---
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, John A.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 3
published: 1904-01
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'John A. Widtsoe, "Joseph Smith as Scientist. III—Natural Law," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 3 (January 1904): 161–167.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  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: improvementera0703unse
start_page: 161
end_page: 167
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-01)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  publication_year: 1904
  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 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Joseph Smith as Scientist. III—Natural Law

<!-- page:161 -->

IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
Vol. 
        VIL 
        JANUARY, 
        1904. 
        No. 
        3.
JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST.
BY 
        DR.  
        JOHN  
        A.  
        WIDTSOE,  
        DIRECTOR  
        OF 
        THE 
        AGRICULTURAL.
EXPERIMENT  
        STATION,  
        LOGAN,  
        UTAH.
III.—
        NATURAL  
        LAW.
In 
        the 
        seventh 
        book 
        of 
        the 
        Republic 
        of 
        Plato* 
        occurs 
        the 
        fol-
lowing passage:
"Imagine 
        a 
        number 
        of 
        men 
        living 
        in 
        an 
        underground 
        cavernous
chamber, 
        with 
        an 
        entrance 
        open 
        to 
        the 
        light, 
        extending 
        along 
        the-
entire 
        length 
        of 
        the 
        cavern, 
        in 
        which 
        they 
        have 
        been 
        confined, 
        from
childhood, 
        with 
        their 
        legs 
        and 
        necks 
        so 
        shackled, 
        that 
        they 
        are-
obliged 
        to 
        sit 
        still 
        and 
        look 
        straight 
        forward, 
        because 
        their 
        chains-
render 
        it 
        impossible 
        for 
        them 
        to 
        turn 
        their 
        heads 
        round; 
        and 
        im-
agine a 
        bright 
        fire 
        burning 
        some 
        way 
        off, 
        above 
        and 
        behind 
        them,,
and 
        an 
        elevated 
        roadway 
        passing 
        between 
        the 
        fire 
        and 
        the 
        prison-
ers, with 
        a 
        low 
        wall 
        built 
        along 
        it, 
        like 
        the 
        screens 
        which 
        conjurers
put 
        up 
        in 
        front 
        of 
        their 
        audiences, 
        and 
        above 
        which 
        they 
        exhibit
their 
        wonders. 
        Also 
        figure 
        to 
        yourself 
        a 
        number 
        of 
        persons 
        walk-
ing behind 
        the 
        wall, 
        and 
        carrying 
        with 
        them 
        statues 
        of 
        men 
        and'
images 
        of 
        other 
        animals, 
        wrought 
        in 
        wood 
        and 
        stone 
        and 
        all 
        kinds;
of 
        materials, 
        together 
        with 
        various 
        other 
        articles, 
        which 
        overtop
* 
        Golden
        ,
        Treasury 
        edition, 
        pp. 
        235,
        236.

<!-- page:162 -->

162 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
the 
        wall; 
        and, 
        as 
        you 
        might 
        expect, 
        let 
        some 
        of 
        the 
        passers-by 
        be
talking, 
        and 
        the 
        others 
        silent.
"Let 
        me 
        ask 
        whether 
        persons 
        so 
        confined 
        could 
        have 
        seen 
        any-
thing of 
        themselves 
        or 
        of 
        each 
        other, 
        beyond 
        the 
        shadows 
        thrown
by 
        the 
        fire 
        upon 
        the 
        part 
        of 
        the 
        cavern 
        facing 
        them? 
        And 
        is 
        not
their 
        knowledge 
        of 
        the 
        things 
        carried 
        past 
        them 
        equally 
        limited?
And 
        if 
        they 
        were 
        able 
        to 
        converse 
        with 
        one 
        another, 
        would 
        they
not 
        be 
        in 
        the 
        habit 
        of 
        giving 
        names 
        to 
        the 
        objects 
        which 
        they 
        saw
before 
        them? 
        If 
        their 
        prison 
        house 
        returned 
        an 
        echo 
        from 
        the 
        part
facing 
        them, 
        whenever 
        one 
        of 
        the 
        passers-by 
        opened 
        his 
        lips, 
        to
what 
        could 
        they 
        refer 
        the 
        voice, 
        if 
        not 
        to 
        the 
        shadow 
        which 
        was
passing? 
        Surely 
        such 
        persons 
        would 
        hold 
        the 
        shadows 
        of 
        those
manufactured 
        articles 
        to 
        be 
        the 
        only 
        realities."
With 
        reference 
        to 
        our 
        absolute 
        knowledge 
        of 
        the 
        phenomena
of 
        nature, 
        this 
        splendid 
        comparison 
        is 
        as 
        correct 
        today 
        as 
        it 
        was 
        in
the 
        days 
        of 
        Plato, 
        about 
        400 
        B. 
        C; 
        we 
        are 
        only 
        as 
        prisoners 
        in 
        a
great 
        cave, 
        watching 
        shadows 
        of 
        passing 
        objects 
        thrown 
        upon 
        the
cavern 
        wall, 
        and 
        reflecting 
        upon 
        the 
        real 
        natures 
        of 
        the 
        things
whose 
        shadows 
        we 
        see. 
        We 
        know 
        things 
        only 
        by 
        their 
        effects; 
        the
essential 
        nature 
        of 
        matter 
        and 
        energy 
        is 
        far 
        from 
        our 
        understand-
ing.
In 
        early 
        and 
        mediaeval 
        times, 
        the 
        recognition 
        of 
        the 
        fact 
        that
nature 
        in 
        its 
        ultimate 
        form 
        is 
        unknowable, 
        led 
        to 
        many 
        harmful
superstitions. 
        Chief 
        among 
        the 
        fallacies 
        of 
        the 
        early 
        ages 
        was 
        the
belief 
        that 
        God 
        at 
        will 
        could, 
        and 
        did, 
        cause 
        various 
        phenomena 
        to
appear 
        in 
        nature, 
        which 
        might 
        be 
        contrary 
        to 
        all 
        human 
        experience.
As 
        observed 
        in 
        the 
        last 
        article, 
        a 
        class 
        of 
        men 
        arose 
        who 
        claimed
to 
        be 
        in 
        possession 
        of 
        knowledge 
        which 
        made 
        them 
        also 
        able, 
        at
will, 
        to 
        cause 
        various 
        supernatural 
        manifestations. 
        Thus 
        arose 
        the
occult 
        sciences, 
        so 
        called,
        —
        alchemy, 
        astrology, 
        magic, 
        witchcraft,
and 
        all 
        other 
        similar 
        abominations 
        of 
        the 
        intellect. 
        Such 
        beliefs
made 
        the 
        logical 
        study 
        of 
        nature 
        superfluous, 
        for 
        any 
        apparent
regularity 
        or 
        law 
        in 
        nature 
        might 
        at 
        any 
        time 
        be 
        overturned 
        by 
        a
person 
        in 
        possession 
        of 
        a 
        formula 
        of 
        the 
        black 
        art 
        or 
        a 
        properly
treated 
        broomstick.
While 
        such 
        ideas 
        prevailed 
        among 
        the 
        majority 
        of 
        men, 
        the
rational 
        study 
        of 
        science 
        could 
        make 
        little 
        progress. 
        In 
        the 
        march
of 
        the 
        ages, 
        as 
        the 
        ideas 
        of 
        men 
        were 
        classified, 
        it 
        began 
        to 
        be 
        un-

<!-- page:163 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        163
derstood 
        that 
        the 
        claims 
        of 
        the 
        devotees 
        of 
        the 
        mystical 
        arts 
        not
only 
        could 
        not 
        be 
        substantiated 
        but 
        were 
        in 
        direct 
        opposition 
        to 
        the
linown 
        operations 
        of 
        nature. 
        It 
        became 
        clear 
        to 
        the 
        truthseekers,
that 
        in 
        nature 
        a 
        given 
        cause, 
        acting 
        upon 
        any 
        given 
        object, 
        provid-
ing all 
        surrounding 
        conditions 
        be 
        left 
        unchanged, 
        will 
        always 
        pro-
duce the 
        same 
        effect. 
        Thus, 
        coal 
        of 
        a 
        certain 
        quality, 
        brought 
        to
a 
        high 
        temperature 
        in 
        the 
        presence 
        of 
        air, 
        will 
        burn 
        and 
        produce
heat; 
        a 
        stick 
        held 
        in 
        water 
        at 
        the 
        right 
        angle 
        will 
        appear 
        crooked;
iron 
        kept 
        in 
        contact 
        with 
        moisture 
        and 
        air, 
        at 
        the 
        right 
        tempera-
ture, will 
        be 
        changed 
        into 
        rust; 
        sunlight 
        passed 
        through 
        a 
        glass
prism 
        will 
        be 
        broken 
        into 
        rainbow 
        colors; 
        ordinary 
        plants 
        placed 
        in
a 
        dark 
        cellar 
        will 
        languish 
        and 
        die. 
        No 
        matter 
        how 
        often 
        trials
are 
        made, 
        the 
        above 
        results 
        are 
        obtained; 
        and 
        today 
        it 
        is 
        safe 
        to
assert 
        that 
        in 
        the 
        material 
        world 
        no 
        relation 
        of 
        cause 
        and 
        effect,
once 
        established, 
        has 
        failed 
        to 
        reappear 
        at 
        the 
        will 
        of 
        the 
        investi-
gator. As 
        this 
        principle 
        of 
        the 
        constancy 
        in 
        the 
        relation 
        between
cause 
        and 
        effect 
        was 
        established, 
        the 
        element 
        of 
        chance 
        in 
        natural
phenomena, 
        with 
        its 
        attendant 
        arts 
        of 
        magic, 
        had 
        to 
        disappear. 
        It
is 
        now 
        well 
        understood 
        by 
        intelligent 
        persons 
        that 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        order
controls 
        all 
        the 
        elements 
        of 
        nature.
It 
        is 
        true 
        that 
        the 
        cause 
        of 
        any 
        given 
        effect 
        may, 
        itself, 
        be 
        the
effect 
        of 
        other 
        causes, 
        and 
        that 
        the 
        first 
        cause 
        of 
        daily 
        phenomena
is 
        not 
        and 
        probably 
        cannot 
        be 
        understood. 
        It 
        is 
        also 
        true 
        that 
        very
seldom 
        is 
        the 
        mind 
        able 
        to 
        comprehend 
        why 
        certain 
        causes, 
        save
the 
        simpler 
        ones, 
        should 
        produce 
        certain 
        effects. 
        In 
        that 
        respect
we 
        are 
        again 
        nothing 
        more 
        than 
        Plato's 
        cave 
        prisoners, 
        seeing 
        the
shadows 
        of 
        ultimate 
        realities. 
        However, 
        the 
        recognition 
        of 
        the
principle 
        of 
        the 
        invariable 
        relation 
        between 
        cause 
        and 
        effect 
        was 
        a
great 
        onward 
        stride 
        in 
        the 
        intellectual 
        development 
        of 
        the 
        world.
Now, 
        as 
        men 
        began 
        to 
        investigate 
        nature 
        with 
        her 
        forces, 
        ac-
cording to 
        the 
        new 
        light, 
        numerous 
        relations 
        of 
        the 
        forces 
        were
discovered
        —
        in 
        number 
        far 
        beyond 
        the 
        comprehension 
        of 
        the 
        human
mind. 
        Then 
        it 
        was 
        found 
        necessary 
        to 
        group 
        all 
        facts 
        of 
        a 
        similar
nature, 
        and 
        invent, 
        if 
        possible, 
        some 
        means 
        by 
        which 
        the 
        proper-
ties of 
        the 
        whole 
        group 
        might 
        be 
        stated 
        in 
        language 
        so 
        simple 
        as 
        to
reach 
        the 
        understanding. 
        Thus 
        came 
        the 
        laws 
        of 
        nature.
For 
        instance, 
        men 
        from 
        earliest 
        times 
        observed 
        the 
        heavenly
bodies 
        and 
        the 
        regularity 
        of 
        their 
        motions.    
        Theories 
        of 
        the 
        uni-

<!-- page:164 -->

164 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
verse 
        were 
        invented 
        which 
        should 
        harmonize 
        with 
        the 
        known 
        facts.
As 
        new 
        facts 
        were 
        discovered, 
        the 
        theories 
        had 
        to 
        be 
        changed 
        and
extended. 
        First 
        it 
        was 
        believed 
        that 
        the 
        earth 
        was 
        fixed 
        in 
        mid-
space, 
        and 
        sun 
        and 
        stars 
        were 
        daily 
        carried 
        around 
        it. 
        Hipparchus
improved 
        this 
        theory 
        by 
        placing 
        the 
        earth 
        not 
        exactly 
        in 
        the 
        cen-
ter of 
        the 
        sun's 
        circle. 
        Ptolemy, 
        three 
        hundred 
        years 
        later, 
        con-
sidered that 
        the 
        sun 
        and 
        moon 
        move 
        in 
        circles, 
        yearly, 
        around 
        the
earth, 
        and 
        the 
        other 
        planets 
        in 
        circles, 
        whose 
        centers 
        again 
        des-
cribed circles 
        round 
        the 
        earth. 
        Copernicus 
        simplified 
        the 
        whole
system 
        by 
        considering 
        that 
        the 
        earth 
        rotated 
        around 
        its 
        axis, 
        and
around 
        the 
        sun. 
        Keppler 
        next 
        showed 
        that 
        the 
        earth 
        moved
around 
        the 
        sun 
        in 
        certain 
        curves 
        termed 
        ellipses. 
        Finally, 
        Newton
hit 
        upon 
        the 
        wide-embracing 
        law 
        of 
        gravitation, 
        which 
        unifies 
        all 
        the
known 
        facts 
        of 
        astronomy.* 
        All 
        the 
        earlier 
        laws 
        were 
        correct, 
        so
far 
        as 
        they 
        included 
        all 
        the 
        knowledge 
        of 
        the 
        age 
        in 
        which 
        they
were 
        proposed, 
        but 
        were 
        insufficient 
        to 
        include 
        the 
        new 
        discoveries.
Laws 
        of 
        nature 
        are, 
        therefore, 
        man's 
        simplest 
        and 
        most 
        com-
prehensive expression 
        of 
        his 
        knowledge 
        of 
        certain 
        groups 
        of 
        natural
phenomena. 
        They 
        are 
        man-made, 
        and 
        subject 
        to 
        change 
        as 
        knowl-
edge grows; 
        but, 
        as 
        they 
        change, 
        they 
        approach 
        or 
        should 
        approach
more 
        and 
        more 
        nearly 
        to 
        the 
        perfect 
        law. 
        Modern 
        science 
        is 
        built
upon 
        the 
        assumption 
        that 
        the 
        relations 
        between 
        cause 
        and 
        effect
are 
        invariable, 
        and 
        that 
        these 
        relations 
        may 
        be 
        grouped 
        to 
        form
great 
        natural 
        laws, 
        which 
        express 
        the 
        modes 
        by 
        which 
        the 
        forces
of 
        the 
        universe 
        manifest 
        themselves.
In 
        this 
        matter, 
        science 
        is 
        frankly 
        humble, 
        and 
        acknowledges
that 
        the 
        region 
        of 
        the 
        unknown 
        is 
        far 
        greater 
        than 
        that 
        of 
        the
known. 
        Forces, 
        relations 
        and 
        laws 
        may 
        exist 
        as 
        yet 
        unknown 
        to
the 
        world 
        of 
        science, 
        which, 
        used 
        by 
        a 
        human 
        or 
        superhuman 
        being,
might 
        to 
        all 
        appearances 
        change 
        well-established 
        relations 
        of 
        known
forces. 
        That 
        would 
        be 
        a 
        miracle; 
        but 
        a 
        miracle 
        simply 
        means 
        a
phenomenon 
        not 
        understood, 
        in 
        its 
        cause 
        and 
        effect 
        relations. 
        It
must 
        also 
        be 
        admitted 
        that 
        men 
        possess 
        no 
        absolute 
        certainty 
        that
though 
        certain 
        forces, 
        brought 
        into 
        a 
        certain 
        conjunction 
        a 
        thou-
sand times, 
        have 
        produced 
        the 
        same 
        effect, 
        they 
        will 
        continue 
        to 
        do
so.    
        Should 
        a 
        variation 
        occur, 
        however, 
        that 
        also 
        must 
        be 
        ascribed
See 
        Grammar 
        of 
        Science, 
        Pearson, 
        pp. 
        117 
        and 
        118.

<!-- page:165 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        165
to 
        an 
        inherent 
        property 
        of 
        the 
        forces 
        or 
        conditions, 
        or 
        the 
        existence
of 
        a 
        law 
        not 
        understood.* 
        There 
        can 
        be 
        no 
        chance 
        in 
        the 
        opera-
tions of 
        nature.    
        This 
        is 
        a 
        universe 
        of 
        law 
        and 
        order.
Were 
        it 
        not 
        for 
        the 
        sake 
        of 
        the 
        completeness 
        of 
        the 
        argument
running 
        through 
        these 
        papers, 
        it 
        would 
        be 
        unnecessary 
        to 
        call 
        at-
tention to 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        in 
        a 
        very 
        high 
        degree 
        held
views 
        similar 
        to 
        those 
        taught 
        by 
        science 
        relative 
        to 
        cause 
        and 
        effect
and 
        the 
        reign 
        of 
        law.
From 
        the 
        beginning 
        of 
        his 
        career, 
        the 
        Prophet 
        insisted 
        upon
order, 
        or 
        system, 
        as 
        the 
        first 
        law 
        in 
        the 
        religion 
        or 
        system 
        of 
        phil-
osophy which 
        he 
        founded.f 
        Moreover, 
        the 
        order 
        which 
        he 
        taught
was
        'of 
        an«unchangeable 
        nature, 
        corresponding 
        to 
        the 
        invariable 
        re-
lation between 
        cause 
        and 
        effect. 
        He 
        wrote, 
        "There 
        is 
        a 
        law, 
        irre-
vocably decreed 
        in 
        heaven 
        before 
        the 
        foundations 
        of 
        this 
        world, 
        up-
on'iwhich 
        "all 
        blessings 
        are 
        predicated; 
        and 
        when 
        we 
        obtain 
        any
blessing 
        from 
        God, 
        it 
        is 
        by 
        obedience 
        to 
        that 
        law 
        upon 
        which 
        it 
        is
predicated.''^ 
        No 
        text 
        book 
        in 
        science 
        has 
        a 
        clearer 
        or 
        more 
        pos-
itive statement 
        than 
        this, 
        of 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        like 
        causes 
        have 
        like 
        ef-
fects, like 
        actions 
        like 
        results. 
        The 
        eternal 
        nature 
        of 
        natural 
        law
is 
        further 
        emphasized 
        as 
        follows:
'If 
        there 
        be 
        bounds 
        set 
        to 
        the 
        heavens, 
        or 
        to 
        the 
        seas: 
        or 
        to
the 
        dry 
        land, 
        or 
        to 
        the 
        sun, 
        moon 
        or 
        stars; 
        all 
        the 
        times 
        of 
        their
revolutions; 
        all 
        the 
        appointed 
        days, 
        months, 
        and 
        years, 
        and 
        all 
        the
days 
        of 
        their 
        days, 
        months, 
        and 
        years, 
        and 
        all 
        their 
        glories, 
        laws,
and 
        set 
        times, 
        shall 
        be 
        revealed, 
        in 
        the 
        days 
        of 
        the 
        dispensation 
        of
the 
        fullness 
        of 
        times, 
        according 
        to 
        that 
        which 
        was 
        ordained 
        in 
        the
midst 
        of 
        the 
        Council 
        of 
        the 
        Eternal 
        God 
        of 
        all 
        other 
        Gods, 
        before
this 
        world 
        was."§
Those 
        who 
        m.ay 
        be 
        inclined 
        to 
        believe 
        that 
        this 
        doctrine 
        was
taught 
        in 
        a 
        spiritual 
        sense 
        only, 
        should 
        recall 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith
taught 
        also 
        that 
        spirit 
        is 
        only 
        a 
        pure 
        form 
        of 
        matter,]
        | 
        so 
        that 
        the
* 
        The 
        Credentials 
        of 
        Science, 
        the 
        Warrant 
        of 
        Faith, 
        Cooke, 
        pp. 
        169
        ,
170.
t 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        28:13; 
        132:8.
± 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        130:20,21.
§ 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        121:30-32.
11 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        131:7.

<!-- page:166 -->

166 
        IMPROVEMENJ 
        ERA.
principles 
        of 
        the 
        material 
        world 
        must 
        have 
        their 
        counterparts 
        to
the 
        spiritual 
        world. 
        Besides, 
        in 
        the 
        last 
        quotation 
        reference 
        is
made 
        to 
        such 
        material 
        bodies 
        as 
        sun, 
        moon, 
        and 
        stars. 
        In 
        other
places, 
        special 
        mention 
        is 
        made 
        of 
        the 
        fact 
        that 
        the 
        material 
        uni-
verse is 
        controlled 
        by 
        law.    
        For 
        instance
        :
"All 
        kingdoms 
        have 
        a 
        law 
        given: 
        and 
        there 
        are 
        many 
        king-
doms; * 
        * 
        * 
        * 
        and 
        unto 
        every 
        kingdom 
        is 
        given 
        a 
        law; 
        and
unto 
        every 
        law 
        there 
        are 
        certain 
        bounds 
        also 
        and 
        conditions.
***:!= 
        ^j^(j 
        again, 
        verily 
        I 
        say 
        unto 
        you, 
        he 
        hath 
        given 
        a 
        law
unto 
        all 
        things 
        by 
        which 
        they 
        move 
        in 
        their 
        times 
        and 
        their 
        seasons;
and 
        their 
        courses 
        are 
        fixed; 
        even 
        the 
        courses 
        of 
        the 
        heavens 
        and
the 
        earth, 
        which 
        comprehend 
        the 
        earth 
        and 
        all 
        the 
        planets."*
This 
        also 
        is 
        a 
        clear, 
        concise 
        statement 
        of 
        law 
        and 
        its 
        nature,
which 
        is 
        not 
        excelled 
        by 
        the 
        definitions 
        cf 
        science. 
        There 
        can 
        be
no 
        doubt 
        from 
        these 
        quotations, 
        as 
        from 
        many 
        others 
        that 
        might
be 
        made, 
        that 
        Joseph 
        vSmith 
        based 
        his 
        teachings 
        upon 
        the 
        recogni-
tion that 
        law 
        pervades 
        the 
        universe, 
        and 
        that 
        none 
        can 
        transcend
law.
Certainly 
        the 
        claim 
        cannot 
        be 
        made 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        antic-
ipated the 
        world 
        of 
        science 
        in 
        the 
        recognition 
        of 
        this 
        important
principle; 
        but 
        it 
        is 
        a 
        source 
        of 
        marvel 
        that 
        he 
        should 
        so 
        clearly
recognize 
        and 
        state 
        it, 
        at 
        a 
        time 
        when 
        many 
        religious 
        sects 
        and
philosophical 
        creeds 
        chose 
        to 
        assume 
        that 
        natural 
        laws 
        could 
        be
set 
        aside 
        easily 
        by 
        mystical 
        methods 
        that 
        might 
        be 
        acquired 
        by
anyone. 
        In 
        some 
        respects, 
        the 
        scientific 
        test 
        of 
        the 
        divine 
        inspira-
tion of 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        lies 
        here. 
        Ignorant 
        and 
        superstitious 
        as 
        his
enemies 
        say 
        he 
        was, 
        the 
        mystical 
        would 
        have 
        attracted 
        him 
        greatly,
and 
        he 
        would 
        have 
        played 
        for 
        his 
        own 
        interest 
        upon 
        the 
        supersti-
tious fears 
        of 
        his 
        followers. 
        Instead, 
        he 
        taught 
        doctrines 
        abso-
lutely free 
        from 
        mysticism, 
        and 
        built 
        a 
        system 
        of 
        religion 
        in 
        which
the 
        invariable 
        relation 
        of 
        cause 
        and 
        effect 
        is 
        the 
        cornerstone. 
        In-
stead of 
        priding 
        himself, 
        to 
        his 
        disciples, 
        upon 
        his 
        superiority 
        to
the 
        laws 
        of 
        nature, 
        he 
        taught 
        distinctly 
        that 
        "the 
        law 
        also 
        maketh
you 
        free."t 
        Herein 
        he 
        recognized 
        another 
        great 
        principle
        —
        that
freedom 
        consists 
        in 
        the 
        adaptation 
        to 
        law, 
        not 
        in 
        the 
        opposition 
        t«
it.
* 
        Doctrine 
        avd 
        Covenants, 
        88:36-38, 
        42, 
        43.
t 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        98:8.

<!-- page:167 -->

JOSEPH SMITH AS SCIENTIST. 167

However, whatever else the Prophet Joseph Smith was, he most certainly was in full harmony with the scientific principle that the universe is controlled by law.

(To be continued.)