--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Dewey, L. Valess collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 30 number: 7 published: 1927-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Dewey, L. Valess, “A Few Mormon Contributions,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 7 (May 1927): 636–640." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3007unse 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: improvementera3007unse start_page: 636 end_page: 640 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1927-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3007unse publication_year: 1927 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 1927, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Few Mormon Contributions A FEW "MORMON" CONTRIBUTIONS By L. Valess Dewey, M.%A. The common saying that there is nothing new under the sun. has come to be doubted more and more in these days of political pro- gress', social development, industrial expansion, and scientific discovery. As a matter of fact, while the basic principles of truth are and do remain the same, there are, so far as our own conceptions are concerned, at least, many new things being given to the world every year. This has been true in all ages and dispensations of the world's history. But it is particularly true of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries' of the Christian era. More than this, there are many beautiful truths and facts which have been given to the world from time to time, either in whole or in part, and then withdrawn for a variety of reasons, only to be given again to another people, tongue, or nation. Such a condi- tion applies especially with regard to truths of religion. It is the purpose of this article to discuss a few new truths and facts as "Mormonism" has given them to the world. Not that these truths and facts) are entirely new to world thought; or even that they were entirely new to world thought in that day in which they were given to the world. For truly there have been hints and "gleams" of these and other basic truths and facts given at sundry times to the inhabitants of the world. Nevertheless, as the writer states them in this article, the "Mormon" contributions herein to be mentioned are in the main new as well as basic in universal thought and action. The True Fatherhood of God Through all the ages that man has lived upon the earth, he has been continually trying to find out God. Who is God? What is He? Where does He dwell? What is his relationship to man? These and many other questions have dwelt in the minds of the world's greatest philosophers and theologians in all ages of the history of man. And perhaps as many answers have been given to all these questions. In far-off India, God is thought of as Brahm, the all inclusive. "All is God and God is all," says the benighted Hindu with literal meaning. In far-away China, God is not a universal conception but, at the other extreme of thought, he is entirely localized and shorn of universal creating and sustaining power. "God is here," say the Confucianist pilgrim as he finds at last his localized deity after a prolonged journey. And this deity is as much "here" to the disciple of Confucius as if he were chained to the spot — influence and all. Thus we might go on and review all the religions of the world and still be without any definite notion of God and what he truly is. Even in the Christian world, as we know it today, there is a peculiarly vague conception of what God is like. The teachings of the Bible regarding God's identity are generally distorted. Certainly they are so vaguely con- A FEW "MORMON" CONTRIBUTIONS 63 7 strued as to leave the investigator and the seeker after God very un- satisfied if not entirely mystified. Take for example, the prevailing notion about God as we have it from the foremost teachers of Protestant theology. Briefly stated it is somewhat like this: God is a supreme Being not necessarily personal, who is somehow con- nected with the law of evolution, — a Being suffused in space with a mysterious control of all things both in heaven and on earth. Whether this conception is a superior one to the former conception of God as "without body, parts, and passions" would seem to be a question for debate. At all events, it is very difficult for a thinking person to get a satisfying notion of the Fatherhood of God from either of the foregoing conceptions. Where then shall we turn? And to whom shall we go? The God of the Bible is a personal God. Jehovah speaks of himself as the "I AM." He is also designated by his prophets as being in the masculine gender. Further, God has a body with parts and passions. He spoke unto Moses as a man would speak to his friend; also he is loving, and is capable of anger, jealousy, etc. More- over, Jesois Christ was declared to be in the express image and likeness of his father's person. Now, on the foundation thus laid in the Bible, "Mormonism" further declares to the world: (1) That God is the Father of man's spirit in a literal sense; (2) that this Father- hood of the spirits of all men is as natural as is the fact of fatherhood after the manner of flesh among men on earth. The Reality of Man's Brotherhood This second thesis follows logically. Yet what a variety of notions as touching man's brotherhood are abroad in the world today! From every quarter of the globe come agnostic arguments. According to some, man is a creature of chance and a product of his environment. To others, he is a result of evolution and, therefore, largely of heredity. To Christians of the Fundamentalist class, he was moulded by God in the beginning — much as a child would make a mud pie — and left to speculate on his relationship to his fellow-being. And those same Christians would say that only those men are brethreiwwho become so as followers of Christ. To Christians of the Modernist class, the probabilities are yet more remote. For in this last concep- tion there is no spirit (bodily counterpart) in man, and no divine Christ. Therefore, a brotherhood can only be a social brotherhood at best. What scant and unsatisfying conceptions are these! Now let us consider a brief statement of "Mormon" conceptions as touching man's brotherhood. Like Job of old, "Mormonism" de- clares that there is a spirit (bodily and counterpart) in man, and that the inspiration of the Almighty gives that spirit understanding. Also, man was in the beginning with God — as his spiritual child. Hence, it follows that all men, whether they be good or bad, are children of God and therefore brothers and sisters in God's great family. And, as Paul puts it, they are, if faithful' "heirs of God and joint heirs with 618 IMPROVEMENT ERA Christ." What breadth of vision is here! Truly all men are here in earth life, not against their will, or as a result of organic evolution, but as children gone away from the heavenly home for a season that they might be added upon. And all with the privilege of returning through Christ, if they choose to do so. Coupled with such under- standing comes the greater need for service, that service to Christ and humanity which is brotherhood in action, even the action growing out of ideals expressed by the Savior of the world when he said, "One is your Master (Teacher) even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Thus are we all brethren with Christ, as children of our common Father, the Elohim of the universe. « Revelation in all Ages of the World Considering God as a just God and all men as his literal off- spring, how is it possible to get away from the conclusion that there ought to be revelation from God in all ages of the world's history? No student of the Bible will deny that the heavenly Father continued to speak to and care for his children in former days through his prophets. And does not this same volume of scripture declare that God will do nothing but "reveal his secrets to his servants the proph- ets?" Is it possible that man has developed so well and progressed so fast that he has gotten beyond the need of advice or assistance from the heavenly throne? It is true that man has progressed. His has been remarkable advancement! He has learned many things about his body and how better to care for it. He has evolved laws for more efficient use of his mind. He has advanced socially, industrially, and professionally. Why then, in the face of all this advancement and progress, should man be so strangely out of harmony if not, indeed, utterly behind the times in the field of religion? One thing is certain. The Bible, as we have it today, has not been a sufficient guide. Many have stumbled because of it; and particularly have they stumbled because of corrupted professors there- of. The one remedy for the world's ills is more revelation from heaven. More revelation and hence more prophets', with divine priest- hood, scripture, and guidance. For the New Testament Church, as Christ established it on the day of Pentecost, was gradually corrupted until its prophets were killed and its power to officiate in the name of heaven was lost. Hence, then, is the declaration of "Mormonism:" ( 1 ) God needed to speak and did speak from heaven in this age of the world; (2) the gospel of Christ has been restored in its fulness, — that is, sufficient to meet all the needs and requirements of the past and present to date; (3) there will yet be more revelation from heaven, for there are other ages to come and more needs will arise. The Eternal Progress of Man No thinking person will argue that either space or time is limited in extent, except in so far as man or God chooses to limit that extent. A FEW "MORMON" CONTRIBUTIONS 63 9 Scientific study has demonstrated also that this same idea holds with respect to matter and energy. Why then should there be a limit to existence in the sense of life, except as man or God should limit the various forms or spheres of that life? To what purpose do men argue for a beginning or an end in the sum total of existence? Indeed, if the philosopher were to find (if that were possible) that there was a beginning to existence, he would be disappointed; for the very fact of beginning would mean necessarily an end. Granted, then, the fact of eternal existence, why should not progress be coeternal with that existence? Now, "Mormonism" asserts that coeternal with space, time, matter, and energy is life and intelligence; — intelligence in the sense of identity, ego, selfhood. Indeed, the doctrine known as "Mor- monism" boldly declares that the intelligence of man existed co- eternally with the intelligence of God himself. In a single sentence, "Mormonism" would say that eternal progress is based on the fact of intelligences, spirits (enlarged intelligences), and spirits in mortal and immortal tabernacles (intelligences and spirits added upon) giving themselves into the supervision, care, and nurture of our heavenlv Father. But let us elaborate somewhat the foregoing statement. The first or spirit estate of man's progress, dating from the time that the •primeval intelligence of man gave itself into the care of the heavenly Father and received a spiritual body from him, was none other than that pre-mortal life hinted at in God's questioning of Job. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? * * * When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" There in that pre-existent life of the spirit, man attained his first development; there he advanced to a stage of accomplish- ment when it became necessary for him to come to an earth and take a body of flesh and blood, if he would continue his progress. Then came the earth life of man, in the which recollections of his previous life in the spirit were taken from him in order that he might walk by faith. Here it was designed that man should battle with the problems of a mortal existence; and by virtue of his free agency, together with inspiration from above, the way was left open, through the heaven-laid plan of Christ's atonement, for man to sur- mount mortal temptations and win his way to immortality. First, however, there must come a change known to mortals as death. Thisi change, according to "Mormon" teaching, is but a separa- tion of the spirit from the body at which the spirit goes to a place prepared, a place of departed spirits probably here on earth. It is of this spirit world that Jesus spoke when he said to the thief on the cross, "This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." To this spirit world the Christ, quickened in spirit, went to preach; and here the thief, also quickened in spirit, went to be preached unto. Here also the spirits of all men go after their sojourn in the flesh, taking with them their righteousness and their filth of mind (if there be filth). 640 IMPROVEMENT ERA For recollections* of earth life will be needed to assist them in making further advancement if they choose to avail themselves of it. To this end it is written: "For this cause was the gospel preached (and will continue to be preached) to them that are dead; that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit." Finally, the resurrection of the body marks the beginning of the last but never-ending estate of man's progress and glory. In God's own due time, the spirit of man is reunited in resurrection with its earthly tabernacle, and becomes an immortal being. This immortal being is the completed soul of man, possessed of flesh, bone and spirit. Completed In the sense of inseparable unity. ' But the "race which runs up through the worlds" has only begun in the sense of accomplishment. "As man is God once was," said a prophet of "Mormonism." And to that he added, "As God is man may become." Who then can measure or even imagine the heights to which im- mortal man's future accomplishments may reach? "Be ye perfect," admonished the Savior of the world, "even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." And again, "The Son can do nothing but what he seeth the Father do; and whatsoever He (the Father) doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." Who can conceive of a greater destiny for man? The Son of God has asked that man shall follow in his footsteps. And he (the Christ) is the while following in the footsteps of the heavenly Father, the great ideal of the universe. How wonder- ful it is to have part in eternal progress and never-ending accomplish- ment! And all these are but a few contributions of what the world calls "Mormonism." Tucson, Arizona. The Two Suns One night I saw the sun go down, Enshrouded in a robe of red, And streams of gold its shining crown On blushing earth in splendor shed. The crimson clouds did dance in glee Around its great and fiery flame, (No richer scene could mortals see) , It sank to rest, and darkness came. One day a greater Son went down! His light was truth — not beams just spread, — And on His brow a thorny crown, His blood, His precious life blood shed. The earth did shake at God's command For miles around this Lord divine. He rose from death, and on all land His holy light doth brighter shine. Logan, Utah. LEROY J. LEISHMAN