Samuel Writes on "What causes the souls of men the unrest that now exists in the world?"

December 13, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, Samuel.

No, I have not written for a long time, although I have been with you quite often and seen the other spirits write, and heard the conversation of yourself and friends on many occasions as you discussed the truth of things spiritual, and commented on the messages that you received on the sermons of the preachers who attempted to explain what they called the Bible truths.

Tonight I desire to say a few words on the subject: "What causes the souls of men the unrest that now exists in the mortal world?"

This is a subject, I know, that of late has been widely discussed and many causes given and tried to be explained as the basis for such conditions of men, individually, and as comprising nations. I realize that it is a large and comprehensive question and to discuss it in all its features would require much more time than we have to devote to it tonight and, hence, I will call attention to only a few of these causes.

In the first place, man is so created, or rather he has brought himself into such a condition that self love or selfishness - and I mean the purely human selfishness and not that of the higher and proper kind - has become the mainspring or active principle of all his motives for doing or not doing a thing or things and, in so acting, the rights of others are considered only in a secondary or subordinate sense.

If the recognition of these rights does not involve any sacrifice of what he considers is for his own advantage, then these rights may be recognized and admitted and permitted to be carried into actual enjoyment; but if there be any conflict between his conception of what he is entitled to and the actual rights of his brother or friend or stranger, he will see only the justice of his own rights and his consequent action will be based on that conception.

And having this motive of selfishness predominant and controlling in his actions, it seldom occurs that the rights of these others are fairly recognized and, consequently, there arises injustice and harm and the desire of conferring those things which would naturally arise from the conception of the rights of these brothers is ignored.

Your brother in Christ,
Samuel

John Writes About How to Solve the Problem of What is True and What is Not

April 7, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, John.

I desire to write a little to night upon a subject that may prove to be of interest to you and others who may read my message. I will not write a very long message, but will say what I desire in short sentences, so that the truth that I intend to convey may be understood at a glance.

• Well, when you are sure that you have discovered or have had revealed to you a truth, let it sink deep into your soul so that it will find such lodgment as will cause you to realize that this truth is a reality, and a thing that must not be forgotten or neglected in its application to your daily life on earth.

• When you have found that the truth fits some peculiar condition of your mind's experience, adopt it as a criterion for determining what your course of action shall be.

• When you have thus adopted it, let it always remain with you as a guide and monitor in determining what your belief as to the particular thing involved shall be.

• When you have, thus, received this belief of the mind, encourage and feed upon it until it becomes a thing of established faith; and when faith has become a part of your very being, you will find that the accompaniments of such faith, in the way of longings and aspirations, will become things of real existences, which will result in actual knowledge.

• When such knowledge becomes yours, then you have solved the problem of what is true and what is not. And when you have solved this, you will become a man who, when he utters his knowledge of truth, will speak as one having authority.

Such was the process by which Jesus became the possessor and authentic expositor of the great spiritual truths that had never before been known and declared by any man.

Of course, these various steps which lead to this great knowledge of truth, must be taken gradually and with increased confidence. In all this, the help and influence of the Father are necessary and such help and influence comes only in response to sincere, soul aspiring prayer.

Prayer must arise from the soul of man and the response must come from God. There is no other means by which this knowledge can be obtained. All knowledge of things spiritual, that men may think they possess, coming in any other way cannot be relied on, for there is only one source of such knowledge out of which the real spiritual truths of God emanate.

And Love is the great principle that enters into all knowledge of things spiritual, and without Love it is utterly impossible for man to rightfully conceive the truths of God and possess them.

I merely desired to give you this short lesson on truth and knowledge and love, so that in receiving and absorbing our messages of the great spiritual truths of the Father, you may realize the means of making them your own in a manner to satisfy your soul perceptions.

I will come soon and write you a message on some of these vital truths. Think of what I have above written, and you will find that your soul perceptions will be opened up to a clear and wonderful comprehension of the real meaning of what we desire to reveal.

I will not write more to night.

Your brother in Christ,
John

St. John Writes That His Revelation as Contained in the Bible Was Merely a Vision He Had While in a Trance

September 7, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.

I am here, John of the Revelation.

I saw you studying the Bible, or rather those portions of the book which treated of the salvation of mankind through the blood of Jesus, and that you made extracts from the Revelation, which declared that the blood of Jesus washed away sins of mankind and redeemed them.

Well, I want to say that while I wrote a Revelation or rather dictated it to another to write, I never wrote the words declaring the salvation of mankind through the blood of Jesus, which declared that the blood of Jesus washed away sins of mankind and redeemed them, for I did not believe any such doctrine and had never been taught such a belief by Jesus.

Much of the matter contained in the Revelation I never wrote; but men or scribes who professed to copy the description of my vision, added to it for the purpose of incorporating therein the views of the Christians of that early day, so that their views might be emphasized and in union with similar views that had been added to the Gospels and Epistles in the copies which these same persons or their predecessors in these views had made.

The Revelation is merely a vision which I had when in a trance and was undoubtedly intended to illustrate or predict those things which would be visited upon the believers and the nonbelievers in the truths of God as taught by Jesus and his apostles.

At the present day, I cannot see that this book can serve any good purpose in making men acquainted with the truths of God, or with the relationship of man to God. Many of the things therein contained are not true as a Truth, but were used merely to illustrate a truth. There are no streets of gold or pearly gates or dragons or beasts or white horse or other material things which are depicted in that book; and it is valuable only so far as imagery may show to mankind some spiritual truth.

And besides it has been so embellished and added to, that many of its figures or images do not illustrate any truth, or anything else, but merely serves to give the book the character and appearance of a book of mysteries.

So I advise you in attempting to search for the truths that the Bible contains, do not waste your time in trying to discover the meanings of the various dark sayings and mysterious descriptions which this book contains.

There are enough truths in the Bible, though mixed with many errors, to lead men to the light and to salvation. Love is the great principle, and the fact that God is waiting to bestow that Love on mankind, if they will only seek for it, as it is the principle which is sufficient to lead men to the Celestial homes and happiness.

I am not an advocate of all the "isms" which men draw or formulate from the Bible, but on the contrary, deplore and condemn the misconstruction of the truths which it contains, and which men may understand, if they will search for them in humbleness and in the spirit of a little child.

But whatever of errors may be written in the Bible will be shown by the messages which Jesus shall write to you, and after they are transmitted and made known to mankind there will be no occasion for men to accept or believe these errors.

So I tell you that while the Bible, even as now written, is a grand old book, yet, it is not the true mouthpiece of God in very many particulars, and is a stumbling block to man's acquiring a correct knowledge of the truths of God.

These truths will not conflict with the reasoning of the normal man who is not prejudiced by views which are erroneous, either in the scientific or the religious world.

A man who believes what is not true is just as much an infidel whether that belief relates to the sciences or to religion. A belief in the false is a want of belief in the true and, hence, as to the true, he is not a believer. I will not write more tonight.

So will say goodnight and God bless you and your work.

Your brother in Christ,
John of Revelation

Salaalida, a Moslem, Did Not Know About Divine Love but is a Lover of God and Christians

August 12th, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.

I am here, Salaalida:

I am a Moslem and I lived in the time of the crusaders and helped to defend Jerusalem from the Christians. I was an officer of high rank, and a general who was known among my own countrymen for my prowess in battle. I merely want to tell you now that I am a lover of all mankind and know no difference between the Christians and the Moslems, for all are God's children and are the objects of His Love, and of my love, for I am a lover of God.

I am an inhabitant of the highest Mohammedan heavens and am very happy and satisfied with my spiritual condition, and am still a follower of the Prophet who lives in our heavens and still teaches the truths of the Father, Allah.

I have no criticism to make of the Christians and believe that they are also followers of God in the way that their Jesus taught, but I cannot yet believe that his teachings are the only truths of the Father. He and his followers live in a different sphere from our sphere, and those whom I have met seem to be happy and are very beautiful.

So while I was once an antagonist of the Christians, and hated them with all the hatred that my religion taught me to hate, yet, now I see that hatred is not a thing which God recognizes as being a part of the faith or practices of His true followers.

I came merely to tell you this and to inform you that love is the ruling principle of the spiritual world where I live. By love, I mean love for God and for my fellowman. This is the only love that I know of and I find it sufficient for my happiness.

I don't know what you mean by the Divine Love. It cannot be anything more than the love which we have for God. Well, I must stop now, and will say good night.

Your friend,
Salaalida the mussulman