downward in every estate he occupies; often defeating, for a time, at least, the benevolent purposes of God respecting him, through his own perverseness; he passes through dire experiences, suffers terribly, yet learns by what he suffers, so that his very suffering becomes a means to his improvement; he learns swiftly, or slowly, according to the inherent nature of him, obedience to law; he learns that "that which is governed by law, is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same; and that which breaketh law abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself and willeth to abide in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice nor judgment. Therefore they must remain filthy still." (Doc. & Cov. sec. 88:34, 35.) This conception of things relieves God of the responsibility for the nature and status of intelligences in all stages of their development; their inherent nature and their volition make them primarily what they are, and this nature they may change, slowly, perhaps, yet change it they may. God has put them in the way of changing it by enlarging their intelligence through change of environment, through experiences; the only way God effects these self-existent beings is favorably; he creates not their inherent nature; he is not responsible for the use they make of their freedom; nor is he the author of their sufferings when they fall into sin: that arises out of the violations of law to which the "intelligence" subscribed, and must be endured until its lessons are learned. [Note: To the class teachers. When giving this lesson make your appointment for lesson six, which is a discourse. This will give plenty of time for preparation. The class ought to expect much from him or those who receive the assignment. Make it an occasion.] LESSON III. (Scripture Reading Exercise.) THE PURPOSE OF GOD IN RELATION TO MAN. ANALYSIS. I. The Purpose of God in the Earth-existence of Man. II. The Pre-Creation Council in Heaven. 1. Character of Lucifer--his Proposition. 2. Character of Messiah--His Proposition. REFERENCES. Job xxxviii:4-7. Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, ch. i:27-40. II Nephi ii--the whole chapter, especially verses 22-26. Doc. and Cov. Sec. cxiii:30-35. Notes 1, 2, 3. Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, ch. iv:1-4. Ibid, Book of Abraham, ch. iii:22-28. Rev. xii:7-17. II Nephi ii:17, 18. Ibid, ch. ix 8, 9. Doc. and Cov. Sec. xxix:36-39. Ibid, lxxvi:25-29, Jude 6. II Peter ii:4, and note 4. NOTES.