SPIRIT WORLD

Spirit World - There are two Heavens in God's Spirit Universe. Namely, the Heavens of the Redeemed and Transformed soul by the Divine Love, called the Celestial Heavens; and the Heavens of the Restored Perfect Human, called the Spiritual Heavens of the Spirit World.

Spirit World

January 8th, 1915

I am here, your Grandmother. (Ann Rollins)

Yes, I see that you are desirous of some Spiritual food.

I have come to tell you of some Truths of the Spirit Life. You have been reading a book which is not True, for there are no hells, as described in it, where mortals, after passing into the Spirit Life, have to undergo such sufferings and torments. There are no such places as described in the first part of the book. You need not believe that there are any such places of punishment for the evil spirits.

God Loves all His Children, too much to have them pass through such experiences as are in that book described. I know what I am telling you, for I have descended into the lowest spheres and have never yet seen, or heard, of such hells, or any spirits who are in the condition described. Evil spirits have to suffer for their sins, and atone for every evil thought, but not by any such suffering as the writer of that book depicts.

I am conscious of the fact that the churches teach of hells somewhat similar to the ones we have referred to, but neither the hells of the churches, nor the hells of that book exist. So do not let the thoughts, which the reading of that book may engender, make you think that there is such a vengeful and cruel god, for I know that there is not.

My observations of the condition of the wicked shows me that they must all suffer before they can be relieved from the burden of their sins, and have a place where happiness, even to a smallest degree, is obtained. But when they have become truly penitent and seek the saving Power and Love of God, they will always find it.
You are not much, impressed, I can see, by the statements in the book. I am glad of it, for it might tend to make you have an idea of what God is, that is wholly erroneous.

My own belief is that He is God of Love to even the vilest sinner. When such a sinner turns to Him and prays for Forgiveness and Love, he gets them both. Let me tell you further that the Divine Love of God, when it enters into the soul of a human, it is sufficient to wash away all sins, and make that soul happy and joyful. Even the most evil human, who is guilty of the greatest sin, need think that they cannot be pardoned, made happy, and brought into Harmony with God.

I am now going to tell you of what a Love the Master has for all humankind. He is now working for their Redemption by showing them The Way to the Divine Love of God, and The Light that they need is not one of belief in any ordinance of the church, or creed, or doctrine. Simply that a belief in God's Divine Love, the exercise of the will of a human, accompanied with a desire to obtain that Divine Love, with an earnest prayer to the Father, are all that is necessary to bring True Happiness and Salvation. He (Jesus) is here now, and says that he is almost ready to write to you. That you must try with all your heart to get more of Gods Divine Love and become One with Him (God). Then he (Jesus) will be able to write. You will understand just what he intends. So you see that you have a duty to perform with regards to your own self, as well as to what the Master requires you to do.

Yes, the Master is now working to lead all souls to God and His Divine Love. Some will follow him, but the vast majority will not. They will be left to themselves when he stops his work. When that time comes, he will ascend into the Heavens where his home is. All his followers will go with him and live there for All Eternity. He will not come again to the Earth Plane, or even to the Higher Planes, where the moral and intellectual spirits live. They will be left to enjoy the happiness, which their conditions may give them. His Kingdom will be one of Supreme Happiness and very near the Center of God's Divine Love, and will be one that will be entirely to itself. No spirit, who is not of his Kingdom can possibly enter therein.

I do not know just when the time will come for him to leave the Earth Sphere and enter into this Kingdom, but when he does, the gates thereto will be closed forever upon all spirits who are not followers of him. Never again will they be opened. He has told me this. I must believe him, and so must you. He is now trying to teach humankind the Great Truth, that in order to become partakers of this Great Privilege they must permit the Divine Love of God to come into their souls, as without it, no one can enter the (Celestial) Kingdom. Soon the privileges will be taken away. Then will be the separation of the sheep from the goats, as mentioned in the Bible.

None other, of the great teachers, is teaching the Truth of the New Birth, except Jesus. All are teaching morality, and in a way, a Love for God. But none teach the absolute entering into the soul of human this Divine Love by means of the Holy Ghost.

Many of the ancient prophets and teachers of God's Love will be partakers of this Kingdom, as I am told. So will all who receive this Divine Love, whether born and living before the time of Jesus, or subsequently. The Kingdom will be created, not merely by Jesus teachings, but by this Divine Love of God. All who have It, will become inhabitants of the Kingdom. Jesus will be the ruler of it, but not in the sense that you understand a ruler on Earth to be, but because he will be the greatest possessor of this Divine Love. Consequently, the most powerful, as well as the most Loving spirit in the whole Kingdom. His rule will be one of Peace, Love, and Ministration. You must try to become a member of this Kingdom, or you will not be happy as you might be by doing so.

Well as you are tired I must stop. Yes, there are many spheres beyond me. I am striving now to progress to a higher one. So you see there is no limit to what may be obtained. As I understand that Spheres of his Kingdom will be the one close to the Father's Home, and there will be none beyond. I of course do not know, but this is what I believe.

?

Yes, sometime I will tell you more in detail of the conditions and Laws of the Sphere where I am. Goodnight, your Grandmother, (Ann Rollins).

Spirit World

February 25th, 1915

I am here, Prof. Salyards.

Well I am very happy and desire to write you on some phases of Spirit Life that I have observed in my experience of progressing.

I have noticed that the spirit, when it first comes into this Life, is very often in a condition of darkness, and not realizing where it is, or what its surroundings are. In many instances, it requires quite a long time for the spirit to realize that it is not still of Earth. In many cases, this is not the condition of the spirit, for it seems to have an immediate understanding of its condition and surroundings. I attribute the first mentioned condition to be due to the fact, that when on Earth, the mortal had no definite belief as to what the Future Life might be. In many instances believed that the soul went into the grave with the body, to await the great resurrection day.

Some of your religious denominations are preaching that doctrine now. The consequence will be, that all those who believe the doctrine will experience the condition of darkness, and the want of knowledge of the Continuity of Life that I have spoken of.

The second class of spirits, or those who appear to realize immediately that they have passed from Earth Life to Spirit Life are those, who, while on Earth, believed that the spirit, when it left the body, passed immediately into the Heavenly Spheres, or into the opposite, I mean the place of the wicked. I know that many of this class have hardly realized that they were in heaven, or hell, for some little time after their entrance into Spirit Life.

Well, as soon as the spirits realize fully that, they are no longer of Earth; they commence to inquire as to where they are. Many of them ask questions that indicate that they are disappointed in not realizing the expectations that they had while on Earth. It is very difficult at times to convince them that there are no such places as the heavens and the hells, as taught by the churches, for while our Spirit World may be a heaven or hell to them, yet the heaven or hell that they expect to find is not here.

Some, on the other hand, do not seem to understand that they have really left the Earth. Because, they say, if we had left the Earth Life, we would know nothing, quoting Job and some of the preachers: "the dead know nothing".

I have been very much interested in observing these different phases of the departed spirits' beliefs and thoughts. Now all this shows the absolute necessity of mortals understanding the Truths pertaining to Life and Death.

This affords a very strong argument why Spiritualism, should be, more extensively and earnestly taught to mortals. Why the false doctrines of those who teach either that the dead know nothing, or that the departed spirit goes either to heaven or to hell, in the orthodox sense, should be shown to be not only a false belief, but injurious to humankind. Let the believers and teachers of Spiritualism make greater and stronger efforts to refute these harmful teachings. They will be doing the cause of Truth and of human's happiness a great good.

I am not only interested in these phases, but in all others, which show that the spirits, even after they realize that they are still alive and must live as spirits, continue to show the fact that their orthodox teachings are false. Some say, that they may yet be able to go back into the body and await the great resurrection day for deliverance, and say that they will soon see God, and that He will take them into His heavens, where they will find that eternal rest and peace that they were taught to expect when on Earth. The wicked, even, look in dread to have some devil come and carry them to the hells where torture of the most terrible kind they think awaits them. From all this you may understand that we spirits who know the Truth have a great work to do, to enable these darkened spirits to understand and believe that their false hopes, and dreadful fears, have no foundation in Truth, and will never be realized. This work many spirits are engaged in doing. These spirits are not necessarily of the higher kind, for many spirits who occupy the Earth Plane and have no Real Spiritual Enlightenment, are engaged in this work.

I am not now engaged in causing these dark spirits to see the Truth, for I have progressed to higher things. My mission is to teach the Truths of the Higher Life, which I have been taught by spirits who live in Higher Spheres.

This work to me is one that is not only interesting, but which gives me the great happiness that comes with the realization that I have been the means of leading a spirit to learn to Love God, and to receive the happiness which the Love of God gives to spirits. I tell you that this teaching is the grandest that I ever engaged in all my Life. When on Earth, as I taught, and saw the young mind develop, I found much happiness in the knowledge that I was doing some good. But here, in my teachings, when I see a soul develop, I realize that I am doing a spirit that greatest of all good in bringing it At-One in Divine Love with the Father. Happiness here, and that of Earth, is as the Soul Development, is so much greater than the development of the mere mind.

My work is not confined entirely to this teaching. I also am engaged in trying to assist mortals to a True conception of the Life here; I mean the Spiritual part of this Life. No human is entirely without spirit influence, whether good, or evil. Many are susceptible to the influence of the evil spirits. For that reason the work of the good spirits is so much more difficult. There is, in human's nature (the nature of their learned thoughts and beliefs), that which leads them to evil thoughts so much easier than to good thoughts. This is an old saying, I know, but is a True one. The fact that it has been said so often and for so long a time, does not decrease the importance of it as a Truth. So while humans have felt this evil inclination in their nature, the fight between the good and evil influences will be somewhat unequal. The advantage though, with the good influences, is that; what they suggest is Truth, which will never die, while the suggestions of the evil influences last only for a comparatively short time.

When the material gives up the spirit being, which it clothes, that being, will then be relieved of many of these natural tendencies to evil thoughts and deeds. While this mere separation does not make a devil a saint, it makes it so much easier for the spirit to get rid of many of these evil tendencies, and makes them more susceptible to the influence of Truth and Goodness. You must not think from this, as soon as they have been in the Spirit World for a little time, they become good spirits, for that is not True. Many evil spirits have been in the Spirit World for a great many years, and yet have their evil thoughts and desires, and all the evil qualities of hatred, malice, envy, etc., as when they were on Earth. Their giving up the Earth Life did not deprive them of their will, the greatest force or power that God gave to human, except that of Love. Many of these spirits refuse to exercise their will in a way that will enable them to rid themselves of these evil thoughts and desires.

So you see, the mere fact of becoming a spirit does not mean that the mortal has become a good and saintly spirit. No, I am sorry to say that many humans who were very evil on Earth are still evil as spirits. Their happiness, which they think they have, is only that happiness, which they, as humans, thought they realized from the exercise of evil thoughts and acts. Yet there is one great redeeming fact connected with their dark and sad condition. That is; that in the end, whenever it so pleases God, all evil will be banished from the Spirit World. All spirits will be given that happiness which comes from a nature free from sin and error. Not by the fiat of God, but by humans seeking and doing those things that will free the soul from sin and error, and again come into Harmony with God's Laws. Just such I imagine as Adam and Eve enjoyed in the historical Garden of Eden. But that happiness, while of a character that brings much contentment and peace, yet is not the True Happiness which God is waiting to give all His Children who ask and seek for the inflowing of the Divine Love in their souls.

I will not discourse on this Great Happiness tonight, as it would take too long, and you are somewhat tired, but will say; that all humans should seek for It both on Earth and in the Spirit World. When on Earth, I did not have it. Since I came here, I found it, and wow possess it. Thanks be to God and His Loving Kindness.

You folks all have it, and many others, too numerous to mention. Let me stop now as I am tired and you need to rest.

So with all my Love and best wishes, I am your old professor, Joseph H. Salyards.

Spirit World

March 3rd, 1915

I am here, Helen.

Well, was not that a wonderful message of the Master? It was so full of things that should make humans think and work to get this Divine Love that he spoke of.

I am happy to say that I have It now to a considerable degree. The more I get of It the happier I am. I thought that I was happy when I entered the Third Sphere, and more so in the Fifth Sphere, and then supremely so in the Seventh Sphere. But, really, I did not know what Happiness was, until I got into my present home in the Celestial Heavens. I suppose as I go higher, the Happiness of each succeeding progressive sphere will be so much greater than that from which I progressed.
Of course, the Master has been the Great Teacher, whose Love and power have helped me more than all the others. He is so wonderful in Love and Wisdom that I almost adore him. Although, he says that I must worship only God. I follow his directions.

My experiences here are so wonderful that I hardly realize what it all means. My time in the Spirit World has been so short, and yet, the Wonderful Knowledge of Spiritual Truths and the Great Happiness that I have received, cause me to wonder in amazement that such things could be.

You have had a long writing tonight. I think I had better stop, So goodnight, your Loving wife, Helen.

Spirit World

September 25th, 1915

Let me tell you a few things concerning the Spirit World, that is; the World that is below the Celestial Heavens of which John wrote.

In the several Spheres, which are seven in numbers, are many planes, inhabited by spirits of many nations and races of humankind. These various races have, to a certain extent, the customs and beliefs that they had when on Earth. The lines of demarcation are just as strictly drawn as are those of the several nations on Earth. The result of this, that many spirits who live in this exclusive manner never learn anything other than what their own leaders tell them, and what their various sacred books may teach them.

The Mohammedan is a Mohammedan still. So likewise, the followers of Zoroaster, also those of Buddha, and Confucius, and all of the various founders of religious sects.

Sometimes these spirits, in their wanderings, will meet spirits of other races than their own, and interchange thoughts, but very rarely do they discuss matters pertaining to their respective beliefs.

There are undoubtedly Truths in the sacred writings and beliefs of all these races of spirits. To the extent that these Truths are taught and understood, these spirits are benefitted. I am now speaking of Spiritual Truths, because as to the mere truths pertaining to the natural, or material world, they all have the same opportunity to investigate and understand them. There are no race, or creed, or doctrinal beliefs and teachings as to these truths affecting the material. By this I mean, material as it exists in both the Spiritual and Earthly worlds.  As I say, each of these races, or sects, has its own ideas and doctrines of the Truth, and it can progress no further than the limits of these ideas permit it to progress.

No founder of any race or sect has ever taught the New Birth, or the inflowing of the Divine Love, in contradistinction to that of the Natural Love. The teachings of Jesus are the only ones that Reveal to human the existence of this Divine Love, and how to obtain it. So you see the importance of this Divine Truth coming to human. I must say here, that without the possession of this Divine Love, no spirit can enter the Celestial Spheres.

The teachings of the other founders will show humans the way to a Life of Happiness, and to what they may suppose continuous existence. The teachings of Jesus (in these messages) are the only ones that declare and lead humans to a Realization of the True Immortality of the soul.

I have written too long already, and must stop. Your brother in Christ, St. James.

?

Yes, I am that James.  ?  No the Saint is only used as a means of identification; it has no significance in our Spirit World.

Spirit World

November 23rd, 1915

I am here, St. John, Apostle of Jesus.

I want to tell you tonight about the things that spirits who have not received the Divine Love of the Father do, or have done to them, as you may say, in order to get out of their darkness and suffering, and progress to a happier condition.

Well, when these spirits of evil, or sinful life, first come into the Spirit World, they enter what is called the Earth Plane. When I say the Earth Plane, I mean those spheres, which are nearest the Earth and partake very largely of the material. They are received by their friends, who may have been with them at the time of their passing, and are to a certain extent comforted and made familiar with their surroundings. This may last for a shorter or longer time, according as the spirit is capable of understanding their changed condition from mortal to spirit. After this condition of consciousness is assumed by the spirit, these friends leave them, and some guiding spirit, whose duty it is to perform the task, shows or conducts them to the place, or plane, which they are fitted to occupy, which by the workings of the Law of Equalization, they must occupy. In this place they are surrounded by, and must associate with, spirits of a similar condition of development as their own, until some change comes to them, which fits them for a higher place.

Of course, this change may come in a short time, or it may require a longer time to bring it about. All this depending upon the realization by the spirit as to what their condition is, and the fact that there is a possibility of progressing. Of them self, they cannot bring about this change. For the Law, which fixes their place, or condition, does not cease to operate until there is called into operation another Law which permits and helps the change.

The only way in which this changed condition can be brought about is by the influences of other spirits of a more enlightened and higher position than that of the spirit whose position I have spoken of. These influences do not necessarily come from spirits who have received the New Birth, but may come from spirits who know nothing about it, and who have only the Natural Love, and even they may not necessarily be of a high order of development of either intellect or soul. They must be in such condition that they know, and are able to tell, the lower spirit of the possibility of progress and the way in which it can be made.

Many spirits, who are them self in a dark position or condition, can help others who are in a darker condition. Just as on Earth a student of a lower class in school may not be able to teach all that is taught or may be learned in that school, yet they can teach those in a lower class than their own, things that they have learned in progressing to their own class.

All spirits have a work to do. These spirits of little development are engaged in teaching those of lesser development the way to get in the same condition as those who teach are in. Of course, these latter cannot teach anything that belongs to a higher condition than the one in which they are. In such cases, the progress is very slow, for many reasons. It sometimes takes centuries for a spirit to progress from this very low plane to a higher one where only the lowest grade of happiness exists.

So you see, that in order to help these dark spirits, it is not necessary for the helping spirit to be one who has in their soul the Divine Love. All this means that the spirit who is helped in this way cannot possibly progress higher than its Natural Love and moral conscience and intellectual endowments will permit - no progression of the soul to a realization of the Divine Love of the Father, or to the Celestial Spheres.

This is important for you, and all humankind to know. For the reason that you and others may learn what the True Soul Development means, and how effectively spirits possessing this soul development may help all other spirits, good or bad. Aside from this you may suppose that the spirits who hear you talk at the sances, where all kinds and conditions of spirits congregate, and promise to help both mortals and spirits, may not be able to do so because some are in a dark and low condition themselves. Yet all spirits may help other spirits, to some extent, who are in a lower condition, sometimes, in the beginning of the progression, more satisfactorily, than can the higher spirits. Because these dark spirits who try to help the darker spirits, are more in harmony with them and the darker spirits will listen to them with more interest and belief that they can help them. This is a help that does not work in such a way as to cause the spirits who are so helped to lose their desires and recollections very rapidly and to progress into the higher planes, without the great suffering that you have been told of.

I thought I would write this to you, for the reason that you might not in your investigations and teachings of the Spirit Life, give due importance to the possibility of one dark spirit helping another. All the phases of mediumship, when honestly conducted, have their proper places, and work in God's Plan of Redemption. None of them must be considered as useless, or without special design.

Of course, the above mentioned phase of assistance to spirits, is of the lowest form. Is merely preliminary to the great work, which the higher spirits do in carrying out the Great Plan of Redemption, which has been explained to you. The important work, is that of the spirits who know what the Divine Love of the Father is, and what fits spirits and mortals for the enjoyment of the Great Happiness, which obtains only in the Celestial Spheres also in the soul spheres, to a lesser extent.

When a spirit who is dark learns of this Great Divine Love and strives to obtain It, and earnestly prays for the help of the Holy Spirit, which is God's Messenger of Love, it will progress much more rapidly, and its sufferings and darkness will leave it sooner. Greater happiness will come to it.

Still I say, the work of these lower spirits that I have spoken of, is a great work and must not be underestimated. So remember what I have written and give due credit to this work.

I will not write more, but will with all my Love and blessings say goodnight. Your brother in Christ, St. John.

Spirit World

December 18th, 1914

I am here, Prof. Salyards.

I am here to tell you of some of my experiences in Spirit Life. I wish that you would let me speak first of my regeneration and birth into the Higher Sphere, where I am now living. Your mother is the chief cause of my progression, as she first showed me the way to the Divine Love of God.

I was, as you may know, not a very Spiritual human when on Earth, but thought that human only needed a great intellect in order to enjoy the great blessings of the Spirit Life. I was not, what might be called, a great sinner. I lived a tolerably good Moral Life, as you may know from your experiences with me while you were at school under my instructions. I had no idea that something more than mere intellectual acquirements were needed in order to enjoy the happiness, which God had provided for His Children who were willing to receive all the Blessings that His Divine Love and Favor had in store for them.

Well, after I ascended to the Spirit Life, I found that my intellectual and moral qualifications did not make me very happy. Although, I enjoyed comparative happiness in the pursuit of knowledge and the investigation of those intellectual questions that appealed to my higher desires. I soon commenced to see that I had something more to acquire than mere Knowledge of Spiritual Laws, and things that appealed to the intellect or sympathies, which all who are of a practical inclination deem sufficient for self satisfaction. I began to study these things, and have advanced very much in my knowledge of them, and have succeeded in writing a poem which gives me great satisfaction and makes me think that I am really a poet. But not since I have progressed to the Higher Sphere where Divine Love rules, and intellect is a mere subordinate medium of True Happiness. I find that while my acquirement, in the particulars' mentioned, are desirable and afford much enjoyment, and delight to my mind, yet my True Happiness is with possession and Knowledge that I have the Divine Love of God in my soul.

So you see mere intellect, or Moral Qualities, are not the important thing for a spirit who wants to enjoy the Greatest Happiness to possess. Keep this in mind in your Earthly Life. When you come over you will find that many things will appear easy to comprehend, which otherwise you may have to search for in darkness and doubt.

Be sure that your heart is in the right place. You will gain many advantages, which I was not blessed with. I am now in the Third Sphere with your wife and father. While we are all together, in a sense, yet our Real Condition and place, depends upon the extent of God's Divine Love, which we have in our souls.

Your mother first caused me to realize that I was not Spiritually Enlightened, by her beauty of form and countenance, and the Great Love that she seemed to possess. When she commenced to tell me of the cause of her appearance and Love expressing itself so abundantly, I thought that after all I might be mistaken in my ideas that my mind and acquirements were not all that was necessary to enable me to progress to higher things. I let my thoughts take the form of direct meditation. I soon realized that she must be correct in what she said.

She was so gentle and Loving in her manner and speech, that I was soon convinced, that while my mind was superior to hers, in that I had a greater extent of knowledge and superior endowments of things purely intellectual, yet what she possessed was far more necessary to my True Happiness. I commenced to inquire what the secret of her superior appearance and lovely disposition was.

Soon she explained to me that only the Divine Love of God, existing in the soul was the True Secret, and that no spirit, who had not that Divine Love could possibly realize that True Happiness. So you see I am much indebted to her for my present condition. I do not believe that any soul can obtain this Happiness unless they let this Divine Love become a part of their Very Existence.

My one desire now is to obtain more of It, and keep on obtaining It, so that I may rise higher and higher, until I get as close to the Fountainhead of God's Divine Love as possible. I will not attempt to tell you what this Happiness means, but only say that without it I should still be grasping in the Earth Plane, seeking mere knowledge and composing verses, which you might not think worthy of even a mere versifier.

I am now engaged in trying to teach others The Way to this Divine Love, but I am not yet in a condition of Faith and Divine Love to do very much good.

Your grandmother is a wonderful spirit in Divine Love and Beauty. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to enjoy her companionship and instructions.

She is trying very hard to show us The Way to a more Perfect Realization of this Divine Love. When I think that if you had not been a dear pupil of mine, I would possibly never have met her, I feel so thankful that you came to my humble school and became so very dear to me as you did.

If your mother had not known me on Earth, she possibly would not have known me here. I might have yet been in my condition of contentment in the study of merely intellectual things, and have remained in that condition indefinitely. Thank God I knew you, and through you, your dear mother.

I have met Mr. Riddle, whom, as you know, I made the acquaintance of in Life. I find that he had heretofore been in that condition of self contentment that I had, before your mother showed me the Way to my present home. He is now commencing to see that there is something more than mere intellectual pursuit necessary to his progress too, that which will make him Truly Happy. He seems to be thinking of what you told him a few nights ago, and has told me that you first caused him to think that there was something more in this Spirit Life than mere study of Laws of Spiritual Communications, in which he has been engaged. He seems to think that you have a correct idea of what is necessary to his salvation. He is praying as you advised him, and is listening to your mother's teachings and Divine Love of God which she tells him he must let come into his heart before he can come into Perfect Peace.

He is still thinking thoughts that he is a good man morally and that he does not need any help from God, or Jesus, but this belief is narrowing. I believe that ere long he will realize that he is all wrong, and must accept the Plan which your mother tells him is the only one that can bring him in Perfect Accord with God's Divine Love and make him a new man. I also try to tell him of the Truth of this Plan. He listens to me with considerable interest. I hope that very soon he will see that we are right and that he must accept it, or be left to his present state of unrest and yearning after things that will never come to him.

So you see I am now in my home of Peace, Divine Love, and True Happiness.

Let me tell you of what I saw when your father left us to go to his home with your wife. He was so uncertain as to whether he really needed the Divine Love of God more abundantly in his soul, that he asked your mother if he could not have that Divine Love, and still try to have his Earthly desires for things that he loved so on Earth, such as dancing, smoking and other things of this nature, and if it was absolutely necessary to let his thoughts turn from these things in order to progress.
She told him that it was necessary, as nothing, which tended to keep his mind on Earth, or attract him to that Life, could possibly exist when his soul should be filled with the Divine Love of the Father. He said that it was hard to give up these things, as he enjoyed them so much. Was only getting ready to have a good time when she told him that he was not to think of them any more, but to turn his thoughts to more Spiritual Things, and pray to God to fill his soul with Divine Love, and longings for these Higher Things.

I feel that if she had not thus entreated him that he might still be in the Earth Plane. While very happy, as he had some of God's Divine Love in his heart, yet not to the extent that made him feel that he had been Born Again.

Your mother is my own dear friend. I Love her so much for what she had done for me. Your father is now with your wife in this sphere and is as happy as he can possibly be, until he gets more of this Divine Love in his soul. You must not think that he is as beautiful a spirit as your wife. For he is not, and neither am I. She is so earnest in her Love, and is making such efforts to progress, that she will soon leave us, as I believe, for the sphere where your mother is. When she goes, we will miss her so very much, as she is so happy, cheerful, and full of music and everything that makes our Life happy, that while we have our own soul's Love and happiness, yet we will miss her very much. She is now trying to tell you of her great Love for you, which is of such a deep nature that we all wonder at times, because of its intensity. So you see what a very favored man you are to have such a soulmate as she.

My home is in the same sphere with her, but not in the same place. Hers is more beautiful than mine, but she comes to me at times, and I visit her. My soulmate and I have not yet met, though I believe that she is in a higher sphere than mine. She has not yet come to me. Why I know not, but am waiting for her to come to me. Then I will be more happy than ever.

Soulmates do not meet each other always when we first come into the Spirit World. I know this, for I have met many spirits who have been here a long time and yet have never yet seen their soulmates. This seems to be the result of something done while on Earth, but I do not understand it. I am hoping to soon see mine.
?
I have heard something to that effect, but I have never been able to find mine. Your wife may be right, but if so she has never told me the way. I will ask her, if she knows, for I want to know if possible.

I will write you some of my poems sometimes when we have more time. Will also tell you the result of investigation of the Spirit Life, but not tonight, as I am tired, and so are you. I can write you a couplet but do not think it best to do so now as I do not wish to give you a part of the poem and so remove it from its place that you may not fully appreciate the whole. I will try.
If you do not Love me as I have told you, I cannot write in a very successful way, so that you must first learn to Love me more before I attempt to write the poem. I know that you may reason that way, but what I say is True. My poem is one of Love to God and Love to human. Unless you Love, I cannot write it.

I cannot explain more fully now. So only, trust me. I will show you in the near future that I am right.

Yes, I am really Prof. Salyards who is writing. You must believe me, or I will feel hurt.

Yes, that is it; you seem to know, just what is waiting, so I must close for this time.

Your old professor and friend, Joseph Salyards.

Spirit World

December 18th, 1915

I am here, Herod.

Let me write just a line before you close, as I am anxious to tell you of a matter that may be of importance to you in reference to the descriptions of the hells, which you received last night from Swedenborg.
He says that the hells are places as well as conditions. That they have, as a part of them, certain appearances and surroundings that make the sufferings of the evil spirits increase. Well, this is True. In addition, I wish to say that not only are these appearances and surroundings Real, and existing to the consciousness of the spirit, but are Real as a fact, independent of the consciousness. If there were no spirits in these hells, these appearances and surroundings would exist just the same.

So you see, a great many mortals whom I have heard express their opinions to the effect that hell is a mere condition of the recollections of the spirit, and nothing more, are altogether wrong in such opinions. They will find, that the consolation, if any there be from such opinions, will not be found whenever they may become inhabitants of these hells.

I have passed through all of them, and know whereof I write. For there is no teacher so efficient and convincing as the teacher called experience.

I know that if I had only my recollections and remorse, as the cause of my sufferings, they would have been much lighter and not so excruciating as they were. No, mortals will not find any consolation in such a hope, for there is no foundation for such hope. The poor, deceived mortal who bases their ideas of hell on such a hope will be sadly disappointed. When you consider a moment, you will see that there is nothing unreasonable in the facts that I have stated.

You, and all others, who believe in the Happiness of the Higher Spiritual Spheres, not to mention the Celestial Spheres, believe that the Happiness of the spirits who inhabit these spheres, is increased and made more Real by the beautiful surroundings, the fruits and living water, that so many spirits have described as being a part of that Higher Existence. Then why is it not as reasonable to suppose that in the hells, there are surroundings and appearances that will make the conditions of spirits whose evil lives have caused them to become inhabitants of these hells of even more unhappiness, and create more suffering and misery. This supposition is one that no reasonable argument can prove to be incorrect.

I merely wanted to add what I have said to what Swedenborg wrote, for I know that conviction must come where statements are based upon actual experiences, and where knowledge is derived from sufferings which came from the actual existence of things, that are sometimes alleged not to exist.

I will not write more now. In closing will say that I have long since left these hells, and am now an inhabitant of Higher Spheres, and a follower of the blessed Master.
When on Earth, I was known as Herod, the King of Judea, the poor, miserable, mistaken man, who thought that by slaying the babes of Bethlehem he would maintain his power as ruler.

So goodnight, and God Bless you, Herod.

Spirit World

December 22nd, 1915

I am here, your Grandmother.

I come, because I see that you have been much interested in the description of the various spheres of the Spirit World, as contained in the book that you have just been reading.

Well, my son, I have read the book as you did. I must say that I have grave doubts that any mortal ever had the experience of the Dr. (Peebels) as is related in that book. I of course will not positively say that he did not leave his body and visit some of the spheres of the Spirit World, and attempt to give a description of what he saw. I do not think it was possible for him to visit any sphere, which is higher than his soul development would enable him to enter. As I am informed, not being a human with the soul development that would fit him for the higher soul spheres, I do not understand how he could possibly have entered a sphere higher than the Sixth. I doubt that he entered that. From all the information that I have received, I have never heard of any mortal entering a sphere higher than the Third, which Saint Paul says he visited.

At any rate, the descriptions of the higher spheres as contained in the book, I mean by this the sphere above the Third, are not correct in many particulars. As I have told you before, the Fifth and Seventh Spheres are not Intellectual spheres, in the preeminent sense. In them are not the great colleges and institutions of learning that the book refers to, and neither are the inhabitants engaged in any special study of the Laws of Nature with the mere intellect. For in these spheres, the great studies and aspiration of the spirits are given to the development of the soul by obtaining the Divine Love, and to help in the work are teachers who devote themselves to instructing these spirits in those things which will lead to this soul development.

The mind, or mere intellect, is not given much attention to, but is subordinated to the soul development. For with this development and a part of it, comes a wonderful development of the faculties of what you might call the mind, but which we call, and which really are the, soul perceptions. I know it is hard for you to understand, but what we call the soul perceptions may be compared to the mental faculties as you commonly speak of them. These soul perceptions do not depend upon these mental faculties. In fact, the latter forms no part of the former. They are entirely distinct and of a different order and composition from these mental faculties. These soul perceptions, as such, cannot be cultivated, or made to increase in their powers or qualities, by mere study. They, and their progress, are entirely dependent upon, and not separated from, the development of the soul in Love. I mean the Divine Love of the Father. In other words, unless there be a development of the soul by this Divine Love, there will be no development of the soul perceptions. It is difficult to explain this to you, but you may possibly get some idea from what I have said.

The Sixth sphere, as I have before said, is the great intellectual sphere, and in this are wonderful colleges and institutions of learning. Many spirits, who were great humans intellectually on Earth, are teachers in these institutions.

You must not think that because certain spheres are preeminently intellectual, that there are not teachers of the Higher Truths pertaining to the souls and to the Divine Love, working in these spheres, for there are. Many great spirits of the Celestial Spheres are engaged in this teaching. This I must say, that the work is more difficult and the effort to convince these spirits of highly developed intellectuality and knowledge, is more strenuous than in any of the lower spheres. These bright-minded spirits seem to think that the mind is the great thing to be cultivated and looked after. While they, in a way, worship God, yet it is with the faculties of the mind merely. They do not think that there is any teaching in the Truth of the New Birth and the Divine Love of the Father, in contradistinction to the Love, which they possess, which is only the Natural Love.

I have been in all these spheres and have worked in them. What I tell you I know from actual experience.

Well, he is mistaken, for in the Seventh Sphere the spirits have homes just as they do in the lower spheres, only they are much more beautiful and bring more happiness and gladness because of the great number of additional things that are provided by the Father to increase the happiness of His Children.

As to our clothing in that sphere, we are clothed in what you would say a modest and comfortable way. Our clothing is not so flimsy as to permit our forms to be seen as if we had on no clothing at all. This idea must have arisen from the fact that inhabitants of that sphere have no thought of immodesty, or of what might result from the suggestions that a naked or half-clothed body might give to mortals, or even some of the lower spirits. Such an idea does not enter into the question of the nature of the clothes that we shall wear.

Our thoughts are all pure and free from mortal taint. The character of our thoughts has no influence upon the character of our clothing. We wear clothes to cover our bodies because we think it proper to do so, and because we make our clothes by our own thoughts and will, and they are of the most glorious and shining appearances that you can imagine.

As all things in nature have a covering, so in the Spirit World, the spirits all have coverings. This is even so in the Celestial Sphere in which I live. I have never seen such a thing as a naked, or nearly naked, spirit, in these higher spheres. Of course, the spirit of Dr.____ may have entered some of these higher spheres, as I have said, but his information as the author of the book that was communicated to his mortal friend, was not correctly transmitted, for many things, which he says, are not True.

I would like to write more tonight but it is late, and you are tired.

I will say with all my Love, goodnight, your own Loving grandmother, Ann Rollins.

Spirit World

December 22nd, 1915

I desire to write you a short time to inform you of certain Truths, which you should know pertaining to the Spirit Life, and to what mortals, who lead the lives of Good and Pure humans, may expect and be assured of realizing.

I am in the Celestial Spheres, but I shall not speak of these Spheres, but only of the Spiritual Spheres, where humans, after they become disembodied spirits, may live and experience a happiness, which they on Earth have no conception of.

When a spirit first enters the Spirit World, it receives a welcome from some one or more spirits, whose duties are to receive such spirit, and to show the place where it is suited to live or exist.

Such spirit is then permitted to meet its friends and relatives, and to commune with them for a short or long time, and receive whatever consolation such friends or relatives may be able to give it. In many cases the gladness and happiness of these spirit friends cause the spirit to believe that it is in heaven, or at least, in a place of great happiness.

After this First Interview, the spirit must, by reason of the Law of Attraction (and the Law of Placement), go to the place where its condition of soul, or its condition of moral growth, or intellectual development, fits it for. There, remain until such condition is made better and enables it to rise to a higher place.

No spirit, after it once gets into the place that is suited for it to live in, ever retrogrades. Although, it may stand still for a long number of years and never make any progress. This is a Truth not known to a great many mortals, and spirits also, that the condition of the mortal at the time they become a spirit fixes their condition and place of living when they first enter the Spirit World, after they are put in such place by the Law of Attraction, as I have said. When once that place is found and occupied, the spirit never goes to a lower place, but either will stay in that place for a long time, or will progress, and ultimately will, in all cases progress.

Well, the evil spirits find these places of habitation in the Earth Planes. Which are many, and of varied kinds, having many different appearances, suited to the conditions of the spirits who will occupy them. A spirit who is in the lowest of these Earth Planes is said to be in the lowest hells, as all spirits who are in these planes where they suffer and encounter darkness, believe and say they are in hell. This is merely a name used for convenience. For the hells are merely places forming a part of the One Great Universe of God. These hells, as you may imagine, are very numerous, for the conditions of spirits are very varied. Each spirit has a place in which to live fitted to its condition.

As the spirit becomes freed from some of these conditions, which as to them, causes the Law of Attraction to work, they progress to a higher and better place, and find that their surroundings are not so dark and painful. As this progression continues, such spirit will ultimately find themselves in the Planes of Light, and comparative happiness, where the evil recollections have, to a large extent, left them. The good deeds, which they did on Earth, then come to them and cause a happiness that makes them realize that they were not all bad, and that God has been Good to them in relieving them from the sins and evil thoughts which bound them to the place from which they have progressed.

After all this, they have not gotten into any of the Spheres which are above the Earth Planes. They may have to remain there for a great many years before they enter the Second Sphere, which is next in gradation to the Earth Plane. This latter plane is the most populous of all the spheres, for it has spirits coming to it in great numbers, in greater numbers than are progressing from it, to higher spheres. Hence, it has a greater variety of sub-planes than have any of the other spheres, and is filled with a greater variety and kind of spirits than are any of these higher spheres.

When a spirit has remained in the Earth Planes a sufficient length of time to put them in condition to go to the next higher sphere, they make their progress, and is never prevented from doing so. I do not mean to say that the spirit is compelled to remain in the Earth Planes any particular number of years before progressing, for this is not True. On the contrary, the number of years that they remain there is determined by their condition of progress. So that, some spirits may go through these planes in less than a year and others may remain there many years.

In the Second Sphere, appearances are brighter. Many opportunities are afforded the spirit to seek for, and obtain, happiness that they did not have before. Many spirits find great happiness in pursuing their intellectual studies, and things of this kind, and in obtaining a Knowledge of the Laws of the Spirit World, governing what you might call the material nature of this World, and also of the Earth World.

This Sphere is not so well suited for the growth of the soul faculties. Those spirits, whose desires and aspirations are for the development of their soul qualities, do not stay in this World, or Sphere, very long. For they do not find that the necessary provisions for such development exists. As a consequence, they progress to the Third Sphere, where they find wonderful opportunities and surroundings, which enable them to progress in these matters of the soul.

Well I see that you are tired. I will postpone any further writing on these matters to another time. So Goodnight, John B. Comeys.

Spirit World

March 11th, 1916

I am here, St. John. Apostle of Jesus.

I was with you tonight, and heard the sermon of the preacher on heaven, and what it is. As his text was founded on some expressions in a book of the Bible ascribed to me, which I did write, though not just as is contained in the Bible. I thought it meant that I should come and write you, as to the Truth of the sermon, and as to the value of the book as descriptive, or suggestive, of what Heaven is, and what its appearances are, and what the Spirits of the Redeemed are doing, in what the preacher designated as service.

Well, I first want to say, that while I did write a book of the nature of the one in the Bible named Revelation. Yet this one does not contain my writings to any great extent. Nor are my ideas set forth, or followed, in this book of Revelation. As you may now know, in my time, and for a long time previous, the Jewish writers, because of the great troubles and persecutions their nation was undergoing, were accustomed to write books in the nature of the one contained in the Bible, called Revelations. These, for the purpose of encouraging their people to believe that all the wrongs that they were suffering would be avenged by God. Their enemies made to suffer, and become destroyed. That in the end, their nation would be rescued from its condition of servitude and sufferings, and would become the ruling nation of the Earth. These writings, were accepted by the Jews as having the authority of divine inspiration and conveying to their nation the Truths of God. The same promises of His intervening in their behalf. The writings were always ascribed to some prophet, seer, or human of God, who had the special privilege of coming in contact with God, or some of His Angels, through the mysterious and sacred means of visions.

Of course, these writings were merely intended to encourage the Jews to establish their faith in God, and in the belief that He would send them a Messiah who would have the power to redeem them from the punishments and thralldom that they were undergoing under the tyranny and strength of their heathen captors and persecutors.

Always were these writings prophetic, and held forth the promises for the future, without ever attempting to fix a time for their fulfillment, or the ending of the nation's woes and the coming of its deliverer. So that as time went on, and the promises were not fulfilled, hope continued to exist. The belief of the Jews was not lessened. Non-fulfillment was explained by the further belief that the time for the consummation of their eagerly wished for expectations had not yet arrived. That God was All Knowing, as well as All Powerful and Careful for their race. That He, and He Alone, understood just when the proper and fitting time should arrive. This hope upon hope was a wonderful force in keeping up the beliefs and expectations of the Jews. So effective was it, that to this day they remain a nation, or rather a race, in belief and expectation of this coming Messiah.

Alas, as they did not recognize and accept him when he did appear, they will never again see his appearance. He will never come as their Messiah, as expected of old, but only as the Great Teacher and Redeemer, not only of their race, but of all the peoples of the Earth. He has already come as such a Redeemer, and is working now to lead humans to the True and Only Way to Life, Happiness, and Immortality. Never will any Messiah come to the Jews to establish them on Earth as a great and chosen nation, as nearly all of them believe, and still look for.

Thus, as I say, many books, or manuscripts, were written by the claimed Jewish prophets, holding forth to the Jews the results of visions claimed to have been experienced by these writers, and as the prophecies, in the sense that the Jews understood them, and have never been fulfilled. Neither will they be fulfilled in the future. Their value has no Reality.

This custom, as I may call it, continued from these early times down to the time in which I lived and wrote. My book of prophecy was written by me, not with the purpose of establishing the Jews as a nation on Earth. Or, causing them to believe that their hopes or longings would be fulfilled. But for the purpose of encouraging the Christians to believe, that notwithstanding their persecution, sufferings, and martyrdom, they would, in the Future Life, when they should meet the Master and the Saints, find Joy, Peace and Heaven. In my writings, nothing was said about the wrath of god being visited upon the persecutors of the Christians, or of their having to go into a hell of fire and brimstone, so that, from that fact, the Happiness of the Redeemed would be increased.

My writings have been added to. All kinds of grotesque imagery interpolated, so that the whole design and purpose of my writings were changed, and destroyed. The present Book of Revelation is only a mere allegory of some one, or more, writers who were gifted with some knowledge of the Christian teachings, and unusual oriental imaginations. This book is of no value. On the contrary is doing much harm to the cause of the Truth, as taught by the Master. As we, who are in the Celestial Heavens, and have Knowledge of Things Heavenly, as well as things Earthly, Know to be the fact.

It should not be accepted as a truth, of the revelation of truths, and not be believed in for any purpose. It has lead many good humans, and honest and earnest seekers after the Truths, astray, and caused them to believe, and teach, false doctrines that have resulted in much darkness and stagnation in the development of human souls in their longings for the Truth. So, I say, let humans entirely discard its teachings, and any, and all, lessons that the preachers, or others, who think that they can understand its meaning, attempt to teach.

The writings that I gave to my people, of the kind mentioned, have long ago served their purpose. The writings called the revelations contain in it no Truth that will help humankind to the Heavenly Kingdom, or, to their Eternal Happiness and At-Onement with the Father. Let it die the death of a falsehood, born out of time.

I also was interested in the struggle of the preacher to explain what Heaven is, and what his people, who may consider themselves redeemed children of God, will find when they become inhabitants of that heaven.

Well, he spoke Truly when he said Heaven is a place, as well as a condition, for it is inconceivable that any condition of the spirit of a mortal could exist unless there be a place where that spirit could find a habitation. All space in the Universe of God is a place, or contains places, where things of existence must find localities. There is no such thing as a vacuum in God's Economy. All parts of space are fitted with something having substance, either material, or Spiritual. Wherever such substance is, there is a place for its abiding.

Yes, heaven is a place, or a number of places. The preacher is far from having the True conception of Heaven when he supposes it is one large place, where all believers go after death, irrespective of their condition of soul and moral perfections. As I say, there are many heavens, and many places. All as Real and Substantial as are the different stories and rooms in your home of Earth. The partitions, if I may so speak, between these different places, are just as impassable for spirits that have not the proper qualifications to pass through, as are the partition walls between the various rooms in your Earth homes for you mortals to pass through. These places are distinctive. The many mansions that the preacher referred to, are situated in many Heavens, or more correctly, many Spheres of the Heavens.

Strictly speaking, there are two heavens in God's Spirit Universe. Namely, the Heavens of the Redeemed and Transformed soul by the Divine Love, called the Celestial Heavens; and the Heavens of the Restored Perfect Human, called the Spiritual Heavens. Each and all of them being places of Real Perfection and Substance. As one star differs from another star in glory, so these several Heavens, within Heavens, differ from one another in glory, appearance, and in those things, which help to make the mansions of their inhabitants beautiful, attractive, and glorious. It would take too long for me to attempt to describe any of these Heavens, for they each, and all, excel any conception that the mortal is capable of having. I will say this; that there are no streets of gold, or pearly gates, or suns, or stars, in any of them. Only the Light of God's Love and Mercy Illuminates them.

I will postpone my further writing, but will come very soon and complete what I intended to say about the sermon of the preacher, and attempt to show the Real appearance of some of the Heavens, and what service the Redeemed Children of God render, when they come to the Spirit World.

So my dear brother, I will say goodnight, your brother in Christ, John.

Spirit World

June 8th, 1916

I am here, your own Helen.

Tonight everything seems favorable to my writing you my promised message. I will try.

Of course, you must expect to find some expressions of Love in it, for I could not write you if I did not tell you how much I Love you, and how happy I am when you Love me and want me to be with you.

Well, sweetheart, I am now in the Celestial Sphere with your grandmother, though not in as high a plane as she, and have not so much of the Divine Love as has she. Yet my happiness is so great that I can hardly realize myself what it means. It is impossible to tell you of the Beauties of my home and surroundings. I have tried, when I was in a lower sphere to describe to you my home. I did it very inadequately, giving you only a glimpse of what it really was. Now, if you could increase that description a hundredfold, you would have no conception of the Beauty and Glory of my present home, and the Wonders that surround it.

I, so often, wish that you had words in your language that could be used to fully describe what this new home means to me, or even the one that I just left. As you have not, you will have to be content with knowing, that if you should take all the imagery of the Revelation, and add to it the sum total of all the beautiful descriptions of places, homes, and scenery, that the whole range of your English Literature contains, you would have but a faint idea of what really exists. Besides, the great increase in the Divine Love that I possess and enjoy, and the Beautiful, Loving and holy spirits whom I have for my companions, make this home of mine Truly one of the mansions of the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus referred to in the Bible. Only the mansions that he there spoke of were not necessarily like the one that I have. For the mansions in the Celestial Heavens vary according to the Soul Development of their occupants.

I sometimes think that a very few years ago I was on Earth, without much Soul Development, and very little Knowledge of the Things of God. Now I have that development and Knowledge of those things that fit me for these glorious mansions of the Celestial Spheres. How wonderful it all is. How I thank the Father for His Goodness and Mercy, and, for having given to humankind such a Loving and glorious saviour as Jesus.

I do not forget that you had something to do with my starting on this great journey of progress. For I remember that when I first came to you, things of the material were very attractive to me. My appetites of Earth had not left me. How, when I displayed some of these desires for the material things, you rebuked me and tried to point the way to the Higher Things. Although, I know now that your advice came from your merely mental conceptions of what I should strive for, as at that time, you had very little Knowledge of the things of the soul, and scarcely any Soul Development.
But your Christian training as a child, and the conceptions that had come to you from these instructions, taught you that in the Spirit World there must be something higher and beyond the mere Earthly conditions of human, where purer joy and happier lives might be found and lived. Your Love for me was such that you desired that I should find, and possess these things, if possible. I have never forgotten what you then said to me, although at the time I thought you were unkind and not so anxious for my happiness. But long ago I had come to me the Knowledge of the motive that actuated your advice. Much happiness has come to me from that Knowledge and recollection.

Only a little thought of Love, and an earnest desire on the part of mortal for the spirit, when it is directed in the way of the soul's progress, sometimes work a greater result, than the conquering of a city. For it means the salvation of a soul, which is of more value, than all the cities of the Earth combined.

While I am writing in this strain, I wish to say that one of the greatest benefits, or possessions, that can come to a mortal is; to have a mother, husband, wife, in whose bosom glows the Divine Love of the Father, even though very faintly. For that little spark of Love, to its own degree, makes that soul a part of the Divine Essence of the Father's Love. Its influence upon the possessor causes an atmosphere of Love and help to be felt by all who have the relationship to such possessor of a child, wife, or husband. Christian instructions, though mixed with dogmas and creeds that may all be wrong, yet will benefit. As in them are some thoughts that may Awaken the soul to a condition that will let in some portion of the Higher Love, which will remain, though dormant, until the time comes when something will arouse the dormant Divine Love to action and Life.

This benefit passes with mortal to Spirit Life. The influence of the teachings, or rather the accompanying impressions of the christian mother, etc., to help such a spirit to realize its True condition, and to start on its progress to the attainment of the higher things of the soul. No wealth, riches, or position that a mortal may inherit can possibly equal the influence of that one little spark in the christian mother, who possesses some portion of the Divine Love. There is none so poor as the spirit who comes into the Spirit World without any recollection of having, at some time in its Earth Life, received in its soul, the influence of that little spark.

So I say; the human who has a christian mother, or wife, who has, at some time in their Earth career, taught them to turn their thoughts to God, and to pray, even though that human in afterlife forsakes such thoughts and prayers, is a very fortunate being. For in the Spirit Life they have with them the memories of their Earth Life, and nothing is lost. Among these memories will be the influence of their mother's teachings, and their own prayers. While they will have to satisfy the Laws of Compensation, yet these recollections of these thoughts and prayers will come to them sooner or later, and will help them in their progress to higher conditions. You must remember, as has been often told you, that all souls will ultimately reach the planes of Purification of their Natural Love, or the Glories of the Spheres where only the Divine Love exists.

After I commenced to receive into my soul this Divine Love, I became very anxious to increase its possession. My progress was very rapid, as they tell me. As I progressed from sphere to sphere, ever, were there coming to me new wonders, great happiness, and the disappearance of those things which belonged to my Mortal Life. No one who has not experienced this progress can understand what it means. How the happiness increases, also the longings for more. Yet the astonishing fact is that notwithstanding these longings, the contentment of the spirit is Perfect. No unhappiness, because of longings yet to be fulfilled, exists.

As you know, when I entered the Spirit World, I was met by your mother and others. All fear or confusion that usually arises from the change which so-called death brings to the spirit left me. In fact, never came to me. I was as tenderly cared for as you can conceive of. Ever thereafter, while I could not go to the home of your mother, yet she and others were with me often enough to keep me from much darkness and suffering, though I did experience some darkness and suffering.
The influence of their Love was with me. They earnestly and Lovingly told me of the Great Love of the Father. And, how I might get it, become happy, and start on my upward progression. Your father came to me also, with his cheer and help, and showed me that upon myself, to a certain extent, depended my being able to get into the Light. He was so good and kind to me that I Loved him at once, although I had never seen him in Earth Life.

From all this, can you wonder that I did not remain very long in the lower planes? I tell you that the Love, tenderness, and influence of the Beautiful and Loving spirits who have some of God's Divine Love in their souls, are things that can take away the terror of death, and make a spirit who has just left their mortal home almost happy.

If humans could only realize the fact, that by attempting to get into their hearts, good thoughts, and longings of Love, so that these Beautiful spirits could be attracted to them, their entrance and reception in the World of Spirits would become one, even if not of happiness, yet of freedom from fear and loneliness. So, I advise all mortals to so live, as to attract friends on the Spirit Side of Life that can come to them in the times of the great change, and comfort and help them.

Now, I do not mean by this that such spirits of mortals will not have to endure the darkness and suffering which the conditions of their souls demand they should endure, but their entrance into the Spirit World will be as I say.

Well, sweetheart, I have written a quite long letter, and you must be a little tired. I must further write, and tell you that all this happiness that I have spoken of may be yours. As your soulmate, I believe, and almost know, that it will be. For while you are a mortal, no matter how long the years may be, you will have with you my Love, and longings for your coming, and my prayers to the Father for a Great Bestowal upon you of His Divine Love. Besides all this, you know that you have surrounding you, the Loves of those who are higher than I am, and who possess so much more of this Divine Love.

Oh, it will be a happy day for me when you do come. I know that you will be happy, also. Just think that as your eyes close in what the preachers call the last sleep, I will be with you. When you awake, I will be with you. The only thing that will greet your newly awakened vision will be my eyes, so filled with Love and joy that you will almost want to die over again, just for the sake of having the Awakening.

I remember that when on Earth, you thought my arms were very beautiful, and Loved to have them around you, and thought yourself happy. When you come to me again you will find arms so much more beautiful clasping you to a bosom that you cannot dream of, and eyes looking into your eyes with so much Love and Happiness, that you will, for the first time in all your Life, know what happiness means. Then when I tell you that I am all yours and that never again will cruel death, as it is called, separate us. That only Love, pure, unselfish, and never dying, will be ours without any lessening, or disturbing by jealousy or tiresomeness. You will wonder if you have really awakened from that last sleep, or are only dreaming. Then I will give you a long, sweet kiss of Love that you will know that it is all real.

Oh, my Ned, I do Love you, and want you to Love me with all your heart! The time will not be long now, until we shall be together in our Spirit Life, when your cares and worries of Life will not longer trouble you.

Sweetheart, you must pray to the Father for a greater inflowing of His Divine Love and Blessings, for upon the development of your soul depends our continuous living together, and progress.

I will be with you tonight while you sleep. I am so filled with Love that I know I shall call your spirit from your body, and carry it with me to purer planes, where we can, for a few moments, enjoy the bliss of living together, without the encumbrance of your body. You may not remember it when you awake, but I will know, and will tell you of it when next I write.

So, sweetheart, give me my goodnight kiss, your own True and Loving, Helen.

Spirit World

December 13th, 1916

I am here, Elias.

I desire tonight to write a few lines upon a matter that I have been thinking might be of some interest to you, and that is: The hope that all mortals have in a future destiny of freedom from care and unhappiness.

I know that a large majority of mortals who believe in the christian doctrines, believe that for a very considerable number of humankind, there is awaiting an Eternity in the hells of continuous torture and torment. That in order to avoid such a destiny or future state, humans, while on Earth, must believe in certain doctrines and conform themselves to such beliefs, for after death there can be no possible opportunity for being saved from such a fate.

Of course, these beliefs are the results of the teachings of those who claim to have the ability to interpret the Bible, mixed with a little of divine inspiration, mysterious power, and wisdom that are conferred upon those who have the careers of ministers of the gospel. Humans, because of long years of training, or of inheritance, from those who for long years believed in these teachings, naturally exercise very little independent thought, and accept the declarations of these ministers as being almost the divine expressions of god himself.

Such doctrines have caused, in their workings, much harm to the mortal, and much unhappiness to the spirits of humans in the Spirit World, because beliefs accompany the latter in their existence as spirits, and keep them from learning the Truth for a long time after they become spirits.

It is a great pity that humans can be bound by such false and damnable beliefs. Generation after generation, continue to become servants to the teachings of misguided instructors. I wish to say that all these beliefs are untrue and have no foundation in fact. The sooner humankind knows this; the better it will be for their happiness on Earth, and their welfare in the World to Come.

It is True that there are hells and punishment, and that the majority of humans, when they become spirits, will have to go into such hells and suffer such punishment. But the element of Eternal, or everlasting, does not enter into the duration of such state or condition. For there is no punishment inflicted on the spirits of humans for the purpose of causing them to pay a penalty that can never be satisfied through All Eternity. This punishment is only for the purpose of purification. When it is accomplished, for the particular spirit who has suffered the same, the hell ceases to exist. The punishment ceases to have any necessity for its existence. Ultimately, the condition of every human will be that of a Purified Spirit, free from sin and defilement, and the necessity for hell, or punishment.

I know that what I have written, has in various forms, been written before. I felt that I must say just this much, and in the way that I have done.

I am glad that you are feeling better tonight. I want to assure you, that if you will pray to the Father, you will continue to grow in your Spiritual (Soul) Development, and as a consequence feel better in every particular.

With my Love I will say, goodnight, your brother in Christ, Elias.

Spirit World

February 5th, 1917

I am here, Luke.

I merely want to say that you are in better condition tonight, and that I will write a few lines, upon a subject that may be of interest to you.

In the Spirit World, there are many spirits, who are in neither darkness, nor Light. Are in, what has been called, the twilight zone, and are neither very happy, nor unhappy. These are spirits, who have progressed from the lower spheres, where they expiated their sins and errors of the Earth Life. Have gotten rid of their recollections of many of their sins, and have progressed somewhat in the development of their Natural Love, and in the acquirement of the intellectual knowledge. Are not feeling the stings of conscience, but are realizing the happiness, which the forgiveness of their sins and the improvement of their intellects cause them to have.
They are, to a large extent, very much in the condition of humans who have paid the penalties of their sins, yet have not received such increase in their Natural Love, as to enable them to progress to the higher intellectual spheres, where the spirit becomes, to a more or less degree the Perfect Human. They have been a long time making their progress, for it is a fact, that the development of their souls from the condition of the wholly sinful human, to that where such sins have almost disappeared, is a very slow development.

These spirits though, are not to be classed with the dark spirits, who so often come to you for help and relief from their darkness. For they are in that condition where it is difficult to convince them that they need any help in order that they may have a more wonderful progress and obtain greater happiness. In this zone the spirits seem to be well satisfied with their conditions, and have the belief that their advancement must necessarily be slow, and that there is not a better and quicker way to obtain relief from their conditions.
Among this class of spirits commences the greatest difficulty for the Higher Spirits to successfully convince them of the Great Truth of the Divine Love, and the possibilities of obtaining a condition that will place them in the Higher Soul Spheres, without the long delay in making their progress.

In the lower spheres the spirits are not satisfied. Generally, are very desirous of getting relief from the darkness and suffering. As a consequence, we can do more to convince them of the Truths that are so necessary for them to know.

You would be surprised to know the number of spirits who are in this zone, and the great number of years they have been, in making the progress that they have made. Many of them have been in the states to which I refer for centuries, and yet have never known any desire to progress out of those states, except in the way that they consider to be the gradual and natural way to advance.

I will not write more now, so, goodnight, and may God Bless you, your brother in Christ, Luke.

Spirit World

August 28th, 1917

I am here, and want to say a word to my friend, as I have not written for a long time.

I heard what was said, in reference to protection being afforded Mr. (Eugene) Morgan when the Broker calls upon him to write. I desire to say that I will be present. The priests will not have any opportunity to interfere, because I am stronger, than any of these fellows of the popes, and will not hesitate to use my power. Not that I do not want them to receive the benefit that so many of them have received in their communications with Mr. Morgan, but I realize the importance of what you are attempting to do. The priests will have to wait a while in order to make their assaults.

I am progressing. It seems to me that I am a different spirit altogether from what I was when I first came in contact, consciously, with you, and had my eyes and soul opened to the Truth. I cannot tell you how much I am benefitted by the messages I hear you read and discuss with your friends. Also by the explanation of the Truth, that Mr. Morgan so often gives to the spirits who come to dissuade him from doing his work.

It may seem strange to you that we are benefitted by what you mortals may say as to the Truths of the Spirit World. You may naturally suppose that we, being here in the Spirit World, would more easily learn these Truths from the Higher Spirits than learn the same from you. The fact is; that these Higher Spirits do not often come into our plane and disclose these Truths, except when they come and communicate with you. Of course, we have spirits here who teach us Truths, but these Truths are not of so comprehensive a nature as what you receive. We are taught only as we progress and are fitted to receive the next lesson in advance, as you might say. This may not appeal to your reasoning in such matters, but it is a Truth.

You are having revealed to you a Wonderful Plan of God for the Salvation of Humans. To be taught to humans, whether their conditions are such as to enable them to fully grasp the great significance of the Truths, or not. We are taught, that Plan, only as we progress. That Truth, or part of the Truth, is sufficient for us, as we are at the time capable of applying, or making it our own.

I merely thought that you would like to know just what the Truth is, in reference to our being taught, and the manner in which we are taught by these spirits, whose work it is to open up to us the Truths that may be embraced by us. So you see, we can learn of things by listening to your messages, and the instructions that you, your friend (Dr. Leslie Stone) and my friend (Eugene Morgan) may give us, where we cannot learn from our spirit teachers.

I am with him a great deal. I am his friend and protector, so far as in my power, as I promised to be. I could not be otherwise. He must not forget that among all the spirits here who Love him, he has no more devoted friend than Sam Ford.

Spirit World

July 31st, 1918

I am here, Pastor Russell.

Let me say a word, as I have been with you today as you read the book, of which I was the writer.

I see that you are aware of the erroneous interpretations of the testament that it contains, of the false constructions that are drawn from the quotations of the Bible. Also, that you feel that a great injury is being done to those who read and believe in my teachings.

Well, I realize the falsity of my teachings, and the wrong and injury that are being wrought among those who have been followers of me. How great will be their surprise when death comes to them, for what I said was impossible they will find to be True, that they are more alive than they ever were while living in the flesh.

This I have realized, to my great surprise and suffering. When I was about to leave the flesh, and for long years before, I believed that when I died I would go into the literal grave and would thereafter be in a state of oblivion, knowing nothing until the day of the first resurrection, when I, and all those who believed that we were of the little flock, would be called into the presence of Jesus. There become his coworkers and co-judges of humans during the millennium, when the rest of the World would be tried and finally judged, to either a Life of happiness as humans restored to the condition of Adam before the fall, or to total annihilation.

As I passed from the body, I found that I had a spiritual body, in which was contained all the faculties of mind and appetites of the flesh that were a part of me when on Earth. Also, the memories of all that I had thought, and taught, when trying to lead my followers into the truth, as I supposed. I was more alive than ever before, and conscience soon began to do its work of reproval, and bring to me remorse and regret for the great harm that I had done to many of my fellow humans, by reason of my teaching a faith that is wholly untrue, and destructive to the soul's salvation. The soul! Ah, this is the thing that I blasphemed against. For, I taught that there was no such thing, or entity, as the soul, after the separation of the body and Life. That it then, ceased to have an existence. Would never again come into existence until the first resurrection, which would be the first awakening of the little flock to a consciousness of its existence. To me the will was the great thing, and while that never ceased to exist, yet it lay in a dormant state and was as dead, knowing nothing. How vitally misleading was this teaching. How my followers will find themselves deceived, and will suffer from the want of Knowledge of the fact that the soul is the human, and is susceptible to progressing in the Knowledge of the Truths of God while on Earth, as well as after it becomes an inhabitant of the Spirit World.

I have had a tragic Awakening, with all the consequences of a tragedy, in which I was one of the important actors, and the principal cause of the results of the tragedy.

I know what death means, and what Life means, for I died, merely to live. To live a Life in which, at this time, is much suffering and regret, accompanied by the knowledge that I have before me a work greater than I can perform in many long years in the future.

I must now try to undo, what I for so many years did, to the injury of those who believed in me. When I realize that there is hardly a way, until these followers of mine become spirits like myself, in which I can do this work, my suffering becomes almost unbearable. Only through the medium of the mortal, can I reach these people. Because of my teachings, they will not believe what I may attempt to communicate through a mortal medium.

If I had only known the Truth, and thereby abstained from preaching untruth, in this particular, how different my lot would now be. But I believed what I taught, and taught what I believed. It was all a lie, though I believed it. Yet, that fact does not lessen my regrets. For I see with the clearness of the spirit that, my thoughts and teachings, are believed by many of my followers because I taught them. Consequently, they will suffer from their beliefs. The fact that I believed these erroneous things, and taught in good faith, will not, in one iota, save them from the darkness and sufferings, which will certainly become theirs.

Unfortunate is the human who believes spiritual untruths; but accursed is the human who teaches them, and thus deceives those who are earnestly seeking for the Truth.

I would like to write more tonight in reference to this matter, and my condition, and the heavy burden which I am now bearing, but your wife says I must not write more now as you are not in condition to be further drawn on.

So, thanking you, and having the hope that at some time in the near future I may again communicate with you, I will say goodnight, your friend, Pastor Russell.

Spirit World