In our mission, we shall not disturb congenial relations. Societies
and churches will not be forced into new creeds contrary to their
wishes. But minds, who need a superior wisdom, will be aided in harmony
with their wants. It is wise to satisfy want. It is unwise to control
mind so as to make it receive what it does not want. The unwise of
earth have attempted to make others wise by compelling them to act
and receive what was contrary to their wants. The rule was wrong, and
unhappiness was the result. The rule was incongruous with the wants of
the mind, and what is incongruous with want, can never satisfy want,
because incongruous things will not produce satisfaction.
Societies will not be required to change their forms of worship or
their creeds of faith by minds of wise circles. The minds of wise
circles will employ their wisdom to affect minds, and render them
capable of reforming the externals of religion as adaptation requires.
Thou wilt see that when a mind becomes wise, it will reform its
worship, and make circumstances congenial with itself. It will put away
the unwholesome forms of worldly wisdom, and worship God in spirit and
truth.
When a creed, or form of worship, is made by the wisdom of the maker,
it will not be dissatisfactory to him, because it is congenial with
his wisdom. But, when that mind becomes wiser, when a change has been
wrought in the soul, it will require a change in the creed and form
of worship, otherwise incongruity will disturb his peace. I have seen
some minds so wedded to their creeds and forms, that they would not
reject them, even when their conditions demanded it. I have seen these
minds profess reverence for creeds and forms when they had no reverence
for them. I have seen these conditions conflicting with each other,
and the mind distressed with the wrong. I have seen them acquiesce in
measures which they did not believe consistent with human good, because
they had once avowed a confidence in them. They feared the reproach
of others, and dared not be honest in the sight of God and their own
souls. They concealed their own convictions from the inspection of the
society or church, and yielded submission to conditions which were
unjust and untrue to their peace. I want a reform of these evils. I
want a change in these minds. I want a harmony between their wisdom
and their professions. I want no discord between mind and God. I want
no hypocritical reverence for forms and ceremonies not consistent with
honest intentions. But I want mind to worship, as it seemeth good. I
want no society or church creed to make mind virtuous and happy. But
others may want; and may want so long as ignorance remaineth. While
they want, they will be dissatisfied when denied what will gratify
it. Therefore, thou wilt see that what is not wanted, it is well to
destroy. Thou wilt see that our mission is to change the wants of mind;
to give it a relish for holy things; to make it adapted to a condition
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