Individuality of Man

INDIVIDUALITY OF MAN. BY HUGH J. CANNON, PRESIDENT OF THE SWISS AND GERMAN MISSION, AND EDITOR "DER STERN." Ever since the divine injunction was given to Adam and his posterity to call upon their Father in heaven, religious teachers of all ages have laid much stress upon the importance of prayer. In his forceful instructions on this subject, the Savior told his followers that they should not multiply words, and impressed upon all the fact that the Lord knows in advance what they need. We are taught that a definite plan was arranged before the foundation of this earth for the government of its inhabitants, and that the Almighty rules and overrules the affairs of nations and of individuals in accordance therewith. We have been told that the Lord "doeth all things well," and it may be presumed that he would continue to do so, whether his children prayed or not. An obligation rests upon him to carry to completion every policy which has been inaugurated under his direction, or, failing to do so, he is beaten by his opponent. In view of these facts, some questions naturally arise: Would the original plan be changed if men neglected to pray, or in any other way failed to do the bid-

162 IMPROVEMENT ERA ding of the Great Master? Are the prayers of human beings effective? Of what use is prayer to the individual who offers it? An affirmative answer to the first question would make it appear that the Lord is dependent upon weak mortals for the fulfilment of his divine purposes, and this idea is rejected by many as not being in harmony with the omnipotence of God. While it is true that the Lord is all powerful, and will eventually carry out his every policy, man has been given his own agency, and can help with the work for which he was chosen, and for which he is better adapted than any other person; or he can temporarily block the way and necessitate a change in the plan, at least to some extent, by compelling the Almighty to find some one to take his place. The Lord is certainly dependent upon no one individual for the success of his work, but it is just as certain that he is dependent upon mankind as a whole. Man is dealing with the greatest of all problems, that of life; a problem so broad and deep, so illimitable that only the infinite can fathom it. And still he is the essential factor in the solution of this problem, and it cannot be solved without his aid. In fact, it might be said that he himself is the problem. But this much is certain: he is an offspring of the Creator of the universe; he was created to create and to govern: he has inherited his Father's attributes and characteristics, and has been commanded to develop and improve, and not to smother, them. The Lord honors and respects him, and he, without indulging in self-adulation, must honor and respect himself. He is a being of power, capable of thought and of action, and is only lower than his Father to the extent that his faith and experience are less. Thinkers of all ages have realized man's capabilities and the close relationship which exists between him and his Maker. It was this feeling which prompted the German philosopher, Kant, to say, "Give me the material and with it I will build you a world." Prayer teaches man to think and to act, and gives him increased power, for it awakens faith within him, and faith is power; and anything which results in greater power to think and to act is not ineffective. That to which some people have given the name prayer, but which is merely lip service, will not accomplish all this, but prayer will result in thought and power and action. Man's prayer is an appeal to the

INDIVIDUALITY OF MAN. 163 Creator for recognition in the conduct of the afFairs of life. He advocates a particular policy; certain changes might be made which would in his opinion improve the world's condition, and he has the right, and it is his duty as an interested party, to advocate his views and express his desires. They may be entirely personal, and his suggestions apparently may not effect anyone except himself and his immediate associates. He may ask for better health for himself and for his family, for power to overcome evil, for greater gifts, for more ability and increased opportunities to do good; but let it be for what it may, his prayer is an appeal for recognition—a request that his individuality be considered. Realizing how insignificant he is compared with the Almighty, that he of himself is nothing more than the dust of the earth, and is dependent upon his Maker for life itself, this appeal will naturally be made in humility, and not as a demand; but his Father, who gave him life, and commanded him to develop all his gifts, will most assuredly accord him recognition, will listen to his voice, and if his policy be wise, it will be followed. If not, it is usually rejected and a wiser one prevails, and it is well for man that this is the case, for the very things which seem to him the most desirable would often retard his progress, and instead of being a blessing would result in his downfall. But through it all, whether his prayer be answered or not, his individuality is developed, and his capabilities are enlarged. He is, so to speak, a member of the board of directors of this great universe, and through prayer he becomes an active, instead of merely a passive, member—a positive instead of negative part of the controlling power of the world. He makes a plea for a wayward son, as Alma of old did, and the history of a nation is changed. He makes a mute, perhaps even an unconscious, appeal for himself; his own life is affected by it, and whatever affects his life affects the universe. The Lord never has taken and never will take man's individuality from him. It is his, and one might say that it is the only thing which he really possesses. Goethe says: "The body may pass away as a garment, but I, the well known I, I remain." It is true that through miraculous interposition, lives have been completely changed. Men in error, exerting all their energies to overthrow righteousness, have suddenly become valiant champions of truth, and have counted as nothing

164 IMPROVEMENT ERA. affliction, persecution, and even death itself, for the newly espoused cause. Paul and Alma were good examples of this. But these men did not lose their individuality in the slightest degree; their eyes were merely opened to behold the light, and the very characteristics which brought them into prominence as persecutors of the Church, when rightly directed, made them mighty defenders of the faith. Certainly prayer, whether spoken in words or merely an inarticulate desire, instead of destroying or even curtailing the individuality of man, is one of the most potent factors in its development. And what is said of prayer in this respect, may also be said of inspiration and revelation. No prophet ever lived who did not impress his individuality upon his work. No prophecy was ever uttered, no revelation was ever received, in ancient or modern times, that was not stamped with the personality of him through whom it came. A man must be natural in order to be successful, whether he be a prophet, speaking under divine influence, or a street cleaner. He must do things in his own way, no matter how abundantly he may be blessed with inspiration, and must assert his individuality in his method of telling things, no matter how clearly the Spirit gives him the subject matter. There is hardly a grown member of this Church who has not heard men speak when it was evident to all assembled that they were inspired. Their very features were lighted up with the Holy Spirit, and their words burned into the hearts of their hearers, making an impression which neither time nor eternity can efface. And still these words may have been very imperfect from the standpoint of the grammarian. Critics find fault with the language, in the revelations received by the , Prophet Joseph Smith, and think the Lord, if he had anything to do with them, should have used better English. Do such people think that a prophet is nothing more than a talking machine, which repeats exactly the same words which it hears, and in precisely the same tone of voice? If this were so, the weaker the man, and the less character he had, the more successful he would be as a prophet, and the Lord would select as his servants men who resemble the average picture one sees in the world of the Savior, weak, effeminate, and with absolutely no character or individuality in the face. An intense, vigorous per-

INDIVIDUALITY OF MAX. 165 .sonality would be entirely useless as a prophet, for such a one would be sure to do things in his own way, and would thus destroy his gift. But are weaklings the kind of men the Lord has chosen to carry out his purposes? A very slight acquaintance with Biblical characters gives to this question an emphatic negative answer. He has invariably chosen men of strength and influence, great men, men who could command, but who have been willing to be dictated to by him, as a truly great man always is willing to be commanded by his superior. It is only the small-souled, inferior creature.who cannot be directed. Possessing none of the elements of greatness in reality, he fears that his insignificance will be detected, and effects greatness by placing himself above the commands of his superiors. The greatest Being who ever lived upon the earth, was greater in his utter submission to his Father's will than in anything else. But he was not a weakling, physically nor mentally. It requires strength and individuality, and plenty of it, to enable one to leave an influence in the world which will endure for many hundred centuries, and effect millions upon millions of people. No one would dare accuse Moses of being a weak, feeble creature, and no one would think for a moment that he was merely a poll parrot, or a talking machine. His individuality is clearly discernible in every word which he spoke, and in every act performed, from the time he arose in defense of his downtrodden brethren, and slew the Egyptian, until the end of his remarkable career. He was a wonderful prophet, so full of power that the Lord told him his commands should be obeyed as though he were God, and his greatness as a prophet and lawgiver was due to the greatness of his individuality—an individuality which had existed since the beginning, and which even the Almighty could not destroy. And what is true of Moses, is equally true of all the prophets that have followed him,ancient or modern: they, too,have been great in proportion to the greatness of their individuality. The Lord naturally delights in the development and strength of his children, and the stronger the character, the more useful to him, provided, of course, the strength be properly controlled. But even where it is not, the individuality is never destroyed, as is so clearly shown in the case of the enemy of all righteousness; and

166 IMPROVEMENT ERA. we are told that it was on this very point that the difference arose between the Lord and Lucifer. Most people of the world, even among those who believe in a future life, think that with death we will lose our individuality. They have already robbed the Almighty of his identity, and with death they would rob us of ours. But the Latter-day Saints have an incomparably higher hope. To them, there are no limitations. They have the assurance that God is a personality, a creator, a ruler, and not an intangible, incomprehensible nonentity; they resemble him now, as the offspring always resembles the parent, and their aim is to be like him in all things. Those who can think and feel and hope, will cry with the old German, Herder, "Give me great thoughts," and will add, as Goethe did, "And a clean heart." The goal for which they strive is an exalted one, but to him who will put forth effort, it is not unattainable. It is easy to be mediocre; it requires intense energy and high aspirations to rise above mediocrity. Zurich, Switzerland.