Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-07-26
LIFE AND IMMORTALITY.

what may pe Cdlltd iltl pNlN Wv"
GERS final word on immortality, Is quot
ed IN the Literary Digest for July H.
lItlsa portion Of volume recently Is
sued entitled Facts and Comments, and
partly devoted to ultimate questions
In this volume the eminent scientist
says in part:
after studying primitive beliefs, the
finding that there Is no origin for the
idea OF an after.llife save the oonclu-
sion which the savage draws from the
notion suggested by dreams, Of wan.
dering double which comes back on
awakening and which goes away for an
indefinite time at death, and after con-
templating the inscrutable relation be.
tween brain and consciousness, and
finding that we can get no evidence OF
the existence Of the last without the
activity OF the first, we seem Obliged TO
relinquish the thought that conscious
ness continues after physical organiza-
ton has become inactive"
he admits that this conclusion Is
strange and repugnant." He finds II
difficult TO reconcile himself TO the idea
that man, at death, becomes extinct as
II ne had never lived. He suggests that
consciousness rs but a specialized and
lndlvidualzed form OF that Infinite and
eternal energy which transcends both
our knowledge and our imagination,
and that at death rs elements lapse
into the Infinite and eternal energy
whence they were derived"
This we admit, is a logical conclusion
from premises furnished by a philoso-
ply that has no other place for man
than that OF the most perfected animal
Strange and repugnant as the conclu-
sion IL, II must be accepted II there IL
no other source Of information on i'm
mortality than the phenomena OF nature
with which the sciences are more or
less familiar But is there no other
means OF knowledge OF future state2
Are we confined TO our own imperfect
deductions? If so the hopelessness Of
even arriving at perfect knowledge con-
corning "the riddle Of existence" may
be admitted, until the time comes when
the book OF nature shan be known to
greater perfection than is the case now.
But there Is a source Of information.
absolutely certain, on that important
question There is direct testimony
that cannot be set aside.
our Lord frequently in His private
with His followers spoke Of
the future. He told them Abraham.
Isaac and Jacob, though dead, were liy-
ing. that there were mansions" In His
Fathers house whore he would prepare
a place for His disciples; that He knew
this by personal knowledge, for He
came from the Father and was
again going to the Father. Then
Moses and Elijah were seen by witt
nesses on the mount. Jesus was seen
after His resurrection by hundreds of
witnesses, and even In our own age.
mortal man has been vouchsafed the
privilege OF seeing the Son of God and
listening 10 His words Of instruction.
Not until IT Is proved that Jesus was
deceived, or a deceiyer, and that His
including Paul, the philoso-
rher, the theologan and the presecu-
tor were proclaiming TO the world
devised fables and giving
their lives for doing SO, can their testi-
mony be ret aside And then there
s the testimony Of thousands, nay
who at the very gates Of
leath, In the flames, on the scaffold, or
In the peaceful home described the life
IN which they were entering; testl-
monies OF kings, soldiers, statesmen,
scientists, chIldren-all to the fact that
Heath does not end existence. All this
8 evidence Of the most convincing ma
ure.
But the trouble with some is that
hey consider scientific research and
deductions therefrom more reliable
han the most direct testimony. In this
hey ignore all rules governing every
lay life. The child that grows up un-
Ter its parents loving care willingly
Iccepts testimony as to its relation
hip TO the parents, and governs Its
conduct accordingly, The African ac-
epts the testimony Of the explorer as
o conditions in other parts Of the
world, OF which he cannot even dream
md which no amount of reasoning
rom what facts he has observed can
disclose TO him. We all accept, on the
estlmony of travellers, facts which but
or their testimony would not be
SHOWN to us. Why should we, with
'egard TO future state, take a posi-
ion OF doubt and denial because that
'uture state has not, as yet. been re-
,ealed through scientific research
That life after death is possible, no
Will deny, That IT is probable,
The most prominent Of them, from
Socrates down TO our own age, have
omitted That 1t is certain has been
revealed through the Gospel, and this
IS sufficient for the candid thinker,
PARTICULARLY as the testimony OF the
Spirit Is within reach OF all who will
,omply with the conditions for the re.
,eptlon thereof Speculation may bring |
some ray Of light upon the question,
put through the Gospel 'llfe and i'm
are brought to the light"
they are rendered absolutely certain.