Arizona republican., 1917-12-17
WHERE ARE THE DEAD
 ASKS ELDER YATES

Elder J. E. Yates of the Reorgan- ized Church of Jesus Christ of Lat ter Day Saints at the morning ser vice yesterday discussed this inter- esting question, taking for his text. For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not any thing" Feel. 9:5. He said in part: This text is supposed by some to be positive proof that the dead are unconscious, but the next line spells the argument in favor of that point by declaring neither have they any more reward" thus proving too much to suit the theory and there fore nothing to the point in fact.
 Verse of chapter 6, same book, states that the living also know not anything; so if the former text proves the dead to be unconscious, the latter proves that the living are, and puts us all, in, general torpOr together.
 Then there is verse of chapter 10 same book, which with equal evil dence makes us all out to be fools except some abnormal person who's heart might happen 10 be located upon the wrong side of his dfaphram, "A wise mans heart is at his right hand: but a fools heart at his left. Upon a parallel with such far fetched method of interpreting scrip ture it may be affirmed that all men are beasts, and proven by Feel. SIS. But it is one thing to ] invent a theory and then twist the sayings of the good book to fit, but | quite another thing to know the truth and to find the complete har- mony of all other truth herewith. Plainly, a number of such texts are figurative. and others refer to this present life only and should be so read. To do otherwise does great violence 10 the true meaning and brings in many very absurd doc trines.
 Here is another text which con- fuses some, and is much abused by others. For in death there is nc | remembrance of thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks" Psa 6:5.
 1 If this phrase from poetic psalm written to be rendered musically is to be taken as an exegesis on doc Urine, and to refer to the condition of the soul after death, then it con- tradicts the plain teaching of Jesus Christ, and we will prove in tho same manner by the next two verses that King David floated hi. bed with tears, and put out on, eye by indulging in such strenuou. weeping. 'I am weary with groan- ing; all night make I my bed tt swim; I water my couch with m! tears Mine eye is consumed be cause of grief Psa. 6:6:7.
 lt may be news to some bibl readers to learn that David wa marooned in bed, floating around upon the flood of his own tears lik beetle on a chip; and that afte the cloud-burst he only had one ey left, but there is the scripture for il
 It is a most dismal dostrine tha at death the soul. the living entity the ego, the intelligent part of ma goes to the place of putrefactiol and rot in the tomb. With tn same consistency I will go to vers of the following chapter (Psa. 2 and prove that the soul may b torn to pieces by wild beasts an buried in a hundred tombs a thou sand miles apart. And if a lio can tear up a soul that way, wha are those terrific bombs doing { the souls of those poor soldiers i Europe? Fragments of a single SOU could be in the trenches and mingle with the grass roots. on the water of the stream, and (according { some theories) profoundly asleep.
 Such ridiculous thought only need David attending the funeral ( Uriah by boat or swimming in hi own tears and coming back one-eye to complete the absurdity.
 It was said of a pious church mem Der upon an occasion, who wa sadly given to the fault of misap plying statements and eXaggeratin things, that he was finally brougf before the church to give an ac count of. himself Yes, brethrel you are right. the sin of exaggera tion is an awful habit to fall into I confess to being guilty of the faul and repent. and shall amend m ways 50 you admit said the e1 aminer, that the charges again. you in this matter are true?" admit with sorrow that they al true says the old man, T will C so no more; it pains me to think my besetting sin; and brethren, presume that I have shed million of barrels of tears over that or fault"
 It is to be hoped that they WI are only partially blind and WI assume places which Jesus spoke as leaders of the blind, may repel of the sin of exaggeration and
 improperly divining the word truth in time to save the other e, at least
 Answering the question, Where a the daad Tho cnirif +n God who gave it. They are the assigned to a place of waiting t the resurrection.
 The wicked to d place describ, in various places as a pit, out darkness. prison, hell, torment al flame: all or either of these tern intended to convey the idea of ; undesirable place or condition.
 The righteous are given the ii erty of such place or condition
 is briefly stated or comprehend in the term, paradise.
 The term spirit and soul are us interchangeably in the scripture. S Isaiah 26:9; Job 7:11; Gen. 35:1 Kings 17:21-23 and Stephens d ing statement in Acts 7:59: 10 Jesus receive my spirit
 Jesus said: If a man keep Il sayings he shall never see death."
 All will be called dead by s1 when their bodies are consigned
 the tomb, but as God sees, none a dead, or ever will die, except tho who partake of the second deat And even this means separation ire God rather than annihlation.
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