---
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: 6
published: 1904-04
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'John A. Widtsoe, "Joseph Smith as Scientist. VI," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 6 (April 1904): 401–408.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0706unse
  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: improvementera0706unse
start_page: 401
end_page: 408
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-04)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0706unse
  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. VI

<!-- page:401 -->

IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
Vol. 
        VII. 
        APRIL, 
        1904. 
        No. 
        6.
JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST.
BY 
        DR.  
        JOHN  
        A.  
        WIDTSOE,  
        DIRECTOR  
        OF 
        THE 
        AGRICULTURAL
EXPERIMENT  
        STATION,  
        LOGAN,  
        UTAH.
VI.—
        THE 
        LAW 
        OF 
        EVOLUTION.
To 
        every 
        intelligence 
        the 
        question 
        concerning 
        the 
        purpose 
        of
ail 
        things 
        must 
        at 
        some 
        time 
        present 
        itself. 
        Every 
        philosophical
system 
        has 
        for 
        its 
        ultimate 
        problem 
        the 
        origin 
        and 
        the 
        destiny 
        of
the 
        universe. 
        Whence? 
        Where?
        —
        the 
        queries 
        which 
        arise 
        before
every 
        human 
        soul, 
        and 
        which 
        have 
        stimulated 
        the 
        truth-seekers 
        of
every 
        age 
        in 
        their 
        wearisome 
        task 
        of 
        searching 
        out 
        nature's 
        laws.
Intelligent 
        man 
        cannot 
        rest 
        satisfied 
        with 
        the 
        recognition 
        of 
        the
forces 
        at 
        work 
        in 
        the 
        universe, 
        and 
        the 
        nature 
        of 
        their 
        actions; 
        he
must 
        know, 
        also, 
        the 
        resultant 
        of 
        the 
        interaction 
        of 
        the 
        forces, 
        or
how 
        the 
        whole 
        universe 
        is 
        affected 
        by 
        them; 
        in 
        short, 
        man 
        seeks
the 
        law 
        of 
        laws, 
        by 
        the 
        operation 
        of 
        which, 
        things 
        have 
        become
what 
        they 
        are, 
        and 
        by 
        which 
        their 
        destiny 
        is 
        controlled. 
        This 
        law
when 
        once 
        discovered, 
        is 
        the 
        foundation 
        of 
        religion 
        as 
        well 
        as 
        of
science, 
        and 
        would 
        explain 
        all 
        phenomena.
It 
        was 
        well 
        toward 
        the 
        beginning 
        of 
        the 
        last 
        century 
        before
philosophical  
        doctrines  
        rose  
        above  
        mere  
        speculation, 
        and 
        were

<!-- page:402 -->

402 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
based 
        upon 
        the 
        actual 
        observation 
        of 
        phenomena. 
        As 
        the 
        scientific
method 
        of 
        gathering 
        facts 
        and 
        reasoning 
        from 
        them 
        became 
        estab-
lished, it 
        was 
        observed 
        that 
        in 
        all 
        probability 
        the 
        great 
        laws 
        of
nature 
        were 
        themselves 
        controlled 
        by 
        some 
        greater 
        law. 
        While
many 
        attempts 
        have 
        been 
        made 
        to 
        formulate 
        this 
        law, 
        yet 
        it
must 
        be 
        confessed, 
        frankly, 
        that 
        only 
        the 
        faintest 
        outline 
        of 
        it 
        is
possessed 
        by 
        the 
        world 
        of 
        science.
The 
        sanest 
        of 
        modern 
        philosophers, 
        and 
        the 
        one 
        who 
        most 
        com-
pletely attempts 
        to 
        follow 
        the 
        method 
        of 
        science 
        in 
        philosophical
writings, 
        is 
        Herbert 
        Spencer. 
        Early 
        in 
        his 
        life, 
        he 
        set 
        himself 
        the
task 
        of 
        constructing 
        a 
        system 
        of 
        philosophy 
        which 
        should 
        be 
        built
upon 
        man's 
        reliable 
        knowledge 
        of 
        nature. 
        A 
        long 
        life 
        per-
mitted him 
        to 
        realize 
        this 
        ambition. 
        Though 
        his 
        works 
        are 
        filled
with 
        conclusions 
        which 
        cannot 
        be 
        accepted 
        by 
        most 
        men, 
        yet 
        the
facts 
        used 
        in 
        his 
        reasoning 
        are 
        authentic. 
        By 
        the 
        world 
        at 
        large,
the 
        philosophy 
        of 
        Herbert 
        Spencer 
        is 
        considered 
        the 
        only 
        philoso-
phy that 
        harmonizes 
        with 
        the 
        knowledge 
        of 
        today.
After 
        having 
        discussed, 
        with 
        considerable 
        fulness, 
        the 
        ele-
ments of 
        natural 
        phenomena, 
        such 
        as 
        space, 
        time, 
        matter, 
        motion
and 
        force, 
        Mr. 
        Spencer 
        concludes 
        that 
        all 
        evidence 
        agrees 
        in 
        show-
ing that 
        "every 
        object, 
        no 
        less 
        than 
        the 
        aggregate 
        of 
        objects, 
        un-
dergoes from 
        instant 
        to 
        instant 
        some 
        alteration 
        of 
        state."* 
        That
is 
        to 
        say 
        that 
        while 
        the 
        universe 
        is 
        one 
        of 
        system 
        and 
        order, 
        yet
no 
        object 
        remains 
        exactly 
        as 
        it 
        is, 
        but 
        changes 
        every 
        instant 
        of
time.
In 
        two 
        directions 
        only 
        can 
        this 
        ceaseless 
        change 
        affect 
        an 
        ob-
ject: it 
        either 
        becomes 
        more 
        complex 
        or 
        more 
        simple, 
        it 
        moves
forward 
        or 
        backward, 
        it 
        grows 
        or 
        decays. 
        In 
        the 
        words 
        of 
        Spen-
cer, "All 
        things 
        are 
        growing 
        or 
        decaying, 
        accumulating 
        matter 
        or
wearing 
        away, 
        integrating 
        or 
        disintegrating."! 
        This, 
        then, 
        is 
        the
greatest 
        known 
        fundamental 
        law 
        of 
        the 
        universe, 
        and 
        all 
        things 
        in
it—
        that 
        nothing 
        stands 
        still, 
        but 
        either 
        progresses 
        (evolution), 
        or
retrogrades 
        (dissolution). 
        Now, 
        it 
        has 
        been 
        found 
        that 
        under 
        nor-
mal conditions 
        all 
        things 
        undergo 
        a 
        process 
        of 
        evolution; 
        that 
        is,
become 
        more 
        complex, 
        or 
        advance.! 
        This, 
        in 
        its 
        essence, 
        is 
        the
law 
        of 
        evolution, 
        about 
        which 
        so 
        much 
        has 
        been 
        said 
        during 
        the
First 
        Principles, 
        p. 
        287.   
        t 
        Loc. 
        cit, 
        p. 
        292.   
        t 
        Loc. 
        cit, 
        p. 
        337.

<!-- page:403 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        403
last 
        forty-five 
        years. 
        Undoubtedly 
        this 
        law 
        is 
        correct, 
        and 
        in 
        har-
mony with 
        the 
        known 
        facts 
        of 
        the 
        universe. 
        It 
        certainly 
        throws
a 
        flood 
        of 
        light 
        upon 
        the 
        phenomena 
        of 
        nature; 
        though 
        of 
        itself,
it 
        teLs 
        little 
        of 
        the 
        force 
        behind 
        it, 
        in 
        obedience 
        to 
        which 
        it 
        oper-
ates.
Spencer 
        himself 
        most 
        clearly 
        realized 
        the 
        insufficiency 
        of 
        the
law 
        of 
        evolution 
        alone, 
        for 
        he 
        asks, 
        "May 
        we 
        seek 
        for 
        some 
        all-per-
vading principle 
        which 
        underlies 
        this 
        all 
        pervading 
        process?"* 
        and
proceeds 
        to 
        search 
        out 
        this 
        "all-pervading 
        principle" 
        which 
        at 
        last
he 
        determines 
        to 
        be 
        the 
        persistence 
        of 
        force
        —
        the 
        operation 
        of 
        the
universal, 
        incomprehensible 
        force, 
        which 
        appears 
        as 
        gravitation,
light, 
        heat, 
        electricity, 
        magnetism, 
        chemical 
        affinity, 
        and 
        in 
        other
forins.f
A 
        natural 
        question 
        now 
        is, 
        Is 
        there 
        any 
        limit 
        to 
        the 
        changes
undergone 
        by 
        matter, 
        and 
        which 
        we 
        designate 
        as 
        evolution? 
        "Will
they 
        go 
        on 
        forever? 
        or 
        will 
        there 
        be 
        an 
        end 
        to 
        them?"$ 
        As 
        far
as 
        our 
        knowledge 
        goes, 
        there 
        is 
        an 
        end 
        to 
        all 
        things, 
        a 
        death 
        which
is 
        the 
        greatest 
        known 
        change, 
        and 
        as 
        far 
        as 
        human 
        experience
goes, 
        all 
        things 
        tend 
        toward 
        a 
        death-like 
        state 
        of 
        rest. 
        That 
        this
rest 
        is 
        permanent 
        is 
        not 
        possible 
        under 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        evolution; 
        for 
        it
teaches 
        that 
        an 
        ulterior 
        process 
        initiates 
        a 
        new 
        life; 
        that 
        there 
        are
alternate 
        eras 
        of 
        evolution 
        and 
        dissolution. 
        "And 
        thus 
        there 
        is
suggested 
        the 
        conception 
        of 
        a 
        past 
        during 
        which 
        there 
        have 
        been
successive 
        evolutions 
        analogous 
        to 
        that 
        which 
        is 
        now 
        going 
        on;
and 
        a 
        future 
        during 
        which 
        successive 
        other 
        such 
        evolutions 
        may
go 
        on 
        ever 
        the 
        same 
        in 
        principle 
        but 
        never 
        the 
        same 
        in 
        concrete
result."§ 
        This 
        is 
        practically 
        the 
        same 
        as 
        admitting 
        eternal 
        growth.
The 
        final 
        conclusion 
        is 
        that 
        "we 
        can 
        no 
        longer 
        contemplate
the 
        visible 
        creation 
        as 
        having 
        a 
        definite 
        beginning 
        or 
        end, 
        or 
        as
being 
        isolated. 
        It 
        becomes 
        unified 
        with 
        all 
        existence 
        before 
        and
after; 
        and 
        the 
        force 
        which 
        the 
        universe 
        presents 
        falls 
        into 
        the
same 
        category 
        with 
        space 
        and 
        time, 
        as 
        admitting 
        of 
        no 
        limitation
in 
        thought.!
It 
        is 
        interesting 
        to 
        note 
        the 
        conclusion 
        concerning 
        spirit 
        and
matter, 
        to 
        which 
        Mr. 
        Spencer 
        is 
        led 
        by 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        evolution. 
        "The
* 
        First 
        Principles, 
        p. 
        408.     
        f 
        hoc. 
        cit., 
        p. 
        494.    
        J 
        hoc. 
        cit., 
        p. 
        496.
§ 
        Lot. 
        cit, 
        p. 
        550.    
        || 
        hoc. 
        cit., 
        p. 
        564.

<!-- page:404 -->

4
        04 
        IMPRO 
        VEMENT 
        ERA
        ,
materialist 
        and 
        spiritualist 
        controversy 
        is 
        a 
        mere 
        war 
        of 
        words, 
        in
which 
        the 
        disputants 
        are 
        equally 
        absurd
        —
        each 
        thinking 
        that 
        he
understands 
        that 
        which 
        it 
        is 
        impossible 
        for 
        any 
        man 
        to 
        under-
stand. Though 
        the 
        relation 
        of 
        subject 
        and 
        object 
        renders 
        neces-
sary to 
        us 
        these 
        antithetical 
        conceptions 
        of 
        spirit 
        and 
        matter; 
        the
one 
        is 
        no 
        less 
        than 
        the 
        other 
        to 
        be 
        regarded 
        as 
        but 
        a 
        sign 
        of 
        the
Unknown 
        Reality 
        which 
        underlies 
        both."*
While 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        evolution, 
        as 
        formulated 
        by 
        Spencer 
        and 
        ac-
cepted by 
        the 
        majority 
        of 
        modern 
        thinkers, 
        is 
        the 
        nearest 
        approach
to 
        the 
        truth 
        possessed 
        by 
        the 
        world 
        of 
        science, 
        yet 
        there 
        is 
        no
disposition 
        on 
        the 
        part 
        of 
        the 
        writer 
        to 
        defend 
        the 
        numerous 
        ab-
surdities into 
        which 
        Spencer 
        and 
        his 
        followers 
        have 
        fallen 
        when
reasoning 
        upon 
        special 
        cases.
Many 
        years 
        before 
        Mr. 
        Spencer's 
        day, 
        it 
        had 
        been 
        suggested,
vaguely, 
        that 
        advancement 
        seemed 
        to 
        be 
        the 
        great 
        law 
        of 
        nature.
Students 
        of 
        botany 
        and 
        zoology 
        were 
        especially 
        struck 
        by 
        this 
        fact,
for 
        they 
        observed 
        how 
        animals 
        and 
        plants 
        could 
        be 
        made 
        to 
        change
and 
        improve 
        under 
        favorable 
        conditions, 
        by 
        the 
        intervention 
        of
man's 
        protection. 
        In 
        1859, 
        Mr. 
        Charles 
        Darwin 
        published 
        a 
        theory
to 
        account 
        for 
        such 
        variation, 
        in 
        which 
        he 
        assumed 
        that 
        there 
        is 
        a
tendency 
        on 
        the 
        part 
        of 
        all 
        organisms 
        to 
        adapt 
        themselves 
        to 
        their
surroundings, 
        and 
        to 
        change 
        their 
        characteristics, 
        if 
        necessary, 
        in
this 
        attempt. 
        He 
        further 
        showed 
        that 
        in 
        the 
        struggle 
        for 
        exist-
ence among 
        animals 
        and 
        plants, 
        the 
        individual 
        best 
        fitted 
        for 
        its
environment 
        usually 
        survives. 
        These 
        facts, 
        Mr. 
        Darwin 
        thought,
led 
        to 
        a 
        process 
        of 
        natural 
        selection, 
        by 
        which, 
        through 
        long 
        ages,
deep 
        changes 
        were 
        caused 
        in 
        the 
        structure 
        of 
        animals. 
        In 
        fact,
Darwin 
        held 
        that 
        the 
        present-day 
        plants 
        and 
        animals 
        have 
        de-
scended from 
        extinct 
        and 
        very 
        different 
        ancestors.! 
        The 
        experi-
ences of 
        daily 
        life 
        bear 
        out 
        the 
        assertion 
        that 
        organic 
        forms
may 
        be 
        changed 
        greatly
        —
        witness 
        the 
        breeding 
        of 
        stock 
        and
crops, 
        practiced 
        by 
        all 
        intelligent 
        farmers—
        and 
        all 
        together 
        the
theory 
        seemed 
        so 
        simple 
        that 
        numerous 
        biologists 
        immediately
adopted 
        it, 
        and 
        began 
        to 
        generalize 
        upon 
        it. 
        Having 
        once 
        accepted
the 
        principle 
        that 
        the 
        present-day 
        species 
        have 
        descended 
        from
very 
        unlike  
        ancestors, 
        it  
        was  
        easy 
        to  
        assume  
        that  
        all   
        organic
* 
        First 
        Principles, 
        pp. 
        570 
        and 
        572.    
        f 
        Origin 
        oj 
        Species, 
        p. 
        6.

<!-- page:405 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        405
nature 
        had 
        descended 
        from 
        one 
        common 
        stock. 
        It 
        was 
        claimed
that 
        man, 
        in 
        a 
        distant 
        past, 
        was 
        a 
        monkey; 
        still 
        earlier, 
        perhaps, 
        a
reptile; 
        still 
        earlier 
        a 
        fish, 
        and 
        so 
        on. 
        From 
        that 
        earliest 
        form,
man 
        had 
        become 
        what 
        he 
        is 
        by 
        a 
        system 
        of 
        natural 
        selection. 
        In
spite 
        of 
        the 
        absence 
        of 
        proofs, 
        such 
        ideas 
        became 
        current 
        among
the 
        scientists 
        of 
        the 
        day. 
        In 
        this 
        view 
        was 
        included, 
        of 
        course, 
        the
law 
        of 
        evolution 
        or 
        growth, 
        and 
        thus, 
        too, 
        the 
        law 
        became 
        associ-
ated with 
        the 
        notion 
        that 
        man 
        has 
        descended 
        from 
        the 
        lower 
        ani-
mals. In 
        fact, 
        however, 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        evolution 
        is 
        just 
        as 
        true,
whether 
        or 
        not 
        Darwin's 
        theory 
        of 
        natural 
        selection 
        be 
        adopted.
In 
        justice 
        to 
        Darwin, 
        it 
        should 
        be 
        said 
        that 
        he 
        in 
        nowise
claimed 
        that 
        natural 
        selection 
        was 
        alone 
        sufficient 
        to 
        cause 
        the
numerous 
        changes 
        in 
        organic 
        form 
        and 
        life; 
        but, 
        on 
        the 
        contrary,
held 
        that 
        it 
        is 
        only 
        one 
        means 
        of 
        modification.*
Professor 
        Huxley, 
        who, 
        from 
        early 
        manhood, 
        was 
        an 
        eminent
and 
        ardent 
        supporter 
        of 
        the 
        Darwinian 
        hypothesis 
        frankly 
        says, 
        "I
adopt 
        Mr. 
        Darwin's 
        hypothesis, 
        therefore, 
        subject 
        to 
        the 
        produc-
tion of 
        proof 
        that 
        physiological 
        species 
        may 
        be 
        produced 
        by 
        selec-
tive breeding; 
        and 
        for 
        the 
        reason 
        that 
        it 
        is 
        the 
        only 
        means 
        at 
        pres-
ent within 
        reach 
        of 
        reducing 
        the 
        chaos 
        of 
        observed 
        facts 
        to 
        or-
der."t 
        After 
        writing 
        a 
        book 
        to 
        establish 
        the 
        descent 
        of 
        man 
        from
apes, 
        Professor 
        Huxley 
        is 
        obliged 
        to 
        confess 
        that 
        "the 
        fossil
remains 
        of 
        man 
        hitherto 
        discovered 
        do 
        not 
        seem 
        to 
        take 
        us 
        appre-
ciably nearer 
        to 
        that 
        lower 
        pithecoid 
        form, 
        by 
        the 
        modification
of 
        which 
        he 
        has, 
        probably, 
        become 
        what 
        he 
        is."J
This 
        is 
        not 
        the 
        place 
        to 
        enter 
        into 
        this 
        famous 
        controversy.
The 
        relation 
        of 
        the 
        theory 
        of 
        natural 
        selection 
        to 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        evo-
lution is 
        not 
        established; 
        that 
        man 
        and 
        the 
        great 
        classes 
        of 
        animals
and 
        plants 
        have 
        sprung 
        from 
        one 
        source 
        is 
        far 
        from 
        having 
        been
proved; 
        that 
        the 
        first 
        life 
        came 
        upon 
        this 
        earth 
        by 
        chance 
        is 
        as
unthinkable 
        as 
        ever. 
        Even 
        at 
        the 
        present 
        writing, 
        recent 
        discov-
eries have 
        been 
        reported 
        which 
        throw 
        serious 
        doubt 
        upon 
        natural
selection 
        as 
        an 
        all-sufficient 
        explanation 
        of 
        the 
        wonderful 
        variety
of 
        nature. 
        The 
        true 
        scientific 
        position 
        of 
        the 
        Darwinian 
        hypothe-
sis is 
        yet 
        to 
        be 
        determined.
* 
        Origin 
        of 
        Species, 
        p. 
        6; 
        also 
        Darwin 
        and 
        After 
        Darwin, 
        Romanes,
Vol. 
        II. 
        pp. 
        2-6.     
        f 
        Man's 
        Place 
        in 
        Nature, 
        p. 
        128.      
        % 
        hoc. 
        cit, 
        p. 
        183.

<!-- page:406 -->

406 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
The 
        moderate 
        law 
        of 
        evolution 
        which 
        claims 
        that 
        all 
        normal
beings 
        are 
        advancing, 
        without 
        asserting 
        that 
        one 
        form 
        of 
        life 
        can
pass 
        into 
        another, 
        is, 
        however, 
        being 
        more 
        and 
        more 
        generally 
        ac-
cepted, for 
        it 
        represents 
        an 
        eternal 
        truth, 
        of 
        which 
        every 
        new 
        dis-
covery bears 
        evidence.
Were 
        it 
        not 
        that 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        evolution 
        is 
        of 
        such 
        fundamental
value 
        in 
        the 
        understanding 
        of 
        natural 
        phenomena, 
        it 
        would 
        hardly
be 
        expected 
        that 
        the 
        calling 
        of 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        would 
        necessitate 
        any
reference 
        to 
        it. 
        Besides, 
        upwards 
        of 
        fifteen 
        years 
        elapsed 
        after
the 
        martyrdom 
        of 
        Joseph 
        and 
        Hyrum 
        Smith 
        before 
        the 
        world 
        of
science 
        conceived 
        the 
        hypothesis. 
        One 
        of 
        the 
        leading 
        doctrines 
        of
the 
        Church 
        resembles 
        the 
        spirit 
        of 
        the 
        law 
        of 
        universal 
        growth 
        so
nearly 
        that 
        one 
        is 
        forced 
        to 
        believe 
        that 
        the 
        great 
        truth 
        embodied
by 
        this 
        doctrine 
        is 
        the 
        truth 
        shadowed 
        forth 
        by 
        the 
        law 
        of
evolution.
The 
        doctrine 
        of 
        God, 
        as 
        taught 
        by 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        is 
        the 
        noblest
of 
        which 
        the 
        human 
        mind 
        can 
        conceive. 
        No 
        religion 
        ascribes 
        to
God 
        more 
        perfect 
        attributes 
        than 
        does 
        that 
        of 
        the 
        Latter-day
Saints. 
        Yet 
        the 
        Church 
        asserts 
        that 
        God 
        was 
        not 
        always 
        what 
        he
is 
        today. 
        Through 
        countless 
        ages 
        he 
        has 
        grown 
        towards 
        greater
perfection, 
        and 
        at 
        the 
        present, 
        though 
        in 
        comparison 
        with 
        human-
kind, he 
        is 
        ominscient 
        and 
        omnipotent, 
        he 
        is 
        still 
        progressing. 
        Of
the 
        beginning 
        of 
        God, 
        we 
        have 
        no 
        record, 
        save 
        that 
        he 
        told 
        his 
        ser-
vant Abraham, 
        "I 
        came 
        down 
        in 
        the 
        beginning 
        in 
        the 
        midst 
        of 
        all
the 
        intelligences 
        thou 
        hast 
        seen."*
As 
        told 
        by 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        in 
        May, 
        1833, 
        John 
        the 
        Apostle 
        said
of 
        God, 
        Jesus 
        Christ, 
        "And 
        I, 
        John, 
        saw 
        that 
        he 
        received 
        not 
        of 
        the
fulness 
        at 
        first, 
        but 
        continued 
        from 
        grace 
        to 
        grace, 
        until 
        he
received 
        a 
        fulness; 
        and 
        thus 
        he 
        was 
        called 
        the 
        Son 
        of 
        God, 
        be-
cause he 
        received 
        not 
        of 
        the 
        fulness 
        at 
        first.
        "f
Man, 
        likewise, 
        is 
        to 
        develop 
        until, 
        in 
        comparison 
        with 
        his 
        pres-
ent condition, 
        he 
        becomes 
        a 
        God. 
        For 
        instance, 
        in 
        speaking 
        of 
        the
salvation 
        to 
        which 
        all 
        men 
        who 
        live 
        correct 
        lives 
        shall 
        attain, 
        the
Prophet 
        says, 
        "For 
        salvation 
        consists 
        in 
        the 
        glory, 
        authority, 
        ma-
jesty, power 
        and 
        dominion 
        which 
        Jehovah 
        possesses;"!  
        and 
        in 
        an-
* 
        Book 
        of 
        Abraham, 
        3:21.       
        f 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        93: 
        12-14.
J 
        Ibid. 
        Lectures 
        on 
        Faith, 
        7: 
        8.

<!-- page:407 -->

JOSEPH 
        SMITH 
        AS 
        SCIENTIST. 
        407
other 
        place, 
        "Then 
        shall 
        they 
        be 
        Gods, 
        because 
        they 
        have 
        no 
        end;
therefore 
        shall 
        they 
        be 
        from 
        everlasting 
        to 
        everlasting, 
        because
they 
        continue; 
        then 
        shall 
        they 
        be 
        above 
        all, 
        because 
        all 
        things 
        are
subject 
        unto 
        them. 
        Then 
        shall 
        they 
        be 
        Gods, 
        because 
        they 
        have
all 
        power."*
That 
        this 
        is 
        not 
        a 
        sudden 
        elevation, 
        but 
        a 
        gradual 
        growth, 
        is
evident 
        from 
        many 
        of 
        the 
        writings 
        of 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        of 
        which 
        the
following 
        are 
        illustrations: 
        "He 
        that 
        receiveth 
        light 
        and 
        contin-
ueth 
        in 
        God, 
        receiveth 
        more 
        light, 
        and 
        that 
        light 
        groweth 
        brighter
and 
        brighter 
        until 
        the 
        perfect 
        day."f 
        "For 
        if 
        you 
        keep 
        my 
        com-
mandments you 
        shall 
        receive 
        of 
        his 
        fulness, 
        and 
        be 
        glorified 
        in 
        me
as 
        I 
        am 
        in 
        the 
        Father; 
        therefore, 
        I 
        say 
        unto 
        you, 
        you 
        shall 
        receive
grace 
        for 
        grace."!
In 
        various 
        sermons 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        enlarged 
        upon 
        the 
        universal
principle 
        of 
        advancement, 
        but 
        few 
        of 
        them 
        have 
        been 
        preserved
for 
        us. 
        In 
        a 
        sermon 
        delivered 
        in 
        April, 
        1844, 
        the 
        following 
        sen-
tences occur, 
        "God 
        himself 
        was 
        once 
        as 
        we 
        are 
        now, 
        and 
        is 
        an 
        ex-
alted Man, 
        and 
        sits 
        enthroned 
        in 
        yonder 
        heavens. 
        You 
        have 
        got
to 
        learn 
        how 
        to 
        be 
        Gods 
        yourselves, 
        and 
        to 
        be 
        kings 
        and 
        priests
to 
        God, 
        the 
        same 
        as 
        all 
        Gods 
        have 
        done 
        before 
        you; 
        namely, 
        by 
        go-
ing from 
        one 
        small 
        degree 
        to 
        another, 
        and 
        from 
        a 
        small 
        capacity
to 
        a 
        great 
        one; 
        from 
        grace 
        to 
        grace, 
        from 
        exaltation 
        to 
        exalta-
tion.'^
The 
        preceding 
        quotations 
        suffice 
        to 
        show 
        that 
        with 
        regard
to 
        man, 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        taught 
        a 
        doctrine 
        of 
        evolution 
        which 
        in
grandeur 
        and 
        extent 
        surpasses 
        the 
        wildest 
        speculations 
        of 
        the
scientific 
        evolutionist. 
        Yet 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        teaches 
        this 
        doctrine 
        as
one 
        of 
        eternal 
        truth, 
        taught 
        him 
        by 
        God. 
        There 
        can 
        be 
        no 
        doubt
that 
        the 
        truth 
        behind 
        Spencer's 
        law 
        of 
        evolution, 
        and 
        the 
        doctrine
taught 
        by 
        the 
        "Mormon" 
        prophet, 
        are 
        the 
        same. 
        The 
        great 
        marvel
is 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        who 
        knew 
        not 
        the 
        philosophies 
        of 
        men, 
        should
have 
        anticipated 
        by 
        thirty 
        years 
        or 
        more 
        the 
        world 
        of 
        science 
        in
the 
        enunciation 
        of 
        the 
        most 
        fundamental 
        law 
        of 
        the 
        universe.
Now, 
        it 
        is 
        true 
        that 
        Joseph 
        Smith 
        did 
        not 
        extend 
        this 
        law 
        to
the 
        lower 
        animals; 
        but 
        it 
        must 
        be 
        remembered 
        that 
        his 
        mission 
        on
* 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        132: 
        20.   
        f 
        Ibid-, 
        50: 
        24.   
        $ 
        Ibid., 
        93:
        20.
§ 
        Contributor, 
        vol. 
        4, 
        pp. 
        254 
        and 
        255.

<!-- page:408 -->

408 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
earth 
        was 
        to 
        teach 
        a 
        system 
        of 
        redemption 
        for 
        men. 
        Yet, 
        it 
        is 
        an
interesting 
        observation 
        that 
        he 
        taught 
        that 
        men 
        and 
        animals 
        had 
        a
spiritual 
        existence, 
        before 
        they 
        were 
        placed 
        on 
        earth. 
        "For 
        I, 
        the
Lord 
        God, 
        created 
        all 
        things 
        of 
        which 
        I 
        have 
        spoken, 
        spiritually,
before 
        they 
        were 
        naturally 
        upon 
        the 
        face 
        of 
        the 
        earth. 
        And 
        out
of 
        the 
        ground 
        made 
        I, 
        the 
        Lord 
        God, 
        to 
        grow 
        every 
        tree, 
        naturally,
that 
        is 
        pleasant 
        to 
        the 
        sight 
        of 
        man; 
        and 
        man 
        could 
        behold 
        it.
And 
        it 
        became 
        also 
        a 
        living 
        soul. 
        For 
        it 
        was 
        spiritual 
        in 
        the 
        day
that 
        I 
        created 
        it; 
        for 
        it 
        remaineth 
        in 
        the 
        sphere 
        in 
        which 
        I, 
        God,
-created 
        it."*
If, 
        in 
        common 
        with 
        men, 
        animals 
        and 
        plants 
        were 
        created
spiritually, 
        it 
        may 
        not 
        be 
        an 
        idle 
        speculation 
        that 
        the 
        lower 
        forms
of 
        life 
        will 
        advance, 
        in 
        their 
        respective 
        fields, 
        as 
        man 
        advances 
        in
his. 
        However, 
        a 
        statement 
        in 
        the 
        above 
        quotation 
        must 
        not 
        be
overlooked, 
        "It 
        remaineth 
        in 
        the 
        sphere 
        in 
        which 
        I, 
        God, 
        created 
        it."
This 
        would 
        preclude 
        any 
        notion 
        that 
        by 
        endless 
        development 
        a 
        plant
may 
        become 
        an 
        animal, 
        or 
        that 
        one 
        of 
        the 
        lower 
        classes 
        of 
        animals
become 
        a 
        high 
        animal, 
        or 
        a 
        man. 
        Is 
        not 
        this 
        the 
        place 
        where, 
        per-
haps, the 
        evolution 
        of 
        science 
        has 
        failed? 
        All 
        things 
        advance, 
        but
each 
        order 
        of 
        creation 
        within 
        its 
        own 
        sphere. 
        There 
        is 
        no 
        jumping
from 
        order 
        to 
        order. 
        The 
        limits 
        of 
        these 
        orders 
        are 
        yet 
        to 
        be 
        found.
Spencer's 
        belief 
        that 
        one 
        period 
        of 
        evolution 
        follows 
        another 
        f
is 
        brought 
        strongly 
        to 
        mind 
        in 
        contemplating 
        the 
        doctrine 
        of
Joseph 
        Smith 
        that 
        man, 
        and 
        other 
        things, 
        had 
        first 
        a 
        spiritual 
        ex-
istence, now 
        an 
        earthly 
        life, 
        then 
        a 
        higher 
        existence 
        after 
        death.
Is 
        not 
        the 
        parallelism 
        strong
        —
        and 
        may 
        it 
        not 
        be 
        that 
        here, 
        also,
the 
        "Mormon" 
        prophet 
        could 
        have 
        shown 
        the 
        learned 
        philosopher
the 
        correct 
        way?
Finally, 
        one 
        other 
        suggestion 
        must 
        be 
        made. 
        Spencer, 
        after
a 
        long 
        and 
        involved 
        argument, 
        concludes 
        (or 
        proves 
        as 
        he 
        believes)
that 
        the 
        great 
        law 
        of 
        evolution 
        is 
        a 
        necessity 
        that 
        follows 
        from
the 
        law 
        of 
        the 
        persistence 
        of 
        force. 
        In 
        Article 
        two 
        of 
        this 
        series,
the 
        scientific 
        conception 
        of 
        the 
        persistence 
        of 
        force 
        was 
        identified
with 
        the 
        operations 
        of 
        the 
        Holy 
        Spirit, 
        as 
        taught 
        by 
        Joseph 
        Smith.
This 
        Spirit 
        is 
        behind 
        all 
        phenomena; 
        by 
        it 
        as 
        a 
        medium, 
        God 
        works
* 
        Book 
        of 
        Moses, 
        3 
        :5 
        and 
        9.     
        See 
        also 
        Doctrine 
        and 
        Covenants, 
        29:
31, 
        32.    
        f 
        First 
        Principles, 
        p. 
        550.