Helen Writes that Mr. Padgett's Reading About the Old Prophets Had Little Effect on His Soul

October 30, 1918
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Helen.

Well dear, you have been in two conditions of soul and mind tonight. The one, rather repellent and out of sympathy with us, which prevented us from writing you, and the other, which you now have, congenial and in unison with us.

Your reading the prophecies of the old prophets did not have the effect of awakening in your soul those feelings and aspirations which were suitable to bring your soul in rapport with us, and largely, because those writings did not declare and display the true and loving Father whom we know and love. Our Father never had the feelings of wrath against His children that are in those prophecies ascribed to him. The Jehovah of those prophets was of a very different type from the Father whom we know and love and fear only in the sense that in some possible way we may violate the Laws of His Love.

Of course, as you know, the people of those times, prophets, priests, Kings and common people, never had or knew of His Divine Love, and their comprehension of God, was one who required sacrifice and obedience to his laws of right and justice as they understood them; and undoubtedly their prophets were, to a degree, inspired by the spirits of the higher Heavens as they then existed to warn and threaten and denounce, so that the people might be brought to a realization of their sins and induced to a return to that harmony with the law that would enable them to become rid of their sins and evil doings; and considering their conception of God, the means used by the prophets were the ones necessary to bring about these results.

A consideration of these means in comparison with the ways taught by the Master that lead to the Celestial Heavens will demonstrate the fact that, in those ancient days, neither prophet, priest nor people had any knowledge of the Divine Love, and that the privilege of these ancient people of obtaining the Divine Love was not in existence.

I, and the higher spirits, as they have declared, see no good that can possibly come to mortals of the present from a reading and understanding of these books of the Old Testament. The moral commands contained in them were pronounced and emphasized by the teachings of the Master, which needs no assistance from these old teachings in order that the Master's teachings should have a sanctioning. And as to the higher spiritual truths, these old scriptures contain nothing which can possibly enlighten or help man to acquire knowledge of these truths.

So I advise you not to waste your time in reading these scriptures, but rather use all the time that remains to you outside of the affairs of your practical life to learn and study and meditate upon the truths which have been revealed to you by the messages that you have received.

I would not, by what I have said, desire to be understood as depreciating the reading of these scriptures by people who have not the opportunity and privilege of hearing the truths that have been revealed to you, for in these scriptures are many moral truths and illustrations, which may be of benefit to these people; and undoubtedly essential to them in the particulars and under the circumstances mentioned. So my dear husband, continue to pray and believe.

[Question and answer.]

Well, I meant that these truths are not necessary to be read by the people of the present day, for in the New Testament are found these moral truths; and while not necessary, I would not advise that the people should absolutely fail to read the Old Testament, because some may enjoy the reading of these truths as they are therein contained and associated with the circumstances surrounding them. They may appeal to some people, and if so, work a benefit. I again say that they are not necessary but they may be helpful to some - the minds of all do not work alike.

Think of me in your prayers and love me. Good night.

Your own true and loving,
Helen