| Show amm dal editor deseret evening mews news believing the people here whom I 1 have heard beard speak upon the subject of spiritualism are in a great measure misinformed upon the subject I 1 write you I 1 hel hei bel beli leve lIeve them honest in intention and lovers lovera ot of truth hence I 1 will speak of the subject as I 1 see it after years ot of investigation vesti gation they think that spiritualism consists mainly in physical manifestations fe or thelo theio went phases odthe of the phenomena and some of them s speak eak of it as coming directly from the devil 11 and of necessity evil I 1 will therefore speak of the utility of these physical manifestations to which they so seriously object the advanced spiritualists spiritual ista have no use for them still they a are re of great value to a certain class of minds and the only way in which they can be reached and convinced beyond a doubt of the immortality of the soul soai and by which a desi dest remay be awakened to know something of the life beyond the grave and how to prepare themselves for its realities nto sto illustrate let us follow one these men in his investigations he is as ho honest p esl est and truth loving as others bu but t h has haa as that skeptical braig brain that causes him to question and doubt all things that do not appeal to his physical senses he must see othear something have some test from spirit life or he cannot believe he hears of a medium for physical manifestations his s curiosity la Is exe excited ted and added to a desire to test t the e matter atter to know whether it be true t that at the soul lives after the body dies he visits a medium sits alts at the table feeling confident he can discover the krickor trick or imposition the raps commence and the name of his mother long since passed from earth is spelled out by the use of the alphabet also the disease of which she died the date of death the number of her family and other facts tests testa and minu minutiae tiao tiso known to no one present but himself the in vesti gator Is confounded and an d co convinced i of some power superior to what he can discover he Is anxious to enquire still farther goes to a speaking medium who is an entire stranger and converses with his mother through the medium receiving additional proof of her immortality and individuality she appeals to his annec affee dional tio and moral nature begs of him to lead a pure pare and upright life and tells him she will be near to assist him in iek every effort to to do good and noble acts the medium being also clairvoyant gives to the son an accurate description of the face complexion and t figure ane are of his mother aa as accurately as he could have described her himself he leaves the medium a changed and better man convinced of immortality and that his mothers eye is upon him when he takes the wine cup or otherwise commits wrong and resolves from that hour to live a different and better life the question is often asked of what use are these foolish table mappings tap pings rap and other manifesta eions in reply I 1 ask is not the above illustration a sufficient answer dodou not readily perceive that this man who doubted immortality and cared alone for sensual pleasure has received through 0 h these manifestations much of incalculable value to him affecting not only his whole hole hoie life on earth but through t the endless endless spirit I 1 spheres the fact that undeveloped spirits sometimes return and communicate seems to trouble the people much let us reason upon the subject the man who is corrupt in his habits of life who spends his time in drinking and gambling 1 houses and other dens of infamy who loves falsehood and dishonesty andulo is seeking only for the lowest physical pleasures and aud in this condition goes to converse with spirits will call around him those in sympathy and feelings with himself and such as loved to visit scenes of infamy while in the earth life and who have not yet outgrown their former desires the visitor asks foolish and trifling questions of 0 the spirit and treats the subject with the greatest levity perhaps his first question tion Is when am I 1 going to get married the second equally foolish will oswill you sellme how I 1 can hakea fortune well knowing if he had bad one he would use it for some som evile evlie vile tile purpose the fool is answered according to his folly by the spirit which accompanied him hither being no demon nor worse than the man recently pissed from the earth the communication partakes of the nature not only of the questioner and him who propounds it but of the spirit communicating the medium through whom it came may be honest and well disposed being simply a machine chine through which to transmit thoughts from spirit life and not responsible for the utterances given A person should attend a spiritual scean sceanie soa sea ance ces cei with an earnest wish for truth and wisdom he should treat the subject with that consideration and dignity that it demands thus doing he will have no trouble with low and undeveloped spirits if the magnetism of the soul is of such a nature that pure and angelic spirits cannot approach approach it it is his own fault and his a alone one during an investigation odthe of the subject of twenty years I 1 have never been troubled with low influences person who is thus annoyed should know that be he has drawn his kindred spirits around him lik like e seeks its like inspirit in spirit life ilfe ag as well as on th the 0 earth and pure noble souls will not be trou brou led with bad influences all classes 0 of spirits can and do at times return to earth still the larger portion of the communications come from those who are more unfolded in soul and far superior to ourselves if we live a spiritual and prayerful life it la Is onn our privilege le e to hold hourly communion with g the e hi hiher higher her hen orders of angelic beings who will well infuse into our inmost souls their benign influence awakening the hollest emotions of love for ail all humanity and calling forth corresponding efforts on our part to elevate ourselves and others the creed of the spiritualist is a truth his professions of faith a d vine life he is satisfied with a perfect religion and nothing short henge to attain this he believes bel bei feves in endlers endless progression gres sion yours for truth OLIVE IT ROBINSON THE foregoing letter from gom a lady who as she bays says has bas investigated spirita a il ism for twenty years and is a believer in it sets forth her views as far as she has expressed them plainly and wit with helear clearness wedo weddo not quest guestion question ioni loni for a moment the honesty of many who believe in spiritualism so called satisfied they are ard really sincere the writer of the letter among the number but there are various points in it that make it objectionable tio to those who have received the gospel in its fullness admitting the position taken by those who believe spiritualism to be correct and that they do receive the communications alleged those communications come from all sorts of spirits to all sorts of people atom spirits that are ignorant to people that are ignorant and from spirits that are wicked to that are wicked as well as from spirits pure and more 11 intelligent tell teli igent than others to people in advance of their fellows in knowledge and these communications purporting to come from so many dlf dif marent different sources teach views and opinions of the most character harmonizing in little but the future life of the spirit and probably a few other points which are correct while conveying ying much that is erroneous and codie CODle ca calculated 6 to mislead and deceive joseph smith is claimed by many spiritualists to have been a powerful medium and the latter day taints saints are considered by most of them as a people who are inspired our lady correspondent in private conversation speaks of the prophet as a very advanced medium let it be granted that joseph was a medium I 1 it if follows that revelations through him ought to be entitled to as much weight as those through any other medium and indeed far greater weight for his revelations came from jesus christ through the hol hoi holy ghost and we know of no spiritual spiritualists ts who claim so high an authority as 0 this for their revelations but joseph was more than a medium he acted as a revelator by virtue of the priesthood which gave him access unto god the fountain of knowledge his authority was infinitely higher than that claimed by the most advanced mediums among the and the results which have followed his revelations have been as far in advance of those which have followed theirs as his priesthood and authority are superior to theirs it has haa been by organization and priesthood that the church has haa been built up ani and the great works accomplished by the saints which have elicited the wonder of the world Though we may be uninspired an inspired people had there not been the unity of organization and the governing influence of the priesthood the labors and works that have been performed never would have been accomplished the revelations given through joseph harmonize as a whole and do not conflict in any particulars the they y are also in perfect agreement with the revel revelations ons which came through the same priesthood in ancient times and bear the impress of god throughout th this is cannot be said of the teachings of spiritualist they deny some roae of the most vital points they deny priesthood and organization which is abe result of its exercise which were taught by jesua jesus aught taught by joseph and are ara indissolubly connected with the gospel they also deny ceny the resurrect resurrection ioa iop of t the 0 body the personality of the holy ghost and the personality of the devit devil let all the writings or the teachings of men who have held the holy priesthood and have received their revelation from god the highest source of intelligence be examined and these great truths will be found ol 01 learly clearly taught by them all who deny them those who have no priesthood themselves and whose revelations proceed from front spirits who claim none dered acthen at then that their revelations revelation a are full ot of d discrepancies accles and conflict in the tha most less essential points indeed it could not be otherwise for supposing that they do receive their revelations revelation a tram fram the spirits of those who have on the earth which many dispute such spirits could only communicate that which they knowland kno bno wand their know ledge ledgett led geat at tb the e bestis limited and defect defective ivO how much superior thenis comma communication ni i with god ligh tand taud truth to that with spirits limited in la knowledge and capacity no matte pure their desires and intentions may be claimed to be revelations from god are the privilege of those who receive the gospel and those revelations come from a being who could not and would not deceive but revelations received from any other source in the unseen world are unreliable and cannot be trusted hence the prophet of old said I 1 but when they shall bid thee seek unto wizards that peep and mutter matter and unto them that have familiar spirits should not a people seek unto their god for the living to hear from the dead |
