Outlines of Mormon Philosophy: Or the Answers Given by the Gospel, as Revealed Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, to the Questions of LifeWilson, Lycurgus A. (Lycurgus Arnold)
Religion
Outlines of Mormon Philosophy: Or the Answers Given by the Gospel, as Revealed Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, to the Questions of Life
Wilson, Lycurgus A. (Lycurgus Arnold)
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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