Origin and Nature of Man, from the Standpoint of Revelation and Reason

ORIGIN AND NATURE OF MAN, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF REVELA- TION AND REASON. BY ELDER JOHN NICHOLSON.

III.

At the time appointed for the third interview between Messrs. Wondon, Tudor and Tree, all were present and further statements and explanations were entered upon without delay. Mr. Tree —In our examination, thus far, of the principles of genuine religion, we have nearly concluded the construction of the basis for future investigation. This mainly consists of certain basic facts, without an understanding of which Christianity is hardly explainable to those who have not been "born again" —mentally enlightened, through faith, by the spirit of revelation. In continuation of this fundamental structure, we will now con- sider the cause which led to the tremendous rupture among the spiritual individualities in heaven, "in the beginning." So far as ancient revelation is concerned, a statement of the fact of the conflict has already been presented, together with some of its more immediate results. In order to reach into the subject expeditiously from the standpoint of modern revelation, it will be well to avoid a multiplicity of quotations of what has been revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The better way will be to give — a succinct statement of it as a whole the result of an examina- tion of the parts, given more or less in a detached form: The sons and daughters of God reached a point in their career

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when it became necessary for them, in the interest of their advance- ment, to be surrounded by new environments. This involved the placing of these spirits in mortal bodies, and the shutting out from them of the memory of their pre-existence. — The earth was formed for their habitation a school of ex- perience — that there they might taste the bitter and thus learn to appreciate the sweet. "The fall" was anticipated, and the death of the body being the penalty for the breaking of the law, it was necessary for a savior to be provided, that by his atonement man might, through the vicarious offering of the Redeemer and consequent satisfaction of the law, regain possession of his physical body, purified and sanctified, an eternal habitation for his individual spirit. The Eternal Father arranged the plan. — The parties in interest the innumerable host of spirits, then — in their first estate, were called together in a "grand council" "a — solemn assembly" to consider the mighty subject of their second estate. The leading conditions of the plan were, that all who passed through the mortal probation should be saved, except one class — the sons of perdition. These were to consist of such as should receive the fullness of the Gospel, make great progress in a knowl- edge of it, have powerful spiritual manifestations concerning God and the plan of eternal life and then turn away from, fight against and deny the truth, wilfully and unchangeably persisting in their ungodly career; and those who should shed innocent blood— mur- derers of the most aggravated type. The degree of salvation was to depend upon the course taken by the responsible individual in his probationary estate, especially while embodied in mortality. Little children who died before reaching the years of under- standing and consequent accountability, were to be saved without condition. Lucifer, a son of the morning, a personage of authority, offered himself as a candidate for the exalted position of redeemer^ and requested that the glory of the Father be given him. He like- wise insisted upon an amendment to the plan —that all should be saved without exception or condition.

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Jesus Christ held that the Eternal Father should have the glory and that his will should be done! The result was that Christ was chosen, the vote being over- whelmingly in his favor. Lucifer revolted and drew after and with him a large propor- tion of the spirits. Then followed what must have been a mighty struggle, the immensity and character of which must be far beyond even the faintest conception by the mind of man. Lucifer and his rebel army were routed and ejected from heaven, their "former habitation," and came down to earth to continue the warfare in another form, their object being to defeat the carry- ing out of the plan of the Father to save and uplift man from his fallen condition to the attainment of everlasting peace and glory. The rebels, by their act of revolt, failed to keep their first estate, and thus forfeited their right to take bodies, this being a privilege resultant from faithfulness in the first estate of spiritual existence. Mr. Wondon — there not a difference between your statement, Is

which purports to be an epitome of what has been revealed through Joseph Smith in relation to what occurred in heaven, and the ac- count you referred to as given in the Bible? Mr. Tree —The only difference is this: The Bible account is meagre, giving but little more than the fact of a revolt, the thrust- ing of the rebels out of heaven and their descent to the earth. That which came through Joseph Smith is more amplified. There must have been a cause for the outbreak, and the modern prophet gives it. You will observe that the modern statement harmonizes with the Biblical account as far as the latter goes, and the details in the former, where it goes beyond the other, agrees with the ancient revelation on the subject. There is no contradiction between the two accounts. — Mr. Tudor I certainly prefer the statement given as embody- ing what has come through Mr. Smith, because it is explanatory, and evinces a systematic plan, which, to say the least, is grand in conception and magnificent in proportions. If what has been advanced up to this point can be shown to

be in process of operation, and gives promise of the ultimate attain- ment of its objects, then I have come in contact with the most sub-

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lime system of philosophy in existence. I never knew that men ever lived who entertained such views concerning our race as those to which I have listened thus far. Mr. Wondon — One part of the arrangement, or plan, appeals to my judgment with special force, although it appears grandly consist- ent as a whole. I refer to the merciful provision in relation to the des- tiny of little children who are taken by death before they reach the age of accountability. It is Godlike, being eminently just and in that respect differs widely from the views held upon this subject by some professing adherents of Christianity. The number of this class of believers is, however, rapidly diminishing. Mr. Tree — It is a philosophical and religious truth that any- thing that is unjust cannot be of God. Should he be unjust he could not be God. One of the evidences of the divinity of the religion I am, at your request, endeavoring to explain, is the conspicuous justice of its principles, combined with never-failing mercy. Those truths, or laws, act together, "in the sphere in which God has placed them/' each respecting the claims of the other. — Mr. Tudor Can you, Mr. Tree, give a philosophical reason for what appears to have been the application of a stern and summary — process toward the revolting spirits their forcible ejection from their original dwelling place? What you have presented gives no evidence of experimentation with a milder method, for the purpose of bringing them to terms. Mr. Tree — In the first place, we are not in a position to state so far as revelation goes, whether or not any conciliatory measures were offered by those who stood for truth and salvation, toward their opponents. This, however, must be — that there could be no terms clear but unconditional surrender. The will of the Eternal Father, sus- tained by a two-thirds majority vote, must prevail, otherwise de- moralization would have ensued. If perfect peace did not exist in heaven, there could be no heaven. You will observe that the object of the plan over which the conflict arose, was the redemption and salvation of our race, and the ultimate sanctification of this planet.

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The destiny of the whole must be, according to the eternal operation of adjustment, to wheel into line with the laws of God and nature. The will of God must be "done on earth as it is in heaven." It is the work of the Father and his Christ, with the co-opera- tion of many noble and valiant individualities, sustained by the power of the Almighty, to work for the redemption of man and the earth until peace and righteousness shall be permanently estab- lished. In this gigantic labor they will have to contend, inch by inch, with that great character and his hosts who fell from heaven and have been "unseen" workers in the cause of disobedience, conten- tion and disruption. It is at least a partialanswer to your question to say, that it will yet beshown that the activities of the spirits who chose evil in the beginning, have been, are and will be economized by the Father in the development of man. The basis of this condition is that men as well as all intelligencies, have their agency, and the phil- osophy of their probation is that they must be surrounded by evil as well as good that they might choose the one and reject the other as independent and responsible beings, and thus enlarge their knowl- edge and capacities. Good and evil are necessarily co-existent; otherwise progress would be impossible. Evil has to be contended with by the Father in the prosecution of his merciful design in relation to the earth and the human race, but he must be victorious in every contest, out of which must spring the most glorious results in the interests of progress. If there were no evil there could be no good, and vice versa. There would merely be a condition. It is by the existence of both

that each is distinguishable. Mr. Tudor —Can you furnish an analogical situation to that in- volved in the providing of a voluntary redeemer to deliver man from the effects of what is called "the fall?" Mr. Tree —At the opening of our investigation it was under- stood that I should not only support my statements from the stand- point of revelation but also by what may be called natural truth and that which has been proved to be true in the experience of man.

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It has been proved in the experience of man that he can be- come involved in debt, and be cast into prison because of his dis- ability to satisfy the law. It is also proved in human experience that one who is possessed of the necessary resources can voluntarily step forward, meet the obligation and have the prisoner released. There may be any number of debtors and the same single, philanthropist may by the same process, procure the liberation of the whole. Even if we were ignorant concerning the conditions which brought about the obligation of debt, the character of the law providing the penalty of imprisonment, or the nature of the redeem- ing qualifications of the deliverer which enabled the captives to re- gain their liberty, this would not affect the main fact. It shows

that there are conditions under which the act of one intelligent being can bring a host of others out of captivity into the enjoy- ment of freedom. At this point Mr. Tree stated that the explanations in relation to man in his pre-mortal existence were practically ended, and it would naturally follow that he would next be considered with re- gard to his condition on this planet.

At the close of this interview it was explained that each of the gentlemen had engagements that would render it necessary to appoint the time for the next meeting several months in the future. After a mutual agreement upon this point, the gentlemen separated.