---
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: 4
published: 1904-02
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'John A. Widtsoe, "Joseph Smith as Scientist. IV," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 4 (February 1904): 241–247.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0704unse
  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: improvementera0704unse
start_page: 241
end_page: 247
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-02)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0704unse
  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. IV

<!-- page:241 -->

IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
Vol, 
        Vn. 
        FEBRUARY, 
        1904. 
        No. 
        4.
JOSEPH 
        SMITH  
        AS 
        SCIENTIST.
BY 
        DR.  
        JOHN 
        A.  
        WIDTSOE,  
        DIRECTOR  
        OF 
        THE 
        AGRICULTURAL
EXPERIMENT  
        STATION,  
        LOGAN,  
        UTAH.
IV.—
        THE 
        FUNDAMENTAL 
        CONCEPT 
        OF 
        PHYSICAL 
        SCIENCE.
The 
        nature 
        of 
        light 
        has 
        been 
        in 
        every 
        age 
        a 
        fascinating 
        sub-
ject for 
        study 
        and 
        reflection. 
        Descartes, 
        the 
        French 
        mathema-
tician and 
        philosopher, 
        advanced 
        the 
        hypothesis 
        that 
        light 
        con-
sists of 
        small 
        particles 
        emitted 
        by 
        luminous 
        bodies, 
        and 
        that 
        the
sensation 
        of 
        light 
        is 
        produced 
        by 
        the 
        impact 
        of 
        these 
        particles 
        up-
on the 
        retina 
        of 
        the 
        eye. 
        Soon 
        after 
        this 
        emission 
        or 
        corpuscular
theory 
        had 
        been 
        proposed, 
        Hooke, 
        an 
        English 
        investigator 
        of 
        great
note, 
        stated 
        publicly 
        that 
        the 
        phenomena 
        of 
        light, 
        as 
        he 
        had 
        ob-
served them, 
        led 
        him 
        to 
        the 
        belief 
        that 
        the 
        nature 
        of 
        light 
        could
best 
        be 
        explained 
        on 
        the 
        assumption 
        that 
        light 
        was 
        a 
        kind 
        of 
        un-
dulation or 
        wave 
        in 
        some 
        unknown 
        medium, 
        and 
        that 
        the 
        sensa-
tion of 
        light 
        was 
        produced 
        when 
        these 
        waves 
        struck 
        upon 
        the 
        ret-
ina of 
        the 
        eye. 
        This 
        new 
        hypothesis, 
        known 
        as 
        the 
        theory 
        of 
        un-
dulations, after 
        the 
        great 
        Isaac 
        Newton 
        had 
        declared 
        himself 
        in
favor 
        of 
        the 
        corpuscular 
        theory, 
        was 
        finally 
        adjudged 
        by 
        the 
        ma-
jority of 
        students 
        to 
        be 
        erroneous.
About 
        the 
        year 
        1800, 
        more 
        than 
        a 
        century 
        after 
        the 
        days 
        of
Descartes,   
        Hooke   
        and   
        Newton,    
        an    
        English   
        physician,   
        Dr.

<!-- page:242 -->

242 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
Thomas 
        Young, 
        who 
        had 
        long 
        experimented 
        on 
        the 
        nature 
        of 
        light,
asserted 
        that 
        the 
        emission 
        theory 
        could 
        not 
        explain 
        many 
        of 
        the
best 
        known 
        phenomena 
        of 
        light. 
        Dr. 
        Young 
        further 
        claimed 
        that
correct 
        explanations 
        could 
        be 
        made 
        only 
        by 
        the 
        theory 
        of 
        waves 
        of
undulation 
        of 
        an 
        etherial 
        medium 
        diffused 
        through 
        space, 
        and 
        pre-
sented numerous 
        experimental 
        evidences 
        in 
        favor 
        of 
        this 
        view.
This 
        revival 
        of 
        the 
        old 
        theory 
        of 
        undulation 
        met 
        at 
        first 
        with 
        vio-
lent opposition 
        from 
        many 
        of 
        the 
        greatest 
        scientific 
        minds 
        of 
        the
day. 
        Sometime 
        after 
        Dr. 
        Young's 
        publication, 
        a 
        French 
        army 
        offi-
cer, Augustine 
        Fresnel, 
        undertook 
        the 
        study 
        of 
        the 
        nature 
        of 
        light,
and 
        arrived, 
        almost 
        independently, 
        at 
        the 
        conclusion 
        stated 
        by 
        Dr.
Young. 
        Later, 
        other 
        investigators 
        discovered 
        light 
        phenomena
which 
        could 
        be 
        explained 
        only 
        on 
        the 
        undulatory 
        hypothesis, 
        and
so, 
        little 
        by 
        little, 
        the 
        new 
        theory 
        gained 
        ground 
        and 
        adherents.
Still, 
        even 
        as 
        late 
        as 
        1827, 
        the 
        astronomer 
        Herschel 
        published
a 
        treatise 
        on 
        light, 
        in 
        which 
        he 
        appeared 
        to 
        hold 
        the 
        real 
        merit 
        of
the 
        theory 
        of 
        undulations 
        in 
        grave 
        doubt.* 
        Likewise, 
        the 
        Imperial
Academy 
        at 
        St. 
        Petersburg, 
        in 
        1826, 
        proposed 
        a 
        prize 
        for 
        the 
        best
attempt 
        to 
        relieve 
        the 
        undulatory 
        theory 
        of 
        light 
        of 
        some 
        of 
        the
main 
        objections 
        against 
        it.f 
        It 
        was 
        several 
        years 
        later 
        before 
        the
great 
        majority 
        of 
        the 
        scientific 
        world 
        accepted 
        the 
        theory 
        of 
        un-
dulations as 
        the 
        correct 
        explanation 
        of 
        the 
        phenomena 
        of 
        light.
In 
        brief, 
        this 
        theory 
        assumes 
        that 
        a 
        very 
        attenuated, 
        but 
        very
elastic, 
        substance, 
        called 
        the 
        luminiferous 
        ether, 
        fills 
        all 
        space, 
        and
is 
        found 
        surrounding 
        the 
        ultimate 
        particles 
        of 
        matter. 
        Thus, 
        the
pores 
        of 
        wood, 
        soil, 
        lead, 
        gold 
        and 
        the 
        human 
        body, 
        are 
        filled 
        with
the 
        luminiferous 
        ether; 
        and 
        it 
        is 
        quite 
        impossible 
        by 
        any 
        known
process 
        to 
        obtain 
        a 
        portion 
        of 
        space 
        free 
        from 
        it. 
        A 
        luminous
body 
        is 
        one 
        in 
        which 
        the 
        ultimate 
        particles, 
        the 
        atoms 
        or 
        molecules,
are 
        moving 
        very 
        rapidly, 
        and 
        thus 
        causing 
        disturbances 
        in 
        the 
        ether,
similar 
        to 
        the 
        disturbances 
        in 
        quiet 
        water 
        when 
        a 
        rock 
        is 
        thrown
into 
        it; 
        and, 
        like 
        the 
        water 
        wave, 
        proceeding 
        from 
        the 
        point 
        of
disturbance, 
        so 
        the 
        ether 
        waves 
        radiate 
        from 
        the 
        luminous 
        body
into 
        space.   
        When 
        a 
        wave 
        strikes 
        the 
        retina 
        of 
        the 
        eye, 
        the 
        sensa-
* 
        History 
        of 
        the 
        Inductive 
        Sciences, 
        Whewell, 
        3rd   
        edition.     
        Vol.
II, 
        p. 
        114.
t 
        Loc. 
        eit, 
        117.

<!-- page:243 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIEhiTIST. 
        243
tion 
        of 
        light 
        is 
        produced.    
        This 
        new-found 
        ether 
        was 
        soon 
        used 
        for
the 
        explanation 
        of 
        other 
        natural 
        phenomena.
The 
        nature 
        of 
        heat 
        had 
        long 
        been 
        discussed 
        when 
        the 
        world
of 
        science 
        decided 
        in 
        favor 
        of 
        the 
        undulatory 
        theory 
        of 
        light. 
        One
school 
        held 
        that 
        the 
        sensation 
        of 
        heat 
        was 
        caused 
        by 
        the 
        cannon-
ading of 
        heat 
        particles 
        by 
        the 
        heated 
        body; 
        the 
        other 
        school, 
        with
few 
        adherents, 
        insisted 
        that 
        heat 
        was 
        simply 
        a 
        form 
        of 
        motion 
        of
the 
        luminiferous 
        ether 
        already 
        adopted 
        in 
        the 
        theory 
        of 
        light. 
        The
later 
        discoveries 
        of 
        science 
        proved 
        with 
        considerable 
        certainty 
        that
the 
        undulatory 
        theory 
        of 
        heat 
        is 
        right, 
        but 
        it 
        was 
        well 
        towards 
        the
middle 
        of 
        the 
        last 
        century 
        before 
        the 
        emission 
        theory 
        of 
        heat 
        lost
its 
        ground. 
        In 
        fact, 
        Dr. 
        Whewell, 
        in 
        the 
        third 
        edition 
        of 
        his 
        classic
book 
        on 
        the 
        History 
        of 
        Inductive 
        Sciences, 
        published 
        in 
        1859, 
        says
that 
        the 
        undulatory 
        theory 
        of 
        heat 
        "has 
        not 
        by 
        any 
        means 
        received
full 
        confirmation;" 
        * 
        and 
        Dr. 
        John 
        Tyndall, 
        in 
        a 
        book 
        published 
        in
1880, 
        says, 
        that 
        the 
        emission 
        theory 
        "held 
        its 
        ground 
        until 
        quite
recently 
        among 
        the 
        chemists 
        of 
        our 
        own 
        day."t 
        Today, 
        the 
        evi-
dences of 
        modern 
        science 
        are 
        overwhelmingly 
        in 
        favor 
        of 
        the 
        undu-
latorv 
        theory 
        of 
        heat.
The 
        wonderful 
        developments 
        of 
        the 
        last 
        century, 
        in 
        electricity
and 
        magnetism, 
        led 
        to 
        much 
        speculation 
        concerning 
        the 
        nature 
        of
the 
        subtle 
        electrical 
        and 
        magnetic 
        forces. 
        The 
        most 
        popular 
        theo-
ries for 
        many 
        years 
        were 
        those 
        that 
        presupposed 
        various 
        electrical
and 
        magnetic 
        fluids, 
        which 
        could 
        be 
        collected, 
        conducted, 
        dispersed
and 
        otherwise 
        controlled. 
        In 
        1867, 
        the 
        eminent 
        English 
        mathe-
matician. Clerk 
        Maxwell, 
        proposed 
        the 
        theory 
        that 
        electrical 
        and
magnetic 
        phenomena 
        were 
        simply 
        peculiar 
        motions 
        of 
        the 
        ether,
bearing 
        definite 
        relationship 
        to 
        light 
        waves. 
        Later 
        researches, 
        one
result 
        of 
        which 
        is 
        the 
        now 
        famous 
        Roentgen 
        or 
        X-rays, 
        have 
        tended
to 
        confirm 
        Maxwell's 
        theory. 
        A 
        recent 
        text-book 
        on 
        physics, 
        of
unquestioned 
        authority,! 
        states 
        that 
        the 
        ether 
        theory 
        of 
        electricity
and 
        magnetism 
        is 
        now 
        susceptible 
        of 
        direct 
        demonstration; 
        and
another 
        eminent 
        authority 
        frankly 
        states 
        that 
        "when 
        we 
        explain
*Vol. 
        II, 
        p. 
        184.
fflitaf, 
        A 
        Mode 
        of 
        Motion, 
        Tyndall, 
        6th 
        ed., 
        p. 
        38.
X 
        Lehrhueh 
        der 
        Physik, 
        Riecke, 
        (1896), 
        2ter 
        band. 
        p. 
        315.

<!-- page:244 -->

244 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
the 
        nature 
        of 
        electricity, 
        we 
        explain 
        it 
        by 
        a 
        motion 
        of 
        the 
        luminif-
erous 
        ether."*
Other 
        recent 
        discoveries 
        have 
        hinted 
        at 
        the 
        possibility 
        of 
        mat-
ter itself 
        being 
        only 
        the 
        result 
        of 
        peculiar 
        forms 
        of 
        this 
        all-per-
vading substance, 
        the 
        luminif 
        erous 
        ether. 
        At 
        the 
        present 
        writing,
the 
        properties 
        of 
        the 
        so-called 
        element 
        radium, 
        suggests 
        the 
        possi-
bility of 
        a 
        better 
        understanding 
        of 
        the 
        nature 
        of 
        the 
        ether, 
        and 
        of
its 
        relation 
        to 
        the 
        world 
        of 
        phenomena.
That 
        the 
        present 
        knowledge 
        of 
        the 
        world 
        of 
        science 
        compels 
        a
faith 
        in 
        an 
        all-pervading 
        substance, 
        of 
        marvelous 
        properties, 
        and
of 
        intimate 
        relationship 
        to 
        all 
        forms 
        of 
        energy, 
        is 
        shown 
        by 
        the
following 
        quotations 
        from 
        Lord 
        Kelvin, 
        who 
        is 
        generally 
        regarded
as 
        the 
        world's 
        greatest 
        physicist: 
        "The 
        luminif 
        erous 
        ether, 
        that 
        is
the 
        only 
        substance 
        we 
        are 
        confident 
        of 
        in 
        dynamics. 
        One 
        thing 
        we
are 
        sure 
        of, 
        and 
        that 
        is 
        the 
        reality 
        and 
        substantiality 
        of 
        the 
        lumin-
if erous 
        ether." 
        "What 
        can 
        this 
        luminif 
        erous 
        ether 
        be? 
        It 
        is 
        some-
thing that 
        the 
        planets 
        move 
        through 
        with 
        the 
        greatest 
        ease. 
        It
permeates 
        our 
        air; 
        it 
        is 
        nearly 
        in 
        the 
        same 
        condition, 
        so 
        far 
        as 
        our
means 
        of 
        judging 
        are 
        concerned, 
        in 
        our 
        air 
        and 
        in 
        the 
        interplane-
tary space." 
        "You 
        may 
        regard 
        the 
        existence 
        of 
        the 
        luminiferous
ether 
        as 
        a 
        reality 
        of 
        science." 
        "It 
        is 
        matter 
        prodigiously 
        less
dense 
        than 
        air—
        of 
        such 
        density 
        as 
        not 
        to 
        produce 
        the 
        slightest 
        re-
sistance to 
        any 
        body 
        going 
        through 
        it."t
Joseph 
        Smith, 
        in 
        a 
        revelation 
        received 
        on 
        December 
        27, 
        1832,
wrote:
"The 
        light 
        which 
        now 
        shineth, 
        which 
        giveth 
        you 
        light, 
        is
through 
        him 
        who 
        enlighteneth 
        your 
        eyes, 
        which 
        is 
        the 
        same 
        light
that 
        quickeneth 
        your 
        understandings; 
        which 
        light 
        proceedeth 
        forth
from 
        the 
        presence 
        of 
        God 
        to 
        fill 
        the 
        immensity 
        of 
        space. 
        The 
        light
which 
        is 
        in 
        all 
        things: 
        which 
        is 
        the 
        law 
        by 
        which 
        all 
        things 
        are
governed: 
        even 
        the 
        power 
        of 
        God."
        J
This 
        quotation 
        gives 
        undoubted 
        evidence 
        of 
        the 
        Prophet's 
        be-
lief that 
        space 
        is 
        filled 
        with 
        some 
        substance 
        which 
        bears 
        important
relations 
        to 
        all 
        natural 
        phenomena.    
        The 
        word 
        substance 
        is 
        used
* 
        Popular 
        Lectures 
        and 
        Addresses, 
        Kelvin 
        (1891) 
        Vol. 
        1, 
        page 
        334.
t 
        Kelvin's 
        Lectures, 
        Vol. 
        1, 
        pp. 
        317, 
        334, 
        336, 
        354.
$ 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        section 
        88: 
        11-13.

<!-- page:245 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        245
advisedly; 
        for 
        in 
        various 
        places 
        in 
        the 
        writings 
        of 
        Joseph 
        Smith,
light, 
        used 
        as 
        above 
        in 
        a 
        general 
        sense, 
        means 
        spirit,* 
        and 
        "all 
        spirit
is 
        matter, 
        but 
        it 
        is 
        more 
        fine 
        and 
        pure."t
True, 
        the 
        passage 
        above 
        quoted 
        does 
        not 
        furnish 
        detailed 
        ex-
planation of 
        the 
        Prophet's 
        view 
        concerning 
        the 
        substance 
        filling 
        all
space, 
        but 
        it 
        must 
        be 
        remembered 
        that 
        it 
        is 
        simply 
        an 
        incidental
paragraph 
        in 
        a 
        chapter 
        of 
        religious 
        instruction. 
        True, 
        also, 
        the
Prophet 
        goes 
        farther 
        than 
        some 
        modern 
        scientists, 
        when 
        he 
        says
that 
        this 
        universal 
        substance 
        bears 
        a 
        controlling 
        relation 
        to 
        all
things; 
        yet, 
        when 
        it 
        is 
        recalled 
        that 
        eminent, 
        sober 
        students 
        have
suggested 
        that 
        the 
        facts 
        of 
        science 
        make 
        it 
        possible 
        to 
        believe 
        that
matter 
        itself 
        is 
        simply 
        a 
        phenomena 
        of 
        the 
        universal 
        ether, 
        the
statement 
        of 
        the 
        "Mormon" 
        prophet 
        seems 
        very 
        reasonable. 
        The
paragraph 
        already 
        quoted 
        is 
        not 
        an 
        accidental 
        arrangement 
        of
words 
        suggesting 
        an 
        idea 
        not 
        intended 
        by 
        the 
        Prophet, 
        for 
        in 
        other
places, 
        he 
        presents 
        the 
        idea 
        of 
        an 
        omnipresent 
        substance 
        binding
all 
        things 
        together. 
        For 
        instance, 
        in 
        speaking 
        of 
        the 
        controlling
power 
        of 
        the 
        universe 
        he 
        -says:
"He 
        comprehendeth 
        all 
        things, 
        and 
        all 
        things 
        are 
        before 
        him,
and 
        all 
        things 
        are 
        round 
        about 
        him; 
        and 
        he 
        is 
        above 
        all 
        things, 
        and
in 
        all 
        things, 
        and 
        is 
        through 
        all 
        things, 
        and 
        is 
        round 
        about 
        all
things."!
That 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        does 
        not 
        here 
        have 
        in 
        mind 
        an 
        omnipresent
God, 
        is 
        proved 
        by 
        the 
        emphatic 
        doctrine 
        that 
        God 
        is 
        personal 
        and
cannot 
        be 
        everywhere 
        present.§
Lest 
        it 
        be 
        thought 
        that 
        the 
        words 
        are 
        forced, 
        for 
        argument's
sake, 
        to 
        give 
        the 
        desired 
        meaning, 
        it 
        may 
        be 
        well 
        to 
        examine 
        the
views 
        of 
        some 
        of 
        the 
        persons 
        to 
        whom 
        the 
        Prophet 
        explained 
        in
detail 
        the 
        meanings 
        of 
        the 
        statements 
        in 
        the 
        revelations 
        which 
        he
claimed 
        to 
        have 
        received 
        from 
        God.
Parley 
        P. 
        Pratt, 
        who, 
        as 
        a 
        member 
        of 
        the 
        first 
        quorum 
        of
apostles, 
        had 
        every 
        opportunity 
        of 
        obtaining 
        the 
        Prophet's 
        views
on 
        any 
        subject, 
        wrote 
        in 
        considerable 
        fullness 
        on 
        the 
        subject 
        of 
        the
Holy 
        Spirit, 
        or 
        the 
        light 
        of 
        truth:
* 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        84: 
        45.
t 
        Ibid, 
        131: 
        7.
t 
        Ibid, 
        88: 
        41.
§ 
        Ibid, 
        130: 
        22.

<!-- page:246 -->

246 
        lMt*ROVEMENT 
        ERA.
"As 
        the 
        mind 
        passes 
        the 
        boundaries 
        of 
        the 
        visible 
        world, 
        and
enters 
        upon 
        the 
        confines 
        of 
        the 
        more 
        refined 
        and 
        subtle 
        elements,
it 
        finds 
        itself 
        associated 
        with 
        certain 
        substances 
        in 
        themselves 
        in-
visible to 
        our 
        gross 
        organs, 
        but 
        clearly 
        manifested 
        to 
        our 
        intellect
by 
        their 
        tangible 
        operations 
        and 
        effects." 
        "The 
        purest, 
        most 
        re-
fined and 
        subtle 
        of 
        all 
        these 
        substances
        —
        is 
        that 
        substance 
        called
the 
        Holy 
        Spirit." 
        "It 
        is 
        omnipresent." 
        "It 
        is 
        in 
        its 
        less 
        refined
particles, 
        the 
        physical 
        light 
        which 
        reflects 
        from 
        the 
        sun, 
        moon 
        and
stars, 
        and 
        other 
        substances; 
        and 
        by 
        reflection 
        on 
        the 
        eye 
        makes
visible 
        the 
        truths 
        of 
        the 
        outward 
        world."*
Orson 
        Pratt, 
        another 
        member 
        of 
        the 
        first 
        quorum 
        of 
        apostles,
who 
        lived 
        in 
        the 
        Prophet's 
        household 
        for 
        some 
        time, 
        wrote 
        about
the 
        Holy 
        Spirit, 
        in 
        1849, 
        as 
        follows, 
        'It 
        exists 
        in 
        different 
        parts 
        of
space 
        in 
        greater 
        or 
        less 
        degrees 
        of 
        density, 
        like 
        heat, 
        light 
        or
electricity.t
Such 
        quotations, 
        from 
        the 
        men 
        intimately 
        associated 
        with 
        the
early 
        history 
        of 
        the 
        Church, 
        prove 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        taught 
        in
clearness 
        the 
        doctrine 
        that 
        a 
        subtle 
        form 
        of 
        matter, 
        call 
        it 
        luminif-
erous 
        ether 
        or 
        Holy 
        Spirit, 
        pervades 
        all 
        space; 
        that 
        all 
        phenomena
of 
        nature, 
        including, 
        specifically, 
        heat, 
        light 
        and 
        electricity, 
        are
definitely 
        connected 
        with 
        this 
        substance. 
        He 
        taught 
        much 
        else
concerning 
        this 
        substance 
        which 
        science 
        will 
        soon 
        discover, 
        but
which 
        lies 
        without 
        the 
        province 
        of 
        this 
        paper 
        to 
        discuss.
It 
        must 
        not 
        be 
        overlooked 
        that 
        the 
        broad 
        statement 
        of 
        this
doctrine 
        was 
        made 
        by 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        at 
        least 
        as 
        early 
        as 
        1832, 
        at 
        a
time 
        when 
        the 
        explanation 
        of 
        light 
        phenomena 
        on 
        the 
        hypothesis 
        of
a 
        universal 
        ether 
        was 
        just 
        beginning 
        to 
        find 
        currency 
        among 
        learned
men; 
        and 
        many 
        years 
        before 
        the 
        same 
        hypothesis 
        was 
        accepted 
        in
explaining 
        the 
        phenomena 
        of 
        heat 
        and 
        electricity.
The 
        idea 
        of 
        an 
        influence 
        pervading 
        the 
        universe 
        is 
        not 
        of 
        it-
self new. 
        Poets 
        and 
        philosophers 
        of 
        all 
        ages 
        have 
        suggested 
        it 
        in
a 
        vague, 
        hesitating 
        manner, 
        without 
        connecting 
        it 
        with 
        the 
        phenom-
ena of 
        nature, 
        but 
        burdening 
        it 
        with 
        the 
        greatest 
        absurdity 
        of 
        re-
ligion or 
        philosophy, 
        that 
        of 
        immaterialism. 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        said 
        the
doctrine 
        had 
        been 
        taught 
        him 
        by 
        God, 
        and 
        gave 
        it 
        to 
        the 
        world 
        un-
* 
        Key 
        to 
        Theology, 
        5th 
        ed., 
        pp. 
        38-41.
■\ 
        Ahmrdities 
        of 
        Immaterialism, 
        ed. 
        of 
        1849, 
        p. 
        25.

<!-- page:247 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        247
hesitatingly 
        and 
        rationally. 
        The 
        men 
        of 
        science, 
        to 
        whom 
        Joseph
Smith 
        appears 
        only 
        an 
        impostor, 
        and 
        who 
        know 
        nothing 
        of 
        his
writings, 
        have 
        later 
        discovered 
        the 
        truth 
        for 
        themselves, 
        and 
        in-
corporated it 
        in 
        their 
        books 
        of 
        learning.
Had 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        been 
        the 
        clever 
        impostor 
        that 
        some 
        claim
he 
        was, 
        he 
        probably 
        would 
        not 
        have 
        dealt 
        in 
        any 
        way 
        with 
        the 
        theo-
ries of 
        the 
        material 
        world, 
        at 
        least 
        would 
        not 
        have 
        claimed 
        revela-
tions laying 
        down 
        physical 
        laws; 
        had 
        he 
        been 
        the 
        stupid 
        fool, 
        others
tell 
        us 
        he 
        was, 
        his 
        mind 
        would 
        not 
        have 
        worried 
        itself 
        with 
        the
fundamental 
        problems 
        of 
        nature.
However 
        all 
        that 
        may 
        be, 
        it 
        is 
        certain 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        in
the 
        broad 
        and 
        rational 
        statement 
        of 
        the 
        existence 
        of 
        an 
        omnipres-
ent, material 
        though 
        subtle 
        substance, 
        anticipated 
        the 
        workers 
        in
science. 
        In 
        view 
        of 
        that 
        fact, 
        it 
        is 
        not 
        improbable 
        that 
        at 
        some
future 
        time, 
        when 
        science 
        shall 
        have 
        gained 
        a 
        wider 
        view, 
        the 
        his-
torian of 
        the 
        physical 
        sciences 
        will 
        say 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        the 
        clear-
sighted, first 
        stated 
        correctly 
        the 
        fundamental 
        physical 
        doctrine 
        of
the 
        luminiferous 
        ether.
(to 
        be 
        continued).
'PRO   
        DEO."
They 
        who 
        go 
        forth 
        to 
        save 
        the 
        souls 
        of 
        men
From 
        death, 
        and 
        win 
        the 
        wayward 
        to 
        the 
        cause 
        of 
        God,
Should 
        be 
        the 
        strong 
        of 
        faith, 
        the 
        pure 
        of 
        heart;
Who 
        carry 
        on 
        their 
        sinless 
        lips 
        the 
        holy 
        name 
        of 
        Christ,.
And 
        in 
        whose 
        hearts, 
        burning 
        with 
        penitential 
        fire.
Free 
        from 
        the 
        dross 
        of 
        earth, 
        through 
        sacrifice 
        and 
        pain,
The 
        kingdom 
        of 
        our 
        Father 
        reigns 
        supreme.
—
        George 
        E. 
        Blair.