The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Rational Theology, as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Title: A Rational Theology, as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Author: John Andreas Widtsoe
Release date: March 12, 2011 [eBook #35562]
Most recently updated: January 7, 2021
Language: English
Credits: Produced by the Mormon Texts Project. Volunteers: Benjamin Bytheway, Byron Clark, Ben Crowder, Tom DeForest, Eric Heaps, Jason Hills, Tod Robbins
Produced by the Mormon Texts Project,
http://bencrowder.net/books/mtp. Volunteers: Benjamin
Bytheway, Byron Clark, Ben Crowder, Tom DeForest, Eric
Heaps, Jason Hills, Tod Robbins.
Rational Theology
As Taught by the
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE
Published for the Use of the Melchizedek Priesthood by the General Priesthood Committee
1915
Copyright, 1915
BY JOHN A. WIDTSOE
PREFACE
A rational theology, as understood in this volume, is a theology which (1) is based on fundamental principles that harmonize with the knowledge and reason of man, (2) derives all of its laws, ordinances and authority from the accepted fundamental principles, and (3) finds expression and use in the everyday life of man. In short, a rational theology is derived from the invariable laws of the universe, and exists for the good of man.
This volume is an exposition; it is not an argument. The principles of the Gospel, as held by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are stated, briefly, simply and without comment, to show the coherence, reasonableness and universality of the gospel philosophy. The authority for many of the statements found in the volume is given in the references included in the appendix. The doctrines herein stated are, however, the common knowledge of the members of the Church. No attempt has been made to correlate the doctrines discussed with current philosophical opinions. Those who are led to study this rational theology in the light of the best knowledge and soundest thought, will enter a fertile field, and will find a surprising harmony between the Gospel and all discovered truth.
The book could not be made larger, were it to serve well the special purpose for which it was written. Therefore, the treatment is brief and many important and interesting subjects are omitted. Moreover, the book had to be completed within a short, set time, and many of the imperfections of the work are the results of the hurried preparation.
Every writer who in this day attempts an exposition of the Gospel must draw heavily upon the clear thoughts of those who, from Joseph Smith to the living workers, have written and spoken in behalf of the truth. I acknowledge, gratefully, my obligation to the makers of "Mormon" literature. Many friends have, also, in various ways, given kindly aid; to them I offer hearty and sincere thanks.
JOHN A. WIDTSOE.
LOGAN, UTAH.
CONTENTS
FUNDAMENTALS AND PRE-EXISTENT STATE.
Chapter 1. **The Meaning of Theology**
Man in the Universe—A Man's Religion—Theology Defined—The
Gospel—The Purpose of this Book.
Chapter 2. **How Knowledge is Gained**
The Senses—The Sixth Sense—Transmitted Knowledge—The Use of the
Reason—The Foundation of Rational Theology.
Chapter 3. **Eternalism**
All Knowledge, the Basis—Eternal Matter—Universal Matter,
Indestructible—Eternal Energy—Universal Intelligence—Eternal
Intelligence—The Eternal Relationship—An Eternal Plan—Eternalism.
Chapter 4. **The Will of Man**
The Primeval Condition—The Intelligence of Man—The Will of Man—
Value of the Will.
Chapter 5. **The Great Law**
Increasing Complexity of the Universe—Man and the Great Law—The
Law of Development.
Chapter 6. **God and Man**
Why God is God—Many Gods—Why Man is Man—God's Help to Man—Man's
Help to God—God's Attributes.
Chapter 7. **Man Is That He May Have Joy**
Consciousness and the Universe—The Primeval Condition—The First
Estate—The Second Estate—The Third Estate—Everlasting Joy.
Chapter 8. **Man's Free Agency**
In the Beginning—The Council in Heaven—The Need of a Savior—Man's
Part in the Great Plan—Free Agency.
Chapter 9. **The Great Plan**
Forgetfulness—Subject to Earth Conditions—Laws to Be Obeyed—An
Organization—All to Accept the Plan—The Meaning of the Earth Plan.
THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTH WORK.
Chapter 10. **The Coming of Man**
Making of the Earth—The Builders—The Coming of Man—The "Fall"—
The First Blessing—The Garden of Eden—A Wise Beginning.
Chapter 11. **The Course of the Gospel on Earth**
Adam Hears the Gospel—The First Dispensation—The First Apostasy—
Later Dispensation of the Meridian of Time—The Great Apostasy—The
Restoration—The Vital Facts.
MAN AND GOD.
Chapter 12. **The Gods of this Earth**
The Order of Gods—Plurality of Gods—God, the Father—God, the
Son—God, the Holy Ghost—Other Beings—Sex Among the Gods.
Chapter 13. **Man's Communion with God**
The Will to Ask—By Personal Appearance—By the Visitation of
Angels—By the Holy Spirit—The Eternal Record.
Chapter 14. **Man Walks with God**
Reading God's Message—Spirit Blindness—Prayer—Active Prayer—The
Gift of Understanding—Man Walks with God.
MAN AND THE DEVIL.
Chapter 15. **The Kingdom of the Evil One**
Descending Beings—The Devil—Man and the Devil—The Devil Subject to God.
MAN AND THE CHURCH.
Chapter 16. **Why a Church?**
Man Helped by God on Earth—The Plan of Salvation for All—
Orderliness—Test of Attitude—Authority—The Great Purpose of the
Church.
Chapter 17. **Conditions of Membership**
Faith—Repentance—Baptism—The Gift of the Holy Ghost—Continued
Conformity—Acceptance of Authority.
Chapter 18. **The Priesthood in the Church**
Priesthood Defined—Divisions of the Priesthood—The Aaronic
Priesthood—The Melchizedek Priesthood—All Hold the Priesthood—The
Power of the Priesthood.
Chapter 19. **The Organization of the Church**
The General Authorities—The Stakes of Zion—The Wards of the
Stakes—The Priesthood in Stakes and Wards—Auxiliary
Organizations—All Must Work—The Tenure of Office—An Unpaid
Ministry—Appointments in the Priesthood—Common Consent—Bestowal
of the Priesthood.
Chapter 20. **The Authority of the Priesthood**
The Foundation of Authority—Absolute Authority—Derived Authority—
The Authority of Office—Authority and Free Agency—Authority Over
Self—The Exercise of Authority—The Unrighteous Exercise of
Authority—The Church Authoritative.
Chapter 21. **Obedience**
The Restraint of Nature—An Active Condition—The Restraint of Man—
The Life of Law—Disobedience—The Church Worth Having.
Chapter 22. **A Missionary Church**
A Church with a Purpose—The Hope of Today—Temporal Salvation—The
Foreign Mission System—The Home Mission Service—For the Common
Good.
Chapter 23. **Temple Ordinances**
Educational—Symbolism—Covenants—Blessings—Temple Authority—
Possible Repetition.
MAN AND MAN.
Chapter 24. **The Brotherhood of Man**
Common Origin—Common Purposes—Common Destiny—Inter-Dependence—
Brothers.
Chapter 25. **The Equality of Man**
The Pre-existent Effort—The Earth Effort—The Variety of Gifts—The
Equality of Opportunity—Unequal Equality—The Test of Equality.
Chapter 26. **Mutual Support**
The Duty of the Strong—Co-operation—Education.
Chapter 27. **The United Order**
Purpose—Historical—Co-operation—Tithing—Voluntary Offerings—The
Common Good.
Chapter 28. **Work for the Dead**
All Must Be Saved—Earthly Ordinances—A Work of Love—The Need of
Records—The Result.
Chapter 29. **Marriage**
Eternity of Sex—The Waiting Spirits—The Meaning of the First
Command—The Family—Celestial Marriage—The Sealing Powers.
Chapter 30. **The Community**
Community Defined—The Individual in the Community—The Rights of the Community—Training for the Community—The Supremacy of the Community.
MAN AND NATURE.
Chapter 31. **Man and Nature**
The Intelligence of Nature—A Living Earth—The Lower Animals—All for the Use of Man—Man's Conquest of Nature—Miracles—Harmony of Man and Nature.
MAN AND HIMSELF.
Chapter 32. **The Sound Body**
The Importance of the Body—Food—Exercise—Rest—Stimulants—Moral
Purity—The Gospel and the Sound Body.
Chapter 33. **Education for the Inner Life**
The Senses—The Reasoning Power—The Feelings—The Spiritual Sense—
Symbolism—Education.
Chapter 34. **Satisfaction with Daily Work**
Variety of Earthly Tasks—All Work May Be Intelligent—Nothing
Temporal—Subjection to Self.
Chapter 35. **The Hope of Tomorrow**
Today—Tomorrow—The Resurrection—Our Place in the Hereafter—The
Destiny of Man.
Chapter 36. **The Law of the Earth**
The Unknown Meaning—The Earth Law—To Love God—To Love a Neighbor as Oneself—The Triumph of Man.
APPENDIX—References to Authorities
INDEX
Rational Theology.
CHAPTER 1.
THE MEANING OF THEOLOGY.
Earth, stars and the vastness of space; yesterday, today and tomorrow, and the endlessly increasing knowledge of the relations of forces, present an illimitable universe of numberless phenomena. Only as a whole, and in general outline, can the human mind understand the universe. In its infinite variety of expressions, it wholly transcends the human mind.
**Man in the Universe.** In the midst of this complexity, man finds himself. As he progresses from childhood to manhood, and as his slumbering faculties are awakened, he becomes more fully aware of the vastness of his universe and of the futility of hoping to understand it in detail.
Nevertheless, conscious man can not endure confusion. From out the universal mystery he must draw, at least, the general, controlling laws, that proclaim order in the apparent chaos; and, especially is he driven, by his inborn and unalterable nature, to know, if he can, his own place in the system of existing things. Every normal man desires and seeks an understanding of his relation to all other things, and practically every man has worked out for himself, on the basis of his knowledge, some theory which explains, more or less satisfactorily, the mystery of star and earth and man and life. No other quest is followed by man with such vigorous persistence, as is that of establishing an intelligible and satisfactory philosophy of earth-life.
**A Man's Religion.** The philosophy, or system of thought, adopted to explain man's place in nature determines largely the joy and manner of a man's life. If the philosophy be poor and loose, life will be confused; if rich and firm, life will be clear cut, and if law be made supreme, life will be orderly. Those who have no religion at all become the playthings of unknown forces. Every act of a man's life is influenced by the philosophy of his life. It is the most important product of an individual life, and is the most compelling power in life.
In a broad sense, the philosophy, according to which a man orders his life, may be called that man's religion. It may or may not involve the idea of God or an organized body of believers. If it guides a life, it is that life's religion, whether it leads to weakness or to strength.
**Theology Defined.** Since all men are placed in the same universe, with approximately the same powers, and under conditions nearly alike, it is possible for each person to establish for himself a religion as above defined, for the guidance of his life. All religions must be organized from the content of the one, and so far as we know, the only universe; and the presumption would be, therefore, that the religions of all men should be the same, in as far at least as men are the same. In fact, however, during the course of human history, many more or less dissimilar religions have been established and accepted. True, most of these religions show close kinship, but the vital differences are often very great. For instance, the religions of men fall naturally into two great classes: those that adopt as their central idea a great governing intelligence and power—a God; and those that refuse to include a God in their system of thought.
A religion which accepts the idea of a God is a theology. The great majority of the religions of men are theologies, for the majority of men believe in some form of personal divine power.
**The Gospel.** The word gospel is also frequently used, among Christians, to designate the religion of men. The Gospel is a theology which includes the doctrine of the life and mission of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God. Among Christians, the words religion, theology and gospel are freely used in the same sense. It is well, however, to bear in mind the distinction in meaning of the three words. The Christian religion, the Christian theology and the Gospel are equivalent in meaning. In the following pages, the terms are often used interchangeably without the qualifying words. Indeed, the Gospel will be used most frequently, and wherever used, it must be understood to stand for the rational theology discussed in this book.
**The Purpose of This Book.** This volume is devoted to the exposition of the fundamental principles of a rational theology—a philosophy of life which, because of its complete harmony with all knowledge, should be the one to which all men might give adherence.
CHAPTER 2.
HOW KNOWLEDGE IS GAINED.
Knowledge is the material upon which the reasoning mind of man acts. Just as physical strength can neither be developed nor exercised unless material bodies are at hand, so mental strength can neither be developed nor exercised unless facts or knowledge are in man's possession. The acquisition of knowledge or experience is the first step towards formulating an acceptable religion. It is of interest, therefore, to consider, briefly, the sources of human knowledge.
**The Senses.** Through eyes, ears, nose, the sense of taste and the complex and poorly understood sense of feeling, man becomes acquainted with the universe. That which is seen by the eyes, heard by the ears, smelled by the nose, tasted by the mouth, or felt by any part of the body, becomes impressed and registered upon the mind, there later* to be used. The detailed method by which knowledge is added to man is not understood. The theories that prevail concerning the entrance of knowledge into the human mind need not here be discussed.
It follows that the man who wishes to gain much knowledge must guard his senses from harm, and must sharpen them, so that during the few days of life they may do as much as is possible to help man establish a rational religion for his guidance. The foundation of human knowledge is derived from the direct action of the senses.
**The Sixth Sense.** Important as are the senses in adding knowledge to man, yet it must be admitted that they recognize without help only a very small part of the universe. Our universe is infinite in its variety of expression—of that man feels certain,—and it could hardly be expected, therefore, that man, who admittedly is yet far from perfection, should be able to know, even with the greatest aid, all of the universe.
The truth that an immeasurable part of the universe lies outside of human experience, is borne in upon every thinking man. In recent times, the developments of science have emphasized this vast region of the unknown. The mystery of electricity, in the telephone and telegraph; the wonder of space, in wireless telegraphy; the marvel of the elements, speak clearly of places and conditions of which we as yet have no clear and accurate conception, and before which the senses of man, unaided, stand helpless.
Nevertheless, glimpses into this unknown region may be had by helps to the senses. By the telescope the far is brought near; by the microscope the small is made large; by the photographic plate unseen light is made visible; by the well tuned coil of wire the wireless message is taken out of space; by the spectroscope, light is broken into its elements, and so on through almost the whole field of human endeavor. Facts that are gathered in such an indirect way are as correctly certain as are those that are sensed directly. The world would lose tremendously should all the truth gathered through aids to the senses be removed.
Man himself, through what may be called, for want of a better name, the sixth sense, may become a great aid to his own direct senses. By proper exertion he may intercept messages from out the directly unknown, as completely as this may be done by man-made instruments. Throughout history this power of man has been recognized and usually respected. The experience or knowledge thus gained should, when properly examined by the mind, be given an equal place beside that gained directly through the commoner senses. Prophets, poets, men of vision and faith, have all builded their work largely upon this kind of knowledge or inward feeling.
**Transmitted Knowledge.** The inexhaustible universe and the limited powers of man, make it possible for a person to discover for himself relatively a very small amount of truth. Much effort may be saved and more knowledge gained, if each person learn as much as he may of what has already been learned, to which he may add the little new discovery that he may make.
This method of obtaining knowledge has been in vogue since the first day. What the first man learned, he told to others, and they in turn communicated it, with the addition of whatever new knowledge they had gained. Thus comes the present value of tradition—the spoken record,—and of books—the written record. Men who desire to build a safe religion or a safe science, make themselves familiar with as much as they can of what is already known, instead of attempting to traverse the known field as original discoverers, and to this transmitted knowledge, they add whatever in the course of their pursuit they may discover independently. Those who in the present day will accept only what they themselves discover, will make slow progress. To them the treasuries of the greatest age will not be opened.
If, in the course of events, it becomes necessary for God to speak to a man for the benefit of many, it would be contrary to rational thinking that each man for whom the message was given, should directly hear God's voice, unless, indeed, the means of communicating the knowledge become effectually blocked. Such transmitted knowledge is every whit as sound as that acquired by direct communion with nature.
True, the knowledge already possessed by man is so large that it can in nowise be transmitted, in all its details, to one man. The efforts of humanity are directed, therefore, to the devising of general statements, or laws, which embody the meaning of a multitude of facts, while they are yet easily intelligible to the human mind. More and more important will become the repositories of such general principles containing the knowledge of mankind. The Bible, in its various books, presents such great underlying principles of our knowledge relating to several very important phases of earth-life.
**The Use of the Reason.** Whether knowledge be obtained by any or all of the methods indicated, it should be carefully examined in the light of reason. The only knowledge that will help in the establishment of a satisfactory religion is true knowledge. Truth is the end of the search. False or apparently true knowledge often intrudes itself upon the attention and at times it is so well disguised as to be dangerously deceptive. Man must learn of the universe, precisely as it is, or he can not successfully find his place in it. A man should therefore use his reasoning faculty in all matters involving truth, and especially as concerning his religion.
**The Foundation of Rational Theology.** The Gospel, or rational theology, is founded on truth, on all truth, for "truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come," and "truth has no end." In building a philosophy of life a man, therefore, can not say that some truth must be considered and other truth rejected. Only on the basis of all truth, that is, all true knowledge, can his religion be built. Further, the perfection of his knowledge, that is, the extent of his truth possessions, will determine the value of his religion to him. Therefore, "it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance," "a man is saved no faster than he obtains knowledge," and "the glory of God is intelligence."
CHAPTER 3.
ETERNALISM.
The conceptions necessary for logical thought belong to the Gospel as well as to science, for a satisfactory life philosophy must be based on all knowledge known to man.
**All Knowledge, the Basis.** The Gospel, as the largest knowledge, must include the knowledge of all sciences. The conceptions of time and space are quite as necessary in theology as in natural science or in any other branch of human thought. The Gospel does not claim, however, possession of ultimate knowledge concerning space or time or other fundamental conceptions. Indeed, man is, ordinarily, allowed to work out for himself the truths of the universe and to organize them into systems of thought which he may follow profitably. Knowledge is given directly by a superior intelligence only when it becomes indispensable. Moreover, there are innumerable phenomena in the universe which can not be explained by the human understanding as at present developed. The distinguishing feature of the Gospel is that it possesses the key to the final philosophy of life. In outline it offers the entire plan of life in the universe; and man may engage for all time to come in the elaboration and development of each department of this great universal plan of human life, without requiring an expansion of the outline. The plan is complete.
**Eternal Matter.** The saddest feature of manmade religions is their lack of security. One man constructs one theology; another a different one, and men flock hither and thither, accepting the one that appears, for the moment, to be the best, without the deep feeling that the one finally accepted is absolutely the one and only correct system of thought. Yet, this is logically absurd, for a house is either red or not red; a stick is straight or not straight; a man has truth or only the semblance of truth. Two different truths can not be parallel with respect to the same thing. The final philosophy of life must be based on irrevocable truth. That which is true must always remain true, though the applications may change greatly from generation to generation. It is the absence of such fundamental certainties, no doubt, that leads men into a new search for a satisfying religion, or that drives them away from their old theology.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is obviously a system founded on unvarying certainties. Its doctrines rest on demonstrated truths that lie at the foundation of all sound, acceptable thinking. For instance, as a cornerstone of theology, the Gospel recognizes, in connection with the existence of space and time, the existence of matter. Without matter, the mind of man would have no material on which to act, and the existence of matter becomes, therefore, a fundamental conception of the Gospel. It is the business of man to become acquainted with matter in all of its forms, so far as may be possible, in order to provide a foundation on which the reasoning mind of man may increasingly build its power.
The Gospel holds strictly to the conception of a material universe. Much inconsistency of thought has come from the notion that things occur in a material and an immaterial state. This unthinkable condition has been made the basis of doctrines concerning God and man, which have led to utter confusion of thought. The Gospel accepts the natural view, supported by all human experience, that matter occurs in many forms, some visible to the eye, others invisible, and yet others that may not be sensed by any of the senses of man. In short, there is no such thing as immaterial matter, but some forms of matter are more refined than others. Light, heat, and other similar forces are held by science to be manifestations of a subtle state of matter, beyond the immediate senses of man, which has been called ether. In fact, matter as ordinarily known, and ether, a finer form of matter, are every day conceptions of science. The material universe may appear in a variety of forms; but man recognizes, directly, only that form which is the ordinary matter of our daily lives.
**Universal Matter Is Indestructible.** Matter is eternal, that is, everlasting. Whether the various forms of matter may be converted one into the other, is not definitely known. Any such conversion would, however, leave the total quantity of matter unchanged. God, the supreme Power, can not conceivably originate matter; he can only organize matter. Neither can he destroy matter. God is the Master, who, because of his great knowledge, knows how to use the elements, already existing, for the building of whatever he may have in mind. The doctrine that God made the earth or man from nothing becomes, therefore, an absurdity. The doctrine of the indestructibility of matter makes possible much theological reasoning that would be impossible without this doctrine.
The nature of matter is not, in and of itself, a subject of deep concern in practical religion. By the slow, laborious methods of man's search for truth, the nature of matter will gradually be revealed. Whether it shall be found to be something distinct, or a form of the universal energy, will not be of consequence in the Gospel structure. That matter, whatever it is, is eternal, is, however, a principle of highest theological value, for it furnishes a foundation for correct reasoning.
**Eternal Energy.** Matter, wherever found and in whatever form, always possesses energy. It is frequently said that matter in motion, only, can impress the human mind. Matter without motion, were it conceivable, could not be recognized by the human mind as at present constituted. Matter is always associated with energy; energy with matter. It is not conceivably possible to separate them. Whether one is a manifestation of the other, so that there is only matter or only energy, or if they are distinct things, we do not know. All sound thought recognizes, however, the existence of energy throughout the universe. Energy appears in many forms, such as heat, light, electricity, magnetism, gravitation, and, according to the Gospel, the many spiritual forces. These various forms of energy seem to be convertible, one into the other, thus indicating the existence of one central force, of which all other forces are manifestations. The question of energy will probably be answered gradually, as the knowledge of man increases.
Of one thing the Gospel, as well as science, is perfectly certain, namely, that the energy in the universe is indestructible. Changed it may be, from heat to light, from light to electricity, from electricity to magnetism, or from any form to any other form of energy, but destroyed it can not be. Like matter, energy had no beginning and can have no end. God, possessing the supreme intelligence of the universe, can use energy in accomplishing his ends, but create it, or destroy it, he cannot. Undiminished, everacting, universal energy will continue through all times.
**Universal Intelligence.** In one particular, however, the Gospel goes beyond the teachings of modern science. The Gospel teaches that, associated with the universal energy that vivifies universal matter, and possibly identified with it, is universal intelligence, a force which is felt wherever matter and energy are found, which is everywhere. The forces of the universe do not act blindly, but are expressions of a universal intelligence. That a degree of intelligence is possessed by every particle of energized matter cannot be said; nor is it important. The great consideration is that, since intelligence is everywhere present, all the operations of nature, from the simplest to the most complex, are the products of intelligence. We may even conceive that energy is only intelligence, and that matter and intelligence, rather than matter and energy, are the two fundamentals of the universe!
**Eternal Intelligence.** Throughout the universe are found, in addition to indestructible matter, everlasting energy and universal intelligence pervading space.
"Man was also in the beginning with God." The doctrine that man is an eternal being leads to untold possibilities. Eternal man lived a personal life before the earth-life began, and he continues a personal existence hereafter.
**The Eternal Relationship.** The phenomena of the universe result from the interaction of matter, energy and intelligence. These fundamental, universal elements are forever acting upon each other to produce the infinite variety of the universe. Nevertheless, space is not filled with disorder; chaos does not prevail. On the contrary, the universe, so far as known, is essentially orderly. This comes from the great law of cause and effect. If energy acts on matter in a given way, a definite effect is obtained. Under like conditions, the same cause will forever give the same effect. Where, therefore, like conditions are permanently operating, like results will always be found. This law lies at the foundation of the orderliness of nature. "There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven upon which all blessings are predicated, and it is only by obedience to this law that any blessing may be obtained."
**An Eternal Plan.** The Gospel itself, the so-called plan of salvation, or Great Plan, in obedience to which men guide their earth-lives, is eternal. It is not a temporary or transient thing, made primarily for the handful of men and women on earth, but it is an eternal plan based upon the everlasting relationship of the elements of the universe—a plan which, in some form, is adapted everywhere and forever, for the advancement of personal beings. This must be so, for it leads to a definite end, and in accordance with the law of cause and effect, it must have a universal meaning.
**Eternalism.** The Gospel is founded on tangible and eternal things and relationships. These eternal realities, no doubt, in their essence, lie beyond the full understanding of man, just as time and space transcend human understanding. This conception, carried far enough, leads to a gospel or life philosophy which is unshakable, because it rests upon eternal certainty. Without certainty, man is, in the great affairs of life, merely the driftwood of existence, moved hither and thither by the wind of doubt.
The Gospel may be said to be The Philosophy of Eternalism. The Gospel is immersed in the ocean of eternity.
CHAPTER 4.
THE WILL OF MAN.
The doctrine of the eternal nature of man is most characteristic of the Gospel. It is a doctrine which gives great satisfaction to all who have accepted the Gospel.
**The Primeval Condition.** All that is really clear to the understanding is that man has existed "from the beginning," and that, from the beginning, he has possessed distinct individuality impossible of confusion with any other individuality among the hosts of intelligent beings. Through endless ages, man has risen by slow degrees to his present state. Possibly, with respect to the coming day, man understands as little as did the spiritual beings with respect to present day conditions.
**The Intelligence of Man.** To speculate upon the condition of man when conscious life was just dawning is most interesting, but so little is known about that far-off day that such speculation is profitless. Nevertheless, of some things pertaining to the beginning we are fairly certain. The being which later became man, even in the first day possessed intelligence. That is, he was able to become aware of the external universe, to learn, and by adding knowledge to knowledge, to learn more. Then, as now, the universe was filled with matter acted upon by many forces, and an intelligent being in the midst of the interaction of forces and matter, must have become aware, measurably, of what was going on. From the beginning, the ego of man has been a conscious being, saying to itself, "This is I; that is not I. This life is apart from the life of all the rest of the universe."
**The Will of Man.** In addition to his power to learn and his consciousness of his own existence, the spiritual personality possessed, from "the beginning," the distinguishing characteristic of every intelligent, conscious, thinking being—an independent and individual will. No one attribute so clearly distinguishes man as does the intelligent will or the will to act intelligently. It was by the exercise of their wills that the spirits in the beginning gathered information rapidly or slowly, acquired experiences freely or laboriously. Through the exercise of their wills they grew, or remained passive, or perhaps even retrograded, for with living things motion in any direction is possible.
Naturally, the original spirit, possessing, with all other attributes of intelligence, the power of will, exercised that will upon the contents of the universe. The exercise of the will upon the matter and energy within reach, enabled the intelligent beings, little by little, to acquire power. By the use of his will upon the contents of the universe, man must have become what he now is.
**Value of the Will.** The above doctrine involves the idea of self-effort. It is only when the will is exercised in a certain direction that the support of other forces may be invited so that progress in that direction may be accelerated. From the beginning, the deliberate use of the will has moved personal beings onward; and in this latest day of our existence, it is the will that moves men into greater lives. Undoubtedly, the will of man will determine the completion of the structure built through all ages into a perfected man.
The Gospel, resting upon eternal, indestructible principles, maintains the living supremacy of the will of man. The culture, training and use of the will, for good or for evil, determine primarily the direction of an individual life.
CHAPTER 5.
THE GREAT LAW.
The innumerable interactions of the matter, energy and intelligences of the universe, must be held together by some great law. This universal law to which all lesser laws contribute, must be of real concern to the man who seeks a true philosophy of life.
**Increasing Complexity of the Universe.** It has already been said that a universe controlled by intelligence and under the reign of the law of cause and effect cannot be conceived to be in confusion. Man is absolutely certain, if his knowledge is rational, that, whether it be yesterday, today or tomorrow, the same act, under the same conditions, will produce the same result. Under a set of given conditions, a ray of sunshine passed through a glass prism will always be broken into the same spectrum, or a straight stick standing in water will always appear crooked. Whether in the physical, mental or moral world, the law of cause and effect reigns supreme.
Quiescence in the universe can not be conceived, for then there would be no universe. Constant action or movement characterizes the universe. The multiplicity of actions upon each other, of the various forms of matter, energy and intelligence, composing the universe, must cause an equal multiplicity of effects. Moreover, increasing intelligent wills, acting upon matter and energy, must and do produce an increasing series of reactions among the forces of the universe.
Moreover, each new set of effects becomes the cause of still other effects. Thus, in our universe, as we conceive it to be constituted, increasing complexity would seem to be the great resultant law of the operation of universal forces. This is the great law of nature, to which every living thing must conform, if it is to be in harmony with all other things. In a universe controlled by intelligence, it is only natural to find everything within the universe moving along towards one increasing purpose. As new light has come to man, the certainty of this law as a controlling one, has become more and more emphatic.
**Man and the Great Law.** The law of increasing complexity is fundamental. Since man is constantly being acted upon and acting upon matter and energy, he must himself be brought under the subjection of the great law. That is, under normal conditions, he will increase in complexity. As man observes phenomena and reasons upon them and applies them he grows in knowledge. Where he formerly had one fact to use, he now has many. This is the essence of his complexity. A carpenter with one tool does less and poorer work than does one with a full kit of modern tools. Likewise, man, as he gathers experience, becomes more powerful in using the forces of nature in the accomplishment of his purposes. With this thought in mind the great law becomes a law of increasing power, of progressive mastery over the universe. For that reason, the law expressing the resultant of the activities of universal forces is often called the law of progression.
The degree of man's growth or progression will depend upon the degree his will is exercised, intelligently, upon the things about him. It is even conceivable that by the misuse of will, man may lose some of his acquired powers. In any case, the operation of the will, under normal conditions, adds power to man; and by the use of the intelligent will in a world of matter and energy, the increasingly complex man grows in power and strength towards perfection, in an increasingly interesting world. Those who do not conform to the law of progression are abnormal and do not exert their powers, to the requisite degree, in the right direction.
Nature is inexhaustible in the possible number of inter-relations among matter, energy and intelligence. It follows, therefore, that man will forever be able to add knowledge unto knowledge, power unto power, or progress unto progress. This law of progression is the great law of the universe, without beginning and without end, to which all other laws contribute. By adherence to this law the willing, intelligent beings have risen to their present splendid state of manhood, and by further compliance with this law they will advance to a future Godlike state of perfection. The supreme intelligence and perfected will of the universe, God, has attained His position by an obedient recognition of the conditions of the law of progression.
The law of progression gives hope and purpose to those who accept the Gospel. The feeling of security that comes from the knowledge that the elements of the universe are eternal, is made living by the hope established by the great law that there is purpose in all the operations of the universe. Whatever man may do, whatever his life may bring, provided all his faculties are working actively among the things and forces about him, he is acquiring knowledge, thereby power, and, under the law of progression, he is being moved onward to a more advanced position than he now occupies, in which he may do mightier work. Men, discouraged by their failure to accomplish exactly what they desire, often speak of their lives as purposeless, but it is idle talk, for, in fact, no intelligent life which concerns itself vigorously with the things about it, can be said to be purposeless. Such a life adheres, automatically, to the law of progression, and is therefore moving on to the great destiny of supreme power and accompanying joys. The only purposeless life is the one that does not use its faculties. It matters little what tasks men do in life, if only they do them well and with all their strength. In an infinite universe, one cannot possibly learn all or do all, at once. A beginning must be made somewhere, and corner by corner, department by department, space by space, all will be known and conquered. In the end, all must be explored, and whether one begin in the east or the west cannot matter much. The big concern is to what extent a man offer himself, mind and body, to his work. Upon that will growth depend.
**The Law of Development.** The law of progression is then a law of endless development of all the powers of man in the midst of a universe becoming increasingly complex. No more hopeful principle can be incorporated into a philosophy of life.
CHAPTER 6.
GOD AND MAN.
The doctrine of man's pre-existence leads to an understanding of the relationship between God and man, which must lie at the very basis of rational theology.
**Why God is God.** To determine this relationship between God and man it is necessary to discuss, first, the conditions under which God became God. As already said, God is the supreme intelligent Being in the universe, who has the greatest knowledge and the most perfected will, and who, therefore, possesses infinite power over the forces of the universe. However, if the great law of progression is accepted, God must have been engaged from the beginning, and must now be engaged in progressive development, and, infinite as God is, he must have been less powerful in the past than he is today. While it is folly for man to attempt to unravel in detail the mystery of the past, yet it is only logical to believe that a progressive God has not always possessed his present position.
It is clear also that, as with every other being, the progress of God began with the exercise of his will. In "the beginning" which transcends our understanding, God undoubtedly exercised his will vigorously, and thus gained great experience of the forces lying about him. As knowledge grew into greater knowledge, by the persistent efforts of will, his recognition of universal laws became greater until he attained at last a conquest over the universe, which to our finite understanding seems absolutely complete. We may be certain that, through self-effort, the inherent and innate powers of God have been developed to a God-like degree. Thus, he has become God.
God, the supreme Being of the universe, absolutely transcends the human understanding. His intelligence is as the sum of all other intelligences. There can be no rational discussion of the details of God's life or nature. To him we give the most complete devotion, for to us he is in all respects infinite and perfect. His Godhood, however, was attained by the use of his power in simple obedience to the laws he discovered as he grew in experience.
**Many Gods.** During the onward march of the Supreme Being, other intelligent beings were likewise engaged, though less vigorously, in acquiring power over the forces of the universe. Among many intelligent beings thus moving onward, there is little probability of any two attaining exactly the same place, at the same time. There is rather the probability of infinite gradation from the lowest to the highest development. Next to God, there may be, therefore, other intelligent beings so nearly approaching his power as to be coequal with him in all things so far as our finite understanding can perceive. These beings may be immeasurably far from God in power, nevertheless immeasurably far above us mortal men of the earth. Such intelligent beings are as Gods to us. Under this definition there may be a great number of intelligent beings who possess to a greater or less degree the quality of Godhood. The acceptance of the preceding doctrines makes it almost a logical necessity that there are many gods or beings so highly developed that they are as gods, in fact are Gods. This is a fundamental doctrine of the Gospel.
**Why Man is Man.** It is fairly evident from what has been said why man is man. Man is subject-to eternal laws, and in the far-off beginning he must have exercised his will more slowly or not at all; perhaps, even, as laws came to him he ignored or opposed them. As more knowledge and power are attained, growth becomes increasingly more rapid. God, exalted by his glorious intelligence, is moving on into new fields of power with a rapidity of which we can have no conception, whereas man, in a lower stage of development, moves relatively at a snail-like, though increasing pace. Man is, nevertheless, moving on, in eternal progression. "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." In short, man is a god in embryo. He comes of a race of gods, and as his eternal growth is continued, he will approach more nearly the point which to us is Godhood, and which is everlasting in its power over the elements of the universe.
**God's Help to Man.** Self-effort, the conscious operation of will, has moved man onward to his present high degree. However, while all progress is due to self-effort, other beings of power may contribute largely to the ease of man's growth. God, standing alone, cannot conceivably possess the power that may come to him if the hosts of other advancing and increasing workers labor in harmony with him. Therefore, because of his love for his children and his desire to continue in the way of even greater growth, he proceeded to aid others in their onward progress.
Knowledge may be transmitted from intelligence to intelligence. God offered to the waiting intelligent beings the knowledge that he had already gained, so that they need not traverse that road, but might attack some other phase of universal existence. He devised plans of progression whereby the experiences of one person might be used by an inferior one. Each person should give of his experience to others, so that none should do unnecessary work. In that manner, through the united effort of all, the whole race of progressive beings would receive an added onward impetus.
**Man's Help to God.** The progress of intelligent beings is a mutual affair. A lone God in the universe cannot find great joy in his power. God, being in harmony with eternal laws, can progress best as the whole universe becomes more complex, or advances. The development of intelligence increases the complexity of the universe, for each active individual may bring new relationships into view, and increases many-fold the body of acquired truth. In that sense, the man who progresses through his increase in knowledge and power, becomes a co-laborer with God, and may be said, indeed, to be a help to God. It is a comforting thought, not only that we need God but also that God needs us. True, the need God has of us is relatively small, and the help he gives us is infinitely large, yet the relation exists for the comfort and assurance of man.
**God's Attributes.** To analyze the supreme intelligence of the universe, the God whom we worship, is a futile attempt, to which men of shallow minds, only, give their time. That which is infinite transcends the human understanding. The Gospel accepts this condition, calmly, knowing that, in the scheme of things, greater truths will come with increased power, until, in the progress of time, we shall understand that which now seems incomprehensible. For that reason, eternal, or everlasting, or infinite things are things understood by God, the supreme and governing Power, but not understood by us. Thus, "eternal punishment is God's punishment; endless punishment is God's punishment." Likewise, everlasting joy or endless blessings are God's joy and God's blessings. Man acknowledges in this manner that all things are relative to God.
Man does not understand God fully, yet an understanding between man and God does exist in that, God in the course of his progression has gone over the road that we are traveling and therefore understands us fully. He understands our difficulties, our hopes, our sorrows, our faults and our follies. God is supreme, and his justice is perfect; his love is unmeasurable and his mercy without end; for his justice and love and mercy are tempered by the memory of his own upward career. God's relation to man is, in a literal sense, that of father to son, for we are of the same race with God. We may rest secure that God's attributes are, with others, those that man possesses, made great and beautiful. He is our Father who knows and understands us.
CHAPTER 7.
MAN IS THAT HE MAY HAVE JOY.
Is the increasing power of man a sufficient reward for the effort and struggle that must accompany progression? This is a question that comes to every student of the Gospel. Power in itself may not be the ideal end of existence. It becomes necessary, therefore, to determine if there is associated with power, gifts that make worth while the eternal searching out of knowledge in order that greater power may be won.
**Consciousness and the Universe.** Intelligent spirits have possessed, from the beginning, a consciousness of the world in which they found themselves. They must have been susceptible, from the first, of feeling pleasure and pain, and must have had equivalents of our senses, which, possibly, were keener than those we now possess. When they were placed in opposition to any law of nature, pain or its equivalent undoubtedly resulted exactly as today. When they moved along with law, joy must have been sensed, as today. Intelligent beings can not rejoice in pain, therefore, from the beginning, to avoid pain and to secure joy, they have searched out and obeyed law. The more advanced the intelligence, the greater the number of laws that are understood to which adaptation may be made, and therefore the greater the possibility of joy. The search for increasing power, carried on by all normal beings is then really a search for a greater and more abiding joy. There is no Godliness in pain, except as it is an incident in securing more knowledge. True freedom, which is full joy, is the complete recognition of law and adaptation to it. Bondage comes from ignorance of law or opposition to it.
**The Primeval Condition.** Man's approach to a fullness of joy is pictured in his revealed history. Through the veil of forgetting we see but dimly our pre-existent condition. The Gospel student does not really concern himself, greatly, with the details of the life before this one; so much needs to be done in this life that he is content with the great outlines of pre-existent life, which may assist him to understand the eternal journey of intelligence. Of the primeval condition of man little is known. He found about him many forces, operating in diverse ways, and to control them, and thus to sense joy, he began to study them. The story of that early day of striving for the greatest goal has not been told to mortal man.
**The First Estate.** Matter exists, perhaps, in many forms, but may be classified, as the ponderable matter of earth, known directly through the senses, and, as the imponderable matter which cannot be sensed directly by man. This second class, often called spirit matter, is perhaps most important, for it is not unlikely that from it are derived all other forms of matter.
It was of first importance that the intelligent beings aiming at the conquest of the universe, should learn to understand, thoroughly, the properties of universal matter, in all of its forms. As nearly as can be learned, the efforts of man were first devoted to education in the properties of spirit matter. We were begotten spirits by God, who thus became our Father, and we are his sons and daughters. Our career in the spirit world is often spoken of as man's first estate.
How long man remained in the first estate, is not known. Undoubtedly, however, it was long enough to enable him to become thoroughly familiar with the manifestations of all forms of spirit substance. Only when education in this division of the universe was completed were we permitted to enter the next estate.
**The Second Estate.** The kind of matter characteristic of this earth and the so-called material universe, also forms an important part of the universe. No spirit can acquire real mastery over the universe until this form of matter is so thoroughly understood as to be used and governed. The next step in the education of these intelligent beings was therefore to teach them familiarity with gross matter. Consequently, the spirits passed out of the spirit world, and were born into the world of earthly things, the world we now occupy, as men and women clothed upon by a body consisting of gross matter, so that intimate familiarity with the nature and possibilities of gross matter might be acquired. This is called the second estate of man.
The business of man is to become so thoroughly acquainted with earth conditions, that through the possession of an earthly body, he may go on, forever.
**The Third Estate.** We pass out of this, but reappear in another world, for a brief time separated from our earth-won body, but finally possessing bodies of both kinds of universal matter. In this estate, both the spirit matter and the grosser matter composing our final bodies are represented by their essences, and therefore permit perfect freedom and ease of movement and thought. These celestial bodies, as they are called, connect the intelligence with all parts of the universe, and become mighty helps in the endless search for truth. This is the third estate of man.
Such then are the three estates, and as far as known, all the estates of man.
Whether the outline, as here presented, in its details, is precise or not, matters little. The essential thing is that man has to undergo experience upon experience, to attain the desired mastery of the external universe; and that we, of this earth, are passing through an estate designed wholly for our further education.
**Everlasting Joy.** It follows that, in each estate, with each onward step, a profounder knowledge of the laws of nature is attained. When conscious, active wills are thus at work, the new knowledge makes possible a more perfect adaptation of man to law. The more completely law is obeyed the greater the consciousness of perfect joy. Throughout eternal life, increasing knowledge is attained, and with increasing knowledge comes the greater adaptation to law, and in the end an increasingly greater joy. Therefore it is that eternal life is the greatest gift of God, and that the plan of salvation is priceless.
CHAPTER 8.
MAN'S FREE AGENCY.
The question of the rights of each intelligent being as pertaining to himself and to all others must always have been and must always remain a chief one.
**In the Beginning.** In each intelligent being has resided, from the beginning, an individual and distinct will, which, of itself, has been acting in some degree upon the external universe. Each being, with its developing will, has learned more and more of natural forces and of the methods of controlling them. Each has striven to adapt his knowledge of surrounding forces to his own particular needs or desires. Clearly, since many wills have been so engaged, it might easily occur that different wills might use acquired knowledge in different ways to suit their different desires. It is easily conceivable, therefore, that one will might attempt so to control the surrounding forces as to give itself joy, yet to affect another will adversely. In general, whatever is desirable for one is desirable for all, since all spirits are cast in the same mold and have the same derivation. Nevertheless, when individuality is assumed, it is equally clear that there is always a possibility of one will crossing another to the detriment of one or possibly both.
The universal plan may follow its developing path, unhindered, only when all the intelligent beings within it labor harmoniously together for the upbuilding of each and all. The only solution for the problem of the possible conflicts resulting from the activities of a great number of beings is an agreement among them relating to the general good. Laws established for the community of beings must be obeyed as rigidly as those found in external nature. Each may act freely and to his full power in any desired way so long as the general laws respecting the freedom of all others are not violated. The right of an individual can never transcend the rights of the community.
**The Council in Heaven.** A dim though wonderfully attractive picture has come down of an event in the spiritual estate of man, the first estate, that deals directly with the great question of the one and the many, the individual and the community.
There had been born, in time, a family of spirits, the innumerable destined hosts of earth, who, at length, seemed fitted for further education in another field. God, the Father of these spirits, saw that they were ready for further light, and came down among them, to discuss their future. As the Supreme Being, God had in mind a plan, the Great Plan, whereby each spirit could enter upon his second estate and become acquainted with the properties of gross matter. However, as each intelligent spirit possessed a free and untrammeled will which must be respected, God called together the spirits in question, and presented the plan for their approval.
In the Great Council then held, of which a dim and distant picture only has been left, the great question was with respect to man's free agency. The essence of the proposed plan was that the spirits, forgetting temporarily their sojourn in their spirit home should be given a body of grosser matter, and should be subject to this form of universal matter, and even be brought into a temporal death. To bring an eternal, free spirit under the bondage of matter and forgetfulness, it was necessary for some one to begin the work by, figuratively speaking, breaking a law, so that the race might be brought under the subjection of death. This may be likened, roughly, to the deliberate breaking, for purposes of repair or extension, of a wire carrying power to light a city. Someone had to divert the current of eternal existence, and thus temporarily bring man's earthly body under the subjection of gross matter. Adam, the first man, was chosen to do this work. By the deliberate breaking of a spiritual law, he placed himself under the ban of earthly death and transmitted to all his posterity the subjection to death. This was the so-called "sin of Adam." To obtain or give greater joys, smaller pains may often have to be endured.
**The Need of a Savior.** The purpose of the earth career was, however, two-fold, to learn to understand gross matter, and to acquire a body made of the essence of such matter. The bodies laid in the grave must, therefore, be raised again. As the spirits, by their own act had not brought upon themselves death, so by their own act they should not conquer it. It was necessary, therefore, that someone, in time, should reunite the broken wires and reestablish the flow of eternal life, and thus to conquer death. For this work Jesus Christ was chosen. Jesus actually came on earth, lived and taught the ancient Gospel again to the children of men, and in time suffered death so that the act of Adam might be atoned for. By this work, the purpose of the earth-life was completed, and thus Jesus Christ became the central figure in the plan of salvation.
Why death, so-called, should be necessary for us to achieve an intimate knowledge of matter, and why Jesus should die to permit the current of eternal life to flow freely between the earthly body and the eternal spirit, are not fully known. Through Adam man was brought on earth, subject to death; through Jesus, the Christ, he was lifted out of death to continue an eternal life in association with the earth-acquired body.
**Man's Part in the Great Plan.** In this great gathering in the heavens many questions arose. By Adam man was to come on earth; by Jesus he was to be resurrected. In both of these great acts, man had no part, beyond permitting himself to be acted upon. In the plan, what was to be man's part?
Lucifer, a great leader in the Council, proposed that, since others were acting for man in bringing him on and taking him away from the earth, it was not necessary for man, during his earth-career, to exercise his own will. Lucifer proposed that, in spite of himself, his will, his desires and his individuality, man should be placed on earth, and be taken from it, and without effort, be filled with a knowledge of earth conditions. All men should be forced into salvation. Jesus Christ, who became the Savior of men, objected to this change in God's plan, as it interfered with the essential right of intelligent beings to act for themselves. Jesus insisted that, as without will there can be no growth, man, placed on earth through the agency of Adam and resurrected and brought into a full life through the agency of Jesus, should retain, during his earth-career, his full free agency. Though he might walk an forgetfulness of the past, and have no visions of the future, he would yet be allowed a free and untrammeled agency as he walked in the clearness of the earth's day. While upon earth he might learn much or little, might accept a law or reject it, just as he had been, privileged to do in all the days that had gone before.
These two views regarding man's part in the plan led, we are told, to a great difference of opinion among the spirits. Naturally, the first proposition appealed to many, for it is the easy way of obtaining victory, if victory it may be called. The other way seems always somewhat hard and bitter, though in the end the joy obtained surpasses that attained without effort. Lucifer, who led the fight for the first method, could not agree to the original plan which was finally accepted; and so, in that great, dim day, many of the spirits followed Lucifer, and have not yet entered upon their earth-careers, but are independently and in opposition to God's will, following paths that are not leading them onward. The majority accepted God's law, as championed by the Son, though it is said that many weak and fearful spirits remained neutral, daring neither to accept nor to reject either proposition. The hosts who accepted the plan of God, girded themselves with the necessary strength to begin the pilgrimage, ending in an earthly death, but reaching, through the resurrection, into an eternal life of exceedingly great progress.
**Free Agency.** On the earth, as elsewhere, then, the free agency of man, as expressed in the individual will, is supreme. Though our environment is that of gross matter, and though we dwell in forgetfulness of the past, our free agency is as vigorous as ever. However, the free agency of man cannot transcend the plan which all of us of earth accepted, together, in the day of the Great Council. Man's will is always circumscribed by great laws that are self-existent or that are formulated or may be formulated for the benefit of the race. The many must devise laws whereby individual and community progress are simultaneous. It is the full right of the individual to exercise his will in any way that does not interfere with the laws made for the many; and, under proper conditions, the laws for the many are of equal value to the individual. Under the law we are free.