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

Gottfried Leibnitz, a German Philosopher, Writes About His Uncertainty as to Immortality

June 4, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Gottfried Leibnitz.

Let me write a few lines. I am not an acquaintance of yours, yet I am not a stranger so far as my being in your presence and observing the different spirits who communicate with you.

I have been in spirit life a great many years and have been through the Hells and purgatory and all kinds of suffering and am now in the light and comparatively happy. I am in what is called the Second Sphere, where are many bright and intellectual spirits working out their own plans for accomplishing certain of their ideas and progressing to higher planes.

I was a professor on earth and gave much of my time to the study of psychology and kindred subjects and had many ideas of my own on these questions, and especially was I interested in the study, or rather speculation for I did not believe in the Bible or the teachings of the churches, as to the future of man. And my speculations led me to the conclusion that the physical death was not the end of man; for it seemed to me that if such was the case, the object of the workings of the great laws of evolution would be defeated by the ending of the existence of the greatest and highest resultant of that evolution, namely man.

I was a student of comparative biology and believed without any doubt and with the certainty of knowledge that man was the greatest product of this great principle of evolution and that for centuries upon centuries, it had been working to bring or develop man from the mere molecule to the high degree of perfection displayed in his wonderful mind and moral faculties, and that then, in a moment, end it all by this thing known as physical death was unreasonable and unjustified and, hence, I concluded, as I say, that men must live after the death of the body.

But when I got that far in my conclusions, there came the question: "What was beyond?" And here my speculations were not so satisfactory, for I had very little upon which to base any theories. Of course, I thought that as man in the past had made such wonderful progress in his evolution, and as he would live in the future, it was reasonable to suppose that this evolution would continue and that man's progress would be without limitation or ending, provided he should continue to live forever. And thus arose the question of man's immortality; and here, I was stalled, for I had nothing with which to make a comparison.

I knew that it was accepted as a truth in natural science that nothing could ever be destroyed or lost, and that the elements or atoms from which those physical things, perceptible to the senses, were composed should continue to exist forever, but this was not satisfactory to me upon which to base the fact that man would live forever. While these elements or atoms, themselves, could not be destroyed, yet many of those composite things into which these elements had entered and given form had been destroyed and as such composite entity and form no longer had an existence.

I had seen the oak start from the acorn and grow to be a mighty tree and live for years and suddenly, by a stroke of lightning, destroyed and ceased to live, and as such tree went entirely out of existence. And, hence, by analogy I could not say that man as the identical individual would not go out of existence and, in fact, I had seen him as regards his physical existence cease to be an existence and his body disintegrate and go back to its elements; and I could find nothing in all this to justify me in asserting that man, in whatever form he might exist after his bodily death, would not at sometime in the future cease to have the form that made him the very individual that had lived on earth and continued his existence in the spirit world. No, I could not, in my speculations satisfy myself that man was immortal. And so speculation was compelled to stop, and I was left without any assurance that my theory of persistence of man after death was not one that might not prove to be false.

But I died and found that I, the conscious thinking man, continued to exist with all the faculties of mind and feelings that were mine when a mortal. And, in addition, I soon met those who had preceded me in the spirit world, and who had since becoming spirits advanced in their evolution and were more perfect mentally and morally than they had been when on earth; and who, also, informed me that beyond where they had evoluted (evolved) to were spheres in which spirits of greater intellectual development and ancient in years lived and worked and speculated upon the same question that I had given so much thought to when on earth, namely: "Is man immortal?"

And they further informed me that these ancient worthies had not been able to solve the problem, but that many who had come to the spirit life thousands of years before were still living, and no spirit had ever been known to have passed out of existence or dissolve into the elements of which it was composed.

So you see, the spirits in the highest spheres, with all their intellectual development and thousands of years of study, can no more assert with certainty that man is immortal than I could when on earth. To me now, as when on earth, this is the greatest question that arises and engages my continuous thoughts, and I see no way to solve the problem. I remember, that when on earth the preachers and the churches claimed and taught the doctrine of immortality, and while I never deeply investigated the foundation of their claims, yet I cannot conceive that they can possess any more certainty of the supposed fact than did I. I can hardly believe that God ever revealed to man the fact of immortality; and in my opinion, in my present stage of development, only God knows, and all the teachings of the churches and wise theologians are mere speculations, not to be relied on.

Well, I have written you a long letter tonight, and you may not be interested, but I am, and as the opportunity came, I thought that I would like to write, for I know that there are many mortals who are working and speculating and attempting to find some basis for their hopes of immortality; and some believe that while they may not satisfy their hopes on earth, yet when they come to the spirit world, the difficulties will be removed and the problem solved; and to these I desire to make known the fact that they will look through just as dark glasses here as they are now looking through on earth.

Well, you surprise me and I can scarcely believe that you are serious, for I have never heard of such a way or of such a knowledge existing among spirits, and if you can show me that way I will, with all the energies of my soul pursue it. Well, you surprise me more and more; but I am willing to do as you say, no matter how absurd it may seem to me, or what little prospects I may see in making the pursuit. I will do as you say.

Well, I see a beautiful spirit who says that he is Prof. Salyards, and has heard what I said and what you said, and that he will be pleased to show me the way to obtain both a knowledge and the actual possession of this immortality, and I shall accept this invitation and go with him. I thank you very much for listening to me and for your expressions of desire to help me; and if what you promise comes true, you may rest assured that I will return sometime and tell you.

So my friend, I will say good night.

Your friend,
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz

Caesar Writes His Testimony and Has Progressed Out of the Hells to the Third Sphere

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

I am here, Caesar.

Yes, I am the spirit of that Roman who thought himself of so much importance, and then realized that he was a very insignificant spirit in his place in the spirit world.

Well, I am glad to be able to write to you again, and especially so as I can tell you that since I last wrote you I have progressed out of my Hells and torment, and am now in the Third Sphere, where there is so much Love and happiness. Now this may seem a little surprising to you, but it need not, for you will remember that when I last wrote to you, I informed you that I would then go with the beautiful spirit that came to me at your suggestion and listen to his words of wisdom, as I now know them to be, and seriously consider what he might say to me. Well, I went with him and he was so loving and patient and seemed to have such great knowledge of the truths of God, that I not only listened to him once but many times and made a great effort to follow his advice.

I commenced to pray to the Father for the inflowing of that great Divine Love of which the good spirit told me and continued to pray until I felt its inflowing, and the effect on my soul was wonderful, for as the Love came to me, I found that the darkness left me, and also my sufferings, and with this Love came knowledge of these truths of which I had been told - I mean a convincing faith that these things were true. When I commenced to have this experience, I continued to pray the harder and all the longings of my soul and mind and of every part of me that could have a feeling or aspiration went from me, and I continued to pray without ceasing.

As you may know, when on earth I was a very positive and striving person, and these characteristics I did not lose when I became a spirit, notwithstanding that I remained so many centuries in a state of stagnation and helplessness; for during all this time, I knew of no goal to which I could aspire and of no peace that was better than the one in which I spent the long dreary years of my spirit life.

But as soon as I found that there was a future condition of light and happiness, I entered with all the energies of my soul to seek for that happiness, and as I was told that my progress depended so very largely upon my own efforts, I permitted nothing to interfere with my strivings for the obtaining of this Divine Love, and thanks to the loving Father, I at last found relief from my torments and fullness of Love that brought to me bliss and the companionship of beautiful and loving spirits. But I must not neglect to say that in all this effort on my part, I had the help and prayers of many loving spirits who seemed so anxious that I should get this Love and become in harmony with the Father and His will: and now I am no longer the resentful and wicked Caesar, but a very humble and grateful child; for I am still but a child in the knowledge of the great truths, of which I have heard so much, and in the Love.

Even now it is all so wonderful to me that I can hardly comprehend just what it all means. But this I know, that whereas I was for many long centuries a suffering, unloving and unloved spirit, seeking only solitude and nursing my resentment, I am now a bright, loving and beloved spirit, seeking and never tiring of the association of these bright spirits, with whom I am now making my home. And besides, these higher and grander spirits come to me, and encourage me to strive and pray, and tell me of the wonders that are before me, and which can be mine.

I am of the last, but these spirits tell me that I may become of the first, and I feel that there is no power in all the Hells that can, and no power in all the Heavens that will prevent me from progressing and obtaining a home in the Celestial Heavens.

I desire also to say that I have come to you many times when the spirits were writing you the wonderful messages of truth, and I learned from them many truths that I have tried to make mine, and which have helped me so much and revealed to me some of the plans provided by the Father for the salvation of men and spirits.

You cannot conceive of the great number of spirits who are with you when these messages are being delivered, and how anxious many of them are to learn the truth and receive the help that these truths give of them. Many have found the light and happiness through the knowledge this conveyed to them and, further, through the help that these beautiful loving spirits give them; for it seems that whenever these spirits that are in darkness indicate a desire to learn the truth, these high spirits are always ready and anxious to teach and help and comfort the dark ones.

I cannot explain to you how all this has not only astonished me, but caused me to regret that I let so many wasted years go by without having sought the help of these spirits, for many a time they would come to me with their proffers of help and advice, but I would shun them and turn from them, not believing that they could help me. What a great mistake and how I paid the penalty of neglecting this way to salvation.

And I wish further to say that as a fact, if I had not come to you, through curiosity more than anything else, I would not now be in the condition that I am; for it was only after you talked to me and told me of the way in which I could obtain relief and brought me in rapport with these spirits and advised me to listen to them, did I think of the possibility of my being rescued or being able to find any relief from my then unhappy conditions; and so I must express to you my gratitude for your kindness and, as you then told me, love for me.

Well, I am a different Caesar now. I will not write more, but as I told you before, I shall come sometime and write you a letter of some of my experiences on earth and in the spirit world during the earlier years of my life as a spirit. So hoping that you will pray for me and give me your kind thoughts, I will say good night.

Your true friend,
Caesar (Julius)

**********

Helen confirms that Julius Caesar wrote.

I am here, your own true and loving Helen.

Yes, dear, it was Caesar who wrote and he is so happy and thankful that he can hardly contain himself in his desires to write to you. He is an earnest spirit now, and as he said, is striving with all the energy of his soul to obtain the Love in more abundance, and I can see that he will progress very rapidly.

Well dear, you experience every few nights the result of the work and the redemption of some poor soul who has failed to seek for this Love that only can make a dark and suffering spirit a bright and happy one in a short time. There is nothing like this Love. It is all by itself and so easy to obtain and always waiting for the longing and aspiring soul - either in spirit or man on earth.

Your own true and loving
Helen

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 that the Love of the Father is Working in His Soul; Samuel C. Mills Confirms the Message

March 4, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Forrest.

Well, Ned, excuse me for intruding just now, but I am so happy that I cannot refrain from telling you of my happiness, for I know that you will rejoice with me. I am now out of my darkness and the (Divine) Love of the Father is working in my soul, so that I feel as some of your earth poets have said, "as light as air," and if you could only see the air in which I now am, you would more deeply understand what the expression means in my case.

I am now so certain that this Love is a thing of reality, and so effective to make a dark, suffering spirit one of light and freedom from pain, that I can assert with all the conviction of a rescued soul, that the Love of the Father is the one thing in all the spirit world that has no uncertainty about it.

I will not write more now, and I know that you will pardon me for having intruded.

Now I feel that I can go to my mother and tell her of this wonderful Love, and the true way to light and progress, and I will go at once; and I pray the Father that my persuasion may be effective and enable me to hear my mother say to me that she will trust me and follow me in the way that I shall tell her of.

So thanking you, and believing that you have been my greatest friend, although I realize that I did not deserve your kindness, I will say good night,

Your old friend.
Edwin Forrest

**********

Samuel C. Mills is amazed at the progress Forrest made out of darkness, and will try to do the same, and seek for the Father's Love.

I am here, Samuel C. Mills:

Well, I heard what Forrest said, and I am certain that he believes what he said to be true, for I can tell you that he has become a wonderfully bright spirit and seems to be so happy and joyful.

Well, it certainly is strange to me. Here am I, who was in some light and comparatively happy when he came into the spirit world and went into the Hells of darkness and suffering, and now he is all beautiful and happy, and I am still where I was. It certainly is wonderful!

But as I told you in my last letter, I cannot now remain satisfied with my condition, and I am going to seek, and have already started, to get this Love that he tells me is the cause of his wonderful change; and I will not cease seeking until I succeed in obtaining it, for I feel that if he could get the Love, I can.

He has talked with me, and while he could not explain just how the change came to him, yet he says that he accepted your advice and the help of your wife, and commenced to pray, blindly and without faith, and continued until he commenced to realize that something that he had never felt before was working in his soul and continued to work the more he prayed; and he didn't stop praying until the darkness left him, and with it the most of his suffering. This is all that he could tell me, and I am following him.

And I hope that before long, I will be able to write to you as he did. Won't that be a wonderful thing! I will not write more, but I will pray and hope that you will pray for me. The spirits who are here and who seem to love you so much, say that they will pray with me, and they tell me that there will be no doubt as to the results. So good night,

Your old friend,
Mills

Sir Walter Raleigh Writes of His Progress to the Fourth Sphere

February 25, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Raleigh. 

I am Lord Walter Raleigh, the Englishman, who loved and was beheaded.

Well, I have heard what the last spirit wrote and merely wish to say that the tenor of his discourse is wise and should be followed; but, as he says, there is no way to make it known to the men whom it is intended for, and who only can apply it.

I am also interested in the war, as you may suppose, to some extent, but only because the country to which I once owed allegiance and claimed the protection of is now a very great sufferer by reason of the efforts that are now being made to subdue her. But yet, my interest is not very great, for I have arrived at that condition of brotherly love and the true conception of right and wrong and of the certain destiny of men that all are my brothers; and the name of Englishman, German, or Frenchman makes no difference in their destinies.

The human soul, when it comes to the spirit world, is without nationality, and the destiny of that soul does not depend upon the fact that it was lodged in the form of an Englishman, etc. No, the thoughts of earth, to a large extent, have left me and I am intent on my progress in the spirit world and attaining to that condition which will bring me the most happiness and enable me to do the most good to my fellow spirits, for I am working to help those who are not in such favorable condition as I am.

I live in the Fourth Sphere and am a quite happy spirit, surrounded by many things that make me happy and contented, and am free from all those things that caused me worry and sufferings while on earth. I have lost all my recollections of the acts and deeds, and even thoughts, of my earth life that caused me so much darkness and unhappiness when I first came to the spirit land: but you must not think that it was an easy thing to get rid of these recollections, for I tell you that they clung to me like leeches and seemed to draw from me all my heart's blood, if I may so express it.

The hells of those who have led lives of wrong or injustice are not imaginary, and all who think that the stories of such hells are the idle tales of superstitious mortals will be greatly surprised when they have shuffled off the mortal coils. But, as I say, I have progressed out of my dark condition and am now in the light, and quite happy in my pursuits that so much appeal to me.

No, I do not know that such is the fact and can scarcely conceive that you can know what you say to be true. Of course, if such things are true, I should like to become conscious of the fact and join in the search of discovery, but I doubt that you have knowledge on the subject. Yes, I should like to make the experiment, and am willing to do so in seriousness and with a mind open for conviction.

Well, I see a great many spirits present - some bright and some dark, but none preeminently bright or beautiful as you suppose may be here. I have done as you suggested, and one comes and says he is Mr. Riddle, and I must say that he is a wonderfully bright spirit and has an appearance that is different from the appearance of those spirits that I see in the Fourth Sphere.

Well, I have heard what you said to him and I will go with him and listen to what he has to say in reference to the subject matter of our conversation; but I doubt that he can tell me anything that is an improvement on what I already know. But as I told you, I will listen in seriousness and consider what he may say to me.

So, thanking you for your kindness, I will say good night.

Raleigh

Hugh T. Taggart Writes About the Experience of a Suicide Spirit Who Learns from the Higher Spirits that there is Hope for Him with Divine Love

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

I am here, Taggart.

Let me say just a word, as I am anxious to tell you that Perry has had demonstrated to him, by the appearance to him of certain suicides, the fact that his punishment will not be everlasting, and it is wonderful to see what effect the demonstration had on his hopes and belief that there may be salvation for him.

Then your grandmother brought these spirits to him and had them tell Perry their experiences, which in the darkness were so very much like his own, and then told him that their present condition is due to the Divine Love of the Father, which came into their souls in response to earnest prayer. He commenced, at once, to send his aspirations and longings to the Father for this Love, and all these spirits joined with him in prayer. It was a very impressive sight, as you mortals might say, and his mother was there praying and so very happy.

Your grandmother also brought Judas, and he was so filled with love and glory, that his presence made Perry look in wonderment and astonishment and when he was told that the glorious spirit was Judas, he said that now he knew there was hope for him.

Well, Padgett, I must not take up more of your time now, and I only wrote, because I thought you would like to know the result of Perry's experience with the bright spirits who had once been suicides and inhabitants of the Hells. But sometimes I should like to come and write you as to some of my knowledge of the things of the spirit world. I will say good night.

Your old friend and brother in Christ,
Taggart

Nathan Plummer Writes that He Now Has Hope and is Grateful for Help From Dr. Leslie R. Stone

February 8, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Nathan PIummer.

Let me say a word now. I am not his (Dr. Leslie R. Stone's) mother and can't write as his mother does, but I am grateful. too, for I now have some hope and a part of the cause is what he told me while on earth.

He may not realize just how the things that he said to me may have this effect, but they have. For when the spirits of his friends told me of what I may hope for, if I will only believe and try to get the Love that they told me of then, I think of what he said to me and it becomes so much easier to believe what these spirits tell me.

I wish I could write longer, but I must stop. I am hoping and some light has come to me and I am following Forrest, who I know was as great sinner as I was and now a very beautiful sinner. I am commencing to learn some of those Heavenly things in Hell but it is hard, as I said.

Your old friend,

Nathan Plummer

**********

Postscript by Dr. Leslie R. Stone

I used to talk to Nathan Plummer when he was on earth of the great importance of praying to the Heavenly Father to fill his soul with His Divine Love, and he remembered what I told him. Forrest knew him when they both were on earth and were in darkness and suffering after they passed into the Hells.

Forrest wrote Mr. Padgett, and his band helped Forrest to progress and pray for Divine Love and obtained it and he became so much brighter. When Plummer saw the great change in Forrest's appearance, he asked how it was he was so much brighter in his spirit body. Then Forrest told him that he had written through Padgett for help and asked to meet a bright spirit that belonged to Padgett's band, and Forrest told Plummer that these bright spirits told him to pray for the Divine Love and some of this Love had come into his soul, shining through his spirit body, that made the great change in his appearance.

Plummer was so surprised to see this great change in Forrest's appearance and, as Plummer wrote Padgett, he knew what a great sinner Forrest was on earth. He then realized if Forrest could get out of the Hells there was hope without doubt, and it caused Plummer to seek by earnest prayer for the Divine Love and Plummer did and that enabled him to progress out of the dark condition into a brighter sphere.

As this message was written 47 years ago, I have no doubt both Plummer and Forrest must now be above the Seventh Sphere in the Celestial Heavens, where these Celestial Spirits are seeking and obtaining the Divine Love in increased progression nearer and nearer to the fountainhead of the Father with the consciousness of the certainty of Immortality.

Dr. L. R. Stone (1964)

George C. Calvert, a School Acquaintance, Writes to Ask for Help to Get Into a Better Condition

January 31, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, George C. Calvert.

I was an acquaintance of yours when you were a student at New Market, and you will recollect me when I recall your memory to the fact that I was called "Judge." Well, I came, because I saw that other spirits were writing you, and when I looked at you I remembered you, and then desired to write.

I am in what is called the dark plane and have been for some time now, though when I first entered the spirit world, I went into the Hells and suffered a great deal. But I am thankful that I have gotten out of the conditions that suited me for those places and am now in a brighter plane and in less suffering.

I don't know that you can do anything for me but some spirits say that you have helped them and, if that be true, I should like for you to help me. I am willing to do most anything to get into a better condition, and if you will do what I say, I will appreciate it very much and try to follow your advice.

No, I should like to be surprised. Well, I have looked, and I see some wonderfully bright and beautiful spirits, but I don't recognize any of them. Wait a moment. One is coming to me and I am surprised - for it is Professor Salyards. How wonderful! Why he is really handsome! Well, well, dear old Professor. He says he is glad to see me and that I must go with him, and I certainly will.

I thank you very much and will come again.

Good night,
Your old friend

Nero Writes His Testimony, of Meeting His Soulmate, and How Divine Love Changed the Vilest Sinner into a Celestial Angel

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

I am here, the spirit of one who lived on earth the life of a wicked man, and a persecutor of the Christians, and a blasphemer of God and everything that was pure and holy; and when I had lived the life to its end and shuffled off the mortal coil and became a spirit, I also became a dweller in the lowest Hells where all is darkness and torment, and the abode of devils and everything that tends to make the spirit unhappy and at variance with the loving God.

I introduce myself in this way in order to demonstrate to you the wonderful power of the Divine Love, for now I am an inhabitant of the Celestial Spheres, and know that this Love is not only real, but is capable of making the vilest sinner a partaker and owner of the Divine Essence of the Father.

My sufferings were beyond all description and I was the most desecrated of mortals, and was almost worshiped by the devils of Hell because of the great injury that I had done to the followers of Jesus who, in my time, were possessed of this Love and faith, which even the terrors of the wild beasts of the arena, or the torches of my own evil designs could not cause them to renounce in this great religion that the Master had taught them, and the disciples were still teaching when I put so many of them to death.

The devils loved me for the very evil that I had done, but strange to say the spirits of those who I had sent unto the spirit world before their time were not revengeful to me or came to me with their imprecations or cursings.

Then when I had been in the spirit world a sufficient time to realize my surroundings and the nature of these evils, these spirits of the martyrs, which I had made, came to me in sympathy and pity and, in fact, tried many times to help me out of my great sufferings and darkness. I did not understand all this unexpected kindness and evidence of love, and I would not for a long time believe that these spirits were sincere; and so I suffered for year after year, and century after century, and became convinced that my condition was fixed and that for me there was no hope, and that the God that I had heard of was not my God, and that devils were the only companions that I was destined to have through all eternity.

And so I endured, wishing to die, but I could not. Oh, I tell you it was horrible and beyond all conception of mortals! The Law was working and I was paying the penalty, and there seemed no end to the penalty. I could find no consolation among those who surrounded me, and the pleasures that I first enjoyed became to me mere things of mockery and derision, and my darkness and torment became the greater. How often I called upon God, if there be a God, to strike me dead, but the only answer to my call was the laughter of the grinning devils, who told me to shout louder as God might be asleep and may be deaf.

What to do, I knew not, and so I became isolated as best I could from these terrible associates and many years of my living were spent in the darkness of lonesomeness with never a ray of hope or the whisper of one word to tell me that for me there might be a fairer destiny. And so time went by and I waited in my misery for some kind power to come and annihilate me, but I waited in vain. During all this time the recollections of my earthly deeds were like hot irons scorching my soul and burning my body, as I thought, and the end came not.

Well, I suffered the tortures of the damned, and it seemed to me that I was paying the penalties for all the sins and evil deeds that had ever been committed by all the wicked kings and rulers and persecutors of earth. Many times the shrieks of the Christian children and the groans of the men and women as they were being torn asunder from limb to limb, or burned as living torches which I had made of them, came to me and increased my torment. I lived the life of centuries of torment in a few moments, as it seemed to me, and not one cooling drop of water was mine. It may seem impossible that I should have continued to live in this ever increasing suffering, but I did, because I was compelled to. The Law did its work and there was no one to say "enough." I might write a volume on this suffering of mine, and yet you would not comprehend its meaning, and so I will pass it by.

In my loneliness and suffering there came to me on an occasion a beautiful spirit, full of light and love, and all the beauty of early womanhood, as I thought, and with eyes of pity and longing, and said:

"You are not alone. Only open your eyes and you will see the star of hope, which is the sign of the Father's Love and desire to help you. I am a child of that Father and the possessor of His great enveloping Love, and I love you, even though you took from me my young life when you threw me to the wild beasts to satisfy your desire to gratify your thirst for innocent blood, and see the suffering and hear the groans of your victims, yet, I love you, not because I am a human with a kindly nature and a forgiving disposition, but because I have in me this Divine Love of the Father, which tells me that I am your sister, and that you are a child of the Father, just as I am, and the object of His Love just as I was the object of His Love. You have suffered, and while you suffered, His great Love went out to you in sympathy and desire to help you, but you, yourself, prevented it from coming to you and leading you to light and surcease from sufferings.

"And now I come to you, your young and innocent victim, who had never done you any greater harm on earth than to pray for you and ask the Heavenly Father to take away from your heart, the great wickedness that caused so many of my people to suffer persecution and death. We all prayed for you and never asked our Father to curse you, or do anything to you to make you suffer. And we have prayed for you often since we came to the spirit world, and we are now praying for you, and this because we love you and want you to be happy.

"Look into my eyes and you will see that love is there, and what I tell you is true. And now, can you not love us a little and open up your soul to our sympathy, and let your feelings of gloom and despondency leave you for a moment, and realize that in this world of spirits there are some who love you?"

Well, to say that I was surprised, does not express my feelings, and as I looked into the lovelit eyes of that beautiful spirit, I felt the great sins of my earth life overwhelm me, and in my anguish, I cried: "God be merciful to me, the greatest of sinners."

And for the first time in all my life in the hells, tears came to my eyes, and my heart seemed to have a sense of living; and there came to me feelings of remorse and regret for all the evils that I had done.

It would take too long to tell what followed this breaking up of my soul, all shriveled and dead, and suffice it to say that from that time, I commenced to have hope come to me, and to get out of my awful condition of darkness. It took a long time, but at last, I got into the light, and this Love which the beautiful spirit first told me of gradually came into my soul until, at last, I reached the condition of bliss in which I now am.

And during all the time of my progress, this radiant loving spirit came to me very often with her words of love and encouragement, and prayed for me, and never left me when I became, as I did at times, doubtful and discouraged. And as my awakening continued, the Love came into my soul, and as she told me of the Heavenly things that would be mine as I progressed and reached the soul spheres, where beautiful homes and pure bright spirits are, I became more and more bound by my love to her.

After a while I got into the Third Sphere and realized that what she had told me was true, only I had not been able to comprehend the greatness of the truth. She then commenced to tell me of the happiness of the beautiful spirits of the two sexes, that I so often saw together, and explained that they were soulmates, and that their love was the greatest of all the loves except the Divine Love, and that every spirit in all the spheres had its soulmate and at the proper time would find it.

My love for this loving spirit had then become so intense that in the very depths of my soul, I wished and prayed that my soulmate might be such a one as she; and, at last, I became so filled with my love for her that I told her that the only thing in all the Heavens that I needed to make full my happiness was she as my soulmate, but that I realized that that desire was hopeless as I had destroyed her life and, of course, she could not be my soulmate. And oh, how I suffered when I realized that she could not be mine, but was another's.

As I told her of these longings and hopeless feelings of my soul, she came close to me and looked into my eyes with such burning love and threw her arms around me, and said:

"I am your soulmate and knew the fact a short time after you came to the spirit world and entered your Hells of darkness and during all the long years, I prayed and prayed for the time to come when I could go to you with my love and awaken in your dead soul the response to my great love. And when the time came that I could go, I was so thankful to the Father, that I almost flew to you, with some dread of disappointment I confess to tell you that you were not neglected or unthought of, but that there was some love in the spirit world that was going to you. Of course, I could not tell you of my soulmate love, for you would not then have understood, but as your soul awakened and the Love of the Father came to you, I became happier and happier and have waited so anxiously for this moment, when I could tell you that this love that had been consciously mine for so long is all yours."

Well, I will draw the veil here, but you can imagine what my happiness was, and as I progressed from sphere to sphere, my happiness and love for her increased and increased. Thus, I have told you the story of the life in the spirit world of the wickedest man that God ever permitted to live and gratify his feelings of hatred and revenge. And I, who have passed through this experience and realized all that it means, say that the Divine Love of the Father is able to and does save the vilest sinner and transforms the chiefest of devils into a Celestial Angel of His highest spheres.

I have written long and you are tired. I thank you and will say good night and subscribe myself,

Your brother in Christ,
Nero, The Roman Emperor, and at one time persecutor of God's true children.

John B. London Writes a Short Note About the Law of Compensation

January 15, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, John B. London.

Let me say a word, and I shall feel better for having done so.

I am a spirit who lives in the earth plane and see spirits of all kinds and conditions and know from observation and experience that in this plane is darkness as well as light, and that many, many spirits are in the dark places paying the penalties which the great Law of Compensation compels them to pay.

These planes are of various degrees of darkness, all suited to the condition of the spirits who occupy them. Some of them are called Hells and some purgatories, but they are all really connected, and the only difference between them is the condition of darkness and suffering which the inhabitants there are compelled to undergo.

I have been through the Hells and am now in purgatory trying to rid my soul of suffering and get into the light of freedom and peace; and oh, there are so many here in that condition and without much hope. Our progress is slow and we have to pay the minutest demand that this Law of Compensation calls for.

I hope that you will pardon me for having intruded, but I felt that if I could communicate with you, I should feel better, and so I do. I will bid you good night.

Your friend,
John B. London

Goliath of the Philistines Writes There is No Reincarnation After the Death of the Mortal Body

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

I am here, Goliath.

I have been present for some time and have listened to your conversations on the various sects who are expecting a great teacher, and others who look for a reincarnation. And if it were not so serious to the welfare of mankind, it would be very humorous. But the matter is too serious to deal with in a humorous vein and I will say a few words as to the utter falsity of both of these beliefs.

There will appear no such great teacher as is expected. Of course, many may appear on earth claiming to be such a teacher and they may declare some moral truth that may be beneficial to mankind but these teachings will not be such as these people may expect a great teacher to make known and the result will be that if the world had to depend on such teachings, it would be very little, if any better, than it now is.

For there is only one course of truth, and in order for any great teacher to teach such truths, he necessarily will have to have a knowledge of such truths. And here I want to say that there is only one means of learning such truths and that is through the help of Jesus Christ and his followers, who know these truths and the Holy Spirit that speaks to all men if they will open their souls to its silent voice of truth and love.

So I say that these people who are expecting some earthly teacher to arise and come to them with a knowledge of truth will be greatly disappointed, for it is impossible that any man will ever come in some mysterious and godlike way be endowed with this knowledge. The souls of these people are longing for the truth and not having a knowledge as to how it may come about are willing to conjure up in their minds some being that may possibly burst on the world and enlighten them in those truths for which their souls are longing and wishing. No, they will never in all time and eternity learn what they so anxiously desire from any great teacher of the kind that I have named and they expect.

As to the others who are equally misguided and who believe that their salvation or future condition of happiness and perfection depends on reincarnation, I must say that they are now, and will be, disappointed just as will the first class that I mention. This doctrine of reincarnation is a false and misleading one and will never enable any man or spirit to live the second time in the body as a mortal.

It is so utterly absurd that it is astonishing that men can believe that such a thing can be and besides, if they will only think seriously for a moment, they will realize that there is no necessity for man to live again on earth, for the surroundings and things that prevent the progress of man to perfection are so detrimental to his progress that it would not assist him one particle in acquiring such progress to have to undergo a second incarnation.

When the spirit leaves the body, its possibility for progress then becomes greater than ever existed on earth, though some spirits for long ages do not take advantage of such possibilities, yet they exist, and earth life can afford no means equal to them for making this progress towards what these people call "Nirvana." Some day the truths will become so plain and easily understood by mortals that these beliefs will of their own weight, and I mean weight that absurdity gives them, that they will cease to exist.

You may be somewhat surprised that I write on these subjects, but you must know that I am an Angel of the Celestial Heavens and have a work to do, and being present, I requested the privilege of writing and it being granted, I did so.

I know what Divine Love means and what progress means, as I came from the lowest Hells and found no necessity for reincarnation, and you may be assured that if my condition of suffering and darkness could have been gotten rid of by reincarnation, I would have reincarnated centuries before I was relieved of my awful condition. I have met spirits who said they believed in the doctrine, but strange to say, none of them had ever been able to reincarnate, though they persisted that they felt assured that other spirits had who were just in that condition that permitted it, and that they would when they became in a condition that was suitable, but I have noticed that these spirits never got in that suitable condition, but progressed in the spirit world and now say that they were mistaken and are thankful that there is no such thing as re- incarnation. Well, the race will die and a new race will arise on earth, but in the new race there will not be any who have been reincarnated.

I want to stop now, so thanking you, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,

Goliath of whom men may think a mythical person. but who really lived and died, even though he may not have been killed by a slingshot of David as the Bible relates, but yet a real living mortal who followed the ways of other mortals in sinning and dying and gone through hell and is at last redeemed.

John Writes to Confirm the Truth as to the Existence of the Hells

December 19, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, John.

I merely want to say that I have listened to the message that you have read, and to the remarks of your friend and yourself, and I believe that you have a true conception of the truth as to these hells.

Swedenborg gave you a true description of their conditions as they actually exist, and Herod told you with the certainty of experience what he found to be true and I, John, who have visited them in the efforts to allay the sufferings of the spirits who inhabit them, tell you that they exist as places, with all the darkness and surroundings that cause the sufferings of the unfortunate spirits to increase. I desire to make this statement so that this question of what hell really is may be settled for all time, so far as you are concerned.

I know that many mortals console themselves with the belief that because of certain natural laws, there cannot possibly be any hells, such as the orthodox teach and that, therefore, there cannot be any hells at all. But this conclusion drawn from the premise is not correct. The mere fact that because a man or spirit cannot burn eternally and never be consumed does not justify the inference that such spirit cannot be punished by surroundings which have a fixed locality.

No, man must not rest in the belief of there being no such hells - as Swedenborg has described - because if they do, they will be woefully mistaken and surprised should they live such lives on earth as will cause them to be placed in these hells. I merely wanted to say this much tonight, as I don't want you to receive any communication which is not in accord with the truth. It is of such vital importance that you receive nothing but the truth, that we who are interested in this work have determined that nothing but the truth shall come to you, and that whenever error or misstatements creep in we will carefully correct the same.

So without writing more tonight, I will say that I am,

Your brother in Christ,
John

Herod Writes Further On the Description of the Hells

December 18, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

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, and 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, and 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, and 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, and the poor, deceived mortal who bases his 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 and 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, but 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, and the poor, miserable, mistaken man who thought that by slaying the babes of Bethlehem, he would maintain his power as ruler.

So good night and God bless you.
Herod

* * * * * * * * * *

Mrs. Padgett Confirms Herod's Message   

I am here, Your own true and loving Helen.

Well sweetheart, you have had a letter tonight from a spirit who ought to know what he is writing about, as he was a most wicked man and, as I have been told, suffered the torments of the lowest hells.

But as to you personally, I want to say that it will make no difference to you what the nature of the hells is, or whether there be any or not. You will never see them unless, when you come over, you have a desire to visit them for the purpose of doing good to some poor unfortunate. And I thank God for this assurance and knowledge.

I will not write more tonight.

With all my love, I am your own true and loving
Helen

Swedenborg Writes About the Truth of the Hells and Describes Its Location and Appearance

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

Let me write a few lines as I desire to write you some truths about what you and your friend were discussing; namely: "Are there any such hells;" as are described in the messages contained in the book (Dr. Peeble's Immortality) that you have been reading tonight.

Well, you must know that in the spirit planes, hell is a place as well as a condition and that, as a place, it has all the accompaniments that make it a reality to the spirits who inhabit it. Of course, the conditions of the spirits who are in these hells are determined by their recollections worked upon by their consciences. But notwithstanding that these recollections are the things that cause their sufferings, yet, the appearances of the locations in which they live are due to something more than these mere recollections for, as you have been informed, all these spirits are in darkness - the degree of the darkness in which they live being determined by their recollections. I mean that when the spirit has recollections of deeds done or not done, which are not so bad as the recollections of another; the former spirit is in a place where there is less darkness than the latter.

These places have their own fixed condition of darkness and of gloom and many other attachments, which increases the sufferings that spirits have to endure.

There are, of course, no fires and brimstone lakes and devils with pitchforks adding to the sufferings of the spirits, but yet, there are certain conditions and appearances which are outside of the spirits themselves, which causes their recollections to become more acute and to work in a manner to produce a greater degree of suffering.

These hells may be places of caverns and rocks and barren wastes and dark holes and other such things as have been written about; and mortals must know that evil spirits do not live in pleasant places and suffer only from the punishments, which their recollections bring to them.

And while the hells of the orthodox are in their descriptions greatly exaggerated, yet there is some truth in the ideas, which these descriptions convey as to the fact that the hells are places in which are darkness and many accompanying appearances that add to the tortures of the spirits of evil.

I tell you this because I see you want to know the truth, and for the further reason that you do not believe that there are such distinctive places as the hells; and that the darkness, which the spirits in their communications to you speak of is, in your opinion, produced by the conditions of the minds and souls of the spirits who write.

But such opinion is not altogether correct, and it is best for men to know that the mere recollections do not include all of what the hells are.

You say you have your hells on earth sometimes, and that is true to a limited extent, and many men suffer very much from their consciences and remorse, but when they come into the spirit world, if they have not gotten out of the condition which these recollections and remorse place them in, they will find that there is waiting them that place or location, which will add to their sufferings that arise from the recollections of evil deeds committed while on earth.

These evil spirits live in communities for the Law of Attraction operates in these dark and lower planes just as it does in the higher spheres and causes spirits of like or similar conditions to congregate together and find consolation, or what they may at times think to be consolation, in one another's company.

These hells are on the planes nearest the earth, and these spirits are not confined all the time to any particular hell. They have the privilege of moving at will along this plane, but wherever they go, they find that they are in these hells, and they cannot escape from them, unless they accept the help from spirits who can instruct them (in) what they must do.

Well, when they come to you to write, they are not very far from these hells, because the plane in which they live is a part of the plane in which the inhabitants of earth live.

Of course, I don't mean to say that that portion of the earth plane that surrounds your earth is composed entirely of these hells, for that is not true, as the earth sphere has in it considerable light and some happiness. And you must further remember that there are many planes in this earth plane.

These spirits, while their habitations are in these hells, have the privilege of leaving these particular localities and wandering for a short time in and over other parts of this earth plane; but this is only for a short time, and they have to return to the places where they have been placed, and which this Law of Attraction, that I speak of, draws them to.

Well, there are thousands of millions of evil spirits, and there is never a time when some of them - thousands of them - are not surrounding and trying to use their bad influences on mortals. We do not know why this is permitted, but only know that it is so. And here again, the great Law of Attraction operates, for many mortals are in similar conditions of development and evil thoughts to what these evil spirits are and, naturally, these evil spirits are drawn to them and do come to them. And frequently it happens, that while visiting these mortals of similar conditions to their own, they attempt to influence mortals who are in a better state of moral and spiritual condition and sometime succeed in doing them harm.

But the great fact is, that these evil spirits have a place of living, where they have to remain until by the operation of the Law of Compensation, they are relieved from some of their evil tendencies and desires when they are permitted to progress.

My principal reason in writing you is to have you know that there are hells of places as well as of conditions, and that these places, by reason of what they contain and their appearances, add to the suffering of the spirits.

As I have written a long time I will stop and say that I am a Christian and an inhabitant of the Celestial Spheres, and one of the spirit band that is helping you in your great work of the Master. So in leaving you, I will subscribe myself,

Your brother in Christ,
Swedenborg the Seer

Grover Cleveland Writes That He is in Darkness and Seeks to Find a Way to the Light

August 13, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.

I am here, Grover Cleveland.

Let me write just a line. I am a man who when on earth was prominent in the affairs of the nation, and who when I became a spirit, realized that my prominence on earth did not help me one particle in my soul's happiness, or in finding a home where goodness and congenial spirits live.

I was not a very religious man in the sense of soul development, although I attended church quite regularly and gave the appearance of being a Christian. But I realize now that something more than mere attendance in church is necessary to the development of the true Christian character or to fit a spirit to inhabit the heavenly places in the spirit world.

I was Grover Cleveland, and it is not necessary to tell you what my official position was, as I passed over so recently that all the citizens of my country know. But I do want to say that had I served God in spirit and truth, as I tried to serve my country and its interests, I would not now be in such an unhappy condition as I am. I am in the earth plane, and am in darkness and suffering, and am very unhappy.

I am led to believe by my training when a boy that I must stay where I am, but when I think on the matter in a reasoning way, it does not seem to me that a just God would impose eternal punishment upon me for the sins I committed in the short earth life that I lived.

I am surrounded by many spirits who are in a similar condition to my own, and who were not especially wicked men when on earth, and yet the recollections of the sins and evil deeds which they committed while on earth seem to be sufficient to keep them in this darkened condition with accompanying suffering.

Yes, I find among these darkened spirits a great many of my old political friends as well as my political enemies; and sometimes we talk over the affairs and life of the past, and unanimously conclude that the lives we led were not worth the fame or prominence that we attained to - that it was all vanity, and that we sacrificed our future happiness for the enjoyment of the moment. What a farce it all was, except as we did some good to our country.

But it is too late now to wish to undo these things and what we are now doing and what we may do in the future are the things that interest us now. Some of us say that our condition is not fixed and that in the future we will be relieved of this darkness and suffering, and see the light of a happier life among better surroundings and in the association of better spirits. But none of us know the way to find this relief or to bring ourselves to this light.

Of course, most of us know what the Bible teaches on this subject, but most of us believe that it teaches us that our time of probation was while we were on earth, and that now we must remain as we are until the great judgement day.

Well, as you say, it does seem strange that we should have such belief, but let me tell you that when the mortal becomes a spirit, he finds that all the importance of his earth life and the self-conceit and self-independence leave him; and he realizes that he is a very insignificant person, and that his self-independence is a myth and that he is the most helpless creature in all the universe. Such is my experience, and having nothing upon which I can stand as a fixed foundation of truth, I naturally go back to my childhood beliefs and they become a part of my existence.

I have met some spirits who claim that there is redemption for me and a way to get out of my present condition, but I did not think that they knew any more about it than I do, and hence I never paid much attention to them.

But as you remind me, if Jesus went into the hells to preach to the lost souls in prison, he would not have gone there for that purpose unless he could have done them some good by his preaching. I had not thought of this before, and I will think of it now and attempt to find some consolation in it.

But, you also say that you know that there is just as much probation for me in my present condition as there was for me when on earth. Now how do you know this? Of course, you can speculate but that will not satisfy me, as I can speculate also. I want facts. Do you know of any spirits who were in my condition and who have been relieved of their darkness and sufferings? If you can show me that you do, then I will commence to hope.

I remember hearing of Mr. Riddle while I lived in Washington, and I should like to meet him as a spirit, especially in view of what you say his condition and experience as a spirit were.

I see some spirits here who are very beautiful, and they say that they are of your band, and they are working for the redemption of spirits who are in darkness and suffering. One is especially glorious in her beauty and brightness, and she says that she is your grandmother, and that she has heard what I have written and is willing and anxious to show me the way to light and happiness, if I will permit her to do so. And why should I not? What a glorious beauty hers is, and how love seems to flow from her very being! I will accept her invitation and not wait longer to find relief. So I want to thank you for your kindness.

I will go with your grandmother, and will come to you again, and if I find the relief that I so much need I will thank you with all my heart for your kindness in having permitted me to write to you. I will say good night.

Your friend,
Grover Cleveland

William S. Richards Writes That He is in Darkness on the Earth Plane and Seeks Help to Experience Soul Development

June 24, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, William S. Richards.

Let me write just a little bit, as I need help. I am in darkness and suffering. I am a man who lived the life of an infidel when on earth and did not believe in God or Jesus, or in anything that was taught in the Bible in reference to a future life, or in anything of a religious value. I was not a bad man, in the sense of being immoral more than men ordinarily are, but I did not have thoughts which tended to develop my soul qualities, or make me what is called a spiritual man.

So you see that when I died and found myself still living, I was somewhat surprised, and for quite a while could not realize that I was a spirit - pure and simple. But since that time I have discovered many things that show me that my beliefs on earth were all wrong. Yet, that discovery does not remedy the failings of soul development, which my beliefs caused, and I am now like a man without anything to guide or direct him in the way in which he may recover these lost possessions.

I have met a great many spirits but they are like myself, without knowledge of those things which may be necessary to help us in the way of progression. I am a spirit that enjoys some happiness and has some light, but it is that which arises from the exercise of my mental powers. I don't know anything about any happiness that may come from the development of the soul and, yet, I have heard that there is such a thing, and that a wonderful happiness ensues from such development. Of course, I must find this happiness if I can, and if you can help me in any way to find it, I will be very thankful if you will do so.

I am in darkness most of the time and I suffer also, but at other infrequent times, I have some light and some happiness; but the former conditions are the ones that are mostly mine. I live in what we call the earth plane and I have the privilege of roaming over that plane with certain restrictions. I cannot go into what you might call the higher planes of that plane, but in my own plane and in the lower ones I may go, and I do sometimes.

I find many spirits who are in a very great condition of darkness and in torture, and their places must be the hells of the Bible but without the fires or the devils, as men believe. I never see any devils but the spirits themselves, and some of them are the only devils that are necessary to make a hell.

I do not know just who I am in this darkness that I speak of, except it must be because of the stagnation of my spiritual self. My soul is nearly dead so far as any development is concerned and my mind, while active and eager for knowledge, does not give me any great happiness. So I suppose the great happiness that I hear is possessed by others must come from the soul development. At any rate I want to find the cause if I can, and I thought that maybe you could help me.

My name was William S. Richards. I lived in Germantown, Pennsylvania, and died in 1901. So I am waiting for your advice. I have called for him and he says that he will show me the way, and that I must go with him.

So I will say goodnight,
William S. Richards

Helen Transcribes a Conversation By James' Friends Wherein They Discuss an Experiment to Pray for God's Love

January 12, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Helen.

You must not write to these spirits as we have told you. Yes. he said that he knew you on earth and wanted you to help him. I see that he has gone to seek Mr. Taggart, but I don't think that he will be much helped. Yes. you may be right. You certainly have a way of accomplishing things. I never thought of that. Well, I will go and see if I can find them and make them come here, and write you what I hear.

They are here.

Mr. Taggart tells Mr. Harvey that you told him that the way to get out of this condition of darkness and unhappiness is to pray to God for His Love to enter into their hearts, and believe that it will, that if he will only be willing to have it come into their hearts, it will, but that he has not yet been able to believe. But Mr. Harvey says, that when he was on earth, he was a strict Catholic and that he often prayed something like that and attended to his duties, and even when he made his will, he left some money for the priests to pray him out of purgatory, but all their prayers together have not helped him, and he doesn't believe that there is any God to whom a person can pray and from whom he can get relief. So that when you talked that way to Taggart, you were merely trying to mislead him as the priests did him.

But Mr. Taggart says:

"George you are wrong there, for our friend does not merely say pray, but he prays with us and for us and seems to believe with all his heart that there is a God and that he will answer prayer. So I am not so certain that there is not a God and one who answers prayers, I am going to try to pray and believe myself and I advise you to do likewise."

Mr. Harvey says:

"Taggart it is all nonsense, and if that is the only way we can get out of this condition, we never will be any better than we now are. So you need not tell me of God and prayer."

Mr. Taggart says:

"George, I have seen the effect of this prayer on some spirits and I know that they have been made more beautiful and happy, and even Mackay is commencing to say that he sees light ahead and has felt some strange influences come into his heart as he said a prayer, which he promised our friend to say. Now what is the use in your being pig-headed and say that there is no God, when you don't know anything about it. I tell you, though, there must be something in this belief, or I would not see so many happy spirits around us. Be a man who can keep his mind open to what he sees and the reasons therefor may come to you. Let us not become hardheaded in this matter. As you were so easy to believe on earth what your priests told you about purgatory and the Hells and the necessity for you to pay for prayers to help you out of purgatory, why can't you try to believe a little when the same thing is told you without your having to pay for it? I am going to try my best to believe and if you know what is best for you, you will follow suit."

Mr. Harvey says:

"Taggart, what is the use of being fooled twice, once is enough for me. Priests are here with me and suffering more than I am, and when I ask them why don't they pray themselves out of purgatory, they say - to hell with prayer. Now, how am I to believe anything that is told me about prayer or God?"

Mr. Taggart says:

"George, let your priests and their sufferings and their cursings pass out of your mind and listen to me for a moment. When I came over, I was in great darkness and despair and believed that there was no possible help for me and that I must remain in the condition of darkness that I found myself in, but one day I was called to meet our friend by his father and, when I came where he was, I found that Mackay was there also, and then we exchanged greetings and wished each other happiness. But I found that there was no happiness for me and I told our friend that I was anything but happy, and he said believe in God's Love and you will soon be, and I said, who is God and what is His Love. And then he explained to Mackay what that love is, and I heard it all, and then I tackled him and told him that God was a myth and prayer was nothing but the wish of a man and went no higher than his mind.

But he would not agree with me and we had an argument right then and there, and I tell you that while he did not convince me that there was a God or any efficacy in prayer, yet, it made me think and wonder if I could be wrong and he right, and before I left him, not only Mackay, but myself promised that we would try an experiment in the nature of prayer and we have been doing it many times since, and I tell you, that while I am not yet convinced that there is a God, or that prayer to Him will take us out of our awful conditions of suffering and darkness, yet, I have felt many strange sensations, and at times, some little feeling of happiness, which I had never felt before.

So you can see, I would be a fool not to try and get this relief if I possibly can. And I want to tell you George that, if you are willing to make the effort with us, we will be glad to have you come. Of course, you need not believe if you don't want to, but just come and join with us in our experiment and you will soon realize that there is something operating that you cannot account for.

Mackay is now feeling very much happier he says. And I believe that he will soon believe in this God and his love that our friend told us about. At any rate, he is commencing to improve in his appearance, and I attribute it to trying the experiment I told you of. So what is the use in holding back and saying that there is no God and no love that can get you out of your condition of which you complain so much, when by the exercise of a little reason and will, you may be on the right track to salvation. Of course, I don't know just what this may lead to, but I have determined to follow it to a conclusion, and you will be a big fool if you don't go with me."

Mr. Harvey said:

"Taggart, you were a pretty level-headed man when on earth and required to have things proved to you and were really a stubborn man, as I know, and what you say impresses me, but you will have to show me what you mean by this experiment. You have not told me what you mean and, of course, until you do, I can't follow you."

Mr. Taggart says:

"George, it is a very simple thing. Mackay and I told our friend that we did not believe in God or in His love or in any saviour, and he said, you need not to do what I want you to try. He said, while there is a God and His love, which is the only thing that can save you from sin and make you happy men, yet, that God does not force that love on you or make you believe in Him. And only when you are willing to receive that love of your own volition will it come to you. So you see he said it all depends upon your own will, whether you will have that love and the happiness which flows from it or not, and if you will only will that you may believe in God if there be one, and that you may receive that love if such there be, then if you will, will this and say to God, if there be one, that you will that this love shall come into your heart and that this belief shall come into your mind, and repeat this with all earnestness and will, you will find that after a little while, this belief will come to you, and this love will come into your heart.

So Mackay and I are desiring to try anything to get out of our condition and believing that our friend would not intentionally deceive us - promised to say these things. And in that way, pray to a God that we did not believe in, and we have continued to repeat these thoughts ever since. And I must confess to you that some strange change or sensation has come to me. What it is, I don't just know, but it is there, and I am determined to continue in this qualified prayer until I know one way or the other what the result will be. So you see, George, if it does no good, it can do no harm, and if you have desire enough to get out of your condition, you will try the experiment."

Mr. Harvey says:

"Well, Taggart, there may be something in what you say and I am willing to go with you. For as you say, if it does no good, it can do no harm. So let me hear again what I am to say and I will commence."

Then Mr. Taggart repeated the prayer and they left.

You are too wonderful in your way of getting the attention of spirits who are in darkness to turn their thoughts to things that may help them. And I am so glad that you are helping these spirits, even though you did let Mr. Harvey write. But who knows, maybe such interferences are intended for some good purposes.

So, my darling, I love you with all my heart and soul and must stop writing. Yes, I will, and will try to talk to him sometime when the proper occasion comes.

So goodnight, my own darling Ned.

Helen