Extract From a New Work Just Published

(BY PARLEY P. PRATT.)

In our last, we gave the title of the above work, and promised to insert in this, a few extracts in order to exhibit a specimen of it to our readers.

Elder Pratt in his article on the "Fountain of Knowledge" thus eloquently describes the capacity of the mind.

"Let us contemplate for a moment the mind's capacity, small indeed at first, but capable of infinite expansion, while a boundless field is extended on all sides, inviting inquiry and meditation.

O man! burst the chains of mortality which bind thee fast; unlock the prison of thy clay tenement which confines thee to this groveling, earthly sphere of action; and robed in immortality, wrapped in the visions of eternity, organs of sight, and thought, and speech, which cannot be impaired or weakened by time or use: soar with me amid unnumbered worlds which roll in majesty on high. Ascend the heights; descend the depths; explore the lengths and breadths of organized existence.-Learn the present facts, the past history and future destiny of things and beings: of God and his works; of the organizations of angels, of spirits, of men and animals: of worlds and their fulness [fullness]; of thrones and dominions, principalities and powers. Learn what man was before this life and what he will be in worlds to come. Or seated high on a throne celestial surrounded with the chaotic mass of unorganized existence; search out the origin of master and of mind. Trace them through all the windings of their varied order, till purified and

exalted [exalted], all nature seeks a grand sublime repose and enters into rest, to change no more. Enter the sacred archives of the third heavens; hear with John the seven thunders speak, while forked lightnings flash around thy head; and trumps and voices loud proclaim the mysteries which are not lawful for man on earth to utter. And thus with knowledge stored, return to earth, and attempt to write all thou hast seen, or heard, or know of heaven and earth, of time and eternity, in a book.

You will then realize the truth of the language of poet.

Could we with ink the oceans fill,

Was the whole earth of parchment made,

And every single stick a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above,

Would drain the ocean dry,

Nor could the whole upon a scroll

Be spread from sky to sky."

In his chapter on the "Immortality and Eternal Life of the Material Body;" he reasons thus:

"If it still be argued that something can be made from nothing, we would inquire how many solid feet of nonentity it would require to make one solid foot of material substance? The very idea is the climax of absurdity.

Therefore we argue that it is a self-evident fact, clearly manifested to every reflecting mind, that elements of matter are eternal. That the earth was formed out of the eternal elements, and man's body out of the earth.-These facts are not only proven from scripture, reason, and philosophy, but are also demonstrated or confirmed by daily experience. The work of creation has been proceeding in every age up to the present time upon the same unchangable [unchangeable] principles. That is, all material organization in our world is produced from the earth, or from its own elements, as we daily witness; while there is not a single instance of a thing, or being, produced from nothing, so far as come within the sphere of man's observation.

Modern discoveries in the science of geology have had a tendency to illustrate and confirm these important facts; and to explode the systems of mysticism, which while they throw a vail [veil] over the whole subject, as if too sacred for investigation, would fain make the world believe, that a God without body or parts, whose centre [center] is everywhere and his circumference no where; originated all things from nothing, some six thousand years since, while at the same time formations are found in the bowels of the earth which indicate an existence of perhaps hundreds of thousands of years."

The following is from an article on "Intelligence and Affection."

"It is true, that, in this life the progress of the mind in intelligence, is not only gradual, but obstructed in various ways. It has to contend, not only with its own prejudices and the errors of an opposing world, but with innumerable weaknesses, temptations, cares, and troubles, with which it is continually beset.

And finally, its organs are weakened by disease, or worn with age, till it sinks into a backward tendency-looses a portion of that which it has been able to comprehend, and partakes of a kind of secondary childhood.

From this fact, some are ready to conclude, that the mind, like the body, has its limits; its point of maturity, beyond which it can never expand; and that arriving at this climax of maturity, like a full grown plant, it is incapable of a further advance. But this is a mistake. It is not the mind itself that is thus limited and confined with a circle so narrow, but it is the circumstances in which it is placed. That is, its bodily organs, once strong and vigorous, are now weakened by disease, or worn with age.-Hence, the mind, while connected with them, and dependent on them, is compelled to partake of their weaknesses. And like a strong traveller [traveler] with a weak companion, or a strong workman with a slender tool, it can only operate as they are able to bear.

What then is the means by which this formidable obstacle can be overcome, and the mind be enabled with renewed vigor, to continue its onward progress in the reception of intelligence?

We will best answer this question by a parable.

A certain child had continued the use of food until its teeth were worn, loosened, and decayed to that final degree that they were no longer able to perform their accustomed office. On this account, its food was swallowed in such a manner as not to digest properly.

This soon caused general weakness and disorder of the system. Some unthinking persons seeing this, came to the conclusion that the child had come to maturity-that it no longer needed its accustomed nourishment, but must gradually sink and die. But in process of time, nature provided its own remedy. The old teeth were shed, and a new set more strong and durable took their place. The system being thus restored in every part to a full, vigorous and healthy action, was enabled to make rapid progress toward perfection, and to receive and digest food far more strong and hard of digestion than before.

So with the organs of the mind. This temporary body, frail and mortal, is to the mind

what the children's teeth are to the system.-Like them it answers a momentary purpose, and like them its organs became decayed and weakened by age and use; so that many truths which present themselves to the mind, cannot be properly digested while being dependent on such weak organs.

But let this feeble and decayed body share the fate of the child's first set of teeth-let it be plucked by death, and the mind set free. Nay, rather let it be renewed in all the freshness and vigor of eternal life; with organs fresh and strong, and durable as the powers of eternal intellect.

And the mind, thus provided with organs, fully adapted to its most ardent powers of action, will find itself no longer constrained to linger on the confines of its former limits, where impatient of restraint, it had struggled in vain for freedom. But like a prisoner, suddenly freed from the iron shackles and gloomy dungeons of a terrible tyrant, it will more [move ?] nimbly onward with a joyous consciousness of its own liberty. It will renew with redoubled vigor its intellectual feast, and enlarge its field of operations amid the boundless sources of intelligence, till earth, with all its treasures of wisdom and knowledge, becomes too small, and the neighboring worlds too narrow to satisfy a capacity so enlarged. It will then, on wings of faith, and by the power of the spirit waft itself far beyond our visible heavens, and "far above earth's span of sky" and explore other suns, and other systems; and hold communion with other intelligences, more remote than our weak minds can possible conceive.

In these researches and discoveries, the mind will be able by degrees to circumscribe the heavens, and to comprehend the heights and depths, and lengths and breadths of the mysteries of eternal truth, and like its maker, comprehend all things; even the deep things of God."

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"Man, know thyself,-study thine own nature,-learn thy powers of body-thy capacity of mind. Learn thine origin, thy purpose and thy destiny. Study the true source of thine own happiness, and the happiness of all beings with which thou art associated. Learn to act in unison with thy true character, nature and attributes; and thus improve and cultivate the resources within and around thee. This will render you truly happy, and be an acceptable service to your God. And being faithful over a few things, you may hope to be made ruler over many things.

What then is sinful? I answer, our unnatural passions and affections, or in other words the abuse, the perversion, the unlawful indulgence of that which is otherwise good. Sodom was not destroyed for their unnatural affection; but for the want of it. They had perverted all their affections, and had given place to that which was unnatural, and contrary to nature. Thus they had lost those holy and pure principles of virtue and love which were calculated to preserve and exalt mankind; and were overwhelmed in all manner of corruption; and also hatred towards those who were good.

So it was with the nations of Canaan who were doomed to distruction [destruction] by the Israelites.-And so it was with the Greeks, Romans, and other gentiles in the days of Paul. Hence his testimony against their wicked works, and his warning to the churches to beware of these carnal, sinful, corrupt and impure works of the flesh; all of which were more or less interwoven with their natures by reason of long and frequent indulgences therein. Now it was not because men's natural affections were sinful that all these sins existed; but it was because wicked customs, contrary to nature, had become so prevalent as to become a kind of second nature.

So it is in the present age; men who do not govern their affections so as to keep them within their proper and lawful channel; but who indulge in every vice, and unlawful use of that which was originally good, so far pervert it that it becomes to them a minister of evil; and therefore they are led into the other extreme; and begin to accuse their nature, or him that formed them, of evil; and they seek to change their nature; and call upon God to make them a different being from what he made them at first. In short they seek to divest themselves of a portion of the very attributes of their nature instead of seeking to govern, to improve, and to cultivate and direct their powers of mind and their affections, so as to cause them to contribute to their happiness. All these are the results of incorrect traditions, teachings and practices.

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"'There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge in the grave whither thou goest." "As the tree falleth so it lieth." "As death leaves us, so judgment will find us.'

To the first of these we would reply that the spirit never goes to the grave; and the body does not stay in it long. And beyond it, in the regions of eternal life there is abundance of work, knowledge and device. To the second, we would say, that the tree lieth as it falleth until it is removed, and used for some other purpose. And to the third, we reply, that it is a sectarian proverb, instead of a scripture;

and by the by a false one too. For death leaves us in the grave, with body and spirit separated; and judgment finds us risen from the grave, and spirit and body united.

Thus organized a new, we are prepared to enter upon a life of business and usefulness, in a sphere vastly enlarged and extended.-Possessing a priesthood after the order of Melchesideck; or, after the order of the son of God; which is after the power of an endless life, without beginning of days or ending of years, a priesthood which includes a scepter and kingly office; we are more fully than ever qualified to teach, to judge, to rule and govern; and to go and come on foreign missions. The field of our labors may then extend for aught [ought] we know to the most distant worlds-to climes where mortal eye never penetrated. Or we may visit the dark and gloomy regions of the spirits in prison, and there, like a risen Jesus, preach the gospel to those who are dead; 'that they may be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.'

Or we may be called upon, with the other sons of God to shout for joy, at the organization of new systems of worlds, and new orders of being; over which we may reign as kings, or to whom we may minister as priests."

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