Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-08
BEFORE, now, HEREAFTER,

BEFORE, NOW, HEREAFTER.
"The Light Of Truth published at
Columbus Ohio. some time ago con-
taIned articles giving the views on I'M
mortality Of a number Of eminent d.
vines. representing several different
schools Of theology Later. the same
paper published a letter from gentle
man at Markle. Indiana. mildly CRITICS.
ing the writer's aforesaid and sprngng
some queries that have excited good
deal Of curiosity BY request OF an
inquirer In that State we copy a por-
ton Of the letter, with some questions
tina, require an answer The letter. in
part. Is as follows:
Until those sages OF divinity can ex-
plain how Il Is possible for a being TO
commence It's individual existence
with this earth life, and after passing
the portals OF death retain that
rounded out individuality with all us
attributes throughout an endless
eternity that 1t acquired IA earth lie
mot having had such an individual
existence and distinctive qualities bee
fore birth as we now know them 90
possess) we shall Doe Inclined 90 accept
their conclusions with "a good deal of
allowance. for the very good reason
that all things IN nature as far as hui
man observation goes. shows that or
gunizati0n and DISCRIMINATION sue
coed each other continuously. under
the orderly operation OF natural law,
no variation from this course having
been recorded 81 scientific men.
Provided that Il be possible Tor a
human being 90 commence It's exist
cnCe with It's earth lie and thereafter
retain an endless existence. the In
finite All before It's birth would
not be tho same Infinite An after
wards, Ia other words. 10 would con-
yey 70 us the idea that the total num-
Der Of intelligent beings In the eter-
nifty OF the past was not as numerous
as the total number OF such beings
after mans advent among them. That
Is, the lnnnlty before his birth was
not exactly the same lnfnlty after he
was added to u.
True. man is a finite being and the
most massive mind Is limited. how
ever there seems 20 be but one rea-
sonable conclusion, and that is II
man is immortal after death, he must
have necessarily been the same before
birth, possessing an the faculties that
he has afterwards otherwise great
nature would have been invaded.
Yours for the truth.
These are the questions we are re-
quested 10 reply 20:
First-Did human beings exist preyl-
GUS 20 birth IN this world. and I'M their
pre-eXistence had they the same attri-
butes and distinct characteristics by
which we can distinguish one person
from another?
Second-WW human beings have an
endless existence after death and
possess an the attributes and charac.
tefistics that they acquire In earth
Thlrd-lf human beings had a pre.
existence. how comes 40 that they have
no remembrance or recollection of any
such state?
The doctrine Of the pre-oxlstence OF
man Is a tenet OF the Latter-day Saints
faith. Without endorsing or opposing
the arguments IN the letter we have
quoted above, we viii proceed 10 reply
to the questions Of our correspondent
We know nothing about the origin OF
the spirit Of man, but that which has
been divinely revealed. That Il could
not have been evolved from the matter
composing this globe and rs atmos.
phers seems evident 10 the reasouInc
mind II Is essentially different and So
highly superior 20 those elements that
itcould not have been formed like the
body Il inhabits," from "tha du~ of
The earth" But whence It came or
WHITTIER it goes. IS not disclosed by The
voice of experience or the discoveries
o. science We must turn 10 revelation
for Npht IN regard 70 this important
question.
In revelation through Joseph Smith
the Prophet given Dec. q, 1899 It Is
stated that.
The spirit and the body Is the soul
Or man and the resurrection from the
dead Is DE redemption Of the soul D.
Doc & Cow Sec lxxXylil, v. IS, 10.
In another given May G, 1883, we are
told Boy ID. SAVIOR
II was in the beginning with the
rather and am the first born"
re We're also IN the beginning with
The Father
For man is spirit. The elements are
eternal and rrirr and element ir