---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Allen, J. X.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 5
published: 1904-03
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'J. X. Allen, "Suggestive Thoughts for the Mildly Skeptical," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 5 (March 1904): 345–347.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0705unse
  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: improvementera0705unse
start_page: 345
end_page: 347
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-03)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0705unse
  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.
---

# Suggestive Thoughts for the Mildly Skeptical

<!-- page:345 -->

SUGGESTIVE 
        THOUGHTS   
        FOR  
        THE   
        MILDLY
SKEPTICAL.
BY 
        DR. 
        J. 
        X. 
        ALLEN, 
        OGDEN, 
        UTAH.
The 
        reasons 
        assigned 
        by 
        skeptics 
        for 
        doubting 
        the 
        existence
of 
        a 
        Supreme 
        Ruler 
        of 
        the 
        universe 
        are 
        so 
        many 
        and 
        varied 
        that 
        it
would 
        be 
        impossible 
        for 
        me 
        to 
        attempt 
        meeting 
        them 
        all 
        in 
        the
brief 
        space 
        usually 
        occupied 
        by 
        contributors 
        to 
        this 
        journal.
Neither 
        do 
        I 
        intend 
        to 
        quote 
        scripture 
        to 
        those 
        who 
        doubt 
        its 
        in-
spiration. My 
        object 
        is 
        to 
        suggest 
        a 
        few 
        thoughts 
        for 
        the 
        conr
sideration 
        of 
        thinkers.
        .
First.    
        There 
        is 
        unlimited 
        space.
Second.    
        There 
        is 
        unlimited 
        time.
Third. 
        There 
        is 
        unlimited 
        intelligence. 
        'From 
        due 
        consider-
ation of 
        these 
        three 
        propositions, 
        I 
        conclude 
        that 
        there 
        must 
        be 
        a
Fourth.    
        Namely, 
        unlimited 
        power, 
        wisdom 
        and 
        benevolence.
The 
        first 
        proposition, 
        I 
        admit, 
        is 
        not 
        demonstrable; 
        but 
        it 
        is 
        a
hypothesis 
        universally 
        admitted. 
        Should 
        we 
        say, 
        There 
        is 
        a 
        limit
to 
        space, 
        the 
        question 
        would 
        very 
        naturally 
        arise: 
        What 
        is 
        there
on 
        the 
        other 
        side? 
        I 
        think 
        we 
        may 
        consider 
        this 
        proposition 
        set-
tled, especially 
        as 
        I 
        address 
        myself 
        to 
        thinkers 
        only.
That 
        there 
        is 
        unlimited 
        time 
        may 
        not 
        be 
        so 
        readily 
        consented
to. 
        Of 
        course, 
        there 
        is 
        no 
        one 
        known 
        universal 
        measurement 
        of
time. 
        Bat 
        I 
        opine 
        that 
        no 
        well-read 
        thinker 
        will 
        question 
        the 
        state-
ment that 
        all 
        known, 
        as 
        well 
        as 
        all 
        conceivable, 
        parts 
        of 
        the 
        uni-
verse have 
        tims, 
        although 
        their 
        measurements 
        are 
        varied. 
        This
second 
        proposition 
        is 
        much 
        of 
        the 
        same 
        nature 
        as 
        the 
        first. 
        Time
is 
        simply 
        a 
        measure 
        of 
        eternity. 
        We 
        cannot 
        conceive 
        of 
        either 
        a
beginning 
        or 
        an 
        ending.
Perhaps  
        it 
        would 
        not 
        be 
        amiss 
        to 
        call 
        attention 
        to 
        a 
        few 
        of

<!-- page:346 -->

346 
        IMP 
        BO 
        VEMENT 
        ERA
        .
the 
        various 
        times 
        of 
        which 
        we 
        are 
        cognizant. 
        With 
        us 
        the 
        civil
day 
        is 
        from 
        midnight 
        to 
        midnight. 
        The 
        astronomer's 
        day 
        is 
        from
high 
        noon 
        to 
        high 
        noon; 
        while 
        the 
        scriptural 
        day 
        is 
        from 
        sunset 
        to
sunset: 
        "And 
        the 
        evening 
        and 
        the 
        morning 
        was 
        the 
        first 
        day,"
etc. 
        A 
        day 
        on 
        this 
        earth 
        is 
        about 
        twenty-four 
        hours, 
        while 
        a 
        day
on 
        the 
        sun 
        is 
        some 
        twenty-five 
        times 
        as 
        long: 
        while 
        a 
        day 
        on 
        Mars
is 
        but 
        forty 
        minutes 
        longer 
        than 
        with 
        us. 
        Jupiter, 
        although 
        thir-
teen hundred 
        times 
        larger 
        than 
        the 
        earth, 
        has 
        a 
        day 
        but 
        five-
twelfths 
        as 
        long.
This 
        persistence 
        of 
        time 
        is 
        deducible 
        from 
        two 
        ascertained
facts: 
        namely, 
        the 
        indestructibility 
        of 
        matter, 
        and 
        the 
        universal-
ity of 
        law 
        and 
        order.
From 
        spectral 
        analysis, 
        philosophers 
        conclude 
        that 
        the 
        con-
stituent elements 
        of 
        all 
        worlds 
        are 
        pretty 
        much 
        the 
        same, 
        and 
        that
these 
        elements 
        are 
        non-perishable.
There 
        is 
        a 
        oneness 
        everywhere 
        in 
        substance 
        and 
        in 
        the 
        laws 
        of
motion.
From 
        these 
        two 
        propositions, 
        we 
        infer 
        the 
        third; 
        namely,
there 
        is 
        unlimited 
        intelligence.
Everywhere 
        the 
        same 
        laws 
        of 
        attraction 
        and 
        repulsion 
        obtain.
There 
        is 
        universal 
        order, 
        no 
        confusion. 
        The 
        same 
        laws 
        govern 
        all
worlds.
From 
        the 
        preceding 
        statements, 
        it 
        is 
        reasonable 
        to 
        conclude
that 
        one 
        and 
        the 
        same 
        creator 
        or 
        architect 
        has 
        control 
        of 
        the
whole. 
        The 
        oneness 
        of 
        the 
        universe 
        is 
        detectable, 
        not 
        only 
        in 
        the
anatomy 
        of 
        all 
        the 
        heavenly 
        bodies, 
        but 
        also 
        in 
        their 
        physiology, 
        show-
ing that 
        they 
        are 
        presided 
        over 
        by 
        one 
        conscious, 
        intelligent 
        mind.
Although 
        I 
        promised 
        not 
        to 
        quote 
        scripture, 
        I 
        think 
        it 
        would
not 
        be 
        amiss 
        to 
        give 
        a 
        quotation 
        from 
        Cicero, 
        as 
        translated 
        in 
        Rol-
lin's 
        history:
We 
        ought, 
        above 
        all 
        things, 
        to 
        be 
        convinced 
        that 
        there 
        is 
        a 
        Supreme
Being 
        who 
        presides 
        over 
        all 
        the 
        events 
        of 
        the 
        world, 
        and 
        disposes 
        every-
thing as 
        Sovereign 
        Lord 
        and 
        Arbiter: 
        that 
        it 
        is 
        to 
        him 
        mankind 
        are 
        in-
debted for 
        all 
        the 
        good 
        they 
        enjoy: 
        that 
        he 
        penetrates 
        into, 
        and 
        is 
        con-
scious of 
        whatever 
        passes 
        in 
        the 
        most 
        secret 
        recesses 
        of 
        our 
        hearts: 
        that
he 
        treats 
        the 
        just 
        and 
        the 
        impious 
        according 
        to 
        their 
        respective 
        merits:
that 
        the 
        true 
        means 
        of 
        acquiring 
        his 
        favor, 
        and 
        of 
        being 
        pleasing 
        in 
        his
sight, 
        is 
        not  
        by 
        employing   
        riches   
        and  
        magnificence 
        in  
        the  
        worship

<!-- page:347 -->

THOUGHTS 
        FOR 
        THE 
        MILDLY 
        SKEPTICAL. 
        347
that 
        is 
        paid 
        to 
        him, 
        but 
        by 
        presenting 
        him 
        with 
        a 
        heart 
        pure 
        and 
        blame-
less, and 
        by 
        adoring 
        him 
        with 
        an 
        unfeigned, 
        profound 
        veneration.
This 
        Roman 
        scholar 
        and 
        philosopher, 
        though 
        not 
        cognizant 
        of
the 
        numbered 
        worlds 
        revealed 
        by 
        the 
        instruments 
        of 
        precision
called 
        into 
        requisition 
        by 
        modern 
        astronomers, 
        could 
        see 
        a 
        oneness
of 
        design, 
        a 
        unity 
        of 
        arrangement, 
        that 
        precluded 
        the 
        possibility
of 
        chance.
Discord, 
        disorder, 
        irregularity, 
        contradiction 
        and 
        inconsistency
may 
        be 
        the 
        result 
        of 
        chance; 
        but 
        order, 
        harmony, 
        beauty, 
        and 
        con-
sistency, when 
        universal 
        and 
        persistent, 
        must 
        be 
        and 
        of 
        necessity 
        are
the 
        productions 
        of 
        infinite 
        intelligence, 
        wisdom 
        and 
        goodness.
Tnis 
        universality 
        of 
        law, 
        commonly 
        spoken 
        of 
        as 
        the 
        law 
        of
nature, 
        is 
        considered 
        and 
        spoken 
        of 
        by 
        many 
        as 
        being 
        the 
        "Great
First 
        Cause,"
        —
        self-originated 
        and 
        self-perpetuated; 
        while 
        more
deeply 
        reflecting 
        minds 
        conclude 
        that, 
        of 
        necessity, 
        there 
        must 
        be
a 
        something 
        at 
        the 
        back 
        of 
        and 
        beyond 
        nature. 
        Can 
        there 
        be 
        a
shadow 
        independent 
        of 
        substance, 
        or 
        a 
        result 
        without 
        a 
        cause?
One 
        is 
        almost 
        induced 
        to 
        regard 
        the 
        doubting 
        of 
        the 
        existence
of 
        an 
        uncreated 
        spirit 
        of 
        infinite 
        intelligence 
        and 
        wisdom 
        beyond
nature, 
        as 
        savoring, 
        if 
        not 
        of 
        insanity, 
        at 
        least 
        of 
        a 
        degree 
        of 
        men-
tal imbecility. 
        Instance: 
        Recently 
        an 
        old 
        friend 
        of 
        mine, 
        a 
        skep-
tic by 
        nature 
        and 
        a 
        lawyer 
        by 
        profession, 
        came 
        into 
        my 
        office 
        and
said:
"Doctor, 
        I 
        cannot 
        see 
        any 
        need 
        that 
        we 
        have 
        for 
        a 
        God.
Everything 
        is 
        governed 
        by 
        law, 
        the 
        planets 
        move 
        in 
        their 
        orbits 
        by
law, 
        and 
        the 
        whole 
        of 
        the 
        animal 
        and 
        vegetable 
        kingdoms 
        are
governed 
        and 
        perpetuated 
        by 
        law. 
        What 
        is 
        the 
        need 
        or 
        use 
        of 
        a
God?"
Doctor: 
        "True, 
        the 
        mineral, 
        the 
        animal 
        and 
        the 
        vegetable
kingdoms 
        are 
        all 
        governed 
        by 
        law. 
        Is 
        not 
        this 
        city 
        governed 
        by
law?"
Lawyer: 
        "Why, 
        yes, 
        certainly 
        we 
        are 
        governed 
        by 
        law, 
        or 
        we
would 
        be 
        in 
        a 
        bad 
        fix 
        if 
        we 
        were 
        not."
Doctor: 
        "Is 
        not 
        the 
        state 
        governed 
        by 
        law?"
Lawyer: 
        "Of 
        course 
        it 
        is, 
        or 
        it 
        would 
        not 
        be 
        a 
        state; 
        it 
        would
be 
        simply 
        a 
        mob, 
        a 
        rabble."
Doctor: 
        "Are 
        not 
        the 
        United 
        States 
        governed 
        by 
        law?"