The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-11

anu man personal election to follow
the directions of that knowledge His
duty is not to do as he is told. He
must himself learn the duty and per-
form 1t, because he knows it to be a
duty Otherwise the plan of salvation
would be changed and the doctrine of
LuclfeT to save men in their sins and
| IN their ignorance would have been
accepted, and that of Christ to save
men from their sins rejected.
Latter-day Saints believe in a pre-
existent STATEN a condition where
! the spirits Of men and women hunger
/ to find bodies that they NAV go
/ through this life sphere and so pass on
/ 10 the glory beyond. That is why the
/ having of children is recognized as
/ such d vital principle by devout Nor
mons 1t is the duty of those blessed
with bodies 10 provide means by which
! the spirits in the pre-earthly state
may enter tahernacles of flesh here
ana so ENJOY probationary period on
this earth.
1t may perhaps appear bold, per-
maps shock some, but it seems to me
that Christian religions generally af-
FORD few really satisfying reasons for
mans existence. And the inward
voice often asks: rs the game worth
the candle after alp" The increasing
number of suicides and the failures Of
ire indicate that negative reply is
more often returned with the added
years.
As before stated, the conclusions
given tonight are from what is more
than superficial knowledge of Nor
mon doctrines and theories. The de-
auctions are from that knowledge. and
while the church cannot be held re-
sponsible for either the statements or
the deductions nevertheless, l deem
them worthy of presentation to you
and on my own responsibility, and with
your patient indulgence give them for
what they are worth.
II the doubts surrounding our exist
ence here could be answered to the
satisfaction of mankind generally the
results could hardly be estimated. The
believing accept existence without a
thought. The unbelieving denounce the
accepted views OF those believing as
outside the pale of reason. yet them
selves make no serious effort to solve
the problem Surely there is a reason
Ter existence. What can be a greater
trlaI TO reason than to hold that all is
the product of chance?
desire to give a reason for life If
It be wrong, we'll and good 1t has at
least the merit of being fully as rea-
sonable as the claim of so many who
live on the presumed efficacy of faith
alone; While it differs from the view
OF the atheist in that it gives a reason
for life, even though it be an INSULT
Gent one. If there be truth and reason
IN it. discussion of it can do no harm.
Bible believers may argue against it.
may declare it rank atheism. but it has
the Bible back OF it nevertheless.
The purpose of this paper is to dis
cuss. three propositions and to rely
mainly on the scriptures for their sup
port.
First-That man pre-existed.
Second-That God is a man, and
Ihird-That man may become a God |
1t can be made reasonab bly, clear that
these propositions. instead of being
widely apart from each other, are in |
tensely relevant and pertinent
PRE-EXISTENCE.
No one who believes in an existence
IN spirit or resurrected form after this |
life, should contend that the claim of |
a Dre-existent state is opposed to |
reason. Looked at without bias, every |
argument to the affirmation of SUISSE |
quent existence NAV be used with |
equal force as favorable 10 the claim !
OF Dre-eXistence. It must not be for
gotten that belief in a life after this
has back Of it the unassuaged suffer- |
ings, the irreparable losses of this life.
Every aspiration of the heart wrung
with anguish at the loss of loved ones,
every yearning once again 10 feel their
presence, every hope that the future
may see righted wrongs long suffered
here. every sigh Of the weary and tired
heart for that rest which NAV be
looked for beyond the grave alone
argues with greater strength than all
human reason in behalf of future ex-
istence. The past is gone. The future
alone is ours. II pre- eXistence is a
fact we are dead TO knowledge of it.
The estate before this has left neither
the remembrance of nor the hope for
joy. Therefore, we 90 not long for it as
for a life hereafter. We are insensible
to the same reasons for d previous as
for Il later existence, and the mind,
without contemplation, has rejected it.
Scriptures, hopes, fears, heart-longings
aside, however, and viewing the prop
OSitiOn abstractedlY, there is as much
reason 70 believe we existed before
this life as to hold that we shall live
after the present struggle has ceased.
Nay, if immortality is the portion of
the race, then all that has been, now
is. or is hereafter to be. is part OF the
plan God has designed for his children:
and time of existence preparatory to
his was as essential as present life is
to that of the future.
AS yet we are ignorant OF the princi-
pie of life We know not where or
when it begins. where nor when it ter
Abraham was I am" What can this
mean, if not that Jesus existed as the
I am" before Abraham came TO the
ieSh? He existed though born CEN
urieS after Abraham had been gath
cred to his fathers. 1t viii doubtless
De argued that the Savior, being of
God, is not subject TO the conditions
hat apply to all others.
Did not the disciples ask Jesus, say
ng: Master, who did sin; this man
II his parents. that he was born
)lind?" John IX-2)
This Interrogation to the Savior re-
,OgniZes Dre-eXistence as an accepted
principle among the Jews. Why should
he babe born blind be punished for an
,ffense committed by il at time when {
t had no existence? A recognition of
alone saves the question ..
rom the CHARGE of idiocy. The Savior
1ust have viewed this as an accepted
doctrine of the times. He did not argue .
gainst the idea, but replied: Neither :
lath this man sinned, nor his parents" :
tc.
Again in Job xXXviii we read. when I
he morning stars sang together and =
II the sons of God shouted for joy" {
Now there was day when the sons {
f God came TO present themselves
efore the Lord &c. 10. I saw the
ord sitting on his throne and all the !
Ost of heaven standing by him on his 3
light hand and on his left" Il Kings :
xii-19). /
Who were these sons of Cod that
houted for joy? They We're not resur- :
ected beings, because there had been o