Jesus Writes About the Individualization and Incarnation of the Soul

March 21, 1920
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Jesus.

Let me write tonight as you are in good condition, and I desire very much to write you in reference to a subject that is important for men to know.

As I have before written you, there are two destinies for man in the spirit life, and the one or the other of them may be just as he desires and seeks for.

I was with you today as you listened to the preacher (Dr. Pierce) expound the reasons why he is a believer in the faith of the church (Unitarian) to which he belongs, and in which he is a leader and teacher. He is undoubtedly honest and earnest in his beliefs and, so far as they go, they will afford him the happiness that he spoke of, provided he puts such beliefs into actual, practical living and makes them the dominating, dynamic influence that shall guide and control him in his intercourse with humanity.

He said truly that there is a law that operates in wonderful power in shaping men's lives and which, when obeyed, will determine the career not only of men but of nations; and that law is, that when once a truth is ascertained or comes to the knowledge of men it must be recognized and acted upon, or it will lose its beneficent effect upon the lives of men. If he applies this law to his own life, he will experience a wonderful help in meeting the difficulties and cares of life and in overcoming the things that beset him as a thinking man.

This is a wonderful truth, and so far as it pervades the life of a man will result in making that life one of consistent goodness and cause harmony between that man and God, who overrules the secret things of the universe, and that man will enjoy a great happiness even while in the flesh.

But this is not the important object and aim of what the preacher calls religion, nor does it furnish the means by which a man may come into a greater and closer harmony with the will of God. I know, that to man this present mortal life seems a thing of the greatest importance, and that the chief aim of man should be to act in that manner that will make his life successful and happy and, so far as it is suited to make man the harmonious creature that is intended, it is advisable to follow that course of living and loving. But the preacher does not know of and cannot teach the great object of man's appearance on earth, and the goal that is ever before him, waiting to be reached and possessed.

As I have told you before, man's existence in the flesh is only for the purpose of giving his soul an individualization, and all other apparent objects are only secondary, as you may say, accidental accompaniments of this process of individualization.

Hence, you will observe that this great object is accomplished equally in the case of the infant who dies young and in the case of the man who lives to a ripe old age; in each case the object of the soul's incarnation in the flesh is effected. The old man, of course, has his experience - a longer and more diverse existence in meeting and overcoming or submitting to the exigencies of his living than does the infant, but the great object is not more perfectly accomplished in the one case than in the other.

The soul becomes individualized the moment it finds its lodgment in the receptacle prepared by the Laws of Nature in using the human father and mother as its instruments, and time thereafter does not influence or have any determining effect upon that soul so far as its individualization is concerned; and neither does eternity, for that condition being once fixed never can be changed nor annihilated, so far as is known to the highest spirits of God's Heavens. Of course, the soul as thus individualized is subject to the various influences that surround it in its mortal life, and these influences may be retarding, deadly or destructive to the progress of the soul, but cannot possibly affect the object obtained by that soul's coming into the flesh or ever require a new individualization of that soul. Its identity and character, as an individualized thing are established, and no condition of the soul as to its goodness or badness can ever, in the slightest degree, affect this character or identity. The soul once individualized always remains the individual, even though the elements that enter into and make up the form will always find itself being rebuilt and continued by the operations of the law that preserves the individuality of that soul.

Then, I say, the object of the incarnation of the soul is to give it an individualization, and this in two appearances; first, in that of the physical form which men by their perception of their natural organs of sense can perceive; and secondly, a form that is more sublimated and generally invisible to these organs - a spiritual form.

At the moment of incarnation, the soul takes the form which has been prepared for it by the forces that exist in the parents and retains that for during the natural life; and at the same moment, there is created for it or attracted to it, the form of the spirit body, which then and ever afterwards remains with it. Both of these bodies are of the material; one of the visible material of the universe, the other of the invisible but still of the material.

As you know, that body which is made of the visible material lasts for a little while only and then disappears forever, while that which is of the invisible, and which is more real and substantial than the former and exists all the time of the existence of the visible, continues with the soul after the disappearance of the visible1 body; and while changeable in response to the progress of that soul, yet the spirit body never in its composite form leaves that soul. This we in the spirit life know to be true, just as certainly as you mortals know the truth of the existence of the physical body. And as you mortals may in the short space of the life on earth identify the man - which is really the soul - by the appearance of his physical body, so we in the spirit world identify the same man by the appearance of the spirit body, and so this fact must be forever.

Then such being the fact, it must be conceived that the soul has its existence in the physical body for an infinitesimal short time; that is, its life on earth is only the breath of a moment, and then it enters on its career through eternity, and after a few years, as you may say, it may cease to remember that it ever had a lodgment in the physical body.

The preacher criticized the religion that taught man to think of and prepare for the future of the soul, and emphasized the fact that their thoughts should be more of the present, and that duty and good works towards their fellow man should be the object of their living, and their religion. Well, I recognize the importance of duty and good works and approve of them with all the knowledge that I now have of the demands and requirements of God's Love, but on the other hand must say, that their importance to man's future destiny is also the importance of other privileges and obligations possessed by, and resting on man, during the short time that the soul is clothed in the physical body. Duty performed, and good works will lessen the distress and sufferings of the mortal life, and cause the man who performs the duty and does the good works to become more in harmony with God's Laws of Mercy and Truth, but will never suffice to bring a soul into harmony with the will of the Father as regards the higher destiny of man. These things will tend to lead merely to the purification of the soul, and to cause it to come into accord with the laws of its own creation and their end. These constitute merely the exercise of compliance with the moral laws, and bring only a moral effect. And when I say moral laws I mean those laws that demand that, and by the observance of which, man comes into the condition of the perfect man, which was his at the time of his creation. He thereby obtains nothing more than belonged to him when he existed as the perfect man and was in complete harmony with God as such perfect man. He then loved God with all the capacity of his soul in the exercise of the Love that had been bestowed upon him, and could have loved his brother as himself.

And to this condition men are, to a more or less extent, now striving to attain, and many precepts of the Old Testament as well as of the New, will lead men to thus obtain, and if this were the only destiny of man, then the religion of the preacher, which he says is based on these moral precepts of love to God and love to his fellow man, would be sufficient to obtain the goal sought, and love and duty and service would be all that are required of men while on earth as well as after they become spirits; and the exercise of these graces by men while on earth would be just as necessary and helpful as would their exercise afterwards in the spirit world. These things of love to God and love to man, and service and sacrifice constitute the true religion that leads to the perfect man, and makes for that harmony with the laws of God governing the condition of the perfect man, but not the Divine man.

These things should be preached by all ministers and teachers, and practiced by men everywhere, for in their practice are happiness and bliss unspeakable. As these things work to a finality, man again becomes the son of God and obedient to His laws, and realizes the meaning of "love God and love your brother". And so I repeat, the preacher in pronouncing the basis of his religion, declared the truths that will lead him into the condition of the perfect man, in harmony with God's will as to man's creation.

Well, I see you are tired and so we will postpone the further writing. I am very much pleased that you are in so much better condition, and hope that we may continue our messages without further interruption. Only pray more and believe that the Father will answer your prayers. So believe that I love you and want you to be happy and free from care.

Good night. Your brother and friend,
Jesus

George Butler Writes of His Progress From the Hells to the Third Sphere

March 15, 1919
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, George Butler.

I would like to write a few lines tonight, if you are agreeable. A long time ago I wrote you describing my condition and that of the hells in which I was then living, and you were kind enough to help me and bring me in association with some bright spirits who were willing to show me the way out of my awful condition, and who since that time have been helping me with their love and sympathy and prayers; and now I am happy to tell you that I have gotten out of my darkness and am progressing towards the heavens, which a development and transformation of the soul by the inflowing of the Divine Love leads to.

Tonight, I desire to express to you my thankfulness and gratitude for the great service you did me and to say that in all the spirit world, there is not one who feels more conscious of the truth which your advice leads to in the salvation of his soul and the redemption from an existence of darkness and suffering, than do I.

I cannot convey to you any conception of what this redemption means to me, or of the wonderful difference of condition in a soul that has experienced the possession of this Love, and one that remains in ignorance of the blessings that it confers. What I wrote you then, I now repeat, that the hell of a soul which is all tainted and permeated with the results of an earth life of sin and error is wholly true and the contrast between souls in the two states of existence is impossible of description.

When you spoke to me of the probability of my release from the hells and told me that this Great Love would work out my deliverance, I confess that I had very little faith in what you told me, and thought that you were trying to impose on me some of the old nonsensical beliefs of your church doctrines, of which I had heard a great deal when on earth; and when the bright spirits came to me and confirmed what you had said and offered their services in accordance with what you had advised me was the certain way to my obtaining a new state of living, I thought that it was an illusion or delusion, and that no results could possibly come to me by pursuing the course that they told me would surely lead to a change of my condition. But they were so earnest and so anxious that I should listen to them and seemed to have so much love for me and my welfare, which was a new experience for me since I had been in hells that I commenced to think that such evidence of friendship and anxiety for my betterment must have some foundation of truth, and that I would not lose anything by heeding their advice and making the effort to pursue the way pointed out to me.

And so I commenced to pray for the Love, and they prayed with me, and in a little while their Father appeared to me in a new light - not just real, but as something that might have a potential existence. I continued to pray and listen to their prayers, and my emotions were aroused, and I felt a kind of happiness that I had not before felt, and a feeling of hope that there might be some efficacy in their prayers, but had not much faith in my own; and notwithstanding my incredulity, I realized that I felt better in the atmosphere of their presence and in the influence that their prayers seemed to bring around me. They were very kind and sympathetic, and so wonderfully patient, and impressed me with the feeling that my soul's salvation, as they termed it, and the deliverance of me from my unhappy and suffering condition were to them matters of personal interest and importance; and, of course, with such feelings I soon commenced to think that if these beautiful spirits could have such interest in me, I should have interest in myself sufficient to earnestly seek for the relief that I so much needed.

Well, I then put more desire and longings in my prayers and tried to look upon their Father, as possibly my Father also, and so my longings became more real and intense. I prayed and called upon the Father to give me this Love and to cause me to have faith in prayer and in the Being to whom my prayers were offered. I will not tell you how earnestly I continued to pray and how the first faint realization of the answer came to me and with it the consciousness of a hope that might be fulfilled. After a while, this Love came to me and with it a feeling of happiness that I had never conceived of, and also the conviction that these spirits were showing and helping me on the true way to a redemption of soul and body, also, for as you may know, I had then and have now a body more substantial and real than the one which I possessed when on earth.

I will not here describe my progress or the different experiences that I had, nor the faith nor doubts that came to me in succession. I persisted, with the encouragement of these spirits, and after awhile found myself out of the darkness and sufferings and the hells, real and terrible, and an inhabitant of a brighter sphere and in the association of brighter spirits, who, though not like the beautiful spirits who had so lovingly worked with me, yet, were very different from those whom I had left in the darkness and the hells.

I am now in the Third Sphere, and if I had the time, or rather if I felt justified in consuming your time, I would describe to you as best I could, what this sphere is, and the wonderful beauty and happiness that belongs to it. Sometime, I hope to have the opportunity to attempt to portray the wonders of this sphere, and more particularly of my home and surroundings.

Tonight, as I have said, I merely desire to express to you my gratitude and to assure you of the truth and the results of what you told me was the true way to light and happiness. Never through all eternity shall I forget your kindness and the great help that you gave me, nor shall I cease to remember you in my prayers to the Father, whom I now know is a true, real, existing and loving Father. Oh, the difference in the condition of the Butler in hell and the Butler who is now writing you is beyond all description, and this Love, which is the greatest thing in all the universe and the greatest gift to mortals, is the cause thereof.

I must stop writing, although I should like to write longer, for I have already intruded too long. So remember my gratitude, and also that I am now a very happy

George Butler

Longiticus Writes of His Spiritual Progression to the Sixth Sphere, but Knows Nothing of Love

November 25, 1918
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Longiticus.

Let me write a few lines tonight, as I am very desirous to explain some truths of the spirit world, which may be of benefit to you and those who may read my explanation. I am a spirit that has been in this world for a long time and progressed from the hells to the planes of the Sixth Sphere, and am acquainted with the method of progress and the various experiences of the soul as it ascends from one sphere to the succeeding one higher.

When I lived on earth, man - as to his moral development - was in a somewhat limited and uncertain condition and right and wrong were very largely a matter of might. His conscience was merely that part of him which was operated and caused to be operated by his desires to possess those things that seemed to him to be necessary or suited to his contentment in living, or to the destruction or hurt of those whom he hated or sought to destroy; and this condition of conscience should not be difficult to understand, for at the present day, as has recently been demonstrated, the same or similar desires have determined the consciences of those who have brought so much distress to mankind.

Gods were many and their qualities and attributes many and always were the creatures of the men who were supposed to have a knowledge of and acquaintance with these gods, and who were looked upon by the common people as entitled to their credulity and obedience in attempting to carry out the wishes and directions of these gods.

You probably have heard of such people and of such gods and I will not consume space to detail more of the moral conditions of the men of those days or of their utter want of knowledge of the true God and the wholly insufficient thing their conscience was.

Well, of course, we died as all men will have to die, and when we found ourselves spirits, more of us were in the dark planes and many in the hells, of which latter class I was one; and the hells then and cause thereof, were the same as they are today and the difficulties of becoming relieved therefrom, the same as are the difficulties of today.

I remained in the hells a very long time and simply for the reason that my state, or rather conscience, continued without change, and right and wrong, as I had perceived it on earth, persisted with me, and my conscience refused to understand that change is the law of the hells as well as of the earth and the Heavens, and that stagnation is itself a sin against law. Many of us who had been associates on earth became associates in the hells and continued in our same ideas of what morality meant, and when I say morality, I simply mean that right course of living and thinking which is in harmony with the creation of the perfect man, as I am now. Of course I could not have given this explanation of morality when I was in the hells, but nevertheless, it applies, even though I did not understand its meaning.

I don't seem to be able to write further now and must stop, but will come again. Let me say that you are very much in the dark as to what the truths of the spirit world are and need enlightenment, and I can enlighten you. Love is not in my curriculum. All I know of or care about is knowledge and truth, and of these things would I write. Knowledge is the comprehension of that which has reality of existence and not a speculative existence only, and this is the knowledge that I have and can teach you.

Well, shall I tell you some of the truths of the spirit world?

The greatest truth is that the soul of man is immortal and needs no recreation; and the next is like unto it; that this soul is as distinct from all other souls as one star is different from any other.

Well, I know this, because I can see the souls of men and of spirits, and know that they are separate and never become absorbed, the one in the other; and the soul is immortal because I have met souls here who have lived for thousands of years without having seen the death of a soul, or heard of such death, and it is reasonable, yet certain, to infer that as death has never appeared during such centuries of time, death never will appear.

I am a philosopher here, as I was on earth, and am still pursuing my studies on existence, with much increased facilities and satisfaction, and am in a sphere where the frailties of my earth life have left me. I am pure spirit inwardly, though I have a body that is of the sublimated material and subject to change, but never to destruction and is the portrayer of my soul, the I am.

Well, I had a certain line of thought that I desired to reveal to you in a methodical way and your questions somewhat interfered with the symmetry of my discourse, but I do not complain as I have explained to you certain primal facts or truths, which may be of benefit to you.

I would like, though, to deliver to you in this way my thoughts of truth in a logical and consecutive manner, and if convenient to you, will come again and do so.

No, there is nothing in my lecture on love that I can enjoy without seeking to learn of its nature or truth, and it is not so important to discourse about as other things that you will find expounded in my lecture. A spirit says I must stop. Good night,

Longiticus

Mary Kennedy Writes of Her Love for Her Soulmate, Dr. Leslie R. Stone, and that His Brother is Now Not in Darkness

January 12, 1918
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Mary.

Well, I must say a word because I have the opportunity and am just now like the old lady who never missed a wedding when she had the slightest chance of being present. I come with love and while I know my sweetheart appreciates gratitude, yet, I know also that love is a greater thing to him and, especially, soulmate love, which in all the Heavens and earth. I am the only one that can have it for him. Isn't this a glorious thing?

No matter how many wives he may have, none of them can be his soulmate, and no matter how many beautiful and attractive spirits he may meet when he comes over, none of them can become his soulmate, only little me, and when he thinks, he will realize that we are eternally united for better or for worse, but there will be no worse.

Well, you see I am full of love tonight and can't help writing about it, and I know that you will not think I cannot write of anything else, for I have written of other things, but I must confess that I would rather write of love, except when I can tell him of the Greater Love, and thereby help him towards the acquirement of that Love.

I heard him speak of his brother, and I am glad that I can tell him that he is now not in the darkness that was his a short time ago. And how could he remain in the condition very long, when it is realized what a mother that brother has in the spirit world, and with the love she gives to him, as she visits him and tries to show him the way to light and truth. She will have to come herself and write of her experience in inducing that son to believe in and trust her and follow her advice, and she says she will do so, sometime.

I am very happy and find that this Love of which his father speaks is growing in my soul all the time, and with its increase my soulmate love is growing also.

I will not write more now, as there are others who desire to write, and Helen says that I had better let the Doctor imagine what the rest of my love may mean, for possibly his imagination can cause him to enjoy the love more than if I attempt to tell him of it. So with my love, I will say good night. And God bless him with a Love that has no ending and is never absent from him when he longs for it.

Good night,
Mary

Elizabeth Barrett Browning Writes She Wants to Learn the Secret of Divine Love

June 16, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Let me say a word and that is, that I have listened to the last message that was written you, (St. John) and if I could only utter from my soul as that spirit did the deep and true meaning of love and gladness, I would think that beyond the condition that I should then be in there could not possibly be any starry Heavens or beyond.

I am a bright spirit and happy, but my happiness is not that which I saw in the bright spirit who wrote, and my love to his is like a pale moonbeam compared to the glorious sunlight. I wonder now that such a spirit can possess such a glorious countenance of love and sympathy. When he spoke of the love of the mother for her son, his whole soul seemed to go with his words and to reflect the wondrous Love that he must possess.

This is the first time that I have ever attempted to write through a mortal, and my astonishment is great that I can do so with such ease, but I realize that it must be because there are so many beautiful spirits present encouraging me to do so.

You should be a very happy mortal to have all these glorious spirits around and so close to you, and they all seem to love you so very much and, as I write, they smile upon you and say that they love you, not only because they are your parents and relatives, but because in your heart - and I refer to both you mortals - there is a Love that responds to theirs and recognizes the fact of the mutuality of the affections.

Tell me what is the secret of this, to me, wonderful attraction, and what this Love is, for it must be beyond what I have experienced.

Well, I have heard what you said, and one beautiful spirit comes to me, and says that she is a country woman of mine and invites me to go with her for a little talk, and says that her name on earth was Kate, and now it is, a child of the Father and a possessor of His Love, which she says is a part of the Love that I see all around me. How wonderful this all is, and how I long to be among these beautiful spirits in their beauty and happiness!

Well, I will have to leave now and learn the secret of the Love. So thanking you, I will say good night.

Your true friend,
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elias Writes on the Subject: "Do the dead communicate with the living?"

April 1, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Elias.

I will write a few words in respect to the sermon that you listened to tonight on the question: "Do the dead communicate with the living?"

The preacher is a believer in what he enunciated and the only trouble with him is that he has very little knowledge of the truths of spiritualism and, hence, his ability to teach these truths is very limited.

The mere fact that the soul and spirit of man continue to live when they shuffle off the mortal coil, as he described it, is but the first truth of this great subject and is one that all spirits learn immediately upon their separation from the body no matter what their religious beliefs may be or whether they have any such beliefs or not.

This fact is one about which there can be no difference in knowledge. They all know, in a moment, as it were, that there is no such thing as the death of the soul - the real man. But this, as I say, is the mere beginning of knowledge and beyond the fact of this continuous existence, this knowledge serves no purpose as to the destiny of man.

The preacher was much interested in the book about which he was talking and found in it some statements that are confirmatory of the beliefs that he already possessed, and some statements that are new to him and which gave him somewhat larger views on the subject; but necessarily these views are not of the vital truths,  which a more complete or extended knowledge of spiritualism will give to him.

The spirit of whom he was talking knew little more than what appeared to his senses and, of course, these things are only those that come to the knowledge of the spirit when it first enters the spirit land. Its truths are not learned in a moment and frequently - not for centuries - and as to the higher truths are never learned by a great majority of the spirits. So that what is contained in the book referred to is very consoling to those who believe that their loved ones are waiting to meet them and will receive them when they cease to be mortals with love and affection and joy and, further, that these loved ones are with the mortals while on earth watching over them and trying to help them, yet no information as to the lives that these spirits must lead in the spirit world as soon as their status is determined by the great Law of Attraction and what the future may be and is disclosed to them and for the reason that the spirit communicant did not know.

But, as the preacher said, it is a glorious knowledge to possess that man after death still lives, and that his soul does not have to wait for some great resurrection day to realize that it has life and consciousness.

The preacher is still in the dark as to the conditions of spirits and their destiny, and as to the means provided to attain to the Heavens and become released from the Hells, by the Father's Love. To merely live is not the end of men or spirits, and the fact of living as a spirit of today, instead as a mortal of yesterday, does not demonstrate immortality; and the consoling thought that the preacher expressed from the fact of continued existence after death are merely the wishes of desire based on such existence.

The preacher has, at this time within his own soul, that which is freed from the limitations of his erroneous beliefs in many supposed truths would cause him to know that the life in the spirit world is something more than the mere living, and that this living is only a means to the realization and possession of that immortality that is so often preached about and hoped for.

He has much of the Divine Love in his soul, and that soul is struggling to expand and get in condition to receive more of this Love and is prevented from so doing only by the erroneous beliefs that he has imbibed and misconstrued by his long years of living in what he calls the truths of the Bible and the fear that if he loses such beliefs or questions the truth of the source of his beliefs, there can be no salvation for him. And this is not surprising, for he knows no source of correction of these errors of his beliefs, and as a wise man - and wise only because he does not know how to obtain greater wisdom - he holds on to his beliefs and reverences the source thereof - and his intellect is satisfied.

But the soul, the important soul, which can be fed only by its own perceptions, is like the imprisoned bird, panting and struggling to beat down the bars of its imprisonment and get out into the freedom of God's wide atmosphere. And his mind - the misguided mind - is the bars of his soul's freedom and prevents it from opening up its own perceptions. If the preacher only knew the truth and the way to open the doors to his soul's prison, he would long for that truth and seek that way with all the energies of his soul's powers and would then become free and progress towards the attainment of the certain knowledge of immortality.

But this I will say now, that sometime he will learn the truth and the way, and his beliefs will become in accord with the longings of his soul and the shackles of his mind's erroneous beliefs will be loosened and fall from him, and then he will realize that he is a true son of the Father privileged to partake of the Great Love without limit in his onward progress to the Celestial Spheres.

The church was filled with many spirits interested in the discourse, anxious to learn any truths that might be declared, but they learned nothing, for what he declared as truths, they already knew, notwithstanding that these spirits were of all kinds - wicked and dark and suffering and bright and happy, and mostly still men without the physical body.

Well, I thought it might be advisable to write as I have, so that if the preacher should ever hear this message, he will see the necessity for seeking the deep and real truths that disclose the conditions and destinies of the spirit of men. And besides, he will also realize the importance of his knowing these truths, so that he may teach them not only to men, but to spirits as well, who form the vastly larger part of his audience. I will not write more now.

With my love and prayers for the Father's blessings on you, I am

Your brother in Christ,
Elias

Edwin Forrest Writes of His Progress Since Praying for Divine Love

March 10, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Edwin Forrest.

Well, Ned, I come again, but I will not detain you long, as I merely wish to tell you that I am progressing and am commencing to see the light and some happiness, and my hope has increased so much that I already feel that I shall soon get in the condition where my happiness will become so great that all my sufferings will leave me. Your wife tells me that my hope is certain of realization, if I will only continue to pray and open up my soul to the inflowing of the Love, and I am trying with all my strength to follow her advice.

I have been to my mother and she was certainly surprised to see my bright condition. I mean bright as compared with hers, and the condition of those who are around her, and she wondered what has caused it. And when I told her and begged her to follow my example and pray for this Love, and let go from her the beliefs in her creed and in the teachings of the priests, she said she was not ready to do this, but was compelled to believe what these priests had told her of the will of God and of the way to get out of her darkness, and that what I said to her may be true as to my experience, yet she was certain that the masses and prayers that the priests were offering up for her would soon have their effect, and she would soon get out of purgatory and pass into the Heavens of peace and light.

I insisted that in this, she was mistaken and asked her why it is that she, having been in the spirit world so much longer than had I, and that during these years of her existence as a spirit, their masses and prayers had been offered for her, that she is in no better condition than when she first became a spirit, while I, who was so wicked and sinful on earth was in the condition in which she saw me. Well, she could not explain and said she would think of the matter and ask some of her priests why it is so.

I left her and impressed her to think about the matter and said that I would come to her again and would continue to come to her until she should become convinced of the truth of what I had told her. Well, I believe that soon I will be able to convince her that she is in error and will never find relief so long as she continues in the beliefs that the priests and her zeal for her church while on earth caused her to imbibe.

I believe what you say, and I will follow your advice. I will now stop and with my love will say good night.

Your old friend,
Forrest

Cornelius, the Centurion, Writes of the Importance that the Truths of the Way to Salvation be Revealed

February 7, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Cornelius.

I want to write merely a few lines tonight. I am so very much interested in you and your work, that I feel that I should give you some encouragement in the way of letting you know that there are many spirits present here tonight who love you very much and desire that you should receive their messages of love and truth.

As I have told you, I am in the Celestial Spheres and know what the Love of the Father is and what immortality means, as I am the possessor of the Love, and the conscious owner of that immortality. The world is now so anxious to know the truths that pertain to God and to man's relationship to Him, and the messages that you are receiving will give to the world what it so much longs for.

I know that the Christian doctrines as contained in the Bible and taught by many preachers and priests are the only doctrines that the Christians have any knowledge of and, consequently, are accepted by them as being the inspired revelations of God, and the truth of what He is, and what man must do in order to obtain salvation. And these people rest securely in these beliefs, and in the assurance that the Bible way is the only way to salvation; and resting in these beliefs, the world does not see the necessity for obtaining the only thing that will make them in at-onement with God, and make them inhabitants of His Heavens.

I merely write this to show you that it is of the greatest importance that the truths of the way to salvation be revealed to all mankind. I do not think that I have anything more to say tonight, and so will leave you. With all my love, I am

Your brother in Christ
Cornelius

Paul Writes About "What is the real body that is resurrected at the time of the physical death?"

October 4, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Paul.

Yes, I come tonight to write you upon a subject that may be of interest to you and important to all mankind. If you are in condition to receive my message I will write. Well, the subject is: "What is the real body that is resurrected at the time of the physical death?"

Of course, there will be but one resurrection and that takes place at the time the mortal becomes an inhabitant of the spirit world. There will never be what is called a general resurrection of the dead, for the mortal can die only once - I mean in a physical sense. In order to live in the spirit realms, it is necessary that he have a spirit body that preserves the identity of his individuality, and having this body (and never having been without it after the soul is incarnated in the earthly body) and not needing an additional body, there is no possibility of another resurrection, or of another body being added to the one that the soul already has.

The body that dies when the man ceases to be a mortal disintegrates into its elements, and never again do these elements form the same body that becomes decayed and, hence, it is impossible for that body to be resurrected. The only body that is ever resurrected is the body that encloses the soul of the mortal at the time he gives up the earth life.

I know that many believe that when the man dies, his conscious existence ceases, and he becomes, as it were, dead in body, soul and spirit; that although the physical body decays and returns to dust or ashes, yet the soul and spirit, in some mysterious and unexplainable manner, continues to exist as an unthinking sleeping entity not subject to sensation or activity, and so remains until the great day of judgment or of Christ's coming when, in response to the summons, it arouses itself, answers the summons, and again becomes clothed in the body which it possessed while in the human form. In their belief, it may not be the exact or identical body which once existed, but the new body will be one of flesh and blood and of such a nature as to be in substance the same body that was dead and buried and decayed.

But this is not true. For the very laws of nature, with which men are acquainted, prove the impossibility of such an occurrence. And many arguments have been formulated and declared to prove that such a resurrection cannot be - that it will be wholly impossible for the elements that constituted the old body to again assemble in the same form and give to the soul the body that it discarded when it experienced its freedom from the bonds of the flesh.

But the advocates of this untrue theory respond that God is all powerful and, in some way not understood by men, will resurrect this old body and clothe the soul therein so that the identity of the individual will appear. It must be remembered that God works and produces beings and entities in accordance with laws that he has established, and not by any special, sporadic act, irrespective of and, as said, in contravention of these laws.

Man understands, to some extent, the workings of these laws in what he calls nature, or the normal, and some spirits understand not only what man understands, but also the workings of these laws that may be called above nature or super-normal, and the laws work the same and without change or interference in the one case as in the other.

As it would be impossible to clothe a mortal having one body of flesh with another body of flesh, so in the spirit world it would be impossible to clothe the spirit who has a spirit body with any additional body, whether of flesh or other substance. This spirit body is a thing of real substance and not susceptible of being enveloped in any other body.

Well, I see that you are not in condition to write and I will postpone the remainder of the message until later. I have not written you for some time and am glad of the opportunity to again write. I understand what you mean and will act on your suggestion as I think it a very wise and desirable one. I will come more often and write. So with all my love I will say, good night.

Your brother in Christ,
Paul

**********

Paul Continues the Previous Message

October 5, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.

I am here, Paul.

I will finish my message tonight if you are so inclined. Well, we will try.

As I was saying, the body that is resurrected at death is not the physical body, but the spirit body; and never after the first resurrection is there another. I am now dealing with the resurrection other than that of the soul, or the resurrection from the death of which I have before written you.

The body that is once laid in the grave will never be resurrected and neither will any of its elements enter into any other body for the purpose of a resurrection. The body of flesh is created for one purpose only, and when that purpose has been accomplished, never will that body or any derivation from it be used for any other resurrection. This body of flesh is of matter, and like all matter, is used for the life on earth only, and cannot be used for any function or clothing any spirit in the spirit world, and neither can it be translated into the spirit realms. All material bodies must die and never will there come a time when men can leave the earth and enter the spirit life in these material bodies.

I know that it has been written that certain of the prophets of old were translated into the spirit Heavens clothed in their fleshly bodies, but this is not true, for it is impossible that such a thing could be, for the same laws apply to the physical body of the saint as to that of the sinner; both are of the earth - earthly - and must be left behind when the spirits of men enter the Heavens of spirits.

So that when men believe and preach the general resurrection of the material body, or the special resurrection of the same, they are in error and do not believe or preach the truth. Flesh and blood, or flesh without blood, cannot inherit the kingdom, and no belief or teachings can make that true which is untrue.

I do not desire to write more on this subject, because many men who are acquainted with the Laws of Nature, and many more, who will become acquainted with these laws, know and will know and understand the impossibility of the material entering the realm of the spiritual. So thanking you for your kindness, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,
St. Paul

Ann Rollins Writes Further on Who and What is God

February 25, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, your Grandmother. 

I come to resume my discourse if you think that you are in condition to receive the same. Well we will try, and if I find that you are not, I will stop.

As I was saying, God is not in man or material things as regards His personality, but only those attributes of His, which men generally consider to be God, are manifested in the material things.

As I have said, God is not the creator of all things that appear to have an existence, for many things which control and govern the conduct of men are entirely the creatures of man, and are not in harmony with the laws of God or with His will. And, hence, when it is realized that there exists in the souls and minds of men evil that are not in harmony with God's creations, you can readily see that God cannot be and is not in such souls and minds, nor are His attributes, because, as is said in the Laws of Physical Philosophy: two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time, so we may say as regards Spiritual Philosophy: two things cannot occupy the same soul or mind at the same time, especially when they be antagnostic or opposed to each other in their qualities or fundamentals. Until the one vacates its occupancy, the other cannot come in, and this is invariably true of the creatures of God and the creatures of man, for they are always and under all circumstances opposed to each other.

But it must be understood that when I speak of the creatures of God, my meaning must not be taken as including God, for He as the Creator is altogether different from His creatures; and while His creatures or certain attributes may find a lodgment and habitation in the souls of men and the minds of men and in the existence of material things, yet He, God, never finds such lodgment and is never a part of such existences. He is as distinct from the creatures, or better probably, emanations of His, as are the thoughts and desires of man distinct from the man himself.

God is in His Heavens, and those Heavens have a locality, just as the different spheres of the spirit world, in which spirits have their homes, have localities; and His locality is way beyond the highest Celestial Spheres known to the highest spirit, and towards which spirits are always progressing, and as they progress, the more and closer they come in contact with these Attributes of God, which are constantly flowing from Him.

Even Jesus, who as you know, is the brightest of all the spirits and the one possessing more of these attributes of the Father than any other spirit, has never seen God except through the soul perception, nor ever realized that God is in him or forms a part of him; and mistaken and deceived are men when they say or believe that God is in them or that in Him they live and move and have their being.

To believe this as true, God can only be a kind of nebulous something - inconsistent as the air - and, as many of the spiritualists say, merely a force permeating the whole universe, divided into many and infinitesmal manifestations, seen and felt today and tomorrow having no existence. A something less substantial than man - weak at once and powerful at the same time - a contradiction beyond conception or explanation.

Such is not God; but all these manifestations are merely evidence of the existence of a substantial and, I may say, never varying, Self Existing Being, who is not the creature of man's mind or of man's necessities or desires, but the Creator of all, even of these wise men who cannot conceive of any God, but nature, the mere creature of His being and wisdom and power.

The human mind, when left to itself, that is to its own evolution as your scientists say, and not influenced by the revelations of spiritual truths or the suggestions of spirits who have advanced in knowledge of things beyond the material, has not improved much since the days when they lived and died as sun worshipers, and the worshipers of the sacred cats, and bulls and elephants, and of the storms, and thunders and lightnings. God was in all these manifestations, immanent and real, to be appeased or loved as necessity required; and today among your civilized nations, and the wise men of these nations, who can see no God in the spiritual, the aggregate of all these material things is the God, which they must worship, if they worship at all.

Nature is God to them, and you see, that the only improvement, if any there be, that their minds have over the minds of the worshipers of the sun and of animals etc., that I have mentioned, is that those minds are not satisfied to see God in a single manifestation, but there must be a combination of all these manifestations, which they call Nature. You see, it is only a difference in degree, and the scientist of today who refuses to accept or believe in any God, who may be of a spiritual nature, is exactly the counterpart of his so-called barbarian brother who could see Him only in the sun, etc., in everything, except that he demands a larger God, who must be in the lowest form of mineral existence as well as in the highest form of solar excellence and even in man, for with some, man is his own and only God.

And it is questionable whether these wise men are not more limited in their conception and acceptance of a God, than were the earlier uncivilized brothers, because many of the latter saw beyond and behind their Sun God and God of thunders, etc., another and greater God whom they could not see, but could feel and in their souls realized His existence. But the wise men of civilizations have so evolved their intellects that they have lost their soul perceptions, and no God beyond the horizon of their intellectual perceptions can exist and, hence, as they think they know nature, nature as all of the creation, and there can be no other God than nature. But, oh, the terrible mistake!

God then, as I have said, is a being - a soul - with a personality that has a location, high up in the Heavens, towards whom all spirits of the Celestial and many of the spiritual spheres are striving to approach in greater and greater nearness; and as they approach, they realize and know the increased Love and Life and Light that emanates from the Fountainhead of these Attributes of Perfection.

And so I repeat, God is not in man or beast or plant or mineral, but only are His Attributes as he sees the necessity for their workings, and man does not live and move and have his being in God.

Well, my son, I have in my imperfect way, given you some idea of Who and What God is, and my explanation is in substance the consensus of the knowledge of the Celestial Spirits, whose knowledge is based upon the truths that no mortal or all the mortals combined can possibly learn with their finite minds.

I think that you have received my ideas and words quite correctly, and I hope the truths which I have written may prove beneficial to all mankind. I am very happy and will come again soon, and write you some other truths, which may interest you. I must stop now.

With all my love and blessings,

I am your own loving Grandmother,
Ann Rollins           

Galileo Writes that He is in the Sixth Sphere, Has Met Jesus and is Not Interested in Learning About Divine Love

January 21, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am the spirit of Galileo and come to you to tell you a few things pertaining to the spirit world of science.

When on earth, I thought that my invention of the telescope was a most wonderful thing and that it would revolutionize man's knowledge of astronomy and the solar system, and to some extent it did. But what I saw and anticipated then was as a mere drop in the bucket to what I have learned of these matters since I have been in the spirit world, not bound by the limitations of space and sight.

I have explored these Heavens, among the planets and the stars, and have discovered many truths in reference to them not even conceived of by men. I desire to come sometime and describe to you and explain to you these hidden truths so that man may have an enlarged conception of the great God whose creatures they all are.

It is too late tonight to commence my discourse and, with your permission, I will come at a later date. I live in the Sixth Sphere, where the intellect rules supreme and the wisdom of the ages is congregated.

Yes, I have seen Jesus, and sometimes he comes to our spheres, but he is not so much interested in these scientific matters as in disseminating the Divine Love, as he calls it. I do not know what this is and am not much interested, as I find great happiness in the pursuit of my studies of the material universe.

I will stop now and say good night.

Galileo

St. Jerome Writes That the Bible Contains Many Errors and the Truths of Jesus are Not in His Writings

August 17, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

St. Jerome.

I came to tell you that I am an inhabitant of that Kingdom which Samuel has so inadequately described, and that is the Kingdom of Jesus and, of course, of the Father.

You may not know anything about me, but I was canonized many centuries ago by the church, because it thought that I had done the church so much good by my writings and discourses on things religious. But I must confess now, that when I wrote, I expressed as truths many things which I now see were not true, and I would like to be able to correct all these errors in my writings, but I cannot.

So I will tell you in a few words that the truths of the Master, which are the truths of God, must not be sought for in my writings, or even in those of his disciples as contained in the Bible, because of the many errors that therein exist - not because the disciples and those to whom they conveyed these truths did not write them correctly, but because the Bible, as now written, is not the same in many important particulars, as what the disciples wrote. And, hence, Jesus, knowing this, is so anxious that the world shall receive these great truths again through his written messages.

I am trying my best to help the cause which he is advocating, and am one of the spirits behind you who are trying with all their spirit powers to direct you aright and enable you to receive the truths.

I am in a Celestial Sphere very high up in the Heavens. I cannot otherwise describe its location. These spheres are not numbered after the first few, because then they interblend so that there is no lines of demarcation.

But I am not so high up as are the disciples and many others who are followers of the Master. The ancient spirits, such as Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are in higher spheres; but they are not so exalted as are Jesus' apostles and disciples and, as I am informed, many spirits who came to the spirit world since Jesus came.

I will not write more tonight, but will thank you, and say goodnight.

Your brother in Christ,
St. Jerome

Seleman, ex-Sultan of the Mohammedans, Writes That He Does Not Have Divine Love and is Going to Investigate It

August 8, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.

I am here, Seleman.

I am an ex-Sultan of the Mohammedans. I do not know time, but about four hundred years ago. Yes, I am still a follower of the Prophet, and I am in our paradise and happy. God is great. Allah is his name and Mohammed is his prophet.

I had a desire to learn what the writers who have written you tonight might say, and so I stayed and listened to them and found that their doctrines of the Divine Love of the Father are new to me. The Mohammedans do not understand this Love, and when I heard that it gave such bliss to those who possessed it, I became interested and wondered what it really meant.

We have not this Love, and our happiness comes to us from our brotherly love and our worship of Allah and our devotion to his prophet. As I wondered, the thought came to me that we should have been taught to know what this Love means, and if our Allah is not such a loving God as the God that these Christians tell of. I am going to inquire into this, because if there be a greater happiness than what I now have, I want to learn about it and, if it exists, to become a partaker of it.

We don't have much intercourse with the Christian spirits, as our Heavens are separate from theirs and we believe that we have the true Heavens and are the chosen of God, and that all these Christians are in the dark.

Well, these Christians seem to be brighter and more beautiful than do the spirits in our Heavens and that has caused me to think, also. I know that in our Heavens, the higher we progress the more beautiful we become and the brighter we seem to be, and that the condition of the progress of the individual determines his appearance and, knowing this, I have come to think that these Christians live in a higher or more progressive Heaven than ours.

I am dissatisfied now, and I will investigate. Can you tell me the best way to do so? Yes, some are who have not written. I will do so. There is one here - a beautiful woman - who says she is your grandmother. I will ask her and maybe she can start me on my investigation. Well, I will say goodnight. I will certainly come again.

Your friend,
Seleman

**********

Helen Confirms the Previous Spirit Writings

August 8, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Helen.

Well, my dear, you have had a great many writings tonight and you must feel tired and I will not keep you, though, I should like to tell you of my love and my desire for your love. But I must stop.

(Mr. Padgett asked if Seleman had visualized his grandmother.) Yes, he was, and I am interested in him. Your grandmother is talking to him now. I hope that he may see the light.

With all my love, I am

Your own true and loving
Helen

Confirmations that Jesus Wrote

September 12, 1914
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.

I am here, Helen.

Yes, I am here and I love to be with you.

(Who last wrote to me?)

The savior of men. He was with you and I was so glad as I feel that you will now believe that I am in the spirit world and in the Love of God. He is the lord who came down from Heaven to save men. Let his love for you help you to become a more spiritual man.

God will bless you in all your doings.

Goodnight, Helen

* * * * * *

September 12, 1914
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

Yes, I am here, your Father.

Yes, it is true. He was with you and you will soon learn much more from him as he says that he will teach you the truth and the light and the way.

Love God and keep His commandments. Let your heart be open to the Divine teachings of the Master. He will not show you all the love he has for you, but will let you feel that he is your loving friend and savior, because he loves you and believes that you may be of some benefit to the world.

Yes, he was the real Jesus of the Bible.

He is not in the Heavens and sitting on the right hand of the Father, but is among all mankind and still teaching them the power of Love and truth. He does not need the worship of men, but all that he wants is their love and happiness.

He is not the savior of the few but of all who will ask him to help them. Let your love for God increase and you will not be unhappy or cast down.

Goodnight.

Your father, John H. Padgett

* * * * * *

September 12, 1914
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

Give your heart to the Lord and He will bless you as you will soon realize.

He did and he will come to you again soon. He is waiting to tell you of the truths that he is longing to have you know. He is not going to let you feel that he is away up in the Heavens far beyond the reach of men but is with them all the time working and trying to save them from their sins.

Let your love for God and His truths keep you from unbelief and doubt. Be a true seeker after the knowledge that is in Christ, and you will not be long in doubt as to which is the way to eternal happiness. Keep trying to find the truth.

He told me that he would come to you so that you might not doubt any longer, and he is not going to leave you again as he did some years ago when your heart was hard and sinful.

You must believe that he came to you. He is no other than Jesus of the Bible.

I will love and help you at all times.

Your Grandmother, Ann Rollins

Helen's First Saved Message to Her Husband and Soulmate

May 31, 1914
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Helen.

Yes, I love you and you know it. Come to bed and I will let you feel my arms around your neck and will hug you and put you to sleep so that you will feel better in the morning.

Yes, I was. I did not think much of the address of the woman from India, because it did not tell of what the Love of God is to the lost souls of man. You were not benefited much by it, as you were very lonely and needed the Love of God to be preached. The other address was better, but it does not tell the way to truth and light that the Bible does. Be a Christian and love the God of the Bible and ...

Yes I am, and you know that I am in the spirit world. I can see that the things taught are the truth, for I am not in the flesh and am not bound by the limitations of the flesh as I was when alive.

Yes, and I am trying to help you all that I can. Yes, you do and I will continue to help if you will let me.

Yes, I look upon him as a man of God, not as God Himself. He is the one that should be your guide and friend. He is a very bright spirit and is far up in the Heavens and is close to God. He does come to us sometimes, and keeps us in holy rapport with the Father. He is the loveliest of all the spirits in the Heavens. He is not angry with you, for he loves you with his whole heart, and will do everything to help you.

Yes, I am, but I am not in the Heavens yet, but I will soon be and then you will learn much more from me.

He is getting better. He is beginning to see that this life is not for the Christians who have not the Love of God in their hearts, but for those who love God with all their hearts and souls. He did not love God truly; he put too much faith in the literal words of the Bible, but did not have the spiritual love that he should have had.

She is progressing, too.

Your father is in the Heavens and is a bright and shining spirit and is your Guardian Angel. He is with you very much and he will help you to progress and to become a more spiritual man.

Your mother is far up in the Heavens, and she is with you often and is trying to help you also. She is an exceeding bright spirit and is very strong and is filled with the Holy Spirit to a very high degree. She is one of the brightest spirits that I know. She comes to me often and helps me progress.

Yes, she is too pure and holy to come to me very often, but she is much interested in you and will come to you when you write sometimes. She says she will tell you of the life in the higher spheres, and also will come to you when you sit for a photograph, in her illumined form, so that you may see that she is living and is part of the Kingdom of God. She is the brightest spirit that I know. She is a very strong and powerful spirit and will not let you be bothered by the evil spirits, or those who try to impersonate those spirits who are here and try to talk to you. She is here now and wants me to say that she is the loving grandmother that she always was, and will love you with her whole heart and ...

He is not with her in the high Heavens, but he is a very bright spirit, and he loves you, too.

Yes, they are in the Heavens. Their love was so pure and holy that they went to the Heavens of holy love. They are not ...

Yes I am, and must stop.

Goodnight, Helen