Chapter VI: Conclusion

What, then, of our text? Does the Gospel, as revealed by the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith, furnish a thoughtful man with "a firm center about which he can organize his knowledge of the world?" Could any man originate a system of philosophy at once so simple, so reasonable, so comprehensive and so beneficent? Do not the answers it gives to the questions of life bear all the marks of Divinity?

In answer, we shall here revert, both by way of summary, and by way of conclusion, to those universal questions with which we opened this discussion, and answer them in behalf of each son and daughter of Adam.

_Who am I? Whence am I? Why am I here? Whither am I going_?

From the time when, as an intelligent, self-existent, independent being, abroad in boundless space, surrounded by exhaustless, indestructible matter, with limitless time in which to operate, I received a knowledge of the Gospel plan which was formulated by the Great God who upholds this world and all worlds and all things by His power, I have been pursuing the course of advancement therein provided; under the covenant that if I shall render obedience to Him in all things, I shall become like Him; or that, failing in so high an exaltation, I shall have glory added upon my head forever, in degree according to my faithfulness.

Having kept my first estate, I am here to take upon my spirit a body, thus inseparably connecting spirit and element; and to exercise particularly the attributes of faith, hope and love; that in so doing I may gain power, and may thereby be enabled to keep my second estate.

From this state of probation I am going to the world of spirits for a season, and later to a reunion with my body, when I shall be given all the glory I am capable of receiving; conditioned always upon my faithfulness to the light the Lord has given me here.

For this is the message of the Gospel to each soul in the world:

_Be true to the light God gives you and perform with integrity the work He has assigned you, exercising faith, hope and charity; so doing, you may rest your soul secure in the arms of His love_.

Footnotes

[1] "In this series of light rays it is plain that there are two gaps, or unknown regions, regarding which we have to confess total ignorance relative to the part they play in the economy of the universe. May there not exist vibrations still more rapid? That question we are not permitted to answer. Be that as it may, the invisible rays are incomparably more numerous than the visible ones. Our eyes thus see almost nothing of that which exists. Our assumed knowledge is only an insignificant islet in the midst of the ocean of the infinite."--Sir William Crookes.

[2] Introduction.

[3] Pearl of Great Price, Book of Abraham, Diagram No. 2, Fig. 1. No attempt is made here, nor in other references to this passage of Scripture, to place a limitation to the activities of the Great Creator. It is sufficient to say that He has given us information so far back and no farther.

[4] Book of Abraham, 3:1-4, and Diagram No. 2.

[5] Doctrine and Covenants 68:12.

[6] Great First Cause, Par. 1.

[7] Compendium, p. 287.

[8] Brown's Metaphysics p. 220.

[9] Book of Abraham 3:18.

[10] Doctrine and Covenants 93:33.

[11] Journal of Discourses, VI., p. 6.

[12] 1 Corinthians 15:44.

[13] Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses 3:5-7.

[14] Doctrine and Covenants Sec. 29:31, 32.

[15] Sermon by Pres. Joseph F. Smith, at the funeral services of Wm. C. Staines, 1881.

[16] The late James S. Brown, in telling his experience at the time his leg was amputated, related that his spirit left his body, and, as the spirit hovered above the mutilated and lifeless remains, he could see that, while the leg of flesh and bones had been removed, yet the spiritual body remained whole, and the place from which the leg had been removed was still occupied by the spiritual leg, over which the knife and saw of the surgeon had no power. There was the spirit, the life, hovering above the death bed, there was the spiritual body only partially enveloped by the mutilated remains, and there was the mortal body dismembered and cold in death. The common experience of those who have had any limb amputated, that they, without thinking, try to use the dismembered part, is to the same effect.

[17] Book of Abraham 3:18.

[18] Journal of Discourses VI., p. 6.

[19] Book of Abraham, Diagram No. 2, Fig. 1.

[20] Journal of Discourses VI., First Discourse.

[21] Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses 1:30-39.

[22] Book of Abraham 3:26.

[23] Book of Abraham 3:27, 28.

[24] Sec. 29:36, 37.

[25] Book of Abraham 3:21-25.

[26] Sec. 84:35-40.

[27] Sec. 93:33, 34.

[28] Alma 11:45.

[29] Alma 13:7.

[30] Sec. 132:19, 20.

[31] Book of Abraham, Diagram No. 2, Fig. 1.

[32] Book of Abraham, Diagram No. 2, Fig. 2.

[33] Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses 7:40.

[34] Compendium, p. 287.

[35] Doc. and Cov. 1:36.

[36] Sec. 88:17-26.

[37] Doc. and Cov. 130:9.

[38] Doc. and Cov. 39:24, 25.

[39] Doc. and Cov. Sec. 77.

[40] Book of Abraham 3:22, 24.

[41] Sec. 107:56.

[42] Alma 29:8.

[43] 1 Nephi 13:12.

[44] Doc. and Cov. 93:33, 34.

[45] I Cor. 13:13.

[46] Matt. 22:35-39.

[47] Ether 12:28-34.