--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - McRae, Joseph A. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 27 number: 6 published: 1924-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Joseph A. McRae, ““Take Heed That No Man Deceive You”,” *Improvement Era 27, no. 6 (April 1924)*: 499–503." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2706unse 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: improvementera2706unse start_page: 499 end_page: 503 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1924-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2706unse publication_year: 1924 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 1924, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # “Take Heed That No Man Deceive You” "TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN DECEIVE YOU" By Joseph A. McRae The magazines, the newspapers and the people, are singing the praises of the erstwhile smiling little Frenchman — Emile Coue. Re- ports of the marvelous cures he has obtained through his methods of auto-suggestion fills page after page of the periodicals. There is small wonder that such should be the case, and, indeed, it were a wonder if he did not attract attention of those who are physically unfit; and in this day of nerve-racking feats, demanded by our mode of living and business activities, few are physically fit. The reason for mention of this subject, just at this time, is the danger of running away after "Coueism" and forgetting a higher source from which has come to us remarkable healings which have reached the position of miracles. The doctrine taught by the doughty little Frenchman is as old as the human race. "For behold this is my work and my glory — to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:39.) Thus we are taught that after Moses had been visited of God and had been shown His creations, he was told that the glory of God was to bring about the "eternal life of man," not only healing of physical ills but the regeneration of the entire being to complete "eternal life." And again: "That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the Kingdom of heaven, of water and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory." (Moses 6:59.) Therefore while Coue promises cures of curable diseases, God promises "immortal glory." Latter-day Saints have a "more sure word of promise" than can be vouchsafed by any method of psychology or psychic influence from any source whatever. "Take heed, lest any man deceive you, for many shall come in my name and shall deceive many." (Luke 13:5, 6.) Let us turn to the pages of history and review just a few of the times when this principle, which has come to us so modernly and so emphatically, was positively exemplified through the power of God. That Elisha, the prophet, 897 B. C., worked under the in- 500 IMPROVEMENT ERA flucnce of God, will not be denied. There came to him a man stricken with leprosy. He was told by the prophet to bathe seven times in the waters of the Jordan. After some persuasion he did so, and came out clean. (See II Kings 5 for a full account.) We are now told to repeat twenty times certain words, and we shall be healed. The prophet tells the king he shall yet live fifteen years. (II- Kings 20:6.) The Old Testament abounds with references that "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Let us now turn to the New Testament. In all the works of the Master, he seems to have required a faith on their part in order to accomplish the healings of the people. In some instances he sensed it, in others he demanded it. Not that he could not have done the things he did without their help, but he didn't. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33.) "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall recieve." (Matt. 21:22.) We are told in our modern psychology, or psychotherapy, or whatever name we shall call it, that we must center our minds upon the things we desire. "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed." (Jas. 1:5.) Giving ourselves over to the influence of God, with faith in his promises brings to us the rewards we seek. "And behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in nowise lift herself, and when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight and glorified God." (Luke 13: 11-13.) "Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them." (Luke 4:40.) He healed their sick, he restored their blind to sight, he un- stopped the ears of their deaf, he made their lame walk, he called their dead from out the grave, then said: "He that bclieveth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works shall he do." (John 14:12.) "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." (16:23.) There seemed to be no incantations, no secret words — only a belief on the name Jesus and an asking in faith. Once, when the disciples came to Jesus, after he had cast out the evil spirits, they asked, "Why could not we cast him out?" and he said, "Because of your unbelief." (Matt. 17:19, 20.) '"TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN DECEIVE YOU" 501 Space would not permit a full and complete reference to passages relating such scenes from the Bible, but I desire to show that such things are not new. From the Jewish scriptures, let us turn to the modern scriptures. The joining of the two reveals the fact that we have within us the power to do many wonderful things, if we but have faith to do them, and if we but give our heart to God, as we are asked to give ourselves over to the influence of mental suggestion. Zeezrum, a lawyer, accused Alma and Amulek, and was after- wards taken sick and sent for them. Alma took him by the hand and asked, "Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?" When he acknowledged his belief he was healed. (Alma Chaps. 11- 15 for a full account.) "And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multi- tude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him." (Ill Nephi 17:9.) "And there were great and marvelous works wrought by the disciples of Jesus, insomuch that they did heal the sick, and raised the dead, and cause the lame to walk and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear; and all manner of miracles did they work among the children of men ; and in nothing did they work miracles save it were in the name of Jesus Christ." (IV Nephi 5.) The Doctrine and Covenants is not a history of a people, but how mightily the promises made in that book of scripture have been fulfilled can be attested by thousands of men and women living today. The following passages are taken at random: "Require not miracles, unless I shall command you, except casting out devils, healing the sick, and against poisonous serpents, and against deadly poisons; and these things ye shall not do except it be required of you by them who desire it." (Sec. 24:13, 14.) "Lay your hands upon the sick and they shall recover." (66:9.) "Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessings — yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof." (19:38.) "In my name they shall heal the sick; in my name they shall open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf; and the tongue of the dumb shall speak." (84:68-70.) "And to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God." (46:11.) "By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our under- standings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God." (76:12.) "For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining of these two priesthoods of which I have- spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies." (84:33.) "For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit." (84:45, 46.) 502 IMPROVEMENT ERA "And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come * * * He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." (93:24, 28.) "For thus saith the Lord — I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteous- ness and truth unto the end. "Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory. "And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries cf my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom. "Yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations. "And their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the under- standing of the prudent shall come to naught. "For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will — yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man." (76:5-10.) We have the testimony of Moses and the Prophets; we have the testimony of the works of the Master; we have the testimony of living beings who have witnessed wonders performed; we have the written oracles of God as mute testimony of the blessings he has in store for us, and yet some will allow this "more sure word of prophecy" to pass unheeded while they run off after other gods. The danger is not that Dr. Coue has obtained such wonderful results as are attributed to him, but to the fact that even though it be true, that that man has an inherent power within him to perform these feats, God, the source of all power, should not be entirely ignored in the final reckonings. If we recognize in man an embryonic god, with a reason of a gigantic plan, only part of which can be comprehended by man, and who, in his wanderings about the shores of life's ocean, "gathers a few pebbles" of knowledge, then we can know that back of our being, our doing, our searching, our knowing, there lies the "great ocean of knowledge untouched." Why shouldn't man come to a partial realization of his powers, and in conjunction with God become a creator? Jesus healed the sick, made the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and raised the dead, then to his disciples said; "Greater things than these shall ye do." The greater things we have yet to discover. So let us go back to the beginning and with the Master say: "Take heed that no man deceive you." In listening too closely and heeding too carefully the precepts of men, let us beware lest we fail to give God the credit to which he is entitled. The -half has not been told, the heights we may attain are not "TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN DECEIVE YOU" 503 even dreamed of, neither will be until we shall have so ordered our lives that we shall have come to that fuller knowledge of the things which have been prepared for us. How prone men are to follow after the shadow and leave the substance — follow the candle light, and turn their backs on the Son of Righteousness. The mariner sets his compass and steers his ship by the light of the stars, yet how welcome the bright rays of the rising sun This gospel was so simple that a child, in the beginning, by the light of inspiration, could understand its far meaning, and yet so complex that the greatest scientists halt oefore the majesty of its unveiling. "Amid the crash of stars, the reign of law, the vicissitudes of human history, and the griefs that drive their plowshares into human hearts, — to gather up all existence into spiritual unity and to believe in God is the sublimest venture of the human soul." "I caught this full grown Yellow Warbler in our garage; and after about an hour of petting and coaxing, I got it to pose for this picture. The bird flew away from my hand after I got this picture. I held the bird in one hand and my kodak in the other. Did some one say that "birds are wild"? Taken by H. L. Hammond, Eagle scout, Troop 15, Prov- idence, Utah.