--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Widtsoe, Osborne collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 6 number: 2 published: 1902-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Prof. Osborne Widtsoe, "He Hath Given Us Life—II," *Improvement Era* 6, no. 2 (December 1902): 122–127.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0602unse 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: improvementera0602unse start_page: 122 end_page: 127 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0602unse publication_year: 1902 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 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # He Hath Given Us Life—II HE HATH GIVEN US LIFE. TWO PARTS — PART TWO. BY PROF. OSBORNE WIDTSOE, OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS^ UNIVERSITY, SALT LAKE CITY. II. The organic cell is the basis of all plant and animal structure: living bodies are made up of myriads of little cells too small to be seen by the unaided eye. When it is complete, the cell consists of a sac, or bag-like vessel, containing a viscid material called pro- toplasm. The protoplasm is a clear, jelly-like substance similar to the white of egg. In some part of the cell, usually near the mid- dle of it, the granules of the protoplasm are aggregated to form a dark, round nucleus. The whole mass is enveloped in a mem- brane of soft, lifeless matter called the cell-wall. The beginning of nutrition and growth in all living organisms, is furnished by a minute mass of organized protoplasm known as the germ-cell. It is produced by the body of the parent, from which it becomes detached when the new organism has reached the proper stage of its development. The germ-cell manifests all the properties of life: it assimilates nutritious matter from with- out, and it possesses ability to multiply itself or produce new cells. The lowest forma of plant and animal life, such as the yeast plant and the amoeba animalcule, are simple cells like to the germ-cells. They are independent individuals, capable of performing the func- tions essential to their existence, and reproduce similar individuals, by simply dividing into two or more parts. In the more highly organized forms of life, the germ-cell multiplies by subdivision —in the continued proportion two, four. HE HATH GIVEN US LIFE. 123 eight, sixteen, and so forth —into a great number of cells. The newly formed cells become arranged in three cell-layers; and from these are formed the tissues of the body, which in turn form special organs. By the process of differentiation, the cells assume various shapes and structures, and become capable of performing different functions. Thus a great many very dissimilar organs are formed through the segmentation of originally similar cells; and each fully developed organ is wholly composed of variously modi- fied cells of living protoplasm. It is evident, then, that protoplasm is of vital importance in the constitution of all living organisms. It is not known, and may, perhaps, never be known, what life is; but it is quite certain that protoplasm is "the vehicle or material through which the life forces act." Only bodies that are composed of this peculiar sub- stance, are known to manifest the properties of life: hence, it is believed that protoplasm is the physical basis of life. How is this wonderful material multiplied and preserved in the organic world? Protoplasm, like the complex organism, is dowered with ability to increase and perpetuate itself. There are three typical modes whereby new protoplasmic cells are produced; namely, rejuvenes- cence, conjugation, and fission, In the process of rejuvenescence, or renewal, the wall of the old cell bursts, and the whole mass of protoplasm is ejected from it. The expelled protoplasm immedi- ately surrounds itself with a new cell- wall, and thus forms a new cell. Conjugation is accomplished by the union of two or more neighboring cells. The protoplasm contained in these cells having coalesced, the whole mass surrounds itself with a new cell-wall and forms a new cell. Fission, the usual mode of cell multiplica- tion, is accomplished in three ways: (1) by fission proper; (2) by budding; (3) by intra-cell formation. Fission proper consists in the division of the mother-cell into two equal or nearly equal parts. The protoplasm becomes divided and forms two nuclei; a stricture appears in the cell-wall between the two nuclear spots, and two separate and complete cells are formed. In budding, the mother-cell puts forth a protrusion, which enlarges until it is about the size of the old cell. A partition is then thrown out at the point of junction; and the new cell, complete and independent, becomes detached from the parent. In the process of intra-cell formation, several aggregations appear within the mother-cell. The mass of protoplasm separates into two, three, four, or more parts, each of which becomes enclosed in an envelope of lifeless matter, and assumes a spherical shape as an independent and com- plete cell. These modes of cell formation are subject to great variation. The one tends to merge into the other; and the last especially varies in the number of daughter cells. But the same great law that has been estabhshed among specialized organisms, is found to exist even here among simple protoplasmic cells; that is, that cells reproduce others; and, further, that a cell cannot be produced by its own force, but has its origin in a minute mass of protoplasm, or nucleus; especially set aside by the mother-cell. In nature, living matter is closely associated with lifeless matter. Thus, the sap and woody fibre in plants, and the blood and outer skin in ani- mals, are dead; while the surrounding organs m the same body are living. Science does not know the cause of this difference in the condition of matter; but it is sure of this, that lifeless matter can- not assume the living state except under the influence of existing living matter, which affects dead protoplasm, and imparts life to it. Thus, again, spontaneous generation is a physiological impos- sibility. Now, every reader, in looking backward through the ages to that mysterious period when earthly things began, and applying these facts to each age of the earth's history, has asked himself the question: Whence came the first life —the dawn-life? Plants produce spores or seeds, from which new forms develop. Whence came the first vegetable seed? Animals develop from germs. Whence came the first animal germ? All organisms exist at first as a germ-cell. Whence came the first germ-cell? Protoplasm, the very basis of life, is quickened only under the influence of pre- existing living matter. Whence came the first grain of proto- plasm? III. It is supposed by modern scientists that the present solar sys- tem has been developed from a purely nebulous mass endowed with ^ rotary motion and with certain tendencies to condensation. The HE HATH GIVEN US LIFE. 125 nebula first contracted to a nebular star, which was surrounded by a fiery atmosphere. This nebular star was the sun. As the solar nebula further contracted and condensed, the speed of rota- tion increased. The immense fiery atmosphere became flattened number of rings^ into a thin disk; and this finally broke up into a from which were formed the planets and their moons. The solar ring third removed in place from the central por- tion of the original nebula, was that, as science teaches, from which the earth was formed. The ring retained its motion of rotation; and as it cooled by radiation into space, the denser materials contracted first. These gradually attracted the rarer portions, until there was formed, instead of a nebulous ring, a relatively dense mass with a nearly solid center, and enveloped in a vast atmosphere of fiery vapor. Then a crust was formed over the molten mass, and the whole became enveloped in an ocean of waters; there were internal eruptions and foldings in the crusty and the dry land appeared; mountain chains were upheaved and eroded, filling the valleys and plains with fertile soil; and, finally, there appeared upon the earth grass, herb and tree, fishes, rep- tiles, birds, beasts and man. During the formative period, how- ever, the fiery molten state of the forming material, rendered the earth unfit to support even the lowest forms of plant or animal life. It required ages of preparation before the earth was fitted to become the abode of living beings. If this be true, we are again met by the query: Whence came the first living organism that ap- peared upon the earth? The supporters of materialistic evolution would assume that the oiiginal fire-mist possessed latent power to grow of itself into every form of life that has existed, or that does exist, upon the earth. They would ascribe the multitude of living forms to a pro- cess of gradual development of the original "world-stuff," from which the whole of the existing universe is supposed to have been formed. Even if this were true, it would require that the solar nebula should, through some supreme agency, be first endowed with this wonderful power of development. But the facts that we have just discussed, do themselves controvert such an assump- tion. It cannot be maintained that the first life was chemically generated from the materials of the developing nebula, because prolonged observation and experience have taught us that the manifestation of life can be produced only through the action of pre-existing life. To accept as true the hypothesis that life pro- ceeded from internal impulse in the original nebula, without the help of external force, were but to return to the disproved idea of spontaneous generation. The source of life must be sought else- where. It is a striking fact that, in all of its parts, the organized world is strictly governed by fixed laws. In the distribution of life upon the earth, we see in operation the law of adaptation; for neither plants nor animals are promiscuously scattered over the earth's surface; but they naturally group themselves into a num- ber of assemblages of species, characterized by certain peculiari- ties. The power of adaptation is locally illustrated in the change in the appearance of plants, and in the quality of the fur of many animals, with the change of season; and also in the transition of organisms as we pass from lowlands to highlands. The structures of organisms are likewise built up in accordance with definite laws of nutrition and growth. Certain food constituents are essential to existence; these are taken in by the organism; and each organ assimilates that which is required by it. And in like manner, the various parts of organisms are found to bear such invariable relationships to each other that a skilled anatomist can, from the measurement of a single bone, reconstruct the perfect skeleton of the organism to which the bone belongs, and assign to the organism its proper place in the classification of species. Now, the Rev. Baden Powell, writing in defense of the theory of development of species, says, "That species should be subject to exactly the general laws of structure, growth, nutrition, and all other functions of organic life, and yet in the single instance of their mode of birth or origin should constitute exceptions to all physical law, is an incongruity so preposterous that no inductive mind can for a moment entertain it." There is here declared an eternal truth: that the laws of nature are everlastingly unchange- able, inviolable; that what has been proved by a great number of individual facts to be a physical law, has ever been a law, even at the time when nature first asuumed form; that the mode of origin of organic life did not constitute an exception to physical law, but HE HATH GIVEN US LIFE. 127 was governed by it. The application of this truth is evident. It has been found that organisms are endowed with the power of re- production; and in the economy of nature, new organisms are pro- duced only through special acts of creation, or pro-creation, on the part of the parents. When, therefore, the first life appeared, it, too, must have been the result of a special act of creation. But in what did the pri.nal creative power reside? Who was the — — parent the creator of the new life? It has been'found that the earth was incapable of producing life, and that the elements could not themselves spontaneously assume the properties of life. Hence it was necessary that some external force should interfere, or help, in the creation of organic nature. That is, there must have been some mighty power operating from without our planet, by and through which all living beings were formed and endowed with the qualifications of life. And that supreme power which created animate nature was GOD. It is he who is the ultimate source of life; his is the hand that organized the world; his, the mind that framed the laws of organic growth and reproduction. It is recorded that an eminent astronomer and philosopher once said to Napoleon, "I have no need of the hypothesis of a God." But how else shall we give a reason for the created universe, except by a belief in the existence of God? Only divine intelligence could produce an effect so sub- lime as organic nature, in which even the lowest living things exhibit evidences of orderly instinct. Only divine wisdom could appoint and maintain laws so complete, so universal, so indefecti- ble, as those which operate in the natural world. Let him who doubts consider well these established facts, that lifeless matter cannot of itself assume the living state; that the earth was pri- marily a molten mass upon which life could not exist; and that new organisms cannot be produced except by special acts of crea- tion: and he will of necessity concede the existence of a Divine Creator; he will recognize the omnipotent hand of God in all the various forms of nature.