---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Richards, S. W.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 2
number: 5
published: 1899-03
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Richards, S. W., "What Is Man," *Improvement Era* 2, no. 5 (March 1899): 377–380.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera25unse
start_page: 377
end_page: 380
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1899-03)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25unse
  publication_year: 1899
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1899, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# What Is Man

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WHAT IS MAN?
BY S. W. RICHARDS.
He is a being wonderfully constructed and endowed, affording
in himself the evidence of great wisdom and intelligence in the
Creator who formed him, and gave him being on the earth. The
creation of the earth also demonstrates a corresponding intelligence, in perfectly adapting the one to fully supply the wants of
the other in all that could contribute to the development and happiness of man.
The body of man when quickened by his living spirit
became a living soul. The body was first formed, into which the
spirit of man entered, giving life and power to act. By reason of
these facts man is declared to be a dual being; made of two separate
and distinct elements—the one being called temporal or material,
the other spirit or spiritual. The one visible, the other invisible
to human sight.
In the study of humanity, or man, we must consider him in
relation to both of these fundamental principles by virtue of which
he exists as an intelligent being, capable of development and duration; or in other words capable of acquiring a knowledge of things
that are, and of that which is to be.
To man was given dominion over the earth, and all things
upon the face thereof. It is quite proper and reasonable that he
should seek to become acquainted with what constitutes his dominion, and over which he was made ruler. Indeed it becomes the
duty of man to study all that comes under the observation of his
perceptive faculties,—of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and

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378 IMPROVEMENT ERA
feeling; for it is through and by the exercise of his senses that
man obtains knowledge of material things, created to make him
happy by satisfying every possible desire that could come to him
by reason of his senses.
Man's legitimate field of study is to comprehend all the sciences
and powers that belong to the earth in its creation and preservation for man; not only the effects of cold and heat, the change of
the season so necessary to earth's endurance in its productive
powers, but also the laws of attraction, gravitation, cohesion and
repulsion by virtue of which it maintains its proper relation to
other worlds and spheres in the midst of which it moves with the
utmost precision and harmony.
All this belongs to man's dominion, and all the knowledge he
may acquire in this direction will be needed by him when he shall,
like God his Father, do as he has done, enter upon the creative
work necessary to provide for the wants of an endless posterity,
such as worlds have been and yet must be created for, to the glory
of God, and the immortality and eternal life of man who shall
inhabit them.
No student ever studied and appreciated the science of astronomy, no eye ever gazed upon the starry heavens, and witnessed the
evolution of the worlds all in harmony, each moving in the circuit
of their sphere as allotted to them by him who ordereth all things
well, but has abundant evidence of a Creator-God, who is above all,
in all and through all, that should satisfy the most ardent searcher
of the eternal truth.
Like one of old, every soul may well exclaim, "The heavens
declare his glory and the firmament showeth forth his handy
work."
Intelligence is the glory of God, and the intelligence displayed
in all his works is so far above the comprehension of; man that man
readily discerns the fact that God is an intelligent being, and that
his children, though mortal here on earth, have a legal, undeniable
right to aspire to become like him.
It is perfectly in keeping with his eternal law, that intelligence should cleave to intelligence, light to light, and truth to
truth, in all the relations that exist between man and Deity—or
verified man.

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WHAT IS MAN? 379
In that which is visible man has sufficient evidence to demand
of him faith in God, and he is left without excuse; and none the
less in that which is spiritual or invisible as we will attempt to
show.
Man became alienated from his maker by transgression of law.
Failing to comply with his Father's demands he was banished from
his presence. This banishment or alienation came to all the posterity of Adam, but means were provided for man's recovery of that
which he had lost.
A law of adoption was provided, by obedience to which he
might become entitled to all blessings of the Father's kingdom,
necessary for his spiritual welfare here, and a return to his presence hereafter. This law provided for the cleansing of man from
sin, by being buried in water for the washing away of sin, or cleansing of the person to that degree that the Spirit of God could dwell
with him, for it will not dwell in unholy temples. As water is the
element ordained of God for cleansing, as manifested in the cleansing of the earth from sin by a flood of water that covered it,
so man must submit to a like cleansing from his sins that the
Spirit of God may abide with him—be his companion and comforter.
We may now ask what is the province of this Spirit while
dwelling with man. Jesus said it should not only be a comforter
to those who had it while he was absent from them, but it should
do to them as he had done—should take the things of God and
show unto them—bring all things to their remembrance of which
he had spoken to them, and show them things to come—what things
—why?—whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name it shall
be done unto you. The gifts and blessings secured to those who
had this comforter were dreams, visions and manifestations, by
which they might learn to know God and Jesus Christ whom he had
sent.
This promise was verified to the disciples, by being caught up
to the third heavens, where was seen and heard things unlawful to
be uttered after the return of the spirit to the body upon the earth;
others had the visitation of angels with whom they conversed and
learned of the mysteries of Godliness, while others spake in tongues
and prophesied, because of what the Spirit had shown to them.
But we need not go to the ancient saints for verification of

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like facts and manifestations. Many in our day testify that like
facts have been demonstrated in their experience—that while the
body has been slumbering upon the bed, the spirit has traversed
the regions of space and beheld the grandeur of earth and heaven
as in all their excellence they came forth from the hand of their
Creator; that they have gazed upon the Redeemer in the Father's
presence and glory, and know of a truth that all promises made by
Jesus to his disciples may be realized even in our day.
That God has in his good pleasure and economy provided as
amply for man to obtain spiritual knowledge of Him while here in
his mortal state of banishment, as he has to obtain knowledge of
Him by that which is visible to the human eye, or perceptive faculties, is demonstrated by many living witnesses in our day as well
as by those who have lived in days gone by.
Facts thus established by both the living and the dead determine man to be the child of God—that no earthly parent can be
more interested for his own child than our Heavenly Father is for
all his children. This is in accord with the truth of another scriptural statement
—"that the earthly is in likeness of the heavenly"
—that the spiritual relation of man to his Father (God) is as real
as the earthly relation with which we are bound together in the
brotherhood of man.
Man, then, is indeed a child of God, and by obedience to the
Father's command, given for the regulation of his great family, may
and shall inherit of the Father's possessions of glory, immortality
and eternal lives; to which end are all his words and all his works
as declared by revelation to his servant Moses.
Thus, man, in both his natural and spiritual life may learn of
his Father (God) ; whom to know aright is eternal life—the greatest
gift of God to man. To fail to know Him is banishment from His
presence—an everlasting punishment.