--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Lambourne, Alfred collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 22 number: 10 published: 1919-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Lambourne, Alfred, "The Peace Conference at Versailles," *Improvement Era* 22, no. 10 (August 1919): 866–867.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22010unse 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: improvementera22010unse start_page: 866 end_page: 867 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera22010unse publication_year: 1919 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 1919, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Peace Conference at Versailles Modern Spiritualistic and Latter-day Saint Views By First Lieutenant Calvin S. Smitfu, Clutplain U. S. A. On May 29, I heard an exposition of Spiritualism by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, at Manchester, England, who explained his conversion to Spiritualism from materialism. He then gave proofs with respect to Spiritualism and explained his views. They believe that the possibility of communicating with the dead by means of mediums is an established and scientifically proved fact. Sir Conan Doyle referred to Crookes, Flammarion, Judge Edmonds, of the U. S. Supreme Court, and Russel Wallace. He told of some of his own personal experiences, with his own son. The Spiritualists believe that evidence that could not be explained away in any other way than by spiritualistic con- ceptions prove the existence of spirits and the power of the medium to control them. For instance, a scale on a concrete base and under a glass case with a one pound weight on one side was balanced through the efforts of a medium. The pendulum of a clock on a concrete base and under a glass case was made to swing by a medium. Reliable witnesses testified to it, and mediums were ready to duplicate this feat. Reliable witnesses were ready to testify that they had seen a medium rise from the floor. They had also seen the medium cross the street in the air. That these things could be demonstrated was the claim of Sir Arthur. He claimed that the remarkable sameness of testimony of all the mediums was one evidence of the truth of their claims to communicate with the dead. Of course mediums are not always successful, and spirits being good, bad and indifferent, as are men, gave varying and vexing answers. Sir Arthur said that the Spiritualists have gained the following information from the dead: The spirits are etheric bodies. These etheric bodies seem as substantial to them as our mortal bodies do to us. The etherial body is the exact counterpart or image of the mortal or physical body, but tends to develop to maturity if it is the spirit of a child; and it resumes some youth in the old. A mother would not recognize her young child, but the child would recognize its mother. Sex love exists beyond the grave. MODERN SPIRITUALISTIC VIEWS 869 The spirits do not distinguish between religions, but debated the subject of incarnation or the resurrection and resumption of a mortal body. There were good and bad spirits. It may be dangerous to meddle with spirits because they might mislead you. He himself had been benefited by his experience and had been converted to spiritualism from materialism. The object of Spiritualism was spirituality. Spirituality might be summed up as unselfishness. The Latter-day Saints believe in the possibility of communicating with departed spirits and they may be good or bad. A test for distinguishing them has been given in the Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 50, verses 30-35, page 201. The Saints are promised the power of control over these spirits. The Church does not have professional mediums or anything like them, but there have been instances testified of, of communication with the departed through dreams or vision. As a general thing the Church relies on its leaders for more sure and safe guidance than is to be obtained by individuals from individuals. They believe in going to the Source of light. The Latter-day Saints are not surprised at the performance of miracles. "God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform" is true only because we are ignorant of the natural laws and processes by which he works. If the gospel is true, it is not surprising that mediums are accomplishing weird, un- canny, mysterious things by meaiia of the false spiritual agencies under their control. is a materialist. In a sense the Latter-day Saint, He believes that spiritmaterial, whether or not it be ether or is etheric he may not know. Body and Spirit together are the soul — Doc. and Cov. sec. 88 verse 15. Material cannot be created or destroyed, but may be changed in form. He believes that the spirit is the counterpart of the body. Instances have been related where the spirit has returned after leaving the body. He believes in eternal growth of spirit. He believes that spirits work and play and live and learn; they also love and hate in the next world. He believes that the gospel is being preached to the spirits, and is not surprised that they debate the incarnation. In this sense the spiritualist is a materialist. On the subject of incarnation the Latter-day Saint believes that he is in a position to give the spirits some information. Also he may enlighten the Spiritualist. One of the Latter-day Saint*' most precious doctrines is the eternity of the marriage covenant and the duration of sex love in the spirit world as is evidenced in the song, "0 my Father." His conception of God is a perfect man, and his ideal is to