--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Grant, Heber J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 4 published: 1920-02 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Heber J. Grant, "The Dedicatory Prayer in the Hawaiian Temple," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 4 (February 1920): 281–293.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2304unse 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: improvementera2304unse start_page: 281 end_page: 293 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1920-02) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2304unse publication_year: 1920 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 1920, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Dedicatory Prayer in the Hawaiian Temple Improvement era Vol. XXIII. FEBRUARY, 1920. No. 4 The Dedicatory Prayer in the Hawaiian Temple By President Heber J. Grant [On Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 27, 1919, at 2:30 p. m., 310 Saints, including the missionaries from Zion, were admitted to the Hawaiian temple, at Laic, Oahu, Hawaiian Territory, upon written recommend, to witness the dedicatory services. Presidents Heber J. Grant, Anthon H. Lund, and Rudger Clawson, with Elder Stephen L. Richards, of the Council of the Twelve, Presiding Bishop Charl s W. Nibley, and Elder Arthur Winter, were the visiting brethren from Utah. Besides these brethren, there were seated on the first tier of chairs in the upper room, President E. Wesley Smith, Samuel E. Woolley; William H. Waddoups, President of the Temple; Duncan M. McAllister, recorder; Sister Sarah Jenne Cannon, and between thirty and forty traveling elders and lady missionaries from Zion. President Grant presided and conducted the service. There were twelve singers in the choir, selected in equal numbers from the Honolulu, and Laie choirs. These sang for the opening number the hymn entitled, "A Temple in Hawaii," words by Ruth May Fox, and music by Orson Clarke, formerly a Hawaiian missionary. After the opening song, the dedicatory prayer which followed was offered by President Heber J. Grant. It was most impressive and inspiring and was received with great rejoicing by the entire assembly, who all felt that the Lord had accepted the beautiful prayer and dedication, and the house which had been erected by the Church and the good people of Hawaii, and dedicated to the service of the Lord. At the close of the prayer, the choir sang, "Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah," following which the sacred "Hosanna Shout" was given with deep feeling and inspirational effect. Then followed remarks by President Anthon H. Lund, Elder Samuel E. Woolley, Bishop Charles W. Nibley, President Rudger Clawson, Elder Arthur Winter, President E. Wesley Smith, Sarah Jenne Cannon, and Elder Stephen L. Richards. The choir sang, "We thank thee God for a Prophet," and President Heber J. Grant gave the "closing sermon. Keen regret was expressed by several of the speakers, that President Joseph F. Smith, had not lived to dedicate the temple, and President Grant particularly referred to that fact, and read in full a dream that President Smith had received in his early missionary experience in the Hawaiian Islands, and which was published in the November Era. The closing hymn was, "The Spirit of God like a fire is burning." The benedic- 282 IMPROVEMENT ERA tion was pronounced hy David K. Kailimai. The first session of the dedication services lasted for four hours. The dedicatory prayer follows. — Editors.] O God, the Eternal Father, we, thy servants and handmaidens, thank thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, thy well-beloved Son, with all the power of our being, that we are privileged this day to be present in this beautiful land, to dedicate unto thy Most Holy Name, a temple of the Living God. We thank thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that thou and thy Son, Jesus Christ, didst visit the boy, Joseph Smith, Jr., and that he was instructed by thee, and by thy beloved Son. We thank thee that thou didst send thy servant, John the Baptist, and that he did lay his hands upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and ordain them to the Aaronic, or Lesser Priesthood. We thank thee for sending thy servants Peter, James, and John, apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who ministered with the Savior in the flesh and after his crucifixion, and that they did ordain thy servants Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, and bestowed upon them the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, by which authority and apostleship we do dedicate unto thee, this day, this holy edifice. We thank thee for the integrity and the devotion of thy servants, the Prophet and Patriarch, Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith. We thank thee that they labored all the days of their lives, from the time of the restitution of the Gospel of Jesus Christ until the day of their martyrdom, and that they sealed their testimony with their blood. We thank thee for thy servants, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and Joseph F. Smith, who have severally stood at the head of thy Church since the martyrdom of thy servant Joseph Smith, and who have led and directed thy people by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, and who have sent forth representatives to proclaim the everlasting gospel in nearly every land and clime. We thank thee for all the faithful members of the First Presidency of the Church, and for the Apostles, in this last dispensation; and for each and all of the faithful men who have held office as general authorities of the Church. God, our Eternal Father, we pray thee to bless the Presi- — dency of thy Church thy servants Heber J. Grant, Anthon H. Lund, and Charles W. Penrose. May these men, Father, be guided by the unerring counsels of thy Holy Spirit, day by day. May they be even as a three-fold cord that cannot be broken. May they see eye to eye in all matters for the upbuilding of the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. Bless, O Father, each and all of the Apostles, the Presiding DEDICATORY PRAYER IN HAWAIIAN TEMPLE 283 Patriarch, the First Council of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric. Bless, we beseech thee, those who preside in all the stakes of Zion, and in all the wards and branches of the Church. Bless those who preside over the missions of the Church throughout the world, together with all thy servants and handmaidens who have gone forth to proclaim to the peoples of the world the restoration again to the earth of the plan of life and salvation. Bless those, Father, who preside in the temples that have been erected to thy holy Name in the land of Zion. Bless, also, those who preside and who labor in the Church schools which have been established from Canada on the north to Mexico in the south. God, accept of the gratitude and thanksgiving of our hearts, for the very wonderful and splendid labors performed in the land of Hawaii by thy servants President George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith. We thank thee for their devotion to the gospel and to the people of this land. We thank thee for raising up thy servant Elder J. H. Napela, that devoted Hawaiian, who assisted thy servant President Cannon in the translation of the Book of Mormon, which is the sacred history of the Nephites, the Lamanites, and the Jaredites. We thank thee that the plates containing the Book of Mormon were perserved so that they could be translated, and that thy words to the Prophet Joseph Smith might be fulfilled; namely, "That the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved." We thank thee, that thousands and tens of thousands of the descendants of Lehi, in this favored land, have come to a knowledge of the gospel, many of whom have endured faithfully to the end of their lives. We thank thee, our Father and our God, that those who are living and who have embraced the gospel are now to have the privilege of entering into this holy house, and laboring for the salvation of the souls of their ancestors. We thank thee that on this occasion the widow of thy beloved servant, George Q. Cannon, even thine handmaiden, Sister Sarah Jenne Cannon, is present with us today, and is permitted to participate in these dedicatory services. We thank thee, Father in Heaven, for our families, our friends, our relatives, and for all the many blessings which thou hast bestowed upon us. We thank thee for all of the temples that have been erected 284 IMPROVEMENT ERA in this last dispensation, and we pray thy choice blessings to be and abide with all thosewho minister therein. We pray that that same sweet spirit which is present in all of the temples, may abide with those who shall labor in this holy house. We thank thee, Father, this day, that the promise made in a dream to thy servant William W. Cluff, by thy Prophet Brig- ham Young, that the day would come when a temple should be erected in this land, is fulfilled before our eyes. We thank thee, God, that thy faithful and diligent ser- vant, President Joseph F. Smith, was moved upon, while in this land, on the birthday of thy servant President Brigham Young, in the year 1915, to dedicate this spot of ground for the erection of a temple to the Most High God. We thank thee for the long and faithful and diligent labors of thy servant President Samuel E. Wooliey, who has so faithfully presided over this mission for these many years. We thank thee for his labors in the erection of this temple, and beseech thee, O Father, that thou wilt bless him and all of his associate workers. We pray thee, Father, to bless the son of thy beloved servant President Joseph F. Smith, E. Wesley Smith, who now presides over the Hawaiian mission. May the missionary spirit be and abide with him. May he have that same splendid love for the people of this land which his dear departed father possessed. We now thank thee, O God, our Eternal Father, for this beautiful temple and the grounds upon which it stands, and we dedicate the grounds and the building, with all its furnishing and fittings, and everything pertaining thereunto, from the foundation to the roof thereof, to thee, our Father and our God. And we humbly pray thee, O God, the Eternal Father, to accept of it and to sanctify it, and to consecrate it through thy Spirit for the holy purposes for which it has been erected. We beseech thee that no unclean thing shall be permitted to enter here, and that thy Spirit may ever dwell in this holy house and rest mightily upon all who shall labor as officers and workers in this house, as well as all who shall come here to perform ordinances for the living or for the dead. May thy peace ever abide in this holy building, that all who come here may partake of the spirit of peace, and of the sweet and heavenly influence that thy Saints have experienced in other temples, and that has also been experienced in visiting the monument and cottage erected at the birthplace of thy servant Joseph Smith, the great Latter-day prophet. May all who come upon the grounds which surround this temple, in the years to come, whether members of the Church of Christ or not, feel the sweet and peaceful influence of this blessed and hallowed spot. DEDICATORY PRAYER IN HAWAIIAN TEMPLE 285 And now that this temple is completed and ordinance work will soon be commenced, we beseech thee, O Father, that thou wilt open the way before the members of the Church in these lands, as well as of the natives of New Zealand, and of all the Pacific Islands, to secure the genealogies of their forefathers, so that they may come into this holy house and become saviors unto their ancestors. We thank thee, God, our Eternal Father, that the land of Palestine, the land where our Savior and Redeemer ministered in the flesh, where he gave to the world the plan of life and salvation, is now redeemed from the thralldom of the unbeliever, and is in the hands of the great, enlightened and liberty-loving empire of Great Britain. We acknowledge thy hand, O God, in the wonderful events which have led up to the partial redemption of the land of Judah, and we beseech thee, O Father, that the Jews may, at no far distant date, be gathered home to the land of their forefathers. We thank thee that thy servants, the Prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, were moved upon to send holy apostles to Jerusalem to dedicate that land for the return of the Jews. We acknowledge thy hand, God, our Heavenly Father, that one of the benefits of the great and terrible world war, through which the nations of the earth have recently passed, will be the opportunity for the Jews to return to the land of their fathers. We thank thee, our Father in Heaven, for the victory which came to the armies of the Allies, and we beseech thee that that victory may lead to increased liberty and peace throughout all the nations of the earth. We pray for thy blessings to be upon the kings, and upon the nobles, and upon the rulers in all nations, that they may have it in their hearts to administer justice and righteousness and to give liberty and freedom to the peoples over whom they rule. We thank thee that thou didst inspire the noble men who wrote the Constitution of our beloved country, and we beseer thee that the principles of that inspired document may ever be maintained; that the people may overcome selfishness and strife, and contention, and all bitterness, and that they may grow and increase in the love of country, in loyalty and patriotism, and in a determination to do that which is right and just. We thank thee for this land of liberty in which we dwell, which thou hast said is choice above all other lands. We do thank thee, God our Father, for the noble men who have presided over our country from the days of George Washington until the present time. We pray thee to bless Woodiow Wilson, the president of 286 IMPROVEMENT ERA these United States. Touch him with the healing power of thy Holy Spirit and make him Avhole. We pray that his life may be precious in thy sight, and may the inspiration that comes from thee ever abide with him. We pray for the vice-president of the United States, for the members of the president's cabinet, for the senators and congressmen, and for all the officers of this great and glorious government in every state and territory, and in every land where the United States bears rule. We also remember before thee, all those who have been selected to administer the law in this favored land of Hawaii. We beseech thee, God in heaven, that the people of the United States of America may ever seek to thee for guidance and direction, that thy declaration and promise that this is a land choice above all other lands, and shall be protected against all foes, provided the people serve thee, may be realized and fulfilled, and that the people may grow in power, and strength and dominion, and, above all, in a love of thy truth. We thank thee, God, that thy Son, our Redeemer, after being crucified and laying down his life for the sins of the world, did open the prison doors and proclaim the gospel of repentance unto those who had been disobedient in the days of Noah, and that he subsequently came to the land of America, where he established his Church and chose disciples to guide the same. We thank thee, for restoring again to the earth the ordinances of the gospel of thy Son Jesus Christ, whereby men and women can be, in very deed, saviors upon Mount Zion, and where they can enter into thy holy temples and perform the ordinances necessary for the salvation of those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel. We thank thee, Father, above all things upon the face of the earth, for the gospel of thy Son Jesus Christ, and for the Priesthood of the living God, and that we have been made partakers of the same, and have an abiding knowledge of the divinity of the work in which we are engaged. We thank thee for the words of thy Son Jesus Christ to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon: "This is the gospel, the glad tidings which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us, that he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness, that through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him, who glorifies the Father and saves all the works of his hands." We thank thee, Father, that thou didst send thy Son Jesus Christ, to visit thy servants Joseph Smith and Oliver DEDICATORY PRAYER IN HAWAIIAN TEMPLE 287 Cowdery in the Kirtland temple, the first temple ever erected by thy people in this last dispensation. We thank thee for the words of our Redeemer: "I am the first and the last, I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain, I am your advocate with the Father. Behold, your sins are forgiven you, you are clean before me, therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice, let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have with their might, built this house to my name, for behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house." We thank thee, God, that thou hast accepted, by the testimony of thy Holy Spirit, all of the temples that have been erected from the days of Kirtland until this present one. We also thank thee for sending thy servants, Moses and Elias and Elijah, to the Kirtland temple, and delivering to thy servants, Joseph and Oliver, the keys of every dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ from the days of Father Adam down to the present dispensation, which is the dispensation of the fulness of times. We thank thee, that Elijah has appeared and that the prophecy of thy servant Malachi, that, the hearts of the fathers should be turned to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest the earth be smitten with a curse, has been fulfilled in our day, and that our hearts in very deed, go out to our fathers; and we rejoice beyond our ability to express that we can, through the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, become saviors of our ancestors. We thank Thee, God, with all our hearts and souls for the testimony of thy servants Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon: "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony last of all, which we give of him, that he lives; for we saw him, even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of — the Father that by him and through him, and of him the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God." We thank thee, Father, for the knowledge that we possess in our very souls, that thou dost live, and that thy Son Jesus is our Redeemer, and our Savior, and that thy servant, Joseph Smith, Jr., was and is a prophet of the true and living God. And, Father, may we ever be true and faithful to the gospel of thy Son Jesus Christ, revealed through thy servant Joseph. We beseech thee, Lord, that thou wilt stay the hand of the destroyer among the natives of this land, and give unto them increasing virility and more abundant health, that they may not perish as a people, but that from this time forth they 288 IMPROVEMENT ERA may increase in numbers and in strength and influence, that all the great and glorious promises made concerning the descendants of Lehi, may be fulfilled in them; that they may grow in vigor of body and of mind, and above all in a love for thee and thy Son, and increase in diligence and in faithfulness in the keeping of the commandments which have come to them through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray thee, Father, to bless this land that it may be fruitful, that it may yield abundantly, and that all who dwell thereon may be prospered in righteousness. Bless all thy people who have named thy name in all parts of the world. Especially bless thy people in the Valleys of the Mountains, whereunto they were led by thy divine guidance, and where the greatest of all temples in this dispensation has been erected, and where thou hast blessed and prospered thy people even beyond anything that could have been expected. Bless, Father in Heaven, all thy servants and handmaidens who hold responsible positions in all the various auxiliary organizations of thy Church, whether as general, stake, ward, or mission authorities; in the Relief Societies, in the Mutual Improvement associations, in the Sunday schools, in the Primary associations, and in the Religion Class organizations. Bless each and everyone who is laboring for the benefit of the members, as well as the members themselves, in these associations. We especially pray thee, Father in Heaven, to bless the youth of thy people in Zion and in all the world. Shield and preserve and protect them from the adversary and from wicked and designing men. Keep the youth of thy people, Father, in the straight and narrow path that leads to thee; preserve them from all the pitfalls and snares that are laid for their feet. Father, may our children grow up in the nurture and admonition of the gospel of thy Son Jesus Christ. Give unto them a testimony of the divinity of this work as thou hast given it unto us, and preserve them in purity and in the truth. O God, our Heavenly and Eternal Father, sanctify the words which we have spoken, and accept of the dedication of this house, we beseech thee, in the name of thine Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. We have dedicated this house unto thee by virtue of the Priesthood of the Living God which we hold, and we most earnestly pray that this sacred building may be a place in which thou shalt delight to pour out thy Holy Spirit in great abundance, and in which thy Son may see fit to manifest himself and to instruct thy servants. In the name of Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen and Amen. — : Spirit Communication • By William A. Hyde, President of the Pocatello stake of Zion [This letter was written to a friendly correspondent, who seems to be inclined to spiritualism. He is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Much is being written upon the subject it the present time, and even some of the Latter-day Saints are troubled to some extent by speculations that are going on. We believe, therefore, that this letter will be of great interest and value to all who read it. Editors.] — Dear Sir and Brother: It has been a long time since I received your last letter. I have held it handy to remind me that sometime I must answer it. Today seems an opportune time. I have carried, in my pocket, your little pamphlet entitled Who are these Spiritualists? It certainly contains a strong array of testimony as to the fact that there is communication between the living and the dead. In some of the popular magazines, there has lately appeared other evidence. Unlike some, I have never doubted that there has been communication between these spheres of life, through mediums, for I could not consistently maintain that all the purported evidences were legerdemain. Although I do not, as a Christian, hold exactly the same views as you say your wife does, as to the source of these manifestations; namely, that they are all evil, still I do not attach very much importance to them, for the reason that there does not appear to have come very much from them in the way of direct good to the living. But of another class of communications, the spiritualist must, if he is consistent, take cognizance. He must accept as genuine the accounts of holy writ, as to the appearance of Moses and Elias to the Christ and his disciples (Mark 9:4), the appearance of the messenger to John the Divine (Rev. 19:10), to Daniel (Daniel 10:13), and to others. These have great comparative importance among the great events in the history of the world; but in the records of the work of the mediums, there is no single instance, so far as I know, where one of their visitants has given any great or helpful truth to man. There may be such instances, but I have never heard of them, and I think that if they had occurred, they would have been published to the world. But, on the other hand, I have heard of communications from the dead, through the mediums, that have been deceptive, mischievous and harmful; so it would appear to me that in spirit communica- 290 IMPROVEMENT ERA tion, there is the good and the bad, and that one must not put too much importance on the mere fact that such communications occur, independent of their character. T^iere appear to be these distinguishing characteristics in spirit visitations, which may roughly classify them into two di- —servants of some higher power, with some important visions, message to deliver to men, and those which are the result of what you might term psychic influence, and which generally are shadowy, indefinite and personal, in their information to men. The first of these have had a marked influence in shaping the lives of mankind, and in forwarding the principles of righteousness; the latter are confined to their immediate circle, and, outside of the meager comfort that may come from the knowledge of the existence of a future state that they give, are really of little importance. Men study them as they would follow a scientific theory only. One would think that, it being proven that spirits do exist and have the power of expression, a collateral truth would have to be admitted also, that when they leave this earth, they engage in new experiences, and consequently acquire more knowledge. That being admitted, one must despair at the failure of spiritualism to give to mortals some of the benefits of the wisdom of those who are advanced. What are the conclusions that Socrates must have arrived at in his 2500 years of spirit life? Has he not now a more comprehensive view of existence, in that he can contemplate and weigh in his philosophy the mortal and the spiritual? How much more pithy might not Pascal's pointed sayings be than his published earthly utterances! And Newton, who protested to his admirers, when they flattered him as to the extent of his learning, that he "stood only on the shores of knowledge, and that the measureless ocean of truth lay before him unexplored," what might he not tell us now that he, like Tennyson, has "crossed the bar!" Then those great poets! Have they lost their poetic power, being dead? If spirits freely speak, why may not they communicate their mighty thoughts to us? Some little poetry ha* filtered through the mediums, I believe, but it has been classed as quite ordinary. Why do not the men who on earth we thought to be inspired with a heavenly fervor, warm our hearts again? Had Napoleon the power, what a splendid opportunity for him to have used his magnificent genius in his country's aid during the last great struggle! I think that you will agree with me, brother, that from the standpoint of results, the spiritualistic mediums have contributed little to humanity. I think that I am safe in saying that no great principle, no great fact in science, art, or philosophy have SPIRIT COMMUNICATION 291 they given to man. On the other hand, it appears that the Lord has had three ways of communicating his will by personal : command, by the means of that subtle medium, his Holy Spirit by which he conveys his message to the receptive mind, and by the means of spirit or angel messengers, and the service that these spirits who- come authoritatively has given us is of great importance. They have made known to man the decrees of God covering time to the end of the earth. To Jacob, to Daniel, to John they have anticipated history that we in our blindness are now only beginning to understand. The Church of which I am a member was brought into existence largely by the means of spirit or angel visitor?. When I say spirit, I am not attempting to make a distinction between purely spirits who have occupied bodies or not, or resur- — rected beings the broad classification covering those not mortal is what is meant by the term. My Church is that most wonderful^ little understood, and often vilified, organization known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or more commonly, "Mormon," and we, the "Mormon" people, have reason to be very grateful for spirit aid and mediation. I judge, by what you say as to your church affiliation, that you have not been of what may be termed the deeply religious class, that you are rather neutral and tolerant of churches than otherwise, and that being the case, you will be in a position to judge of this phase of my religion, just as you would of any other, upon the merits of the evidence. I note that you have given the testimony of Dr. Robert Chambers, Professor Oliver Lodge, Professor Herbert Mayo, Dr. Robertson, Alfred Russell Wallace, Henry W. Longfellow, Edwin Arnold, and many other noted men, as to the existence of the spiritual world around us. These are philosophers, scientists, and poets, and primarily their testimony is valuable, as Dr. Chambers says, "in redeeming multitudes from hardened atheism," and in demonstrating that "there is another world, that there is a non-material (or spiritual) form of humanity." This is a great accomplishment. These men have for their audience those who, even if they have believed in scripture, at least have not attached much importance to it. It would have been easy for the man who believed in God to believe the word of Elihu, in the Book of Job, that "there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." Or, to believe the countless testimonies of scripture as to the future existence of that spirit. The arguments and testimonies of these men, then, are not needed, for the conversion of the believer in scripture and the gospel of Christ, but for those who are not fully converted to it. 292 IMPROVEMENT ERA The scope of the gospel, as we believe it, includes three — great facts of existence, a spirit life before this earth life, our life here where the spirit which lived before is embodied in mortality, and the future life of the disembodied spirit. We believe that the first of these was a life of freedom of action and choice, that the second was or is largely a result of the first and is a period of testing and education, and that the third is a result of these former lives, which shall ultimately come to the reuniting of the spirit and the body in the resurrection, and that then the real, true, eternal life begins. This being true, it would be unbelievable that this great program could be accomplished by hap-hazard means. There are laws that govern spirit life. There are now, and ever will be, no doubt, the different altitudes to which spirits may rise, and to which they may be confined, and these disembodied ones, who communicate with us, are subject to laws as certain as the law of gravitation. There are laws that sent them here to inhabit infant bodies, and laws which govern them when they leave this existence. About the other side, you and I know but little, but I would like to put by the side of the word of any one whom you may choose to quote from, this statement of an ancient prophet of this hemisphere who said, Now concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection. Behold it has been made known unto me, by an angel, that the spirits of all men, assoon as they are departed from this mortal body; yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass that the spirits of those who are righteous, are received into a state of happiness, which called paradise; a state of rest; a state of peace, where they is shall rest from all their troubles and from all care and sorrow. And then shall it come to pass that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil * * * shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth; and this because of their own iniquity; being led captive by the will of the devil. Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked; yea in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise until the time of the resurrection. This is from the Book of Mormon. We believe it to be true and authentic; but whether this revelation to the ancient prophet ever came or not, it does not lack definiteness in statement, and has the further merit of justice and reasonableness. Has any of the shadowy, vague forms that flit within the consciousness of the mediums ever told as much as this? The statement has also the advantage of being indirectly corroborated bv the apostle Peter who refers to those "disobedient" spirits who had been imprisoned since the days of the flood. (1 Peter 3:19.) The doctrine of rewards and punishments must SPIRIT COMMUNICATION 293 be a vital part of any philosophy or religion, or else a premium would be placed on wrong, and right would be discounted, and I for one, can readily believe that there are vast numbers of earth's former inhabitants, who, in misery and discontent, are awaiting final judgment. But in these considerations the incident is apart from the principle that governs it. It is not enough to know that spirits actually exist. That truth is barren if we do not know the relation of God's laws to them. That death does not take us into a realm of complete knowledge is certain. Else, why should Christ have taken it upon himself to preach to those spirits in prison that I have already referred to? The disembodied spirit adds an experience to the sum of his human knowledge when he crosses the threshold of the "hereafter." According to the Book of Mormon prophet, if he has been a righteous man, he will have acquired many other wonderful experiences in the society of the great and good. If unrighteous, he must have much to learn that he might have acquired while on the earth, and he must in comparison to the other class be stationary and in doubt and fear as to the final result. Six thousand years has taught us that the secrets of the "other side" are inviolate, and are only revealed to men by authorized messengers, clothed with the power to communicate them, and that no psychic power of man can surmount this barrier; that persona] matters — such as the existence, comfort, happiness and desires of the departed are sometimes made known through mediums, but that the relative "alue of this information is little. You refer to a certain person as being p^vchic; I understand that to mean that tome people are so constituted, in mind, that thev are easier of access bv spirit influences. The "Mormon" doctrine is that the riyht to the ministry of angels is an authority conferred bv God himself. Yon, I believe, have the theory that there are certain spirits with whom it is difficult to communicate. Is not this a confirmation of the "Mormon" doctrine, that there are some who have passed to a higher plane, beyond the reach of the most subtlemedium? The mystic experiences of Swerlenborg, who is credited with having talked with angels, and, as he says, with God himself, you would interpret as being an indication of a highly psychic mind, but the test of the genuineness of Swedenborg's or any other man's professions, must be in their value to the human race. Have his teachings brought anv good or solid satisfaction to humanitv? The Prophet Joseph Smith has made some wonderful declarations, which are so startling, that apart