the complete truth4 9999,priesthood ,defined49999 ,the ,church is composed of eternal1 intelligent beings1 moving onward in eternal progression1 who have accepted ,god's plan of salvation4 ,it is ,god's ,church4 ,god directs the work of his children on earth1 and he naturally gives attention to the ,church4 ,nevertheless1 although ,god is the directing intelligence1 he is not here in person1 nor are other superior beings sent to take charge of the work1 for that would be contrary to the law that through his free agency and by self-effort1 man on earth must move onward and upward4 ,therefore1 that the earth-work may be done authoritatively1 ,god has delegated the necessary authority to man4 ,the ,priesthood is simply the name given this authority4 ,the body of the ,priesthood consists of the persons who have received this authority and who may act for ,god1 on earth1 in matters pertaining to the ,church or to themselves4 ,without authority from ,god1 there can be no ,priesthood4 9999,divisions of the ,priesthood49999 ,much work is to be done in the ,church1 and the work differs greatly1 for man's life is complex4 ,consequently1 many and varied are the labors that must be directed and supported by the ,priesthood4 ,to accomplish the work well1 there must be a division of labor--the fundamental characteristic of all orderly work4 ,there are two great divisions of the ,priesthood1 the ,aaronic and the ,melchizedek1 each of which possesses special authority4 ,each of these divisions is again sub-divided4 ,these divisions and subdivisions are all necessary for the complete exercise of the ,priesthood in the ,church4 ,one great division of the ,priesthood of ,god1 the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 is named after ,aaron1 the brother of ,moses1 a famous leader in this priesthood4 ,it is the ,lesser ,priesthood1 really only an appendage of the ,higher or ,melchizedek ,priesthood4 ,to the ,aaronic ,priesthood is assigned1 particularly1 the temporal work of the ,church1 but it also has authority to preach1 teach and baptize4 ,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 named after the great high priest ,melchizedek1 is the higher division of the ,priesthood1 and includes the ,aaronic ,priesthood4 ,it holds the keys of spiritual authority and has the right to officiate under proper direction in all the affairs of the ,church4 ,the subdivisions of these ,priesthoods make it possible to group1 simply and properly1 the duties of the members of the ,church4 9999,the ,aaronic ,priesthood49999 ,those who hold the ,aaronic ,priesthood belong to one of three ascending groups3 the deacon1 the teacher1 and the priest4 ,the bishop presides over the priest's quorum and is the presiding authority of the ,aaronic ,priesthood4 ,each group1 in addition to its own special authority1 may1 when called upon by proper authority1 exercise also the authority of the group below it4 ,the members of the ,aaronic ,priesthood are organized in quorums of twelve deacons1 twenty-four teachers and forty-eight priests4 ,each quorum is presided over by a president and two counselors1 which in the priests' quorum are the bishop and his two counselors4 9999,the ,melchizedek ,priesthood49999 ,the ,higher ,priesthood is characterized by spiritual authority1 the right of presidency and the power of officiating in all the work of the ,church4 ,there are also several divisions of this ,priesthood but the fundamental authority is the same in all1 and each division represents merely a calling in the ,higher ,priesthood4 ,there are five chief groups in this ,priesthood2 the elder1 the seventy1 the high priest1 the apostle1 and the patriarch4 ,the elder may officiate when properly called and set apart in any of these groups of the ,priesthood1 without having conferred upon him any further ,priesthood4 ,the members of the ,higher ,priesthood are organized into quorums1 of #if elders with a president and two counselors and of #gj seventies with seven presidents4 ,the quorums of high priests are indefinite in number1 except administrative quorums1 such as the ,twelve ,apostles and the ,first ,presidency4 9999,all ,hold the ,priesthood49999 ,the ,church exists to advance the ,great ,plan by which1 in the end1 every man may live happily on earth and at last enter into great progression4 ,in it there should be no active and non-active members1 for all must be active to work out their own proper destinies1 and to assist in the advancement of the whole ,plan4 ,all1 therefore1 need the authority of the ,priesthood to officiate as may be needed in the work of the ,church1 or in their own behalf4 ,if the work of the ,church were delegated to a few members1 it would probably be reasonable for a few men to hold the ,priesthood4 ,when1 however1 every member must or should take upon himself a part of the active work of the ,church1 it is necessary that every man hold the authority of the ,priesthood so that he may authoritatively perform the necessary acts in the propaganda of truth4 ,in fact1 in the ,church1 all men who have attained sufficient experience hold or should hold the ,priesthood4 ,the young men are ordained deacons1 teachers and priests1 and at last elders1 when they possess all the authority of the ,priesthood4 ,they may then receive an ordination and calling in the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 such as seventy1 apostle1 high priest or patriarch4 ,women enjoy all the endowments and blessings of the ,priesthood in connection with their husbands4 ,the family is the basis of society on earth1 and as there must be organization among intelligent beings1 someone must be spokesman for the family4 ,in the family1 the man is the spokesman and presiding authority1 and1 therefore1 the ,priesthood is bestowed upon him4 ,it is clear that there is no ,priesthood class in the ,church of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,priesthood belongs to all4 ,this is another distinguishing mark of the true ,church1 which rests its doctrines upon eternal principles as already outlined4 ,the general possession of the ,priesthood by all the male members of the ,church is only in conformity with the theory of the ,gospel1 which makes the ,plan one of intelligent1 united effort under the direction of beings of higher intelligence1 and which declares that the highest individual satisfaction can be obtained only when all other individuals are simultaneously advancing4 9999,the ,power of the ,priesthood49999 ,the ,priesthood conferred on man carries with it real power to do effective work in behalf of the plan of salvation4 ,under the normal organization of the ,church1 when things are moving on in the ordained way1 there is no insistent evidence of the great power possessed by those who have the ,priesthood1 and who1 therefore1 can act for ,god in matters pertaining to the ,church4 ,under such a condition there is a quiet1 steady use of power in behalf of the daily work of the ,church--each man performing the work that has been assigned to him1 in addition to which each man in his own behalf may use his authority as seems to him fitting4 ,yet1 the power is with the ,priesthood1 and when need arises1 it becomes the voice of ,god1 which all must hear4 ,as an illustration of the great power1 authority and duty carried by the ,priesthood it may be recalled that1 if by any chance every man holding the ,priesthood in the ,church should be destroyed1 save one elder1 it would be the duty and right of that one elder1 under divine revelation1 to reorganize the whole ,church with all the grades of the ,priesthood and of its officers4 ,this far-reaching authority is held by all who receive the ,priesthood--an authority to be guarded carefully and to be used cautiously as directed4 ,,chapter #ai4 ,,the ,,organization ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,to carry on the diversified work of the ,church requires a close organization4 ,an organization1 in turn1 requires officers4 ,all the officers of the ,church hold the ,priesthood1 but the ,priesthood is held also by many who do not hold official positions4 ,therefore1 while the authority to act in all the offices of the ,church is held by practically every man in the ,church1 that authority1 in the administration of the affairs of the ,church1 becomes effective only when the man is called to exercise the authority4 ,the chief officers of the ,church are herewith briefly enumerated4 9999,the ,general ,authorities49999 ,the ,first ,presidency consists of three presiding high priests1 a ,president and two counselors1 whose duty it is to supervise the work of the whole ,church1 in all matters of policy1 organization and execution4 ,no part of the work of the ,church is beyond their authority4 ,with the death of the ,president1 the ,first ,presidency becomes disorganized4 ,associated with the ,first ,presidency is the quorum of ,twelve ,apostles4 ,the ,twelve are special witnesses for ,christ1 and it is their duty to carry the ,gospel to all the world4 ,in addition1 they give direct assistance to the ,first ,presidency4 ,when the quorum of the ,first ,presidency is disorganized1 the quorum of apostles becomes the presiding quorum until the ,first ,presidency is reorganized4 ,the quorum of the ,twelve has one president1 who is always the senior apostle4 ,the ,patriarchs of the ,church possess the sealing and blessing powers and receive instructions from the ,presiding ,patriarch4 ,the quorums of ,seventy1 the missionary quorums of the ,church1 are presided over by the ,seven ,presidents of the first quorum4 ,this ,council labors under the direction of the apostles4 ,if the ,first ,presidency and the quorum of the ,twelve were disorganized1 simultaneously1 the first quorum of ,seventy would become the presiding quorum until full reorganization were effected4 ,the temporal affairs of the ,church are largely cared for by the ,presiding ,bishopric1 consisting of the presiding bishop and two counselors4 ,the ,presiding ,bishopric also has general supervision of the bishops of the wards1 of the ,church4 ,the ,general ,authorities are the ,first ,presidency1 the ,twelve ,apostles1 the ,presiding ,patriarch1 the ,presidents of the first quorum of ,seventy1 and the ,presiding ,bishopric--making in all twenty-six men4 ,these general presiding authorities1 representing all the great divisions of the ,priesthood1 deal with all the general affairs of the ,church4 9999,the ,stakes of ,zion49999 ,for convenience of administration1 the ,church is divided into stakes containing usually from one thousand to ten thousand members4 ,the stakes are presided over by a ,stake ,presidency1 three high priests denominated president and two counselors1 which have the same relation to the stake that the ,first ,presidency has to the whole ,church4 ,the ,stake ,presidency are assisted by the high council1 consisting of twelve regular and six alternate counselors who are high priests4 ,to this body is assigned much of the work for the welfare of the members of the stake4 ,such other officers as may be needed are moreover secured in each stake4 9999,the ,wards of the ,stakes49999 ,the stakes are1 in turn1 divided into wards containing usually from one hundred to two thousand members4 ,they are presided over by a ,bishop and two counselors1 who are assisted in various capacities by the local ward ,priesthood4 9999,the ,priesthood in ,stakes and ,wards49999 ,in every ward1 if there be enough members1 are organized quorums of deacons1 teachers1 priests1 elders and seventies4 ,if there are not enough in one ward to form a quorum1 then a quorum is organized from two or more wards4 ,the high priests in a stake are usually assembled into one quorum for the stake4 ,all of the ,priesthood meets regularly in the ward to which they belong1 for the discussion of their duties and for studying the outlines and books provided by the general ,church authorities4 9999,auxiliary ,organizations49999 ,in addition to the regular ,priesthood1 there are helps in government known as auxiliary organizations4 ,these are the ,relief ,society1 for women1 the ,deseret ,sunday ,school ,union1 the ,young ,men's ,mutual ,improvement ,association1 the ,young ,ladies' ,mutual ,improvement ,association1 the ,primary ,association1 the ,religion ,class1 the ,boards of ,education1 and others that may be organized from time to time4 ,each of these is represented by a general board1 under the direction of the ,first ,presidency4 ,in each stake there are also stake boards of these auxiliary organizations1 under the direction of the stake presidency4 ,moreover1 in each ward of the ,church1 if large enough1 is an organization of each of the auxiliary activities of the ,church4 9999,all ,must ,work49999 ,so complete an organization1 ramifying throughout the ,church1 shows that all members of the ,church should or may be at work4 ,there is no place for the idler4 ,every man or woman1 who is not averse to working in behalf of the ,church1 will find some duty that will fill his life4 9999,the ,tenure of ,office49999 ,the officers of the ,priesthood have no definite tenure of office4 ,since all hold the ,priesthood1 there is always a supply of ready material to fill any vacancies that may occur4 ,the general authorities in the ,church have generally held life positions1 but a number of these1 for various reasons1 chiefly insubordination or error of doctrine1 have been released before death4 ,according to doctrine1 no office in the ,priesthood1 is absolutely certain of life tenure4 ,failure to perform properly the work of the office constitutes full cause for removal4 9999,an ,unpaid ,ministry49999 ,the rewards of life should be and are only in part material4 ,to assist1 officially1 in carrying out the ,great ,plan1 brings its own distinct reward4 ,the ,priesthood of the ,church1 therefore1 is largely unpaid4 ,a man's duty in the ,priesthood seldom takes all of his time1 thus leaving him partly free to earn a livelihood by the use of his profession4 ,when a man's whole time is taken by the ,church1 he gets his support from the ,church4 ,there is no ,priesthood class1 especially trained for the work1 and striving for positions carrying with them high material remuneration4 ,all should know the ,gospel and be prepared to carry on the work4 9999,appointments in the ,priesthood49999 ,the power to nominate men to fill the official positions in the ,priesthood belongs to the ,priesthood of the ,church4 ,men are chosen from any walk in life1 without previous warning1 and the acceptance of the office often means the sacrifice of business1 profession1 or ease of life4 ,under this system there can be no talk of men seeking offices in the ,church4 ,preparation to do the work of the ,church can be the only form of self-seeking1 and that may or may not lead to any particular position in the ,church4 ,meanwhile1 the vast organization of the ,church is such as to find work for every man2 and in fact1 every worthy worker should be kept busily engaged in the work of the ,great ,plan4 9999,common ,consent49999 ,every officer of the ,priesthood1 though properly nominated1 holds his position in the ,church only with the consent of the people4 ,officers may be nominated by the presidency of the ,church1 but unless the people accept them as their officials1 they can not exercise the authority of the offices to which they have been called4 ,all things in the ,church must be done by common consent4 ,this makes the people1 men and women1 under ,god1 the rulers of the ,church4 ,even the ,president of the ,church1 before he can fully enter upon his duties1 must be sustained by the people4 ,it is the common custom in the ,church to vote on the officers in the general1 stake and ward conferences4 ,this gives every member an opportunity to vote for or against the officers4 ,meanwhile1 the judiciary system of the ,church is such that there is ample provision whereby any officer of the ,church1 if found in error1 may be brought to justice and if found guilty be removed from his position4 ,the doctrine of common consent is fundamental in the ,church2 and is coincident with the fact that the ,church belongs to all the people4 ,since the authority of the ,priesthood is vested in all the people1 it follows that the officials of the ,priesthood must be responsible to the people4 ,the responsibility and work of the ,church are not only for but by the people as a whole4 9999,bestowal of the ,priesthood49999 ,on the earth the ,priesthood was first conferred on ,adam and was handed down directly from ,adam through his descendants to ,noah4 ,every link in this progression of the ,priesthood has been preserved4 ,similarly1 after ,noah1 it was continued for many generations4 ,moreover1 ,jesus conferred the ,priesthood directly upon his disciples4 ,at various times in the history of the world1 the ,priesthood has been given by ,god to man and continued for various lengths of time4 ,in these latter days of the restored ,church1 ,john the ,baptist appeared in person and conferred the ,aaronic ,priesthood upon ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery4 ,later1 ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 who had received the ,priesthood from ,jesus ,christ1 and who represented the ,presidency of the ,priesthood in those days1 appeared to ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery and conferred upon them the ,holy ,priesthood and the apostleship which carried with it authority in the lower divisions of the ,priesthood4 ,in the ,church of ,christ the authority of the ,priesthood may always be traced back directly to ,god1 from whom it radiates and whom it represents4 ,,chapter #bj4 ,,the ,,authority ,,of ,,the ,,priesthood4 ,the authority of the ,priesthood is often misunderstood1 and it is frequently the rock upon which many men and women suffer spiritual shipwreck4 9999,the ,foundation of ,authority49999 ,the power or right to command or to act1 is authority4 ,in the beginning1 man1 conscious and in possession of will1 reached out for truth1 and gained new knowledge4 ,gradually as his intelligence grew1 he learned to control natural forces1 as he met them on his way4 ,knowledge1 properly used1 became power2 and intelligent knowledge is the only true foundation of authority4 ,the more intelligence a man possesses the more authority he may exercise4 ,hence1 the glory of ,god is intelligence4 ,this should be clear in the minds of all who exercise authority4 9999,absolute ,authority49999 ,such high authority1 based on increasing intelligent knowledge1 may be called absolute authority4 ,all other forms of authority1 and many forms exist1 must be derived from absolute authority1 for it is the essence of all authority4 ,nothing in the universe is absolutely understood1 and absolute authority does not mean that full knowledge or full power has been gained over anything in the universe4 ,forever will the universe reveal its secrets4 ,by absolute authority is meant the kind of authority that results directly from an intelligent understanding of the things over which authority is exercised4 ,authority can therefore1 be absolute only so far as knowledge goes1 and will become more absolute as more knowledge is obtained4 ,the laws of ,god are never arbitrary2 they are always founded on truth4 9999,derived ,authority49999 ,anyone possessing the absolute authority resting on high intelligence1 will often find it necessary or convenient to ask others to exercise that authority for him4 ,this may be called derived authority4 ,it does not necessarily follow that those who are so asked understand the full meaning of the authority that they exercise4 ,the workman in a factory carries out the operations as directed by the chief technician1 and obtains the same results1 though he does not to the same extent understand the principles involved4 ,every person who has risen to the earth-estate possesses a certain degree of absolute authority1 for he has knowledge of nature which gives him control over many surrounding forces4 ,every person possesses or should possess certain derived authority1 which is exercised under the direction of a superior intelligence1 though it is not always wholly understood4 9999,the ,authority of ,office49999 ,in an organized body like the ,church1 each activity must be governed by established laws4 ,those who have been chosen officers to enforce these laws and to carry on the regular work of the ,church1 exercise their power because of their office4 ,authority of office is only a form of derived authority--derived from the people who have agreed to submit their wills to certain officers1 who are to enforce laws accepted by the people4 ,even such authority1 belonging to official positions1 must be founded on intelligent knowledge1 and the organization of the ,church itself must be intelligently authoritative4 ,therefore1 authority of office is best exercised when those holding it have qualified themselves intelligently for the work4 ,the mistakes made by officers are commonly due to the want of the needed intelligence in the exercise of their duties4 ,fortunately1 however1 the ,church is so organized that the actions of its officials may be tried for their righteousness whenever they appear to be wrong to the people4 ,mistakes are most likely to be made by officials who will not qualify themselves for their work4 9999,authority and ,free ,agency49999 ,while intelligent knowledge does establish the highest degree of authority1 absolute authority1 yet it does not1 alone1 justify the exercising of authority that may conflict with the wills of others4 ,the law of free agency must not be transcended2 nor is it permissible to do anything that will hinder1 in the least1 the progress of man under the ,great law4 ,authority must therefore be exercised only in such a manner as to benefit other individuals4 ,naturally1 when a community accepts a body of laws for their government1 and officers are appointed by the people to enforce the laws1 the punishment of the disobedient is not an interference with free agency1 for all have accepted the law4 ,only when a person withdraws from the community1 does the community law become inoperative with respect to him4 ,since the battle for free agency must not be waged again1 laws must be enforced as they are accepted by the people2 thus it comes about that all the officers in the ,church1 who merely represent the people1 must be sustained by the people4 ,the people govern the ,church through their sustained authorities4 ,when a person opposes righteousness1 the worst that can be done is to sever that individual from the organization4 ,the ,priesthood has no authority to exercise further punishment4 ,the punishment which comes to those who do wrong is automatic1 and will1 of itself1 find out the sinner4 9999,authority over ,self49999 ,the ,priesthood conferred on man establishes an authority which each man may at all times exercise with respect to himself and ,god4 ,by the authority of the ,priesthood he has a right to commune with ,god in prayer or in other ways1 and has1 as it were1 the right to receive communications in return from the intelligent beings about him1 so that his ways may be ways of strength and pleasantness4 ,man's own work should be inseparably connected with the power of the ,priesthood to which he has attained4 9999,the ,exercise of ,authority49999 ,the authority committed to man by ,god is in earthly hands4 ,the flesh is weak2 and men who possess authority may often make mistakes in its exercise4 ,the proper manner of exercising the authority of the ,priesthood has been made exceedingly clear4 ,the rights of the ,priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven1 and the powers of heaven cannot be controlled or handled only upon the principles of righteousness4 ,that they may be conferred upon us1 it is true2 but when we undertake to cover our sins1 or to gratify our pride1 our vain ambition1 or to exercise control1 or dominion1 or compulsion1 upon the souls of the children of men1 in any degree of unrighteousness1 behold1 the heavens withdraw themselves2 the ,spirit of the ,lord is grieved2 and when it is withdrawn1 ,amen to the ,priesthood1 or the authority of that man4 ,behold6 ere he is aware1 he is left unto himself1 to kick against the pricks2 to persecute the ,saints1 and to fight against ,god4 ,no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the ,priesthood1 only by persuasion1 by long-suffering1 by gentleness1 and meekness1 and by love unfeigned2 by kindness1 and pure knowledge1 which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy1 and without guile1 reproving betimes with sharpness1 when moved upon by the ,holy ,ghost1 and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved1 lest he esteem thee to be his enemy2 that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death2 let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men1 and to the household of faith1 and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly1 then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of ,god1 and the doctrine of the ,priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven4 ,the ,holy ,ghost shall be thy constant companion1 and thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of righteousness and truth1 and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion1 and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee for ever and ever4 ,any authority of the ,priesthood otherwise exercised than as above stated is not in harmony with the law4 ,there is therefore no need to fear authority1 for those who misuse it will ultimately be removed from their offices and will be punished not only by the laws of the ,church1 but by ,god1 the ,giver of law4 ,meanwhile1 the thought stands out prominently1 that those who are given the ,priesthood1 and especially those who are to exercise authority in the offices of the ,priesthood1 should carefully fit themselves for the work that they have to do4 ,this is the only safe key to authority4 9999,the ,unrighteous ,exercise of ,authority49999 ,authority may be unrighteously exercised from the lack of intelligence or because of wickedness4 ,should a member of the ,church note this1 the procedure of correction is to notify the ward teachers1 who try to settle the difficulty4 ,if the ward teachers do not succeed in this1 the bishop's court takes up the matter1 which1 if needs be1 it passes to the ,stake ,presidency and high council1 and may be appealed to the ,first ,presidency4 ,justice is meted out to all in-the ,church4 ,if the people are dissatisfied with any officer they may refuse to sustain him at the times of the voting1 which prevents him from exercising the functions of his office4 ,however1 in all things the majority rules2 and in many of the judgments of the ,church there must be unanimity4 9999,the ,church ,authoritative49999 ,the ,church of ,christ possesses real authority1 derived from ,god1 and in its work represents ,god4 ,such a ,church1 alone1 can appeal to the human understanding4 ,a ,church without authority is limp and helpless4 ,authority is the final test of a true ,church4 ,does it attempt to officiate for ,god8 ,does its ,priesthood possess authority8 ,from the beginning1 the ,church of ,god has been given direct1 divine authority so that its work might not be questioned4 ,the angel walked with ,adam1 ,god spoke to ,abraham1 ,jesus in person came on earth1 the ,father and the ,son came to ,joseph ,smith1--in all ages1 when the ,church has been fully established1 the ,priesthood has been conferred by authoritative beings4 ,the authority of the ,church is real and genuine and possesses power4 ,by its power it shall be known4 ,,chapter #ba4 ,,obedience4 ,in the consideration of ,priesthood and its authority1 much useless discussion is often indulged in as to whether a person should yield obedience to authority4 ,some believe that to yield obedience is to lay down free agency4 9999,the ,restraint of ,nature49999 ,countless forces1 surrounding man1 are interacting in the universe4 ,by no means can he withdraw himself from them4 ,by experience he has learned that control of natural forces is obtained only when their laws are understood4 ,when a certain thing is done in a certain manner1 there is a definite1 invariable result4 ,no doubt it has often occurred to an intelligent being that he might wish it otherwise2 but that is impossible4 ,the only remedy is to comply with existing conditions1 acknowledge the restraint of nature1 and gaining further knowledge1 put law against law1 until the purpose of man has been accomplished4 ,this is the process by which intelligent beings have acquired dominion over nature4 ,such an acknowledgement of the existence of the law of cause and effect does not weaken man2 strength lies in an intelligent subjection to rightful restraint1 for it has been the condition of progress from the beginning4 ,the recognition of law and the obedience to law are sure signs that intelligent beings are progressing4 9999,an ,active ,condition49999 ,obedience is an active condition or it could not be a principle of consequence4 ,it is closely akin to repentance4 ,obedience simply means that whenever a truth is revealed1 it is obeyed1 which by our previous definition is a phase of repentance4 ,the man who is active in carrying out what he knows is truth1 is an obedient man4 ,his active obedience to authority is based on intelligence2 and the more knowledge a man has concerning the nature of the law in question1 the more thoroughly obedient is he4 ,obedience is not a characteristic of ignorance4 9999,the ,restraint of ,man49999 ,obedience to the invariable laws of nature is1 usually1 considered to be a self-evident necessity4 ,the question of obedience is commonly raised when man exercises authority4 ,shall a man obey a man8 ,the first consideration in the answer to this question is whether the system which the man in authority represents is based on truth4 ,if so1 then intelligent man will be bound to render obedience to the system1 even if it is exercised through imperfect man4 ,the second consideration is whether the man is acting within his authority in the organization4 ,this can always be determined1 simply1 by laying the matter before the bodies constituted to settle such matters4 ,with the exception of the ,first ,presidency1 every officer in the ,church has a limited jurisdiction4 ,the third consideration is whether the matter to which authority has been applied is at all under the discipline of the organization4 ,no officer in the ,church has authority beyond matters that pertain to the ,church4 ,any authority exercised beyond that field is accepted only at the discretion of the individual members of the ,church1 and should come only in the form of counsel4 ,if yes is the answer to these three considerations1 obedience must be rendered by a progressing man4 ,if no is the answer1 obedience should not be yielded1 but the matter should be tried before the proper courts4 ,the restraint of man in the exercise of authority derived from eternal laws1 is as compelling as the restraint of nature1 because they are parts of the same whole4 9999,the ,life of ,law49999 ,obedience is nothing more than a compliance with truth4 ,truth is of no consequence to a man if it is not used4 ,the moment truth is used1 obedience begins4 ,man1 and the ,church to which he belongs1 are active organisms1 interested in progress4 ,when truth is given them1 promises to use that truth should be required1 else all is in vain4 ,lives conforming to law1 alone1 are moving onward4 ,for that reason1 for every gift to man a promise is required1 and usually a statement of the punishment that will follow the non-use or misuse of it4 ,obedience to truth means progress2 refusal to use truth means retrogression4 9999,disobedience49999 ,disobedience may be active or passive4 ,passive disobedience is not doing what should be done2 active disobedience is doing what should not be done4 ,both may be equally harmful4 ,the main effect of disobedience is to weaken1 and finally wreck the man who disobeys law4 ,disobedience and sin are synonymous4 9999,the ,church ,worth ,having49999 ,the only ,church worth having is one having authority1 resting on intelligence and truth4 ,such a ,church will command obedience4 ,in such a ,church1 little misunderstandings are easily rectified4 ,within the laws of the ,church1 man has absolute1 personal freedom4 ,it is so with nature1 outside of the ,church4 ,within the laws of nature1 man has full freedom4 ,the greatest freedom known to man comes from obedience to law4 ,the greatest punishment conceivable to man comes from opposition to law4 ,this is true with respect to the ,church as a community of the saints1 and with respect to individual man in the great universe4 ,,chapter #bb4 ,a ,,missionary ,,church4 ,there must be1 in every organization1 and especially in a ,church dedicated to the great philosophy of man's place in the universe1 a great cementing purpose4 ,in the ,church of ,christ this is the desire to bring about the highest joy for all mankind4 9999,a ,church with a ,purpose49999 ,according to the fundamental doctrines elaborated in previous chapters1 the purpose of the earth-career is to assist in man's development1 so that he may acquire more power and therefore more joy4 ,in the nature of things1 as already explained1 it is impossible for an intelligent being to rise to the highest degree of joy unless other like beings move along with him4 ,the ,great ,plan will be successful only if all or at least a majority of those who accepted it are saved4 ,the ,church1 a feature of the ,great ,plan1 must have the same main purpose4 ,all must be saved6 ,in fact1 the work of the ,church cannot be completed until all have at least heard the truth4 ,there can be no talk of a few saved souls at the throne of ,god1 with the many in hell4 ,the great mission of the ,church must be to bring all men into the truth4 ,this is the cementing purpose of the ,church4 9999,the ,hope of ,today49999 ,however1 men are not saved merely by being taught the truth4 ,they must live it in their daily lives4 ,life1 indeed1 is an endless succession of days1 each of which must be a little larger in development than the preceding one4 ,each day must be well spent4 ,the ,church must help1 every day1 in all the affairs of the day1 from the food man eats to his highest spiritual thought4 ,each day must be a step onward to the eternal exaltation which he desires4 ,this is the hope of today4 ,to help in this daily work is one of the main parts of the missionary labors of the ,church4 ,all the days of all the members must be made happy ones4 9999,temporal ,salvation49999 ,in a church based on the principles already outlined there can be no separation between the spiritual and the temporal4 ,there is one universe1 of many aspects1 to which we belong4 ,there is one ,great ,plan for us4 ,in the heavens1 spiritual things are probably of greatest importance1 but on earth1 temporal things are of importance4 ,the impossibility of separating things temporal from things spiritual justifies the attempt of the ,church to assist in the temporal affairs of its members4 ,in fact1 a large part of the missionary labors of the ,church must be to better the temporal conditions of its members4 ,only when the temporal as well as the spiritual life is looked after1 can the ,church rise to its full opportunity4 ,only in sound bodies can the spirit experience the highest joy4 ,only under sound temporal conditions can the ,church move on in full gladness4 9999,the ,foreign ,mission ,system49999 ,in conformity with the cementing missionary spirit of a church1 every member of which holds or may hold the ,priesthood1 it follows that every member of the ,church1 whether man or woman1 may be called to go on a spiritual or temporal mission for the upbuilding of his fellowmen4 ,in harmony with the law of free agency1 it is voluntary with the individual1 whether he accept or refuse the call4 ,the custom in the ,church of today has been that a man go on at least one mission1 which varies in length1 two or more years4 ,the missionaries not only assist the members already gathered into the ,church1 but they travel all over the world1 preach to all the everlasting ,gospel1 and bring those who accept the truth into the ,church4 ,the main purpose of the ,church missionary system is to preach the ,gospel to all the members of the human race1 so that1 as far as possible1 none may be left with the excuse that he has not heard the ,gospel4 9999,the ,home ,mission ,service49999 ,the whole ,church1 at home1 is devoted to the home mission service4 ,the organizations of the ,priesthood and the auxiliary organizations1 form a network of active service into which every member of the ,church may be brought4 ,the home missionary service concerns itself with the spiritual and the temporal side of man's nature and life4 ,the amusements of the young people2 the home life of the older people1 and the daily duties of all1 are made part and parcel of the organized missionary system of the ,church4 9999,for the ,common ,good49999 ,the genius of the ,church of ,christ stands for the common good2 hence the ceaseless missionary activity which is the great cementing principle of the ,church4 ,not for the one1 not even for the many1 but for all1 does the ,church stand4 ,,chapter #bc4 ,,temple ,,ordinances4 ,the ,church of ,god has always been characterized by the possession of temples in which the holiest work of the ,gospel has been done4 ,the activities of the ,church have1 so to speak1 centered about the temples4 9999,educational49999 ,the doctrines of the origin1 present condition and destiny of man should always be well in the mind of all1 for without this knowledge1 it is difficult to comply fully and intelligently with the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel4 ,it has been provided1 therefore1 that the story of man1 from the beginning1 at the present1 and to the last great day1 shall be given as frequently as may be desired to the members of the ,church4 ,in the temples this information is given1 in an organized and correct form1 so that it may not depart from among men and women4 ,that is1 the temples are conservators of the great truths of the ,gospel4 ,to the temples1 man goes to be refreshed in his memory as to the doctrines relative to man and his place in nature4 ,the endowments given to members of the ,church in the temples are1 essentially1 courses of instruction relative to man's existence before he came on this earth1 the history of the creation of the earth1 the story of our first earthly parents1 the history of the various dispensations of the ,gospel1 the meaning of the sacrifice of ,jesus ,christ1 the story of the restoration of the ,gospel1 and the means and methods whereby joy on this earth and exaltation in heaven may be obtained4 ,to make this large story clear and impressive to all who partake of it1 every educational device1 so far known to man1 is employed2 and it is possible that nowhere1 outside of the temple1 is a more correct pedagogy employed4 ,every sense of man is appealed to1 in order to make the meaning of the ,gospel clear1 from beginning to end4 9999,symbolism49999 ,naturally1 the very essence of these fundamental truths is not known to man1 nor indeed can be4 ,we know things only so far as our senses permit4 ,whatever is known1 is known through symbols4 ,the letters on the written page are but symbols of mighty thoughts that are easily transferred from mind to mind by these symbols4 ,man lives under a great system of symbolism4 ,clearly1 the mighty1 eternal truths encompassing all that man is or may be1 cannot be expressed literally1 nor is there in the temple any attempt to do this4 ,on the contrary1 the great and wonderful temple service is one of mighty symbolism4 ,by the use of symbols of speech1 of action1 of color1 of form1 the great truths connected with the story of man are made evident to the mind4 9999,covenants49999 ,the temple service also gives those who take their endowments1 special information relative to their conduct upon earth4 ,for instance1 men and women are taught to keep themselves free from sin4 ,they must be chaste1 virtuous1 truthful1 unselfish1 and so on4 ,moreover1 they are taught that they must devote themselves and all that they have or may have to the great cause of truth1 to teaching the everlasting ,gospel to their fellowmen1 so that the ,great ,plan may be worked out according to the99 mind and will of ,god4 ,in return for this1 those who take their endowments make covenants with each other and their ,god1 that they will observe the instructions given1 and will carry them out in their daily lives4 ,thus the work becomes active and vital4 ,it is also explained that the failure to carry out these promises1 when once knowledge has been given1 will be punished4 ,this is in accordance with the law that provides a penalty for disobedience1 as already explained4 ,only by the use of knowledge will more knowledge be obtained4 ,the whole system of temple worship is very logical4 9999,blessings49999 ,in the course of instruction in the temple1 it is emphasized that blessings will follow those who accept the truth1 practice it and live ,godlike lives4 ,the essence of the endowment service is a blessing4 ,punishment is not made so prominent1 as is the possibility of inviting great blessings by proper obedience to the truths that may be obtained from time to time4 9999,temple ,authority49999 ,perhaps the most glorious ordinances of the temple are those that seal husband and wife and children to each other for time and all eternity4 ,according to the ,gospel1 the marriage relation does not necessarily cease with death4 ,on the contrary1 since sex is eternal1 the sex relation may continue to the end of time4 ,such a union or sealing may be performed only by special authority1 which is possessed only by the ,president of the ,church4 ,the ,president may1 however1 delegate the authority for longer or shorter times1 so that certain temple workers may perform such marriages in the temples of ,god4 ,similarly1 children who have been born to parents who were not married for time and eternity1 may be sealed later to their parents1 so that the relationship may be sustained throughout all the ages of eternity4 ,moreover1 every ordinance belonging to the ,church may be performed in the temple4 ,in the temple is a baptismal font1 so that the introductory ordinance may be performed2 likewise1 every other ordinance for the benefit of the ,saints may be performed in the holy temple4 ,the work for the dead1 as will be explained in chapter #bh1 is done in the temples1 by the living4 ,the vicarious work for the dead1 who did not accept the ,gospel on earth1 forms the bulk of the temple work1 since1 after the first time1 when endowments are taken for himself1 a person must do work for the dead when he goes through the temple4 9999,possible ,repetition49999 ,the vastness of meaning in the temple worship makes it difficult at once for man to remember and understand it1 and only once are the endowments taken for himself by any one person4 ,to refresh his memory1 and to place him in close touch with the spirit of the work1 a man may enter the temple as frequently as he desires and take endowments for the dead1 and in that way both he and the dead are benefited4 ,the temples1 then1 are means whereby every member of the ,church may receive precious endowments1 and may be kept in refreshed memory of the ,great ,plan1 which he1 with the rest of the human family1 is working out4 ,temple work is the safety of the living and the hope of the dead4 ,at present1 temples are in operation in ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,st4 ,george1 ,logan and ,manti1 all in ,utah1 and a temple is nearing completion in ,cardston1 ,alberta1 ,canada4 ,,man ,,and ,,man4 ,,chapter #bd4 ,,the ,,brotherhood ,,of ,,man4 ,there are many men and women upon the earth4 ,no one faces1 alone1 the great forces of nature4 ,about him move other men1 with whom he must associate4 ,in the ,great ,plan it is so ordained that men shall dwell together1 and this leads to many of the finest applications of the ,gospel to the daily life of man4 9999,common ,origin49999 ,by the power of ,god1 the spirits of men were born into the spiritual world2 thus all became the children of ,god4 ,in turn1 all have been born from the same spiritual estate into the earth estate1 from the one earthly ancestor1 ,adam4 ,all men are therefore of identical origin4 ,absolute uniformity prevails among the children of men1 so far as their origin is concerned4 9999,common ,purposes49999 ,the spirits are placed on earth for a common purpose4 ,from the beginning1 man has risen to his high estate through the acquisition of power over the natural forces surrounding him4 ,man is that he may have joy1 is the fundamental purpose of man's activity1 whether on or out of the earth4 ,in the ,great ,council all the spirits which have reached or will reach the earth1 were present2 and all declared themselves in favor of the ,plan4 ,in conformity with this agreement1 man is on earth4 ,all desire a closer acquaintance with gross matter1 as a means of future power and consequent joy2 and all desire that the earth-experience may be accompanied with as much joy as is possible4 ,consequently1 all who are or have been1 or will be assembled on earth1 have a common purpose4 ,absolute uniformity prevails among men so far as their fundamental purpose is concerned4 9999,common ,destiny49999 ,likewise1 the destiny of all the spirits sent to earth1 is the same4 ,man has ever moved towards eternal life4 ,all new information1 every addition of knowledge1 has moved him onward1 toward perfection and a vision of greater happiness4 ,true1 since all men have free agencies1 individual wills express themselves in different ways1 and no two spirits are therefore at precisely the same point on the upward road4 ,some are far ahead1 some lag behind1 each and all according to individual effort4 ,however1 throughout the vast eternities1 all who are conscientiously moving upward1 though it be ever so slowly1 will in time reach a point which is absolute perfection to our mortal conceptions4 ,then1 all will seem as if precisely alike4 ,whether or not we reach a given point at the same time1 all men have a common destiny4 ,as far as the destiny of man is concerned1 all are alike4 9999,inter-dependence49999 ,of even greater importance in daily work is the fact that every intelligent being affects every other intelligent being4 ,every person affects every other person4 ,through the operation of the ,holy ,spirit all things are held together4 ,good or evil may be transmitted from personality to personality2 it is impossible to hide from ,god1 and it is equally impossible for us to hide ourselves completely from our fellowmen4 ,no individual action may restrain or retard another individual2 but all our actions1 thoughts and words must be so guarded that all are advanced4 ,this is as true for the earth-life as it may be for the spiritual life4 ,men affect each other2 every man is1 in a measure1 his brother's keeper4 ,there can be no thought of a man going on in life irrespective of the needs or conditions of his fellowmen4 ,the main concern of man must be to find such orderly acts of life as will enable other men to live out their individual wills without interference4 ,all must be benefited1 all must be helped4 ,this is the basis of the great system of co-operation4 ,meanwhile1 the inter-dependence of the spirits dwelling on earth1 brings men more closely together1 and strengthens the friendships from the former spirit estate4 9999,brothers49999 ,the human race is a race of brothers1 of the same origin1 with the same purposes and with the same destiny1 so elaborately inter-dependent that none may move without affecting the others4 ,any rational theology must recognize this condition1 and1 as far as it may be able1 must make provision for the proper recognition of the brotherhood of man4 ,,chapter #be4 ,,the ,,equality ,,of ,,man4 ,though the brotherhood of man is supreme1 it does not follow that all men are equal in all particulars4 ,this needs careful examination4 9999,the ,pre-existent ,effort49999 ,men of common origin1 and of common destiny1 labor on earth under a mutually accepted ,plan4 ,yet1 it is not conceivable1 that all the spirits who reach the earth have attained the same degree of progress4 ,the pre-existent progress depended upon self-effort2 those who exerted their wills most1 made the greatest progress2 moreover1 those who had led the most righteous lives1 and had been most careful of their gifts1 had acquired greatest strength--consequently1 at the time of the ,great ,council1 though the spirits were1 in general1 of one class1 they differed greatly in the details of their attainments1 in the righteousness of their lives1 in the stability of their purpose1 and in their consistent devotion to the great truth of their lives4 ,in one particular they were all alike3 by their faithful efforts1 they had earned the right to take another step onward and to share in the earth experience4 ,most probably1 the power acquired in the life before this is transmitted to some degree to the earthlife4 ,we may well believe1 therefore1 that the differences in the quality and characteristics of men1 may be traced1 in part at least1 to the pre-existent lives4 ,it is not unthinkable that1 in a plan governed by a supreme intelligent ,being1 since there are differences of advancement1 the spirits who come on earth are placed frequently in positions for which they are best fitted4 ,an intelligent ruler would probably use ability where it is most needed4 ,to some extent1 therefore1 men may have been chosen for this or that work on earth1 and1 under the law of progression1 this small measure of predestination may be accepted4 ,yet1 it must be remembered that predestination can not be compelling4 ,man's free agency1 the great indestructible gift1 always remains untrammeled4 ,therefore1 whatever may be ,god's plan for man1 however easy may be the path to the predestined earth position1 the man may at any time1 by the exercise of his free agency1 depart from the appointed path and enter other fields4 ,any opposite doctrine is the one proposed by ,lucifer in the ,great ,council4 ,it is most likely that those who1 on earth1 accept the highest truth of life1 find the ,gospel attractive1 and are most faithful in the recognition of law1 are those who1 in the pre-existent state1 were most intelligent and obedient4 ,in that sense1 the ,church consists of ,god's chosen people--chosen because of their willingness to obey4 9999,the ,earth ,effort49999 ,nevertheless1 the thought that power is drawn from our pre-existent state need not be an overwhelming feeling to oppress and crush us4 ,our previous life can not be an insurmountable hindrance4 ,the invariable law of cause and effect will enable those who exert themselves on earth to draw great power unto themselves1 even so that it may be possible by earth efforts to overcome possible handicaps from pre-existent lethargy4 ,thus1 on earth1 man may gain more than he has lost before4 ,our earth efforts are of greatest consequence4 ,neither forward nor backward must we look1 except to place ourselves properly in our day1 but must use in full degree the possibilities of each day as it comes4 ,man's inequality comes chiefly from the inequality of earth effort4 9999,the ,variety of ,gifts49999 ,meanwhile1 it is always to be remembered that the spirit within must speak through a mortal body1 subject to disease and death4 ,the eternal spirit cannot rise here above the conditions of the body1 which is of the earth1 and is a result of all the physical good and evil to which man has given himself since the days of ,adam4 ,during the long history of the race1 both strength and weakness have no doubt been added to the body4 ,it possesses inborn1 inherent qualities1 which man finds it difficult to ignore4 ,under the best conditions1 the body is weaker than the spirit within4 ,it is likely that the spirit within the finest earthly body is infinitely greater than may be expressed through the body4 ,we live only as our bodies allow2 and1 since our bodies differ greatly1 there is in them another source of man's inequality4 ,in fact1 the inequality of man comes largely from inequality of body1 through which the eternal spirit tries in vain to speak4 9999,the ,equality of ,opportunity49999 ,clearly1 an absolute equality among men is not conceivable1 for the differences among the powers of men are infinite in number4 ,we are brothers1 but we are occupying a variety of stages of progress4 ,probably1 it is well that there are such differences1 so that by contrast with each other we may be impelled onward4 ,the equality of man on earth must be the equal opportunity to progress4 ,from the point in the eternal journey that each man now occupies1 he must be allowed to move onward1 unhindered by other persons1 and must be allowed to exert his inborn powers to the full1 for his help on the journey4 ,none must stand in another's way4 ,on the contrary1 the spirit of the ,gospel makes clear that the ,great ,plan cannot be fulfilled1 the earth's destiny cannot be completed1 and our highest progressive rewards cannot be obtained until all the spirits of man have been brought under the ,gospel rule4 ,whether on this earth1 or in the future1 the work will not be completed until all have accepted the freedom of the ,gospel4 ,instead of hindering each other1 men must give each other all possible needed help1 then we offer our fellows an equal opportunity to advance1 and all are helped4 ,with equality of opportunity1 all may advance so far that1 in time1 the differences between men will not be apparent4 ,the equality of opportunity which characterizes the plan of salvation is shown in the fact that all the ordinances of the ,church1 from the highest to the lowest1 are available to every person who enters the ,church4 ,faith1 repentance1 baptism and the gift of the ,holy ,ghost are1 for all1 the four cardinal principles for active participation in the work of the ,church1 irrespective of the powers of men4 ,the endowments of the temple1 and all the blessings that may there be received1 are available to every member of the ,church who has shown himself active in the faith4 ,in fundamental principles1 in gifts and blessings1 in spiritual opportunities1 as required or offered by the ,church1 men are stripped of all differences1 and stand as if they were equal before ,god4 ,this is equality of opportunity4 9999,unequal ,equality49999 ,though equality of opportunity be granted all1 the wills of men1 as expressed through their free agencies1 differ greatly4 ,consequently1 some will use well their opportunities2 others will use them poorly4 ,under this condition1 even if all started out absolutely alike1 differences would soon appear4 ,without violating the fundamental laws of nature1 this seems to be absolutely unpreventable4 ,men may soon be grouped as representing different degrees of strength4 ,however1 that the equality of opportunity1 belonging to the ,great ,plan1 may be preserved1 it becomes necessary for all1 whether weak or strong1 to support each other4 ,differing attainments must be forgotten in the desire to permit all to develop their powers to the utmost1 and thus to achieve joy both here and hereafter4 ,the great problem of every age is how to keep together1 as one body1 the many who1 because of their differing wills1 have become different in their powers and attainments4 9999,the ,test of ,equality49999 ,a test may be applied whereby men may be placed in one class1 irrespective of their various attainments4 ,if a man use his powers1 with all his might1 for his own and others' good1 in the cause of universal progress1 he is the equal of every other man of like effort4 ,no more can be asked of a man4 ,it is well that humanity1 dwelling together1 should keep this principle in mind4 ,men must not be judged1 wholly1 by their attainments1 or by their gifts1 but largely by the degree to which they give themselves to the great cause represented by the plan of the major intelligent ,being1 for the minor intelligent beings of the universe4 ,,chapter #bf4 ,,mutual ,,support4 ,the doctrines set forth indicate that each man must exert himself to the utmost4 ,even this is not sufficient for the full progress of individuals4 ,every man must also be supported by every other man4 ,unless this is done1 the individual and the community will be retarded4 9999,the ,duty of the ,strong49999 ,the man who is in possession of strength1 acquired by any means whatsoever1 is under special obligations to the community4 ,the strong must1 somehow1 attach to themselves those who are weak2 and as the strong move onward1 they must pull with them those who are weak4 ,if a person possess knowledge1 he must give knowledge to others1 so that all may attain great knowledge2 if he have great faith1 he must use faith until all may know its virtue2 if he have acquired great wealth1 he must use it so that many may share in its physical benefits4 ,those who have must give to those who have not4 ,those who understand the deeper1 inner life must not forget those who are not gifted with an understanding of the contents of the vast universe4 ,the weak have similar responsibilities devolving upon them4 ,under earthly conditions the weak tend to foster jealousy of the strong4 ,this is out of harmony with the law of progress4 ,the weak must seek strength for themselves1 and should invite the assistance of the strong4 ,the weak may help the progress of the race by accepting1 as a gift1 the assistance of the strong4 ,there is no shame in accepting gifts1 in learning from those who have more than we have1 providing our own powers are used to the full4 ,if the strong will not give to the weak1 in the right spirit of helpfulness2 or if the weak will not accept the help proffered for their advancement1 the whole onward movement will be slowed down4 ,moreover1 it is a common law of nature that those who are strong1 and give of their strength to others1 add thereby to their own strength4 9999,co-operation49999 ,co-operation of all1 weak or strong1 is characteristic of mutual helpfulness4 ,when many men unite to accomplish great works1 mighty results follow4 ,each man then obtains his full reward4 ,even if the co-operation provides that its results are divided equally among the participants1 the strong receives his full reward1 for1 because of his greater strength1 he has done greater labor1 and has consequently added greatly to his strength4 ,the weak1 by their association with the strong1 having shared equally with them1 have gained greater hope1 and more courage to carry on their individual work of progress4 ,the principle of co-operation is in full conformity with the whole plan of salvation4 9999,education49999 ,education looms large in the matter of mutual support1 for it is only by the development of individual power that man may help his fellow man and thus recognize the full brotherhood of man4 ,great powers can be exercised only by faculties that are trained to the utmost4 ,schools are provided1 where the young mind may be guided rapidly and well into a better control of itself4 ,a rational theology must be established upon the basis of developed intelligence1 which justifies the existence of schools and other devices for the proper unfolding of the mind4 ,in the ,church there must ever be a vigorous propaganda for the education of the masses4 ,the ,church must be a generally educated ,church1 in which the educated class includes all4 ,,chapter #bg4 ,,the ,,united ,,order4 ,the true relation among men1 the doctrine of the brotherhood of man1 is nowhere better exemplified than in the principle of the united order4 ,this system of living represents1 no doubt1 the acme of brotherly love and human efficiency4 9999,purpose49999 ,the united order recognizes that men have different talents and therefore different aspirations which should be allowed full and free unfolding4 ,that is1 the individual should be allowed to exercise his inborn gifts4 ,the united order further provides that the members of a community share equally in the material returns of the activities of the whole community4 ,since the wants of a community are satisfied only by a variety of necessary labor1 some yielding large1 others small1 material gains1 the united order provides that1 if a man work to the full of his ability1 all the working days of his life1 he should have an equal share in the material gains of the community1 whatever his labor may be4 ,under this system there could be no poverty2 all would be amply supplied with the material necessities of life4 ,those who1 because of their greater talents or training1 do the greater work1 will receive whatever is needed for the maintenance of life2 and they will attain1 moreover1 a greater growth and satisfaction because of the greater work that they have performed4 ,since the material wants of all will be amply supplied1 there can be no real reason why all should not share in the total results of the labor of the community4 ,the united order implies a closely organized body of men and women working together for individual and for mutual advancement4 ,in theory1 at least1 it appears to be the best answer to many of the great questions that trouble mankind4 9999,historical49999 ,the united order is not a new conception4 ,it has been known from the beginning of time4 ,in the days of ,enoch1 the seventh patriarch1 the united order was practiced successfully4 ,when the ,church was organized by ,christ1 the united order was practiced very fully for some time1 by many of the people4 ,it is quite possible that the order has been established and practiced successfully at other times1 but no record has come down to this age4 ,finally1 in this dispensation1 the united order was revealed to the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith4 ,the people1 on several occasions1 tried to practice it1 and wherever practiced correctly1 it appeared to result in good2 but individual selfishness usually resulted in the abandonment of the practice4 ,it is a system of life requiring the fullest understanding of the ,gospel truth1 and the greatest conception of man's place in the universe4 ,in its practice1 men must overcome their selfishness1 and accept at their true values1 the various rewards of life4 ,enoch and his people acquired such high control over themselves that they were able to practice the united order unselfishly1 and at last were translated from the earth without tasting death4 ,it seems that the united order is above the reach of the kind of men and women we now are4 ,nevertheless1 it is the system we approach1 as we approach perfection4 9999,co-operation49999 ,the united order has been suspended as a required form of life in the ,church1 but its spirit still remains4 ,those who are indeed worthy members of the ,church must accept the spirit of the united order4 ,it finds present expression in the system of co-operation1 under which many unite in one enterprise1 in such a way that no one person dominates it1 but that all concerned have a voice in it1 and so that the profits resulting from the enterprise are divided more or less uniformly among those connected with it4 ,co-operative enterprises have been fostered constantly and consistently by the ,church in the latter days1 and in the majority of instances have been extremely successful4 ,in fact1 when the ,church settled in ,utah1 it would have been impossible to accomplish the great work before the pioneers1 had they not practiced co-operation4 ,to give every man a full and proper chance is the spirit of the true ,church4 9999,tithing49999 ,every organized ,church must have some means of material support4 ,houses of worship must be constructed2 temples must be built2 education must be fostered2 the poor must be provided for2 and many other material needs form a part of the great spiritual mission of the ,church4 ,for the general support1 therefore1 of the ,church and of the poor who are unable to provide for themselves1 a fund has been provided by the tithing of the people4 ,this is a preparation for the united order1 and some day will be replaced by the more complete system4 ,this fund is maintained by the payment1 by each member of the ,church1 of one-tenth of his earnings1 as they are delivered to him4 ,the money thus obtained is placed in the hands of the bishops1 and is disbursed under the direction of the ,first ,presidency associated with the presiding bishopric and other officials named in the revelations4 ,tithing is an ancient system1 frequently mentioned in the history of the past4 ,it is fair to all the people1 for it is necessarily a system whereby each man pays in proportion to his earnings4 ,great blessings follow obedience either to the law of united order or the law of tithing4 9999,voluntary ,offerings49999 ,in addition to tithing1 voluntary offerings may be made to the ,church for specific or general purposes1 as for the support of the poor or distressed living near us1 or for the building of churches4 9999,the ,common ,good49999 ,all these devices for gathering material funds for the sustenance of the ,church1 simply show the underlying and overwhelming desire of those who understand the ,gospel1 to assist for mutual benefit4 ,not the good of one1 but the common good1 is uppermost in the minds of those who understand and love the ,gospel4 ,,chapter #bh4 ,,work ,,for ,,the ,,dead4 ,the doctrine of the brotherhood of man and the principles of united order and co-operation show the necessity of giving ourselves for the common good4 ,this intense desire of the ,church for service to all1 for human brotherhood1 are probably nowhere better shown than in the work for the dead4 9999,all ,must ,be ,saved49999 ,temple work rests on the principle of the ,great ,plan that all must be saved1 or at least given the opportunity of salvation4 ,persons who have been unable to accept the ,gospel ordinances on earth1 are not necessarily denied the privileges of membership in the ,church or refused the blessings which come to those who accept the truth4 ,for such dead persons vicarious work must be done in all the essential ordinances of the ,church4 ,vicarious work is not new1 for it has been practiced in various forms from the first day4 ,in common daily life1 a man is given authority to do official work for another1 when a power of attorney is conferred4 ,the work of ,jesus ,christ was essentially vicarious1 for he atoned for the act of ,adam4 9999,earthly ,ordinances49999 ,great1 eternal truths make up the ,gospel plan4 ,all regulations for man's earthly guidance have their eternal spiritual counterparts4 ,the earthly ordinances of the ,gospel are themselves the reflections of heavenly ordinances4 ,for instance1 baptism1 the gift of the ,holy ,ghost and temple work are really earthly symbols of realities that prevail throughout the universe2 but1 they are symbols of truths that must be recognized if the ,great ,plan is to be fulfilled4 ,the acceptance of these earthly symbols is part and parcel of correct earth-life1 and being earthly symbols they are distinctly of the earth1 and can not be performed elsewhere than on earth4 ,in order that absolute fairness may prevail and eternal justice may be satisfied1 all men to attain the fulness of their joy must accept these earthly ordinances4 ,there is no water baptism in the next estate1 nor any conferring of the gift of the ,holy ,ghost by the laying on of earthly hands4 ,the equivalents of these ordinances prevail no doubt in every estate1 but only as they are given on this earth can they be made to aid1 in their onward progress1 those who have dwelt on earth4 ,for that reason those who have departed this life without having accepted the earthly ordinances1 which constitute in part the conditions of entrance to the ,church1 must have that work done for them on earth4 ,by proxy they must be baptized by water1 receive the laying on of hands and accept of the temple ordinances4 ,by this method the path to eternal life is invariable2 in fairness and without discrimination1 all must tread it4 ,were there any departure from this order1 it would be a short time only until men might take upon themselves the authority of devising various methods whereby eternal joy might be obtained4 ,this would be unnatural1 because definite order prevails throughout nature4 9999,a ,work of ,love49999 ,to do work for the dead involves much sacrifice on the part of the living4 ,genealogies must be collected1 exact information concerning dates of births and deaths and other fundamental data must be obtained1 and the better part of a day is required to take the endowments for each dead person--and all this1 usually1 for a person long dead1 of whom the worker may have no definite knowledge beyond name and time of his life4 ,it follows that only by love for one's fellowmen can the work be done4 ,young and old may do work for the dead in the temples2 and young and old are1 indeed1 engaged in it4 ,especially in the evening of life1 when time is more plentiful for such work1 do many persons give themselves fully to this labor of love4 ,as a result of temple work for the dead1 to which thousands of people give their time and means1 a great flood of love for humanity is poured out upon the people4 9999,the ,need of ,records49999 ,before the earth passes away into its next stage of existence1 work must be done in the temples for all the living and all the dead4 ,only when this is done1 will the curtain be rolled up1 and the vision of complete existence given to man4 ,to do work for the dead1 who in life did not accept the ,gospel1 will require complete genealogies of the human race4 ,to secure these is a gigantic task4 ,the diverse conditions of human life1 and the vicissitudes of the race have been such that frequently genealogies have not been written and often have been lost4 ,the most careful search of man will not reveal them all4 ,however1 as has been explained1 in an intelligent universe1 nothing is wholly lost4 ,the record of every man exists and by some means will be found before the work on earth is completed4 ,meanwhile1 no external power will come to man's aid1 until he has used his own efforts1 and therefore it becomes necessary for men to search out existing genealogies of the human race4 ,when that has been done1 in the years to come1 man may rest secure that the gods who direct our earth1 will come to the rescue of this important part of the work of salvation4 ,consequently there is intense interest in the ,church in all genealogical matters4 ,every person is on the lookout for his own genealogy2 when that is completed1 he searches for those of others4 ,such work intensifies family loyalty and devotion1 from which virtues proceed4 ,it follows1 also1 that the ,church records and preserves with utmost care the genealogical histories of its members4 ,sacred history shows that at all times1 when the ,church has been on earth1 genealogies have been carefully kept and recorded4 9999,the ,result49999 ,work for the dead has far-reaching results4 ,first of all1 it establishes a close communion among those who have lived and who are living on earth4 ,the hearts of the children are turned to the fathers1 and the hearts of the fathers are turned to the children4 ,this1 indeed1 is the vital principle of the ,great ,plan--that all may work together to the ultimate good of each4 ,the principle of infinite1 loving brotherhood among men1 as exemplified in the work for the dead1 may be applied in the daily lives of the living4 ,if so much work is done1 so much time and energy expended and so much care bestowed upon the salvation of the dead1 how much more should we help and support and love the living4 ,the living must always be man's first concern4 ,this principle1 carried into our daily lives1 means that we must continually and at our own sacrifice help each other4 ,then only will the sacrifice for the dead not be in vain4 ,work for the dead is no doubt symbolic of the great universal law that things of the universe move onward together1 not singly4 ,so great is this principle in its application to daily life1 among the living1 that it rises to be one of the mightiest principles that contribute to human brotherhood and brotherly love4 ,,chapter #bi4 ,,marriage4 ,we are not the last spirits to enter upon the earth career4 ,there are yet countless numbers of unborn spirits waiting for the privilege of receiving earthly bodies and of tasting the sorrows and the joys of earth4 ,the living1 who understand the ,great ,plan1 must not then confine their attention to themselves and to those who have gone before4 ,the waiting spirits must be a concern of our lives4 9999,eternity of ,sex49999 ,it has already been said that sex is an eternal principle4 ,the equivalent of sex has always existed and will continue forever4 ,as the sex relation1 then1 represents an eternal condition1 the begetting of children is coincidently an eternal necessity4 ,we were begotten into the spirit world by ,god the ,father1 and have been born into the world which we now possess4 9999,the ,waiting ,spirits49999 ,according to the ,great ,plan1 all who1 in the ,great ,council1 accepted the ,christ1 will in time appear on earth1 clothed with mortal bodies4 ,all these spirits must be born as children into the world4 ,a high purpose1 if not the main one1 of the earth work must be1 therefore1 to continue the race by begetting children and properly caring for them until they reach maturity4 ,undoubtedly1 the waiting spirits are hoping patiently for their turn to reach the earth--a glorious step in the progressive advancement of man1 which the spirits have earned by their righteous lives4 9999,the ,meaning of the ,first ,command49999 ,this doctrine makes clear the meaning of the first great command1 to multiply and replenish the earth4 ,it is not only for the joy and satisfaction of humanity that the sex relation1 with the possibility of begetting offspring1 prevails on earth1 but as much for the fulfilment of the eternal ,great ,plan4 ,it becomes a necessary duty1 for all wedded persons who dwell on earth1 to bring children into the world4 ,this is the greatest and holiest and most necessary mission of man1 with respect to the waiting spirits4 ,fatherhood and motherhood become glorified in the light of the eternal plan of salvation4 ,the doctrine that wedded man and woman should not beget children or should limit the number of children born to them1 is contrary to the spirit of the ,great ,plan1 and is a most erroneous one4 ,let the waiting spirits come6 ,let children be born into the earth6 ,let fatherhood and motherhood be the most honored of all the professions on earth6 ,marriage resulting in parenthood is a great evidence of the reality of the brotherhood of man1 of the unselfishness of man4 ,however1 only in the marriage relation should children be begotten4 ,looseness of life1 between man and woman1 is the most terrible of human iniquities1 for it leads1 assuredly1 to the physical decay of the race4 ,with the sanction of the ,priesthood1 men and women should contract to live together as husband and wife4 9999,the ,family49999 ,the unit of society is the family4 ,the family circle is intimate1 and in it the keenest human loves prevail4 ,as the family develops so will society1 as a whole1 develop4 ,by children comes complete family life4 ,without children1 family life is incomplete4 ,children are1 then1 a real necessity in the fulfilling of the possibilities of the ,church4 ,the true ,church always encourages the begetting of children2 the intensifying of family life1 and the dignifying of all the duties pertaining to procreation4 9999,celestial ,marriage49999 ,if sex is eternal1 it follows of necessity1 that the marriage covenant may also be eternal4 ,it is not a far step to the doctrine that after the earth work has been completed1 and exaltation in the next estate has been attained1 one of the chief duties of men and women will be to beget spiritual children4 ,these spirits1 in turn1 in the process of time1 will come down upon an earth1 there to obtain an acquaintance with gross matter1 and through the possession of earthly bodies to control more fully1 and forever1 the manifold forces surrounding them4 ,it is one of the rewards of intelligent development1 that we may be to other spiritual beings1 what our ,god has been to us4 ,among those who understand the ,gospel1 marriage may be1 and indeed should be1 for time and eternity4 ,marriage that lasts only during the earth life is a sad one1 for the love established between man and woman1 as they live together and rear their family1 does not wish to die1 but to live to grow richer with the eternal years4 ,marriage for time and eternity establishes a unique relation between husband and wife4 ,their children belong to them for time and eternity2 the family is continued from this earth into the next life1 and becomes a unit in the eternal life1 and1 in all family relations1 the vision is cast forward1 in anticipation of an undying relationship4 9999,the ,sealing ,powers49999 ,naturally1 the power to seal men and women to each other1 for time and eternity1 and to seal children to their parents for eternal ages1 is a supreme power1 committed to man's keeping4 ,the ,president of the ,church is the only person on the earth who holds the keys of these sealing ordinances4 ,true1 he may delegate his power to workers in the temples1 so that celestial marriages and sealings may go on1 but such delegated authority may be withdrawn at any moment4 ,in that respect1 it differs wholly from the power of the ,priesthood1 which can be withdrawn from a man only who is found in sin4 ,it is proper that only one man should hold this power1 for it is of infinite effect1 and should be guarded with the most jealous care1 and kept from the frail prejudices and jealousies of men4 ,the power to bind for time and eternity is the power1 also1 to loose that which has been bound1 should it be found necessary4 ,undoubtedly1 under human conditions1 mistakes may be made1 but if such mistakes are made and are not rectified on earth1 they will1 no doubt1 under a supervising intelligent ,being1 be rectified in the hereafter4 ,it is1 however1 only through the sealing power that the eternal relationship of the sexes1 the eternal increase of life1 and the consequent eternal joy1 may be obtained4 ,,chapter #cj4 ,,the ,,community4 ,the relations of the few and the many lead to great problems which are of the gravest import to humanity4 9999,community ,defined49999 ,a community is a body of people having common interests and1 usually1 living in the same place1 under the same laws and regulations4 ,from the beginning of time1 individuals have associated and grouped themselves into communities4 ,every ,church is a community of believers4 ,the ,church which conforms to the whole law is the one characterized by authority and operating under authoritative laws4 9999,the ,individual in the ,community49999 ,a community is a great organism1 with individuality which must express itself in adaptation or opposition to law4 ,since the community is composed of individuals1 each with independent wills and agencies1 nothing must be done1 as a community1 to prevent the full unfolding of the individual1 for the more progressive the individuals1 the more progressive is the community4 ,while the community is under responsibility to each individual1 the individual1 having accepted a place and life in the community1 must not do anything that will restrain other individuals of the community4 ,whatever is good for the many1 must always take preference4 ,this does not interfere1 in the least1 with full individual development1 since the greatest individual development always comes from proper adaptation to law4 ,when each individual faithfully obeys the law1 the community is safe4 9999,the ,rights of the ,community49999 ,the community has rights which are as inalienable as the free agency of individuals4 ,an individual who will not obey the community laws should move out of the community4 ,those who remain must yield obedience to the laws established for the public good4 ,this was well brought out in the ,great ,council1 when ,lucifer fell because he was not one with the community4 ,in that great day1 as in our day1 the many had the right to demand that their good be considered as of primary importance4 9999,training for the ,community49999 ,in view of the supremacy of the community it becomes indispensable that the powers of the individual be so unfolded as to be of service to the community4 ,no man can selfishly stand aside and say ,i am sufficient unto myself2 in the community ,i have no interest2 though ,i obey its laws1 ,i do not serve it4 ,it is not sufficient that a man obey the laws of the community2 he must vigorously serve the community4 ,every act of every man's life must relate itself to the good of other men4 ,this is fundamental in the ,gospel1 and should be fundamental in the daily relations of men4 ,this justifies the modern training now given men for the necessary pursuits and common tasks of daily life4 ,whatever is necessary1 may and should be made honorable and dignified4 ,all pursuits are made professional1 so that all who serve the good of the many1 may find the same joy in their work whatever it may be4 ,all men should be trained for service to the community4 ,it is an interesting commentary on the present-day ,church that ,president ,brigham ,young was one of the first men in ,america to establish schools in which the training of men for the actual affairs of life was made pre-eminent4 ,today we train for citizenship1 whether in the ,church or in the ,state4 ,in such training lies the hope of the community for its future4 ,by such training will a feeling of community responsibility be established among men4 9999,the ,supremacy of the ,community49999 ,from all this and from what has been said in preceding chapters1 it is clear that the ,great ,plan was so devised that men may unitedly work out their salvation4 ,man may not stand alone4 ,brotherhood is the great principle on which the ,church is based4 ,,man ,,and ,,nature4 ,,chapter #ca4 ,,man ,,and ,,nature4 ,there is but one nature4 ,all things1 visible or invisible1 belong to the one universe4 9999,the ,intelligence of ,nature49999 ,each and all of the numerous forces in the universe may be subjected to the will of man4 ,in the universe are untold numbers of intelligent beings1 whose main business it is to discover the ways of nature1 and by an intelligent control of nature1 to acquire greater power of advancing development4 ,the holy spirit fills all things1 and by its means the thoughts and minds of these increasing intelligent beings are everywhere felt4 ,intelligence permeates the universe4 ,the question is often asked1 ,does nature1 as we know it1 the rocks and trees and beasts1 possess intelligence of an order akin to that of man8 ,who knows8 ,that intelligence is everywhere present is beyond question4 ,by the intelligent ,god1 nature is directed4 ,the forming of a crystal or the conception of a living animal is1 somehow1 connected with an intelligent purpose and will4 ,this fruitful field of conjecture should be touched with care1 for so little definite knowledge concerning it is in man's possession4 9999,a ,living ,earth49999 ,it seems to be well established that the earth as a whole1 is a living organism4 ,it had a beginning2 it will die or be changed1 and after is purification it will be brought into greater glory as a resurrected organism4 ,even the symbolism of baptism was performed for the earth when the waters descended in the great flood4 ,all this can simply mean that the earth1 as well as all on it1 are subject to the fundamental ,plan1 involving the atonement of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the earth as an organism does its work perfectly well4 ,it is without sin4 ,the earth abides the law of a celestial kingdom1 for it fills the measure of its creation1 and transgresses not the law4 ,wherefore it shall be sanctified2 yea1 notwithstanding it shall die1 it shall be quickened again1 and shall abide the power by which it is quickened1 and the righteous shall inherit it4 ,if the earth is a living organism1 it seems more than likely that all things on earth possess a measure of life and intelligence4 9999,the ,lower ,animals49999 ,the lower animals were created by the power of ,god4 ,all things created by him1 have first been created spiritually1 then temporally1 after which they pass again into the spiritual life4 ,animals were created spiritually before they were given material existence4 ,if the meaning of this doctrine is that animals lived before this1 they certainly may live hereafter4 ,that which is essential in animals is probably indestructible4 ,our knowledge of this subject is extremely limited1 and whatever is said about it1 is conjectural and subject to revision4 9999,all for the ,use of ,man49999 ,nevertheless1 rocks and trees and beasts1 are for the use of man1 to be used by him in moderation and with wisdom4 ,man is at the head of the creations on earth4 ,it is his duty to make proper use of them all4 ,whoever teaches that any part of the universe is not for the benefit of man1 is in error4 9999,man's ,conquest of ,nature49999 ,it is the simplest of present-day doctrines that the vastness of nature makes it impossible for man to comprehend more than the minutest part of it4 ,yet1 in the true philosophy of life1 nothing is more certain than that the greatest mystery of nature may at some time be understood4 ,the great purpose of man's existence is a complete understanding of all the mysteries of nature4 ,true1 the understanding that will give him full mastery over nature will come little by little4 ,in the end1 man shall know all that he desires4 ,even in that happy day he shall not be able to change one law of nature2 only by intelligent control may he apply nature's laws to desired ends4 ,with this certainty man may go onward hopefully4 ,nature is inexhaustible and man shall not1 in all the endless ages1 explore it completely2 he shall only in the eternal days become more conscious of its infinite majesty--thereby comes the everlasting joy of man4 ,great hope of conquest enables man to meet his daily tasks1 with lifted head and fearless courage4 ,man knows that all his search shall be successful1 if he only search with might and main and have patience to wait4 9999,miracles49999 ,man is of limited power2 whatever he can not understand or duplicate may be called miraculous2 and only in that sense can miracles be allowed4 ,the miracles of the ,savior were done only by superior knowledge4 ,nothing is unnatural4 ,all that has been done1 man may do as he increases in power4 ,the conception of intelligence guiding the destinies of men1 makes it possible that1 in our behalf1 wonderful things are often done1 that transcend our understanding1 but which are yet in full and complete harmony with the laws of nature4 ,for ourselves we must discover all of nature that we can4 ,in time of need1 when our own knowledge does not suffice1 the ,master may give his help4 ,thus1 after man has used his full knowledge and failed1 the sick may be healed1 the sorrowing1 comforted1 or wealth or poverty may come1 provided we draw heavily enough upon the unseen forces about us4 ,help so obtained is not unnatural4 ,a miracle is simply that which we can not understand1 and at which we marvel4 9999,harmony of ,man and ,nature49999 ,vast1 unnumbered forces lie about us4 ,the possible power of man1 as he grows in knowledge1 is quite beyond our under standing4 ,all that is required of man is that he place himself in harmony with the interacting forces1 operating in all directions4 ,if the forces are not fully understood1 he must search them out1 and as best he can1 must place himself so that they are with him rather than against him4 ,to enjoy nature is our privilege and duty4 ,no life finds joy above its harmonious associations with the things that lie about it in nature4 ,all this is merely in accord with the fundamental doctrines already laid down4 ,the ,church possessing the truth1 always fosters1 encourages and respects all honest investigation of nature4 ,,man ,,and ,,himself4 ,,chapter #cb4 ,,the ,,sound ,,body4 ,consideration has been given1 in the preceding chapters1 to the pre-existent life1 the course of the ,gospel on the earth1 and man's relationship to ,god1 to the ,church and to his fellowman4 ,man must1 also1 give respectful consideration to himself1 as an individual4 9999,the ,importance of the ,body49999 ,attention has already been called to the fact that the condition of the body limits1 largely1 the expression of the spirit4 ,the spirit shines through the body only as the body permits4 ,the body is essentially of the earth2 and1 in the earth career1 the earthly envelope of the spirit would naturally determine the expression of man's powers4 ,if the body is in poor condition from birth1 man must strengthen it as the days increase2 if it is strong from the beginning1 he must make it stronger4 9999,food49999 ,a first consideration for the proper maintenance of bodily health1 is the proper feeding of the body4 ,man should use food adapted to the body and seasonable according to nature4 ,in accordance with the ,word of ,wisdom1 meat should be used sparingly1 and no food should be used to excess4 9999,exercise49999 ,the elimination of unassimilated food from the human body is quite as important as the taking in of food4 ,for that purpose1 physical exercise must be taken regularly4 ,moreover1 exercise develops and strengthens all parts of the body4 ,manual labor1 which usually is looked upon as inferior to mental labor1 is in reality a means of improving the body1 permitting hard mental labor and making possible a fuller expression of man's spirit4 ,man's life should not be given wholly to physical work1 but it should constitute a vital part of it4 9999,rest49999 ,just as necessary as is food or exercise1 is the change called rest4 ,if the same muscles be exercised continuously they will surely tire and good work can1 then1 no longer be done with them4 ,regular rest should be given the body4 ,frequently1 a change from one kind of work to another is a sufficient rest2 but in many cases1 cessation from effort is necessary to recuperate man's strength1 properly4 ,the natural law requiring regular sleep should be obeyed1 though none should sleep too long4 ,one day out of seven1 the ,sabbath1 should be devoted1 particularly1 to matters concerning ,god and the spiritual life1 which too often are submerged during the other days1 in the material affairs of life4 ,an occasional fasting is very desirable1 since1 for a few hours1 it gives some organs of the body a complete rest4 ,at present1 the ,church practice is to fast twenty-four consecutive hours once each month4 ,the food thus saved1 in conformity with the fundamental spirit of brotherhood1 is distributed among those who have need of it1 by ward officers specially appointed for that purpose4 9999,stimulants49999 ,in normal health1 food1 exercise1 rest1 love of ,god and fellowman and daily work1 furnish a natural and sufficient stimulation for all the duties of life4 ,in fact1 none other should be allowed1 if the best physical health is to be retained4 ,therefore1 alcohol in all its forms1 tobacco1 tea1 coffee and the variety of drugs should not be used4 ,there is double danger in the use of stimulants3 first1 they tend to undermine the strength of the man1 and1 second1 they take away from man his mastery of himself4 ,under the influence of a drug1 man is urged on by the drug itself1 and not by his own strength of will4 ,this is most dangerous4 ,a man who loses control of himself1 never knows just what he may do4 9999,moral ,purity49999 ,the body is much concerned in the moral purity of the man4 ,men and women must keep themselves pure or there will be a loss of life and procreative power4 ,moreover1 men must keep themselves as pure as do women4 ,no reasoning1 based on natural law1 justifies two standards of morality1 one for the man and the other for the woman4 9999,the ,gospel and the ,sound ,body49999 ,the sound body is a ,gospel requirement1 for only with a sound body can man work out his mission and have full joy4 ,working effectively and to make others happy1 can be done only in a healthy body4 ,every effort should be made to keep our bodies as sound as possible4 ,it is a part of a rational theology4 ,,chapter #cc4 ,,education ,,for ,,the ,,inner ,,life4 ,after all1 the body is only the tabernacle of the spirit4 ,the spirit within1 the essential part of man1 must be developed as much as possible during the earth career4 9999,the ,senses49999 ,knowledge is the material on which the mind works4 ,in every progressive life fresh knowledge must be gathered as the days go by4 ,the senses of man are the gateways through which that knowledge enters4 ,the senses of man must be developed1 therefore1 as completely as is possible4 ,seeing1 hearing1 tasting1 smelling and feeling must all be developed fully and joyously for the pleasure and benefit of man4 ,without sharp senses1 man may not have the highest earthly joy4 9999,the ,reasoning ,power49999 ,it is not sufficient for the contentment of man that he gather knowledge1 and add fact to fact4 ,all new information must be compared with other information1 so that conclusions may be drawn1 and new knowledge brought into view4 ,by this process of reasoning1 on the basis of acquired knowledge1 man may rise by sure steps to a high degree of understanding4 ,man must train himself1 with all his might1 to use this wonderful faculty of reason1 so that he may intelligently read new knowledge from all he learns4 ,a fact1 of itself1 is lifeless2 only when it is compared with other facts1 does it leap into life1 and show forth its hidden meaning4 9999,the ,feelings49999 ,the sense of feeling is but a poor expression for the one great sense by which man may directly communicate with the region of the unseen4 ,through this sense1 man stands on the border line between earth and the external universe4 ,those who have communion with the forces about them1 because of their greater refinement of feeling1 have comfort which is attainable in no other manner4 ,moreover1 our feelings with respect to our fellow men should be cultivated4 ,we must learn to sympathize with them in their distresses1 rejoice with them in their joys1 and pity them in their sins4 ,the education of the feelings is a great duty of man4 9999,the ,spiritual ,sense49999 ,this sense is closely akin to the feelings4 ,the virtues of man1 such as hope1 charity1 and mercy1 can reach high development only on the basis of the conviction that the unseen world may be known4 ,when this conviction grows upon a man1 and he reaches out for a fuller understanding of it1 his spiritual sense develops1 new worlds are opened to him and he conforms to the intelligent love which made the ,great ,plan possible4 9999,symbolism49999 ,moreover1 as man develops1 he learns to be content to know eternal truths only in great symbols4 ,that is1 he learns to be satisfied to know that he does not fully know4 ,this has already been dwelt upon and need not be further emphasized4 ,the ,sacrament1 as an ordinance of the ,church is one of the great symbols of the suffering and death of ,jesus for the sake of mankind1 that the ,great ,plan might be fulfilled4 ,bread is eaten and water is drunk as symbols of the body and blood of the ,savior1 given in the atoning sacrifice4 ,every other ordinance is similarly symbolic4 ,back of the symbols lies the whole ,great ,plan in all of its gradations4 ,god demands that the sacrament be partaken of frequently1 so that the atoning sacrifice of ,jesus may be held before the people continually2 so with the other great symbols of the ,church4 ,by them the realities of eternal life are held before us4 9999,education49999 ,the whole of life is education1 or training for further work4 ,no wonder1 therefore1 that1 in the correct philosophy of life1 schools and other devices for the training of man's powers are foremost4 ,education is and must be carried onward fully and abundantly1 in the ,church of ,christ4 ,the support of education is1 indeed1 a test of the truthfulness of the ,church4 ,,chapter #cd4 ,,satisfaction ,,with ,,daily ,,work4 ,all must work--in defense if for no other reason4 ,without some kind of labor1 body and mind will deteriorate4 ,clearly1 however1 all cannot do the same work1 unless each man does practically all the variety of work necessary for the production of the things necessary in his life4 ,in a complex civilization of many needs1 that would be impossible or wasteful4 ,the great satisfaction of earth-life is to be content with whatever work may come4 9999,variety of ,earthly ,tasks49999 ,in obedience to ,god's command1 man must devote himself to the work of subduing the earth4 ,this is no simple task1 for the earth is an organism of many elements4 ,moreover1 the needs of man are varied and manifold1 to the satisfying of which1 the subjection of the earth is ordained4 ,there is an endless variety of tasks1 for body and mind1 to be accomplished by the men and women of earth4 ,these tasks differ greatly2 some concern themselves chiefly with the body2 others1 chiefly with the mind2 and yet others with both body and mind4 ,some deal with this1 and others with that1 essential need2 some with this1 and others with that1 necessary condition4 ,the vocations of man are almost numberless4 ,much unhappiness has come to men because they have been obliged in life to follow one vocation when they would rather follow another4 ,if a man thus be unhappy in his daily work the whole of his life is akin to failure1 because he does not truly realize the possible joys of life4 ,occasionally1 the discontent is due to the unwillingness of the man to earn his bread in the sweat of his brow4 ,this is due to ignorance4 ,earnest1 sincere labor1 requiring steady and full effort1 is the source of many abiding joys4 9999,all ,work ,may be ,intelligent49999 ,if intelligence pervades all things1 and if all things belong to the ,great ,plan1 including the labors in which man lives and moves1 then all tasks may and should be made intelligent and appealing to mind as well as to body4 ,rational as it is1 it is however a relatively new thought1 that to every task1 if properly illumined by knowledge1 many forces of the mind may be applied4 ,as man has gained added knowledge1 this has become more and more evident4 ,the fact that intelligence may be made to illuminate the so-called humbler tasks1 lifts much of the so-called curse from the labor of man4 ,this is another reason for the education of man into an understanding of the full meaning of the necessary tasks of life4 ,it justifies the support of research into all divisions of nature1 and stamps with approval honest study and investigation of every kind4 ,all kinds of work must be done2 full preparation for every kind of work is fully justified4 9999,nothing ,temporal49999 ,god has never given a temporal commandment4 ,all ,god's creative works are first spiritual1 then temporal4 ,that is1 they were first begotten of the intelligent mind1 and must represent some necessity in the ,great ,plan4 ,whatever1 therefore1 is brought into operation on earth for the good of man1 must represent great1 eternal1 spiritual realities4 ,in conformity with this thought1 every task1 however apparently humble1 however apparently remote from fundamental principles1 has a spiritual counterpart1 and is necessary for the completion of the plan under which man works4 ,it matters little1 therefore1 whether man devote his life to the tilling of the soil1 the making of shoes or the writing of books1 so that the work be well done4 ,all such tasks are proper1 dignified and necessary parts of the ,great ,plan1 and will lead man along the path of eternal progression4 ,this means that1 no matter to what work a man may give himself1 providing it is honorable and he do it with all his might1 he may rest secure that on the last great day1 the work will be transmuted into spiritual values1 and as such will be written into the eternal record4 ,the quality and not the kind of work is the final test of man's achievements4 ,man knows relatively little4 ,he accepts his part without knowing its meaning in the full economy of ,god's plan for his children4 ,wise is the man who spends his strength1 with a full heart1 in the accomplishment of the nearest work4 ,he will find his work transmuted into things glorious beyond his dreams4 ,more than that3 ,man need not wait long for the transmutation of his honest work4 ,strength comes to the man of honest and full endeavor1 irrespective of the kind of work1 and on this earth his efforts are transmuted into a great and noble joy4 ,all work is holy1 and1 well done1 will bring its own reward1 here and in the hereafter4 ,without question1 men should seek the work they think they love best1 or for which they are best fitted4 ,yet1' the majority of men can do most work in a satisfactory manner4 ,the work that we finally must do1 we should accept in the light of its eternal value4 9999,subjection of ,self49999 ,nevertheless1 to accept a place in society--not always the place one desires2 to do well the work that is near at hand--not always the work one wishes2 to love and to cherish the work1 and to forget oneself in the needs of others1 all that is not always easy4 ,such a life means a subjection of self which can be accomplished only if there is a clear understanding of the plan of salvation4 ,,chapter #ce4 ,,the ,,hope ,,of ,,tomorrow4 ,time is unceasing4 ,there was a yesterday1 there is a today1 and there will be a tomorrow4 ,the ,gospel plan encompasses all time4 ,tomorrow has a great place in the eternal plan4 9999,today49999 ,the greatest day of all time is today4 ,it is the product of all the past2 and is the promise of all the future4 ,if each today is made great1 the tomorrows will be surpassingly greater4 ,the one way to draw out of life the keen joys of life1 is to think little of tomorrow1 but to live mightily today4 9999,tomorrow49999 ,yet1 surely1 there will be a tomorrow4 ,the sun sets1 and we sleep1 and we awaken to a new day4 ,forever there shall come new days4 ,today is our great day2 but there will be another great1 a greater day4 ,what tomorrow shall be1 depends measureably upon today4 ,at least1 the beginning of tomorrow will be as the evening of today4 ,as we spend today1 so will the hope of tomorrow be4 ,the ages do not come in leaps1 but step by step do they enter into the larger life4 ,the law of today is that joy will transfigure each coming tomorrow1 if our work be well done today4 ,no man knows whether his tomorrow will be on this earth or in another existence1 with new duties and under a new environment4 ,of one thing we are sure1 beyond all cavil1 that life on earth will continue into an endless future1 and the work will be taken up where it was laid down yesterday4 9999,the ,resurrection49999 ,the man whose life is ordered right1 worries little about his tomorrow4 ,full well he knows that1 though the body be laid in the grave1 it will rise again4 ,he has the absolute assurance of the resurrection4 ,in that resurrection the body will arise purified1 possessing only its essential1 characteristic parts1 which cannot be taken away or transferred to another body4 ,these essential1 characteristic parts organized into a body will be the mortal body made immortal4 ,the resurrection of mortal bodies1 on earth1 began with ,jesus1 who on the third day rose from the grave1 and after his sojourn among the children of men1 took his body with him into heaven4 ,this was the first fruit of the resurrection1 made possible by the atonement of the ,christ4 ,since that time1 the resurrection of man may have continued1 and no doubt will continue1 in the future2 for many spirits have laid down their earthly bodies1 and all must be raised from the grave4 ,in the resurrection1 order and law will prevail1 and the just deserts of men will be kept in mind4 9999,our ,place in the ,hereafter49999 ,into a new1 great world shall we enter after the journey on earth has ended4 ,in this new world we shall continue our work of progression1 forever and forever1 under the prevailing laws4 ,our progress1 there1 and the laws revealed to us1 will depend upon our own actions and upon our own willingness to abide by the laws already known to us4 ,our place in that life will depend on our faithfulness here4 ,whatever a man has gained on earth1 will rise with him in the resurrection4 ,all that he gained in the spirit world1 before he came on earth1 will likewise rise with him4 ,all men will be saved1 but the degree of that salvation will vary even as our varying work on earth4 ,there will be glory upon glory1 and there will be different degrees of advancement1 some like unto the sun1 some like unto the moon1 while other glories will differ even as the infinite stars of the heavens differ in the brightness4 ,in the ,great ,plan there is no provision for the eternal damnation of man4 ,at the best1 men will be ranged according to their stage of progression--some higher1 some lower4 ,in a universe ruled by intelligent beings1 filled with love for each other1 there can be no thought of an endless damnation only as men1 by opposition to law1 destroy themselves4 ,endless punishment and eternal punishment1 terms often used1 but of little meaning to the human mind1 mean simply ,god's punishment1 which is beyond our understanding4 ,those who refuse to accept truth or to abide by law1 will gradually take less and less part in the work of progression4 ,they will be left behind1 while their intelligent fellows1 more obedient1 will go on4 ,in nature there is no standing still2 those who do not advance1 will retrograde1 become weaker and finally wither1 and be forgotten in their low estate4 9999,the ,destiny of ,man49999 ,the intelligence called man cannot be destroyed4 ,eternal life is therefore the destiny of man4 ,but1 eternal life is life open-eyed1 ready-minded1 seeking1 accepting and using all knowledge that will assist in man's progress4 ,to continue forever1 upward1 that is eternal life and the destiny of man4 ,,chapter #cf4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,earth4 ,in the high heavens yet hang the stars4 ,throughout the infinite universe still play the hosts of mighty forces4 ,the full conquest of the earth by man is yet to be accomplished4 ,as things were when man opened his eyes after birth1 so do they appear to be today4 ,yet1 during the years that have gone1 the man has changed2 for now he knows his origin and his destiny1 and the purpose of his life on earth4 ,he knows that throughout the seeming sameness there is progressive change2 that1 as he has changed1 so has the world changed1 too2 that the all pervading ,intelligent ,god of the universe is engaged in a progressive development4 ,man has found his place amidst the things about him4 ,whence8 ,whither8 ,he knows2 and with smiling courage sets out to subdue the tasks of the day1 knowing well that the day's labor1 whatever it may be1 in righteousness1 shall count for him in the endless journey which he is making4 9999,the ,unknown ,meaning49999 ,the man has learned that in an infinite universe1 admitting of endless development1 things may not be fully known4 ,the very essence of things must forever be the goal1 towards which intelligence strives4 ,nevertheless1 man also knows that to approach by slow degrees1 but steadily1 the full knowledge which gives unmeasured power over natural forces1 is the way of progress4 ,so he is content to let each day speak one new word of the unknown meaning of the universe4 ,the universe is one4 ,all things in it are parts of one whole4 ,the dominating spirit of the vastness of space and of its contents is the dominating spirit of the least part of that which constitutes the whole4 ,it matters not then1 to what a man give himself4 ,in everything and anything may the riddle of the universe be read1 if the search be continued long enough4 ,modest in his possessions1 yet courageous in his hope of ultimate conquest1 he stands before the things of his life1 small or great1 knowing of a surety that in them lie the truths that overwhelm the universe4 ,flower in the crannied wall1 ,i pluck you out of the crannies1 ,i hold you here1 root and all1 in my hand1 ,little flower--but if ,i could understand ,what you are1 root and all1 and all in all1 ,i should know what ,god and man is4 ,knowing all this1 and the outline of his origin and destiny1 man must be forever engaged in extending the philosophy1 in accordance with which he orders and guides his life4 9999,the ,earth-,law49999 ,on earth the man dwells today4 ,great are the conceptions revealed to him concerning the constitution1 progress and destiny of the universe4 ,marvelous to his understanding is the knowledge of his full and vital place in the scheme of things4 ,yet1 encompassed by earth conditions1 he strives to assemble all this vast1 divine and wondrous knowledge1 and out of it to draw some simple formula1 in the language of man1 that may be applied in the affairs of earth1 and which shall be a simple guide to him in all that he may do4 ,such a formula was sought and found by the first man1 and has been used by the righteous of all ages4 ,in the meridian of time1 when ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,christ1 came upon earth to fulfil the central thought in the plan of salvation1 he stated the formula in words that never have been surpassed4 ,thus runs the formula1 and thus is worded the law of the earth3 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 and with all thy soul and with all thy mind4 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself4 ,on these two commandments hangeth the law and the prophets4 ,this1 in short1 is man's duty while he dwells in the flesh4 ,his ,god1 his fellowman and himself--the three concerns of his life4 ,we say it is the earth-law1 but like all other things of the earth1 it stands for huge spiritual meanings1 and is therefore an eternal law for all times and for all places4 9999,to ,love ,god49999 ,what does it mean1 to love ,god with one's heart and soul and mind8 ,certainly1 a love of the heart and the soul and the mind can not be given to a ,being who is not known nor understood4 ,such love is more than a blind obedience4 ,in such a love there must be a rational understanding of ,god's nature and of his place in the universe and of his relation to men4 ,there must be in such a fulness of love an acceptance of ,god's superior knowledge1 of his intelligent ,plan for man and of his supreme and final authority4 ,such a love can not well be forgotten or survive1 unless ,god is part of a universe1 the orderly outlines of which can be fathomed by the human mind1 ,that such knowledge may be possessed by man1 and that a real unfeigned love for ,god may be developed1 has been taught in the preceding pages4 ,neither can ,god be fully loved unless he is obeyed2 and the first command is simple1 ,multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it4 9999,to ,love a ,neighbor as ,oneself49999 ,to love oneself--that is easy4 ,instinctively1 from the first day1 we have reached out for our own greater good4 ,every personal philosophy makes the man the center4 ,to love our neighbor equally well--that's the rub4 ,his will is not our will2 his ways1 not our ways4 ,yet1 only by the progress of all1 can each gain the greatest advancement4 ,the fundamental conceptions of a universe filled with eternal matter and forces1 and a host of individual intelligent beings1 make it clear that only by complete harmony of all intelligent beings can the interests of each be served1 in the work of subjugating1 by intelligent conquest1 the forces of universal nature4 ,to love one's neighbor1 then1 a man must first know fully his own origin and destiny and possible powers2 then he may soon learn the need of loving his fellowman1 if his love for himself shall grow great4 ,this commandment is not inferior to the first4 9999,the ,triumph of ,man49999 ,the eternal1 conscious1 willing being1 having become an earthly man1 stands before the law of the earth4 ,if he strives1 all the days of his life1 to bring into perfect accord1 the ,god who rules1 his earthly brother and himself1 he will at length win the victory in the battle of his life4 ,out of such a life will come1 among other gifts1 controlled personal desires1 subjection to law1 a recognition of the great power of man1 and the harmonious adjustment of contending forces to the completion of the ,great ,plan which governs man's earth-life4 ,whether living or dead1 such a person has triumphed1 and the journey from the dim beginning has not been in vain4 ,to such souls comes the reward of the unspeakable joy of a perfect understanding of the meaning of life1 and the living peace that passeth understanding--through which appears the vital future1 ever vigorously progressing towards an increasing1 virile goal4 ,have you tried the virtue of the law of the earth8 ,if you have not1 try it now1 for it is good4 ,,appendix4 ,the doctrines and views set forth in the preceding pages1 based on the teachings of the elders of the ,church1 especially of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 may be confirmed by a study of the doctrinal standards of the ,church1 namely1 the ,bible1 the ,book of ,mormon1 the ,doctrine and ,covenants and the ,pearl of ,great ,price4 ,the following references1 chosen almost at random1 from these standards1 especially from the ,doctrine and ,covenants1 are for the immediate use of those who wish to pursue the study somewhat more in detail4 ,for a critical study1 an exhaustive examination must necessarily be made of the doctrinal standards and of the mass of books and printed sermons on the system of belief of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,such students will find the existing indexes or concordances to the standard authorities of most value4,a but they will also obtain much ready help from the several existing excellent compilations of references1 classified under doctrinal headings4,b ,a list of ,church literature may be obtained from the ,deseret ,news and ,deseret ,sunday ,school ,union ,bookstores1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,utah4 ,footnote ,a3 ,cruden's ,concordance to the ,bible 7or some other good concordance74 ,a ,complete ,concordance to the ,book of ,mormon 7,george ,reynolds74 ,a ,concordance to the ,book of ,doctrine and ,covenants 7,john ,a4 ,widtsoe74 ,no index has as yet been made for the ,pearl of ,great ,price1 but the book is small and may be read easily in its entirety4 ,footnote ,b3 ,the ,compendium 7,richards and ,little7 is the type after which most of the later compilations have been fashioned4 ,,references4 ,,chapters #a ,,and #b 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #a3bh2 #db3fa2 #df3ah2 #hd3ai2 #hh3gh-hj1 #aah1 #aai2 #hi3ai2 #ij3ae2 #ic3aa-ad1 #bi-cf1 #ec2 #aja3be2 #abh3ad2 #acj3ah1 #ai2 #aca3f4 ,,chapter #c 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #c3b2 #i3g-i2 #bh3ac2 #bi3ca-ce2 #di3ag2 #gf3ac1 #bb-bd2 #hb3d2 #hf3i2 #hh3ac1 #be1 #bf1 #cd-de2 #ic3ba-bc1 #bi2 #aje3e2 #aba3cj-cb2 #acj3bj1 #ba2 #aca3g2 #acb3h4 9999,pearl of ,great ,price19999 ,abraham #c3ah-ba2 ,moses #a3cc1 #ce2 #c3e1 #i4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,i ,nephi #aj3ai2 ,,ii ,nephi #aa3e2 ,alma #ac3f1 #g2 #cd3i2 #db3af4 9999,bible19999 ,job #ch3d-g2 ,jer4 #a3e2 ,john #i3b2 #ag3e2 ,heb4 #ab3i2 ,rom4 #f3bc4 ,,chapter #d 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 #i3g-i2 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,alma #ab3aa1 #ca2 #bi3d1 #e2 #cj3i2 ,moroni #aj3d1 #e2 ,mosiah #ah3bh4 ,,chapter #e 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 ,lectures on ,faith #g3h2 sections #ej3bd2 #ic3ab-ad1 #bj2 #acb3bj4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,alma #cb3cb2 ,mosiah #d3ab4 ,,chapter #f 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 #c3b1 #d1 #aj2 #f3b2 #gf3b-d2 #hh3ac1 #da2 #ic3a1 #ab-ae1 #bi-ch2 #ajg3ed1 #ee2 #aaj3a-d1 #acj3a-c1 #bb4 9999,pearl of ,great ,price19999 ,abraham #d3a-ca4 ,,chapter #g 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 #de3ga2 #eh3ah2 #gg3b2 #hh3ae2 #ic3bh1 #cc1 #cd2 #ih3h2 #abh3ai2 #acc3cc4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,,ii ,nephi #b3be2 ,enos #a3c2 ,ether #c3f-bj4 ,,chapter #h 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 #i3c-f2 #aj3ff2 #ah3aa-ac2 #ai3af-ai2 #bi3ce-db1 #df2 #eh3bh2 #gd3g2 #gf3be1 #bf1 #ci-da1 #fi2 #ic3bi-ci2 #ih3h2 #aja3gh2 #ajd3ag2 #aba3cb4 9999,pearl of ,great ,price19999 ,abraham #c3ah1 #be1 #bf4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,i ,nephi #d3cc2 #f3d2 ,,ii ,nephi #b3c1 #f1 #bg2 #i3e1 #be-bf2 #aj3bc-be2 #ca3ba2 ,alma #c3bf2 #g3ab2 #ab3ca2 #ac3c2 ,mosiah #c3e2 #d3f-i2 ,helaman #ad3cj4 9999,bible19999 ,gen4 #b3ag2 ,isa4 #fc3i2 ,matt4 #ah3aa2 ,john #a3bi2 #c3ad1 #ae2 #ab3bc2 ,rom4 #c3be2 #e3ae2 #f3bc2 ,i ,tim #b3e2 ,gal4 #c3ac2 ,jude #a3f2 ,rev4 #ab3g4 ,,chapter #i 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 #hb3d2 #hh3ce-dj2 #ic3ch2 #abh sec4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,i ,nephi #aj3ah2 #ba3f2 ,,ii ,nephi #i3ah1 #be2 ,alma #ab3be2 #cj3aa2 #cd3af4 9999,bible19999 ,neh4 #i3ag2 ,acts #ae3ah4 ,,chapter #aj 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 #bg3aa2 #bi3ce-da2 #ch3a-c2 #ajg3ec1 #ed2 #aaf3a4 9999,pearl of ,great ,price19999 ,abraham chaps4 #d and #e4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,,ii ,nephi #b3i-be2 ,alma #ab3bb1 #bc1 #ca2 #ah3bi2 ,mosiah #b3be2 #c3af3 #d3b2 ,mormon #i3ab4 9999,bible19999 ,gen4 chap #c2 ,rom4 #e3ab4 ,,chapter #aa 9999,pearl of ,great ,price19999 ,book of ,moses1 ,book of ,abraham2 ,writings of ,joseph ,smith4 9999,bible19999 ,genesis2 ,the ,gospels4 ,,chapter #ab 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #ah3ah2 #ai3bd2 #bg3aa2 #bi3cd2 #ci3f2 #ej3dc2 #gf3ef-eh2 #gh3ae-ah2 #hd3cg1 #ch2 #ic3a-ag2 #ajg3ec-ef2 #aba3bh-cb2 #acb3ai1 #bj1 #bc1 #cg4 9999,pearl of ,great ,price19999 ,abraham #c3a-e4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,alma #ab3ca4 9999,bible19999 ,gen4 #a3bf2 ,deut4 #aj3ag2 ,exo4 #ae3aa2 ,psalms #hf3h2 ,dan4 #b3dg2 ,i ,cor4 #h3e2 ,rev4 #ag3ad4 ,,chapter #ac 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #e3b2 #bg3ah2 #bi3cj1 #ca2 #ei3ad2 #ic3bf2 #ie3d4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,i ,nephi #a3ab2 ,,ii ,nephi #b3d2 ,alma #g3ac2 ,ether #b3ae4 9999,bible19999 ,gen4 #f3c2 ,prov4 #a3bc2 ,dan4 #d3h2 ,john #af3ac4 ,,chapter #ad 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #d3g2 #i3h2 #da3c2 #db3af1 #fa2 #df3bh2 #ej3bi2 #ei3ad2 #fh3cc2 #hi3ah1 #ai2 #aba3bf-cc4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,,ii ,nephi #ba3b1 #c2 #ca3c2 ,alma #aa3da2 #cb3cd2 #cd3ci2 ,moroni #aj3aj4 ,,chapter #ae 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #aj3ab1 #bc-cc1 #fc2 #bi3bh1 #bi1 #cf-dj2 #ce3i2 #eb3ad2 #gf3bh2 #hd3fg2 #hh3aad2 #aba3d2 #abd3ih2 #abi3h4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,,ii ,nephi #b3ag2 ,,iii ,nephi #ac3ab2 #ah3ae2 ,mosiah #af3e2 ,moroni #g3ab4 ,,chapter #af 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #aj3fg2 #aa3bd-bf2 #bj3a2 #ba3a-c2 #bb3c2 #bf3b2 #bi3db1 #dc2 #da3b1 #c2 #db3h2 #dc3h2 #de3ad2 #ej3dd2 #eh3bc2 #gf3ed2 #aae3d4 ,,chapter #ag 9999,faith9999 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 ,lectures on ,faith1 sections #ah3ah2 #ce3i2 #da3c2 #dd3b2 #de3h2 #di3aa-ad2 #eb3bj2 #he3a1 #b2 #acf3db4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,i ,nephi #aj3f1 #ag2 ,,ii ,nephi #be3bf2 ,enos #a3h2 ,mosiah #h3ah2 ,ether #ab3aj4 9999,bible19999 ,genesis #ae3f2 ,exodus #d3e2 ,numbers #bj3ab2 ,psalms #aai3ff2 ,prov4 #af3bj2 ,john #e3bd2 #bj3bi2 ,acts #h3cg2 #aj3dc2 ,,ii ,cor4 #e3g4 9999,repentance9999 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #a3cb1 #cc2 #ah3db2 #bj3bi2 #ci3ah2 #ij3cd4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,i ,nephi #aj3ah2 ,,ii ,nephi #cj3d2 ,alma #ab3bd2 #bf3bb2 ,mosiah #bg3bd4 9999,bible19999 ,matt4 #c3b2 ,luke #ac3c2 ,,ii ,peter #c3i2 ,rev4 #c3ai4 9999,baptism9999 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #ah3db2 #bj3cg1 #gb-gd2 #ee3b2 #fh3h1 #be-bg2 #gf3ea2 #abh3ab4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,alma #bh3ah2 ,moroni #h3d-bb4 9999,bible19999 ,matt4 #bh3ai2 ,mark #af3af2 ,luke #c3c2 ,john #a3cc2 #c3bc2 ,i ,cor4 #ab3ac2 ,eph4 #d3e4 9999,gift of the ,holy ,ghost9999 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #bj3da2 #cc3ae2 #ce3f2 #gf3eb1 #aad-aah2 #aba3bf-cb4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,alma #ca3cf4 9999,bible19999 ,acts #h3ag2 #i3ag2 #ai3b-f4 ,,chapter #ah 9999,doctrine and ,covenants19999 ,lectures on ,faith4 ,sections #ah3bg2 #bj3b1 #c1 #ch-ga2 #bg3a-ah2 #hd3ad-ba1 #ce-ci2 #ajg3a-e1 #dj-eb2 #aab3ca1 #cb2 #abh3bj4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,mosiah #bi3db2 ,alma #d3d2 #f3a2 #ac3a-c1 #e-bj2 ,helaman #h3ah4 9999,bible19999 ,gen4 #ab3a-c2 #ac3ad-ah2 ,psalms #aaj3d2 ,john #ae3af2 ,acts #ad3bc2 ,heb4 #b3ag2 #c3a2 #d3ad2 #e3a2 #g3c1 #ae-bh2 ,i ,peter #b3e2 ,titus #a3e2 ,,ii ,tim4 #a3f4 ,,chapter #ai 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #bj3fj-fg2 #bf3b2 #bh3ac2 #fh3ai-ba2 #gh3a2 #ajd3ba2 #ajg1 whole section2 #abd3abc-ade4 ,,chapter #bj 9999,doctrine and ,covenants9999 #hd3ah1 #ba1 #ce2 #ajg3cj-cb2 #aac3h2 #aba3cf-df2 #abh3i-aa2 #acb3bh1 #de-di4 9999,book of ,mormon19999 ,alma #e3c2 ,i ,nephi #aj3bc4 ,,chapter #ba 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