GOD, MAN AND THE UNIVERSE

The Unification of Science and Religion

Foreword

We are all Brothers and Sisters both biologically and spiritually. Since this is so I am dedicating this work to my Brothers and Sisters. This manuscript is the result of a lifetime of trying to logically fit together the seemingly opposite versions of the creation put forth, by religious belief, and science fact. My hope is that these insights may help those who believe in God our Father, but who also accept the truths of science, to come to a unity of thought with regard to the two.

Before you begin this manuscript I must provide my background so that you may have insight in to my perspectives. This personal background is important in understanding why "God, Man and the Universe" was written. I am a Christian as will be self evident to those who read this book. One of the great challenges of my life is that I have Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning autism) and was always considered by my peers and teachers to be rather stupid because I think and talk slowly. Because of this school was always a challenge for me although things did improve slowly in my high school and college years. I studied Chemistry and Math and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a year of postgraduate study in Biochemistry. My writing skills were always below par and as a result in my junior year in college I suffered the indignity of having to take Dumb Bell English. This was before the time when a handicap such as Aspergers Syndrome was considered as anything other than being slow or crazy. My motivation to understand the Universe has always pushed me to understand all that modern science has revealed. On the other hand I have always known our Father "God" on a basis that most cannot understand. I don’t say this with any presumption of superiority but rather as a fact, which has led to my all-consuming passion to somehow unify what, I know to be true with science, which also should be true. I have always been disturbed by those around me who proclaim the Earth to be 7,000 years old and totally ignore the ancient rocks around us on which are recorded the passage of billions of years. While attending school I discovered a strange dual view to be the rule among those in the scientific ranks that believed in God. Some made stabs at rationalizing the seeming infinite gap between the two points of view and I read their words with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately while explanations abounded I felt that they all fell short of the truth or seemed contrived.

Over the years since then I have continued to read science journals, and even thought that I could close the gap between religion and science. I desired to record my thoughts in this regard, and tried many times but found that my writing skills were so poor that I could not even complete one page before complete disgust of my inability overcame enthusiasm.

A few years ago a vast change came to my life. As one learns to expect in life, I was completely blind sided by the events that brought change. I was sent by my doctor to a heart specialist to check out some mild chest pain that I had experienced during the week. However, during a "routine angiogram" my blood clotted despite of the most advanced anticoagulants. Emergency heart bypass surgery was performed during which our Father had me escorted home. Almost all the things that I relearned in that place can’t be related simply because of the inadequacy of human intelligence and language, but a small part can be told. That knowledge came back to me as I stood in the presence of our Brother (The Savior) and was bathed in light and love so intense that I felt overpowered. While in this condition I was told by him of those things that I had yet to do. I told my Brother that I would gladly do all that I was asked, but told him that my physical body some how prevented me from writing. He already knew this and informed me that this was the reason for my being called home. He then placed his hands upon my head and blessed me that I would be able to fulfill the work and further blessed me that I would feel no pain from the surgery. IT WAS SO!

Some to whom I have told about my experience grow very silent as though this is some apostasy (which might claim their souls?) but I cannot deny what happened to me when I left this universe for that short period of time. What is written in this manuscript is somewhat revolutionary and this is somewhat disturbing to me as a person who prefers anonymity.

I have completed part of the work, that which you are about to read. I would like to challenge you to read the entire manuscript with an open mind. I realize that some of the concepts are rather revolutionary but nothing contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ. The most important concept is one of perspective and being able to view the world through the eyes and minds of those who have gone before.

Some have asked me why a Buddhist upon returning from a near death experience would believe he or she had met Buddha as the being of light, and the answer again is one of perspective. If we imagine ourselves as a person who has no other life experience but Buddhism how else can they describe the being in the light upon returning? We all are limited by the knowledge we have gained in this life and are hard pressed to explain in any other terms.

To gain understanding of our natural world and our spiritual roots it is necessary that we consider some basic science. There is no requirement that the reader have a background in science to understand. Those sections, which deal with relativity, may be difficult to some but this characteristic of space-time must be considered to understand time itself. I do not presume that my understanding is final truth, or even a good beginning toward understanding time and space. I have, however, written to the best of my ability and understanding. It is difficult to quantify the story of creation as given in the Bible. I have tried to extract what science there may be therein. I present to each of you my perceptions with love and the hope that mankind in general may be helped by the information contained. I cannot separate my experience from these perceptions, as I am sure none of you could. I cannot deny that the need to write this was spurred by my experience as I lay on an operating table and left this place for a time. As a result of that, I personally can say that the only real fact, or truth, is that we are all the children of God. Such knowledge is by nature personal and cannot be given as proof to others. Therefore my hope is to convince a few of my Brothers and Sisters to seek their Father and follow the path established by our Brother Jesus Christ.

I am well aware that many that are devoted to science are uncomfortable with religion. May I call your attention to the fact that, there have been many great seekers of truth that have believed in our Father, while practicing the pursuit of scientific truth (i.e. Albert Einstein for one). May I ask you then to consider what is written and then ask your Father for his assurance that you are his child? If you will seek with real desire to know the truth you will receive it. However, do not seek him if you have no intent to follow his advice, for then knowledge will bring you sorrow.

Your Brother:

Brent Anderson

CHAPTER ONE

THE CREATION

In the place called Eternity there was God our Father and with him his Family. Not unlike mortal fathers, our Father’s sole purpose, with regards to his children, was/is to provide sustenance, education and life experiences so that they can become responsible adults. As would be expected in such a large family the children are spread over a continuum of growth and abilities. At any one time a small percentage of his children reach a point in their progression at which they must undergo what might be compared to a quantum leap in learning, a thoroughly new and unique experience for them. They have to leave home and journey to a place where for the first time in their lives they will be totally cut off from the presence and intelligence of their Father and Family. He would never force any of his children to undergo any test, so each of them is free to choose whether to participate. We are told that some of our spiritual siblings preferred a plan in which all were guaranteed success while giving up freedom of choice in this life. This particular plan was brought forward by one of our more forceful brothers. The familial disagreement led to a number of our brothers and sisters refusing to come to this testing place and therefore putting a stop to their progression or in other words they were damned. Their motivation for embracing this position was simply that they knew that the test was extremely difficult and they feared they would not be successful. All of us feared the test but recognized the need to move forward and fulfill our Father’s wishes. Our Father’s view was promoted and championed by another of our brothers who would become the Savior. The difficulty of the test was living without constant communication with our Parents. We who are now mortal are learning just how difficult with each passing year of our short mortal existence’s. This whole process is eternal and the number of children is vast beyond our limited conception. With regard to those who elected not to come they have opportunity to change their minds and resume progression or in other words become no longer damned.

To summarize, this Earth represents the next step for those of God’s children who have reached the ultimate attainable progress without the trial of mortality. That life here is a step in our education is clear from the teachings of our Father. The opportunity of life upon the Earth or its analogs is absolutely necessary if we are to continue our growth and maturation. The difficulty arises from the fact that we for the first time in our immortal existence find ourselves cut off from the constant and all encompassing presence and knowledge of the Father which was a beacon for all our actions prior to this life. During our spiritual existence it was not nearly as difficult to make correct choices. Granted that some did disagree but a great majority did not.

The plan was to establish a place of isolation where the children of the Father would be free to make decisions for themselves. This universe is that place. Its creation was not difficult for our Father since it is an often-repeated process.

God is eternal and he has told us that we are as well. Therefore we must develop some understanding of our Fathers time to grasp the relationship of Eternity and our time. Time as we know it, requiring beginnings and ends does not pertain to the Kingdom of our Father. In fact time, as we know it, is completely relative to the speed with which any body of mass (in our universe) is traveling in comparison to any other body. For example when we consider an extreme case of a hypothetical observer on a photon of light we discover that for him that distance and time do not exist (this solution occurs in Einstein’s equation at light speed). The reality of our Observer is incomprehensible from our frame of reference, causing us to stretch our imaginations. Even so the fact remains that as relative speed of an object composed of mass increases, time and distance decrease until at near speed of light time and distance approach zero and mass approaches infinity.

This universe has three spatial dimensions with a fourth dimension which we call time. The author can testify that the Father and those living with him observe us on a constant basis while we cannot with any of our senses detect them. From this the only possible conclusion is that the realm of the Father is composed of other dimensions in addition to ours, which we cannot detect. The creation of this universe in terms of our time occurred billions of years ago but what that time period translates to for our Father is beyond our ability to understand. More importantly we are hard pressed to understand time in our universe that can vary from no time (at light speed) to very fast time (for very slow moving objects of mass). Our comfort with the three spatial dimensions and time comes from the fact that this is all we remember. Reality, for those of our Family not confined to this world, is that the seeming solid artifacts of our existence are completely relative and ethereal. Our observation is that the universe began with an explosion. The result was an expansion of the space-time previously trapped in the primordial black hole along with dissociated mass and very high-energy photons. The state of mass shortly after this incident is hard to envision. Theory suggests that the early stage of expansion was at light speed, and so time and space in those circumstances were, for us, incomprehensible. If we could look into the infant universe we would see only very bright light. As the universe expanded, a gradual cooling allowed the condensation of mass. With still more cooling mass began coalescing into proto galaxies and the ambient temperature of the Universe fell below that required for visible light. For the first time since the universe began, human eyes could detect areas of space that were not luminous. In Genesis we read (“ And God said, let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”) The similarity of this account with what science suggests is evident. At that time life as we know it could not have existed because of the high ambient temperature of the universe. This was the time in which stars were being formed and they in turn were building heavier elements as they rushed through sometimes-short life spans to explode as novas and supernovas. The debris of these stellar cataclysms were swept up in the formation of later generation stars and the planetary systems that circle most stars.

The galaxy and solar system in which we live are part of an immense universe. It would be folly to assume that this universe was created solely for this planet, since there are probably innumerable such worlds. However we should not ignore the remote possibility that this universe was created for just our world and no other.

The post big bang events that resulted in our universe are rapidly being deciphered by science, and our understanding will increase with time. The Solar System itself is yielding its secrets and its formation is somewhat better understood. The Sun and its planetary system were formed from the cinders of other stars. We know this to be true since the heavy elements that make up the Earth are only produced in the cores of stars. In the beginning the only matter in the universe was hydrogen and from it, through the process of fusion, higher atomic weight elements were produced. The solar system as it began to form must have looked like a huge whirlpool of dust and gas. As gravitational contraction continued the center of the whirlpool became the sun. Within this vast cloud there were eddies which became the planets and moons.

The heavier elements were more prevalent towards the center of the proto solar system and so the earth and other inner planets are mostly rocky in character. If we consider the inner planets it is obvious that only Earth is capable of comfortably supporting life at this time. Yet that was not always the case for the Earth. Billions of years ago the Earth’s surface was pocked with impact craters and ran with constant lava flows while the atmosphere was, for us, poisonous. As time passed the Earth cooled and water began to condense from the atmosphere. The first rains were immediately vaporized as they fell on molten rock. The surface of the Earth was unrecognizable because the plasticity of the then very thin crust would have not allowed for large variations in height. Because of this the first oceans, when they finally formed, would have covered most of the planet surface with only volcanoes showing above the surface of the sea. As the crust of the Earth thickened, tectonics became the prime shaper of the Earth. Its effects were to create the first dry land and mountain ranges.

Compare this with the account in Genesis. (While doing this please keeps in mind that when the Father imparts knowledge to a man, that that message will be reported within the framework and language of that individual’s perception of the world.) “And God said, let there be a firmament”(Atmosphere)” in the midst of the waters,’ (gaseous and liquid water) ‘and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters, which were under the firmament from the waters, which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God created the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God created the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.” The two days of the creation that are reported took hundreds of millions of years from the beginning of the Earth. We the children of God on Earth may have difficulty in understanding the vastness of millions or billions of years but to God time is just another dimension to be used in the creation process. It also helps to keep in mind that to God this universe is insubstantial and of a temporary nature.

The Earth continued to cool and in the warm seas mortal life began. The first life would not look like life to us for it was based on complex chemical reactions. It could be characterized as organic molecules with the ability to use chemicals found in the ocean to reproduce. (Life is fundamentally defined by reproduction.) If you were to place modern bacteria in the oceans of the time they would probably not survive. As time progressed these molecules evolved forming more complex and viable molecules. Some used sunlight as a source of energy in the building of progeny and some used the molecules of others for energy. Over great periods of time this evolution led to organisms that became more like modern algae and bacteria. Each step in this progression was building a base upon which further advancements would be made and the food chain evolved with ever more competitive organisms. God’s chosen tool for creation was/is evolution.

The sea was the birthplace of life on Earth. It was from the sea that the first land life came and that life derived its energy from the sun using gases and the broken bits of rock in tidal flats for raw material. Plants have always provided food for animals that followed in their wake. Each would continue to evolve to more complex and efficient forms with the passage of time. Life in the sea became profuse and complex while competition was driving evolution ever more swiftly. The profusion of life forms provided ever more possible sites for mutation and evolution to occur. Life upon land lagged behind the sea because it is a harsher environment. However those organisms that were able to adapt found a vast ecological niche with virtually no competition. With time life forms in the sea were forced by competition to the less crowded environment of the land and so the quickening pace of evolution swept from the sea to the land. The Earth of the time was still quite warm by our standards with abundant rainfall and high humidity. All of these factors helped provide abundant primitive life with favorable living conditions. Even the catastrophes of meteor falls and volcanism added to conditions favoring evolutionary change. The acceleration of evolution is recorded in the rock strata of the Earth and that change in rate can be attributed to burgeoning numbers of life forms and the expanding food chain. It is evident to the student of paleontology that the time from the beginning of the Earth to the first complex life forms is measured in billions of years while the time after the advent of those organisms is measured in millions of years. (The 80-year human life span makes understanding such time periods difficult.) Time is strictly an artifact of our universe and the days of creation will appear to grow shorter with each passing epoch. The next passage in genesis tells us in a poetic way that for animal life to exist there must first be plant life to extract energy from the Sun. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth: and it was so.”

Several thousand of years ago a prophet (Moses) received these revelations from God and did his best to translate them for contemporaries. The question for each of us is a creation that takes billions of years the same as a creation that takes seven days when we don’t comprehend what either time period means. There are those who will say that any concept of creation that does not encompass a magical and literal seven earth day beginning for this Earth is wrong. Are they, in their ignorance, challenging the methods of God by saying that their concept of time is more correct? It should not be assumed that the creation was anything but strictly controlled and was not just allowed to progress by chance alone. Every step led to the next as soils evolved, which then played host to new plants that could use those soils to advantage. The food chain pyramid of both animals and plants grew layer upon layer in a slow but accelerating crescendo.

The age of dinosaurs represents a focus that excites us because of the shear size of these amazing creatures. This era also was home for many less imposing forms of fife. The rock records of the time show us an accelerating evolution of plants and animals as life forms struggled to fill ever changing ecological niches only to be displaced by ever more competitive life forms. Warm seas in which life abounded surrounded the continents and to this point survival was a function of competition for available food or space. Toward the last of the age of dinosaurs, other factors became important. The Earth was continuing to cool with atmospheric carbon dioxide levels declining with the slowing of volcanism. With the advent of mammals the age of reptiles slowly retreated. During these times mammals became ever more competitive and they claimed increasingly more ecological space. The dinosaurs were evolving as well but their heritage resulted in the much smaller but very showy birds. Plant life evolved just as quickly as animal life during these times. The age of mammals blossomed in cooler climates brought by continued cooling while the continents began to resemble those of today. The rock record testifies of many large and small mammals that existed only to be replaced by improved successors. Among these were animals that resembled modern apes and monkeys.

Before continuing further with the chronicle of the creation there is need to consider some background information that should help to bring understanding to a subject that at very least is highly inflammatory. The creation up to the time of the introduction of Adam and Eve into the world was/is typified by survival of the fittest. After the introduction of Adam and Eve to mortality, God expected that they, and eventually all men and women, would live by a new law that demanded man would become responsible for and concerned for others. The difficulty of such behavior is apparent considering the millions of years of competition induced genetic programming that tells each of us to survive at any expense. We all understand selfishness from our own experiences. This innate behavior would have us dominate others and be allied only with the socially dominant. Competition to establish superiority over other members of a tribe is obvious with most social animals including the primates. With supremacy goes the right to reproduce and eat the best food. That these desires are still a part of the instinct of modern man is inarguable.

These traits are a part of mankind’s genes. These same genetic imperatives were evident as well in the children of Adam an Eve. The parents of the sowing are first spoken of as being created in and living in the Garden. The Garden was unique in several respects. The first was that life there did not require survival of the fittest. All life within the Garden was perfect in every sense for it was patterned after the life forms found in our Fathers universe. This perfection was not only cosmetic but also genetic. Adam and Eve were truly Son and Daughter of God in a physical as well as a spiritual sense. We should assume that these two had perfected genetics, which were based upon the genes of this world and more importantly, knowledge of Gods laws. This subject will be expanded further in a later chapter.

In Genesis, the prophet Moses records his interpretation of what was revealed to him by God which misplaces several events that occurred earlier in the creation. The problem may not have been in the original but could have crept in with subsequent translations or recopying. However, as currently written the Sun and Moon and stars are created after the plant life of the Earth. It cannot be said that anything is impossible for God, but in the orderly creation, which we see recorded in stone it is apparent, that God constructs in an orderly manner. Therefore, it is extremely probable that the creation of the stars, Sun, and solar system occurred much earlier in the creation. In no way does this mean that seven periods of time or eras were not used by God only that somehow that the current text has been scrambled, or was not fully understood by the prophet or those who scribed the original record. The rock strata of Earth shows that plants and animals were developing at the same time and the sea was the medium where the first plants and animals existed. This knowledge does not detract from the account in Genesis but rather is a testimony of the difficulty of rendering immortal truths using the flawed tool of mortal language. Consider Moses a man whose whole experience is ancient Egypt and nomadic animal husbandry, who was challenged to find words to describe the creation as accurately as he did when we are just beginning to understand the creation today. Consider now the words of Moses. “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Moses recorded what he was shown by God in his words and concepts, but he also gave us a record that conveys the importance of a whole and complete ecological system to support life.

As we consider evolution we are mindful that it was the tool God chose for creation. Many hundreds of thousands of years ago a branch of the primate family began to walk full time on their hind legs, thus freeing the front legs for manipulation of objects. These early primates left their skeletal remains in layers of sedimentary rock just as their ancestors did. The evolution of this family of primates is of intense interest to modern paleontologists because they believe them to be the progenitors of modern man. The animals and indeed the primates of this era would still appear very strange to us.

The climate of the Earth was gradually cooling and this factor led to decreasing or changed food supplies as the Earth moved toward another ice age. Because adversity fuels evolution, this event saw increasing numbers of organisms that could take advantage of the cooler climate. This adaptability is plainly seen in modern insects that develop tolerance for poison sprays or bacteria that develop immunity to antibiotics. This does not mean that the mutations that were more successful under new conditions would have been successful if conditions had not changed. It means only that life evolves to take advantage of current conditions.

The primates that walked on two feet continued to evolve and became expert in the use of rudimentary tools and their brain size increased in response to the challenges of the changing environment. The creation of the Earth was/is not a random happening, it was an orchestrated building of layer upon layer of life. In time, the equivalent of modern man appeared with the ability to construct sophisticated tools, to paint, and to mourn the dead. However their creation did not complete the work. Another step was to occur and it was essential. The Earth at this time was a place of kill or be killed, a place that made no allowance for weakness. The ice ages had repeated themselves several times and all the animals of Earth were competitive and strong but the strongest were the tribes of early man, they could and did eradicate some of the largest and fiercest land mammals.

The next era is the most important of all creation for the Earth was ready for planting that most important of all crops. In Genesis we read: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. The creation was not finished with this statement however because he had yet to build a Garden in Eden and place in the garden his son Adam and his daughter Eve. It is important to understand that two creations are referred to in Genesis the first is the creation of the Earth and the second the creation of the Garden of Eden. To this point we have been concerning ourselves with the first.

The plan called for a garden in Eden with a man and a woman who would be named Adam and Eve. The garden was not of the Earth but rather was isolated from the rest of the world by God. How this was done will be discussed in a later chapter. Nevertheless it was done because the laws of the garden were not survival of the fittest. Everything in the garden was perfection genetically and physically including the two children of God. There was no death in the garden; all life within was immortal. The animal life ate only the fruit of plant life so that even plants did not give up their lives to sustain animals. Outside of the garden life continued as before with survival of the cleverest and strongest. This state of affairs may have continued for some time and we have no information from which to estimate the length of time they stayed in the garden. We are aware of the story of Adam and Eve, the fall and how that occurred. It is a story that has both Adam and Eve in the untenable position of obeying a rule and by so doing preventing the eventual harvest, or disobeying and launching the great work of creation.

There was never any question that the two would metaphorically eat of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. The fruit was the conscious decision of Adam and Eve to become mortal. Once the decision was made and implemented the two were of necessity ejected from the idyllic and innocent state of the garden. It is certain that they were schooled by the Father in survival in this world prior to their departure. One of the most profound changes for them was going from a state in which they were in constant communication with God to one in which communication was very infrequent. Students of the New Testament are aware of the immense suffering of Christ when he was cut off from that constant communication the same happened to Adam and Eve. They certainly suffered for the loss of that privilege as well as coming into a world of pain and suffering. The era of creation culminated with this event.

CHAPTER TWO

THE PATRIARCHS

Upon leaving the garden Adam and Eve found themselves in the position of supporting life in a hostile world. Obviously, the change to an environment in which survival was not guaranteed was very difficult. Plants and animals that had competed and won their right to exist including the hominids inhabited the mortal Earth. The law that was used to create them sculpted the life forms of this world.

Evolution is controlled by many factors but there is one without which it could not occur, and that was and is death. Death is imperative for without it the whole process ceases. What progress could there be if the young did not replace the old, and the possible beneficial mutations they carried? On this world of limited resources the adults must make way for their children. Without this all the ecological niches would have been filled by the first life forms that appeared on the Earth and never relinquished, and if that were the case no room could be found for any but the immortals that came first.

Adam was immortal upon entering this world. His body was constantly replacing cells and parts as they wore out. That does not mean that he could not be killed by physical trauma, but only that physically his body was designed for eternity. The eventual death of Adam after 930 years can be attributed to mutation of his DNA. These changes were caused by background radiation and defensive chemicals produced by the plants and animals that formed their new diet. Life after the garden had only one sure outcome and that was eventual death of the body.

Adam and Eve began having children at a later age than the norm for endemic man. The record only makes mention of the male children which does make extrapolation more difficult. We know that there were female children but we are not given names or birth dates for them. Nor are we given names for male children other than the first-born or the birthright male in most instances. It appears from the record that the first-born male was never born prior to the sixtieth year of the patriarchal father. As we observe in the case of Enoch and his son Methuselah, and sometimes not till the father is over 100 years.

We are told that Adam and Eve had many children but unfortunately we are not told how many. Estimating the number is possible by making assumptions and using the age of the few children who are mentioned. We know that Abel (birth date approximately 90 years after garden) was the first born male in the family of Adam and that there was another son called Cain (birth date not given). Cain killed Abel and the third son Seth (birth date 130 years AG) received the birthright. Assuming that Adam and Eve began having children at 90 years (as later children and grand children did) and that they had an equal number of male and female children then in the period from 90 to 130 years approximately six children were born or about one every 6.7 years. The record states that Noah was nearly 500 years old when his first son was born. Since his son Ham was born so late in his life we could conservatively assume that they remained fertile up to 600 years. That would lead us to the assumption of a 510 year period of fertility with approximately 76 children being born to a couple in a life time. Further we will assume that most children survived because of the superior bodies they inherited from their parents. Since Adam was still alive to celebrate the birth of Lamech, his five fold great grandson, in the line of first-born sons. We can comfortably assume that the population at that time was approximately 250,000. This population figure could be adjusted because of voluntary exiles or defections, which probably increased with time, and some would have been murdered or killed in wars, leading to a lower figure of around 150,000. At the time of the flood it is possible that the number of the children of Adam was close to a million. As time passed genetic mutations were occurring in the bodies of the patriarchs and these were passed on to succeeding generations. Considering the perfection present at the beginning, all of these mutations would lead either to no effect in most cases, and deleterious effects in a significant few with regard to life span and health. However, another factor was probably even more important in this regard, but first we must consider some background information before proceeding.

To this point in the narrative we have not considered the men and women found on the earth prior to Adam's departure from the garden, but they also are important in the history of the patriarchs. These indigenous people would have been attracted to the borders of the lands inhabited by Adam’s extended family. This attraction would have grown with time as the prosperity of the group increased. The average life span of these men and women was approximately 30 years, as estimated by archeologists. Their appearance was not dissimilar to the children of Adam nor evidently did their genetics prevent interbreeding (this will be discussed later). From (6 Genesis 1-2) it is evident that the children of Adam were instructed not to interbreed with these men. The source of this instruction is not stated, but surely it was based upon the vast difference in the manner of life between the two groups (the men of the Earth lived the law of kill or be killed). However, this formed the foundation of the prejudice observed in later times among the children of Israel against those who were outsiders, or gentiles. Certainly there was a great need during the early years to prevent the decline of the Adams children to a condition of spiritual ignorance and savagery. However, from our Fathers point of view if any of these indigenous people (who are also His children) wished to observe his new law they would be welcomed in the Father's church and the community of Adam’s children. Certainly some were converted and after which intermarriage began. The patriarchal line, however, scrupulously observed the non-intermarriage rule until the time of Noah. In the case of Cain intermarriage was the rule rather than the exception and it is likely that few of his children were interested in Gods desires.

Given the situation where else would one who was exiled go but to the camps of the men of the Earth, where, because of the mystique these advanced men were surely welcomed. The result of crossbreeding was children with shortened life spans, compared to the patriarchs, but lengthened as compared to those in the tribe. Certainly some of the half-breed children would seek to join the children of Adam as converts.

It would have been very surprising if Cain was the only rebel and so we should presume that many became disaffected for myriad reasons leaving the fellowship of Adam's and Eve's family and Gods Church. Intermarriage of the two groups was inevitable and certainly was not unplanned for by God, for he knew it would happen. It should be clear that if the plan formulated by God did not make provision for the ability to interbreed, then the genetic makeup of the men of the earth would not have been compatible with the sons and daughters of Adam. Surely the patriarchal line avoided the intermixing longer than probably all other lines. The first noticeable effect is with Noah's son Shem and his son Arphaxad who lived 600 and 440 years respectively. By the time of Abraham life spans were down to 180 years and falling. To help visualize all these trends refer to Figures 1,2,3, which follow.

It should not amaze us that the children of Adam began straying quickly for almost all families have black sheep. Certainly, their family did, it began with the second born son Cain. The reason for this disaffection certainly was not for lack of good example from Adam and Eve or the lack of Gods discourse with Cain. In fact he talked to God directly after he murdered Abel, at which time he thought to lie to God, he was then told his punishment. He broke the law of his God in a moment of passion and afterward must have known that he would be discovered and punished. We might assume that he felt the reward was worth the risk of his punishment. But what did he believe his reward to be? Some have argued that he felt that he would become more powerful than Satan is by this act. It seems unlikely however that this could have been his immediate goal since the prospect of that reward, if such it is, was certainly rather far removed for a man who had no idea when he would die or possibly if he would die. Rage and jealousy were probably his only motivation and he in all probability murdered his brother in a fit of passion. His exile came swiftly and he would not have been able to take any of Abel’s possessions into exile. He of course was probably convinced that he was unjustly punished. In his mind he rationalized that his brothers perceived superior attitude justified his actions. We may safely presume he taught his children that he was innocent and unfairly judged. This is a familiar story, the same story is told every day in the courts and jails of the modern world. Those who commit crimes rarely admit they were at fault. The excuses are legion, but usually revolve around the concept that they were compelled to do what they did by their victims. They despise those who they consider to be goody-goody. This rationale of course is evident even in the non-criminal interplay between men. The one thing we can be sure of and that is that Cain was not repentant of his action and he would have lied to God if he could have done so. He indeed founded and institutionalized the art of lying amongst Adam’s children. We should also remember that Cain probably lived over 900 years and had opportunity to spread his version of events as is the way of all who choose that course. He probably fathered many more children, than his brothers or sisters, through the vastly more fertile women he discovered in his exile (compare the birthrate of the women of the family of Adam with that of modern women).

Seth, the son of Adam, received the birthright and he observed the law of his father and of God. He had a son whose name was Enos who probably followed the law and teachings of his father and grandfather. The number of children in the family must have been fairly substantial during his later years. The progression of events within the group surely was one in which the children moved to new spots along the fertile river valley in which Adam had settled to establish settlements for themselves and their children. Obviously the river valley or valleys would offer the easiest and most convenient place to live, and there was plenty of room for expansion for this primarily agrarian people. The distance between communities would provide a buffer between groups but not be so great as to prevent a common defense. Travel to other settlements would have been primarily local in nature but on the whole they would have tended to stay in close geographical proximity except for the exiles.

The record becomes brief after Seth with just cryptic references to the years and who was next in the line. Cainan was the son of Enos and his son was Mahalaleel. The line continued with Jared then Enoch. With Enoch something extraordinary occurred in that we are told that he "walked with God and he was not; for God took him". The Father does not take or translate a man or woman unless that individual has reached a state of perfection that will no longer allow them to remain on the Earth. When Enoch was taken, it should be noted that only Adam and Seth had died and all the other patriarchs were alive (see figure 3). We observe that though Enoch was translated that others of the patriarchal line remained including his son Methuselah and grandson Lamech. Lamech's son was Noah of who there is much recorded.

Noah is well known to us but there is much more to be understood about his times that pertain to religious history. In chapter six of Genesis verses one and two we read "And it came to pass, when men (indigenous man) began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters (Indigenous woman) were born unto them, That the sons of God (Adam's progeny) saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them to wives of all which they chose." In other words the sons of god (the male members of the family of Adam and Eve) took wives from the camps of men (who were probably a mixture of the original men and women of the Earth and the dissidents from the sons and daughters of Adam). The result is that we see (figure one) that the life spans of the children of Noah became much shorter which leads to a question. Why didn't Noah have children until he was 500 years old (see figure #3)? This was extremely unusual even for the relatively late reproducing patriarchal line. From the reference in Genesis it would seem likely this occurred because of a lack of, purebred women for him to marry. From this we might presume that when he finally married, with Gods knowledge and consent, he took as wife, or wives, who were of mixed genetic ancestry, but were nevertheless spiritually qualified. We read in the third verse of Genesis six "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." In other words the mixture of the two groups would result in shorter life spans for the patriarchs. But, more importantly this change seems in some way to make communication with the Father and his Kingdom more difficult. Why the latter occurred we can only conjecture but it would seem likely that some basic difference in the ability to hear and understand God was a part of the genetic makeup of the bodies of the sons of Adam.

We know that Noah labored to redirect those who had strayed from the path outlined by the Father. He did not enjoy great success in this for he had only his family with him on the Ark. All of those who would have been classed as the sons and daughters of Adam had fallen away. This in spite of the fact they enjoyed a greater ability to talk to and understand the Father.

God told Noah that he would destroy those who had fallen and the lands, on which they lived and instructed him to make an ark for him, his family and the animals he prized. The need for their destruction most certainly came from open rebellion against God. They would have delayed the implementation of his plan if He did not take action. For their part they had sure knowledge of God and his laws yet sought after power and dominion over the Earth. In the end however, cleansing the Earth needed only the elimination of the rebels, not all life.

Noah was instructed to build an ark 450 feet long (137 meter) 75 feet wide (22.9 meters) and 45 feet high (13.7 meters). There were three levels with an approximate square footage of 27,000 square feet (3,137 square meters) per level. Into this space Noah was instructed to load food for he and his family and the animals that were to accompany them. The food had to be sufficient to support the lives of all for approximately one year. We are told in Genesis that all life upon the face of the Earth was destroyed in the flood and certainly to those who were on the ark it must have seemed so. From their point of view the flood was truly awesome as it swept down the valleys that had been inhabited by the children of Adam since the departure from the garden. Those on the ark, from whom the story came, must have believed that all life was swept from the Earth. However, if we look at the information given and the evidence recorded in the Earth's record we must conclude that the flood covered only the area inhabited by the progeny of Adam.

First consider the capacity of the ark and the amount of food plus animal and human life it could carry. Consider as well the plant life that would be necessary for establishing life after the flood. Certainly if the whole world were covered with water for ten months almost all plant life would die except for a few odd seeds that could survive being completely waterlogged. The scriptural record tells us that Noah, his wife or wives, three male children (and probably their sisters), and their wives or husbands were on the Ark. If we assume that each person would consume two pounds of food a day and that there were probably at least 10 people then the food for required would run about 8000 pounds (3628 kg). This figure is fairly inconsequential though, when compared to the amount of food eaten by the herbivores of which mostly there were seven (the clean beasts) of each species aboard. Food for seven horses for a year would require 168,000 pounds of hay (76,190 kg), seven cows would require 252,000 pounds (114,285 kg), and seven Elephants would require 2,520,000 pounds (1,142,857 kg). If we then consider all the herbivores of the Earth, as large as the ark was there would not have been sufficient room for that much food let alone the animals. That leads us to conclude that the ark was meant only for the animals and seeds that were used commonly by the people of Adam. The only conclusion is that the flood was a local event that was great enough to destroy the wicked and their land but not great enough to cover the whole Earth. Then we don't need to rationalize the existence of the unique species of Australia, America, and Africa etc. Or invent insupportable theories to explain their re-establishment in their ecological niches. Further we don't need to explain where all the water came from and went.

Noah and the Ark therefore were washed out to sea by a very large flood. The ten-month voyage most certainly covered a great distance from the lands of Adam. We know that the voyage carried them to what we know as the Middle East. The starting point of the Journey can be extrapolated, since we know the time spent adrift at sea, to somewhere in the Americas. Further refinement of this extrapolation could be made. By considering the large area of the flood, we would suspect a large fairly flat area relatively close to rivers in a Temperate Zone where ice dams formed by receding glaciers might be located up stream. Such an area could have been located in the central United States.

When Noah and his family released a dove and the dove returned with an olive branch, they felt that they might leave the ark and begin their new life. It should be noted that an olive tree that had been under water for ten months would not have survived to produce a new shoot. The record of the patriarchs, of course, was kept by Noah through this time and reflects his understanding of the events of the flood. If you refer to figure one, you will see that Noah was still alive when Abraham was born and died only 30 years before Isaac was born. Shem, the son of Noah, was still alive when Israel marked his 50th year. The isolation of the families or groups of people must have been great in this new land for youngest of the patriarchs to record so little of the events of the older men in that line. Essentially the only information recorded is the birth and death dates for most in the line (this probably came from a memorized oral history). Little bits of information sneak into the account occasionally that have the ring of stories that were passed from father to son, but these are unfortunately few.

The tower of Babel represents one of these, and from it we can extract some information. The first concerns the language of the descendants of Noah, which had been passed down from his fathers, and all of Noah’s children used it. This was not true for the many indigenous tribes they encountered that were attracted to the civilization of the children of Noah. The confounding of speech was probably of natural origin. The result was that isolation of groups of Noah’s children became more pronounced as communication became difficult. Another point of interest is that the group that founded Babel came from the East. This leads us to believe that the original landing place of Noah's Ark may have been somewhat different than the traditional view.

The result of the breakdown of communication is many sided. The children of Noah were not able to complete the Tower of Babel its true. The inability to communicate must also have caused a good deal of mistrust for those who were no longer close. The method of the confounding of languages was very simple and natural. Certainly the building of a large tower would have attracted men (tribes of men) from great distances and each of the new tribes would certainly have brought with them their language. Since the time of construction was relatively long, the children of Noah would have tended to marry into and have been assimilated into the various tribes that had come to witness and perhaps help build the tower.

It is natural for those speaking the same language to separate themselves from other groups. The net effect was the dispersion of the children of Noah across the face of the Earth. As with all occurrences, there are negatives and positives and it is obvious that the spreading of Noah's seed throughout the world was important to the plan of God. If you consult figure one, you will also see the trend of shortening life span continue in the line of the patriarchs, which leaves us to believe that the intermixing of the genetics of the children of the Earth was progressing very rapidly. This trend would be much more pronounced in the non-patriarchal lines where the selection of mates was not necessarily meticulously scrutinized. The dispersion from Babel would have accelerated the intermixing of the two groups of men. However, the record follows only the patriarchs, and we hear little of the others except when they are referred to as gentiles. The intermixing is complete in modern man where we see a great many individuals with features that were typical of Cro-Magnon man. It also explains the statement of Christ when he said that God could provide children for Abraham from the rocks of the Earth. Referring to the fact that all life was created from the elements or dust of the Earth. The dispersion of Noah's children can be likened to the leavening of bread, for it led to mankind, as we know it today.

The record becomes sketchy after Noah and his sons and remains so until Abraham. We are told cryptically that in the days of Peleg the lands were divided. How they were divided remains a question. Did the children divide the lands creating borders or did sea level rise enough to cut some land bridge between two areas? It's hard to say with the information in Genesis.

The record becomes voluminous with Abraham and marks the beginning of many of the Middle Eastern tribes. The most important of these was Israel. Little is said of priesthood until Abraham, but certainly all the patriarchs were holders of the priesthood that God gave to Adam. This priesthood can be characterized as the right of proxy in the administration of Gods kingdom on Earth, as well as the right of prophecy both personal, and that meant for all the children of the Father on the Earth.

CHAPTER THREE

ABRAHAM, ISAAC, and ISRAEL

Abraham, his son and Grandson were all a part of the patriarchal line, which is traced back to Adam. However the record changes radically with them and we must presume that this reflects the change from oral history to written history. Another factor in this change was the fervor with which the prophets and children of Israel devoted to this new form of history. This caused a wealth of information representing the views of those who could write. We of necessity, have to winnow the recorded thoughts of the many divergent views to arrive at the truths that dovetail with the laws of God and the Universe.

When Abraham was seventy-five years old he was led to the land that was later to be called Israel, and there he made sacrifice to God. The reason for sacrifice was the dedication of the new land for the use of his family. At their arrival in the land Abraham and Sarah were without children. His tribe consisted of his father Terah, probably his mother who is not named and many servants. Additionally, Lot, the son of Abraham's brother, was part of the tribe. It is interesting that there were many others with them who were "servants" owned by Abraham and Lot. The servants were considered to be a part of the family rather than just slaves. Their number was fairly substantial, for Abraham was able to field a small army when necessary. Terah, Abraham's father, is never mentioned again, even though he must be a part of the entourage. If he had left, it would surely have been mentioned, and yet he shares the fate of those before him in that he disappears from the record. He died when Isaac was over thirty years old and was outlived by his sixth great grandfather Shem (figure 3). If Abraham were alive today many would view him as a despot, but of course in his day such a lifestyle was advantages for him and also for those who served by providing security to all.

Abraham and those with him were all nomadic shepherds and did not build permanent dwelling places. The narrative informs us that, after his first visit to the land of promise, he found a famine in the land and so moved south to find better pasture for his animals. This eventually brought him to the land of Egypt which for him was a wicked if prosperous country. Before entering Egypt he took his wife aside and told her, and probably all those with him, to say that she was his sister. He feared that the Egyptians would kill him if they knew that he was married to such a beautiful woman (This clearly shows us his opinion of the Egyptians). Sarah at the time was at least 65 years old, and yet was attractive enough to cause such concern. This should not surprise us, for in both she and Abraham ran the blood of the patriarchs, genetically speaking. The relative youthfulness of Sarah and Abraham was undoubtedly proportionate to their total life span.

To help keep our perspective, it should be noted that at this time in the life of Abraham Noah had just died and Shem, Arphaxed, Salah, Eber, Reu, Serug and Terah, all members of the patriarchal line still lived. It is evident that the intermixing of the genetics of the children of the Earth was occurring ever more rapidly with each new generation in the line. Those who had died tended to be the youngest, like Nahor, Abraham's grandfather and Peleg, Nahor's great grandfather.

The morality of the day is exemplified by the account of Sarah being taken into the Pharaoh's house, with Pharaoh bargaining with Abraham for her purchase. We are told that for this, God plagued Pharaoh and when he discovered that she was Abraham's wife he accused Abraham of lying. He also asked him to explain why he had done this to him. He, being still aggrieved (perhaps feigned), ordered Abraham, Sarah and the rest of their group to leave Egypt, with an escort to make sure they did. The record thus gives us a somewhat fuzzy view of this Pharaoh. Was he wicked, or was he a man of principle who would not take another mans wife or life? It is difficult to cast him as a wicked man in light of his reaction, but alternately he may be a man of devious intent who feared a furtherance of the plagues. Then again, perhaps Abraham prejudged the people of Egypt and found that his prejudice was not correct. Certainly it is the kind of mistake that comes from judicious consideration of potential pitfalls in a foreign culture.

We know that Abraham then traveled to the north and there found that his herds and Lot's herds could not coexist in the same area, so they amicably separated so that there would be no friction between the two groups. Sometime after the separation, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah lost a battle with other kings of the area and Lot was taken captive with them. Abraham, on hearing, sent a force of 318 men who rescued Lot and his family. From this we can presume that the number of people in this nomadic camp was fairly large. Surely if an army of 318 could be enlisted there were more than a thousand (perhaps two or three thousand) men, women and children in his camp. It also gives us reason to believe that the kingdoms that his army defeated were not much, if any, more populated.

Most of those in the camp must have been servants for Abraham did not have an heir, and this worried him greatly. He was wrong in his concern because he should have known that God was not going to let the line expire with him. Abraham and Sarah were vulnerable to self-doubts, and evidently felt they must find an alternative to the lack of posterity. The solution was that Abraham would take another woman as a wife (a gentile). This was not an uncommon arrangement for the times but it is one that brought with it many problems.

Sarah was chosen from the few available females in the highly inbred line to be Abraham's wife and the mother of the continuing line of patriarchs. When Sarah was about 75 years old she gave her handmaid to Abraham as a second wife. Her name was Hagar and she was an Egyptian. Abraham either purchased her for Sarah when in Egypt, or she may have been a gift to Sarah from Pharaoh. Nevertheless, she was not the approved mother (by God) for the line of patriarchs. The result of this marriage was the birth of Ishmael. When Hagar became pregnant she rather naturally felt that she had done that which Sarah could not. This led to a very predictable response from Sarah, who now felt like even more of a failure. However, she had one advantage; she was the first love of Abraham. It is evident from Abraham's response to Sarah's complaint about Hagar's pride, that even though Hagar was his wife that she was still considered to be Sarah's maid (servant) and she therefore was subject to the will of Sarah. She was treated "hardly" by Sarah who felt that Hagar was showing disrespect for her. This prompted Hagar to run away to avoid further retribution.

Hagar, however, was certainly innocent of error in the events up to the point that she became proud in doing what Sarah could not, and because of this God blessed her that her son would be the father of a great posterity. She was instructed by God to return to Sarah and to be submissive to her, which she did. In her mind, and probably Abraham's and Sarah's, this child would be the heir. This all occurred when Abraham was in his mid eighties.

When Abraham was 99 years God the Father told him that he and Sarah would have a son. Abraham, being somewhat amused, asked, "can a man who is 100 and women 90 have a child will you not rather consider Ishmael and bless him"? Abraham's incredulity would, upon first glance, appear to be well founded. However, if you accept the fact that a man of 50 years and a woman of 40 years can have a child in a life span of 70, years then proportionately Abraham and Sarah might well expect to have a child at ages 128 and 102, respectively, in a life span of 180 years. We can assume that since Abraham was doubtful, he was judging his ability to father a child with Sarah by the yardstick of his experience with shorter-lived servants in his traveling city. It would seem that he did not fully understand his heritage. His difference sprang from the heritage of his fathers, and the line of the patriarchs would be the last to reach genetic equilibrium with the rest of mankind. We can also presume that Abraham had lost touch with the others of his line who were still alive during his life span. This is what we would expect considering his nomadic lifestyle. Ultimately, the promised heir was born to Abraham and Sarah, and his name was Isaac.

Sarah was in fact Abraham's sister; they shared the same father, Terah, but they had different mothers. The practice of marrying sisters was traditional, in that it started with the children of Adam and Eve when the danger of genetic deformity due to inbreeding was zero, due to the genetics of Adam and Eve. With time, however, the chance of genetic deformity increased as the children of the covenant intermixed with the men of the Earth. This may be the reason that Abraham and Sarah were relatively infertile while Abraham's fertility with unrelated wives was extraordinary. Abraham took another wife whose name was Keturah, after the death of Sarah, at an age of at least 135 years and she bore him six sons. Abraham's father and probably others of the patriarchal line practiced polygamy, the first mention of which comes with the record of Abraham.

The joy brought by the birth of Isaac was short lived in the household of Abraham, for with it the jealousy between Sarah and Hagar boiled to the surface. Sarah saw, or believed she saw, Ishmael mocking the birth of her son. The result was that Hagar and Ishmael were banished, but not without Abraham blessing them. The blessing was not the same that would go to Isaac, but one that guaranteed a great posterity to Ishmael. The banishment represents the beginning of a feud that still continues between the children of Israel and the Arab nations. The feud seems to us rather pointless because the homogenous nature of mankind almost guarantees that there is no real genetic difference between the two groups today.

We are enlightened as to the process of selection of the covenant wife in the case of Rebekah, who was selected to be Isaac's wife. Abraham's brother Nahor, and probably a sister Milcah, had a son by the name of Bethuel, who in turn fathered Rebekah. Abraham chose her as the wife of Isaac. The inbreeding of the patriarchs had not reached the point of total disaster with Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. God allowed and encouraged this practice because of the need for a direct link from Adam to Jesus Christ. To practice such inbreeding today represents extreme folly, because such marriages would bring many genetically deformed children. That this was not the case for these men adds credence to the concept of the genetic perfection of Adam and his children. However, equilibrium was surely in sight, for with each passing generation the life spans of the patriarchal line continued to decline and approach the life span of the men of the Earth.

The story of Jacob and Esau is well known, and we will not discuss it at length, but it shows us that the birth right was a spiritual reward and could be granted to the second born or as in the case of Adam's son Seth to the third born. With Jacob (Israel) a rather significant milestone is passed in that Shem, Salah and Eber all died during his life. Thus passed the last men who lived for several hundreds of years. The lifestyle of Jacob and his brother was that of nomadic herdsmen, just as it had been for his father and grandfather. They were prophets of God, but they were also men who had to deal with the daily necessity of living in a world that was greatly different from the world of today. Their interpretation of the things they were shown by God would be told in the words and understanding of their culture. We must remember this as we try to understand their perceptions from our vantage point. We have little in common with these men in almost every respect, and if one of these men and his entourage were suddenly placed in our time he would be in court telling a judge why he should not go to jail on charges of slavery. Certainly women, in general, would be offended by the fact that his wives were highly valued possessions who had to obey their husbands every command. If the lifestyle or their actions offend us we should remember that they were important in establishing the heritage and teachings of God. These men were not perfect and made mistakes and learned from them. A prophet, in any case, speaks for God only when directed by God and has no authority beyond that. Additionally, those acts for which we might condemn them might in actuality have been adjudged as the correct thing to do by a jury of their peers.

The children of Jacob, of whom there were 12 sons (daughters?), were largely an undisciplined lot who embarrassed their father with deviousness and caused him great agony when they sold the favored son Joseph into slavery. They told their Father that he had been slain by a beast. The birthright son Joseph was the first-born son of Rachel, the woman whom Jacob would have married first if not for the duplicity of his father in law. He was next in the long line patriarchs. This brought the wrath of the older siblings on Joseph.

The connection with Egypt runs deep in the lives of the patriarchs as a place where they find refuge from various hazards. From the point of view of the children of Abraham, Egypt certainly was a gentile country with a pagan religion. Yet again and again the covenant children, including Joseph, Mary and the infant Messiah, fled to Egypt for refuge. The logical reasons for this pattern is that Egypt was a large and relatively stable civilization that provided a means of survival in hard times. However, from a spiritual point of view perhaps what we observe is that the chosen people chose disobedience rather often and when they were chastised they would flee to Egypt. Leaving Egypt was not always easy as in the case of Moses and the degree of difficulty seems to be proportionate with the relative innocence of the people. So Egypt represented both prison and safe haven to the children of the patriarchs.

The existence of slavery in this society should be troubling to us. The reason for men and women living in this universe is freedom of choice to do either good or evil, and so there can be no greater wrong than to deprive men or women of the chance to exercise that freedom. If we examine this concept carefully we see that murder is the ultimate act of denial of this right and slavery is also a very serious breech. If we examine in detail the economic systems of the modern world, we will conclude that all enslave man in one way or another? Even in the nations that practice free enterprise the majority are economically enslaved to the few who manage to ascend to the top of the power structure? Those who achieve the lofty peaks of power would say that their gain is deserved because they are more talented, beautiful or intelligent than those lower than them in the social pecking order. They forget that God gave the advantage that they enjoy for the benefit of all mankind and not solely for themselves. The tyranny of the few over the many can be witnessed in all aspects of human society from grade school through adult culture. It is a natural genetic trait that is mirrored in all animal and plant species of the Earth. Certainly mankind's genetic instructions include the directive to gain power and by so doing achieve a greater chance to survive and breed. We should always be mindful of the fact that all life on the Earth is a product of evolution that grants survival to the fittest.

This state of affairs is right with respect to evolution but wrong from the standpoint of our mission on the Earth. In terms of the pasts lack of freedom however, current free society is a vast improvement. The goal is, at some time, hopefully in the near future; that we can live as God has directed us in a society in which all would share all things in common. Ideally man should be able to live in a community in which no one would seek advantage over any other.

So we must judge our ancestors with understanding and remember that by this time in history the Adamic line was no longer what it once was, and the spiritual advantage that was afforded them was certainly waning. Hopefully, we can understand that they were men and women, and the deification of these ancestors does nothing to help the cause of God. Rather it detracts from it as antagonist’s point out the flaws of those who were prophets.

It is difficult for us to discern how the social fabric of Abraham’s time differs from that founded by Adam because of the lack of any real description of the life of the first family. However, it is obvious that those with perfect breeding could and did break the laws of God. We can safely assume that Adam did not make slaves or own other human beings whether indigenous or not. It also seems obvious that Eve was a partner not a possession as shown by equality of the two in the Garden and subsequently after the expulsion. There were certainly changes in family life with the passage of 2000 years, and many of those were in response to the constant battle for survival but it is hard to understand how polygamy was anything but counterproductive.

Some claim that the lot of mankind is a gradual decline into total savagery. That this is wrong is obvious to any student of history. While recorded history reveals many reversals of civilization they have always been countered later with higher standards of freedom. Layer upon layer of generations have built a better world in which more men are made free with the passing years. The accumulation of knowledge and understanding are leading us inexorably to the millennial reign of the Messiah.

Chapter Four

The Children of Israel

Israel conferred the birthright on Joseph, and Joseph probably bestowed it on Ephraim. So at the beginning the patriarchal birthright and priesthood leadership was in their hands. The sojourn of the children of Israel in Egypt started pleasantly, but ended in animosity. In addition the patriarchal thread is broken along with the continuity of the record. The only assumption we can make is that for reasons not stated; leadership by patriarchal birthright was lost in a miasma of Egyptian paganism. The children had fallen into many pagan practices, which they amalgamated with their own religious heritage. This is understandable in light of the multitheistic nature of Egyptian society. The only thread that tied them together in this environment was family and tribal bond. However, leadership was no longer invested in one man, but rather consisted of a loose weave of tribal leaders who could not bring coordinated effort. The inevitable Egyptian persecution is what solidified the children of Israel as a people.

When Moses was sent to rescue them they were ready to follow him and leave Egypt in spite of the unknown dangers of the trip. The Egyptians created the motivation of the people, and Moses, who was slow of speech, had no need of oratory to get them to follow him. This first taste of slavery was just a harbinger of the future in which the children of Israel would be beaten like a piece of metal in a blacksmith's shop. That they were the chosen people in Gods eyes cannot be argued. That they in general acted otherwise is obvious. The record shows us a people much given to leaving the path marked by God, and this propensity eventually led to the institution of the Mosaic Law. This law was a lesser, but very specific, written law that circumscribed in Ten Commandments what was acceptable and not in daily life. Even then it was evident that the law was ignored to a large degree as soon as the influence of Moses, Joshua, other great spiritual leaders was absent. This people, however, represented an island in a world in which the only law was survival of the fittest. Despite their faults, God continued to alternately nurture and discipline the children of Israel. As a result, they became a resilient people who at times were very obedient to the law of their fathers.

With Joshua the last evidence of the decline in the length of life is given, for we are told that he lived 110 years, and we may safely presume that within the next few generations life spans would approximate those of modern man. It is noted, however, that when God took Moses he was 120 years old (the process of translation will be discussed in a later chapter).

The exploits of most of the sons of Jacob (Israel) were of a questionable nature even in their own time, but today they would seem to us the acts of hardened criminals. We must presume that since there was no retribution for their acts they might be considered the norm for the times (might makes right). The world of 2000 BC was brutal. We should not presume that God in anyway condoned much of what we read in the record, only that he was using the best material he had to work with. From this sometimes unlikely material were raised the prophets of God who taught values that have become a beacon to all men.

Moses was called by God to lead organize and in general domesticate the children of Israel. He was unusual in that he conversed with God face to face, which reminds us of Adam, Enoch and Noah. As to why this is unusual is somewhat perplexing, for surely God is willing to impart knowledge to his children at any time. Nevertheless Moses needed every bit of help he could get for the challenge was certainly great. If we could have talked to him after the breaking of the first tablets he brought from Sinai, which contained the higher law that the savior would later re-institute, he would surely have told us he felt like a failure. He of course was not a failure; he persevered and brought the children of Israel to the gates of the land of promise as a unified nation. The legacy of his great work was the founding of the source from which the word of God would spread to all mankind.

When the children of Israel entered the Promised Land Joshua led them. Moses, who was about to be translated, passed leadership to him. With the departure of Moses, we witness a change in emphasis from teaching the law to a more militaristic stance. This transition causes concern in some ways but it does reflect, perhaps, the simplest method of securing a land where the nation of the children of Israel could grow in isolation from the paganism of the rest of mankind. That which causes concern is the killing of those who were in the way. It must be presumed that since they were led by Joshua, who was after all the ordained leader and prophet of God, that the best solution to the problem of preservation of this people as Gods chosen was to remove the source of pagan contamination. This was not necessitated, as a function of genetic purity, as some might believe, for the intermixing of the two groups of men was nearly complete. Therefore the reason was simply the elimination of paganism from the sight of a people who had shown a great propensity to wander into such worship. With regard to the elimination of resident pagans, we should remember that life in this testing place (the Earth) is a gift of God and our Father may withdraw that gift. God certainly has the right to direct the course of his creation, and he had to prevent this fragile beginning from reverting.

After Joshua died, the children of Israel were living in separate tribal areas, and in those parcels of land cities were founded. The chosen people had finally returned to the land of their inheritance. This was a great change for a people whose roots were nomadic, and it was an important step. The gentile world had been living in cities and enjoying the benefits of communal action for many generations. One of the benefits of permanence is that it allows the development of communication skills like writing and record keeping. We observe that the children of Israel soon had a rich society of artisans of every walk.

The leadership of the people fell back to the tribal level, in the post Joshua era, with various tribes acting alone to prosecute the goals of their tribe. It is fair to say that the tribes did not always agree, but if a common enemy came on the scene unity could be immediate if slow. This method of government did leave the children of Israel at a disadvantage, in that the leaders of the surrounding gentile nations were building ever-larger empires with the commensurate increases in fighting men.

The concept of tribal life in which disputes are handled by judges is superior in that it offers more freedom. This, then, is the method that God would favor for his children for that reason. However this method of governance does not generally allow for the quick fielding of an army. This was not a disadvantage as long as God helped them in their battles, for on those occasions relatively small numbers were required to defeat their numerically superior enemies. On other occasions, when they were not so favored by God, the superior forces of the gentiles easily defeated them. This course of events is typical of the relationship of God to man, and it is simply stated that when man is obedient God actively assists, and when he is not he has to solve problems on his own. However in the case of the children of Israel, it is noted that they were at a strategic disadvantage when it came to solving their own problems. The result was a huge swing in the affairs of the children depending on whether God helped them or not.

There is a great deal that is puzzling in the written record of the Old Testament. The concern is that some individuals would appear, in light of the Ten Commandments and modern morality, to be less than perfect, and yet still claiming that God is with them. One cannot help but think of the exploits of Samson and wonder. Perhaps the chroniclers of the record at times were overcome by partisan fervor when writing of a mighty man of the world and his deeds. Nevertheless, it is true that God does not aid those who do evil. He may not hinder them, for that would infringe on the all-important freedom of choice. Therefore, if it appears that God is helping those who do evil it is not so. There is one other possibility as well and that is perhaps the actions of those involved were misrepresented in the record. One truth always remains and that is any act by man that in any way removes the freedom of choice of another is wrong, and would not be condoned by God unless the removal of that freedom is for the protection of society. There is ultimately one judge of man, and to him we should all defer.

The chosen people of God were aware of the method of government among the gentiles, and they coveted it just as they sometimes coveted the pagan gods. During the reign of Samuel, God, who was in fact the king of Israel to that time, reluctantly approved this step backward. Samuel, who had been the judge, or administrator, for the Father was disturbed and felt he had not adequately served. The children of Israel suffered from a common human failing, for which he was not at fault. They simply wanted to be like there neighbors, and have one of their number rule them as King. The people were happy to have God select the king for them, and this is what happened as Samuel was directed to anoint Saul the king of Israel. It proved very difficult for the kings of Israel to remain in favor with God, and in a fairly short time David replaced Saul.

The change in government removed the disadvantage that Israel had suffered in that with central government of all the tribes coordinated action became possible. The gentiles no longer had the advantage they held in the past and with David, who pleased the Father most of his life, Israel now had an even playing field. It, therefore, was not surprising that under David that Israel became a significant power in the region. Those were jubilant years for the children of Israel, for before that time they probably were not worth notice to the king conquerors that were building huge empires amongst the Gentiles. They had become like their envied neighbors.

From our point of view it is clear that even at its height the kingdom of Israel was never a threat to the likes of Egypt and other powerful kingdoms of the time. The reason we of today even remember them is that they were chosen of God. The years of relative power were short lived and the decline began after Solomon was king of Israel, but the people of Israel were survivors and through the years of subjugation they built a society that would weather thousands of years of discrimination and abuse.

The focus of the faith of Israel was the promised savior who would deliver them from their enemies and reward them for their obedience. The prophets of God preached to them and told them of these things. They, in their way, continued to look for that golden age. The majority of the people must not have followed the teachings of the prophets for they were constantly being condemned for their wickedness. Yet, in the way of men, they looked for their big brother to come and settle the score with those who offended them. It is apparent that they did not understand that the plan of god is spiritual in nature and not of the Earth. The temporary nature of life in our dimension is easily forgotten. They, like modern men, had difficulty in understanding that the reward for following the rules of our Father is not temporary, like the things of this Earth. The reason for this myopia is understandable when one remembers that in the creation of this universe the prime requirement was that we be removed from the presence of our Father so that we could prove to ourselves, and to God, that we could make decisions for right. The unique experience of this existence is that other mortals may not know what we are thinking unless we tell them. Because of this and the fact we are not privileged to remember our past existence, men are inclined to think that physical things of this life have importance. The mission of the promised savior was entirely a spiritual one and therefore, was a vast disappointment to the majority of Israel.

The concept of a spiritual existence is very difficult for man to comprehend because of the inability to see or measure any aspect of it. The only proof we have of its existence is the testimony of the prophets and those who have had near death experience. This lack of concrete evidence was part of the plan for this universe and countless other universes. Because we live on this Earth with its four dimensions with no memory of our previous existence, we think that this life is the real or substantial life while the spirit world of our Father is insubstantial. In actuality the opposite is true. To those who are residing in the multidimensional universe (more than four) of the Father, this universe is no more than an ethereal projection. Is it any wonder then that we are told to gather our treasures in heaven for here all things are transitory, save the knowledge we accumulate?

Israel, after the reign of Solomon, was periodically conquered, enslaved, freed and dissected by the more powerful gentile kingdoms of the area. God probably did not cause the punishment they endured, but rather it represents the constant battle of survival of the fittest. When they were victorious certainly it was with the help of our father in most cases, but not necessarily all. It would be wrong to suppose that the children of Israel were not fit and able to survive without the help of God. The truth is that the truly good times they enjoyed as a people were when they served God, while the times when they only managed to survive were during spiritual lows. God is somewhat misrepresented in the record in that he is sometimes portrayed as a vengeful father much given to extreme punishment. Rather he is the father of children who must be taught right from wrong; who with infinite love, patience and justice lets his children make mistakes, hoping they will learn from them. The times when he actively brought death to his gentile or fallen children was when it was imperative to insure the survival of the fragile seed that was to eventually grow and fill the Earth. Of course all men are children of God, but he had to preserve the children of the patriarchs because of his promise to them. The promise was that the savior of the world would be born to the line of Abraham, Noah and Adam, and that the children of the patriarchs would fill the Earth. This promise was kept.

In terms of racial purity, the children of Israel were increasingly less pure with each conquering by other kingdoms. The reason for this is obvious, for the children would intermarry with the children of the conquerors and this was to be expected. Can we help but notice that in our times the Jewish immigrants to modern Israel resemble the people of the countries they immigrate from? But before the complete randomizing of the genetics of the children of Israel occurred, the Son of God would be born of the House of Abraham. That was the promise.

The prophecies concerning the savior increased in number as the time of his birth approached. All of Israel looked forward to his coming. The expectations of the people would prove to be their downfall. The history of this people was not good with regards to their treatment of prophets. Most prophets were vilified during their own time only to be recognized after they died. The actions of the children of Israel should not be viewed with great scorn, for certainly they were doing nothing that modern men would not do. The reaction of most men today to the claim of a contemporary receiving communication from God is one of antagonism and derision. Why men will say they believe the teachings of God and in the same breath proclaim that he no longer communicates with his children is mystifying. Why do they think God communicated with the children of Israel? It certainly wasn’t because they were in more need of guidance was it? We are no better or worse than they as we all stumble through this short life. Is not the need as great for we of today to receive guidance from our Father? Surely those who receive revelation today would be very private about the knowledge they gain, for they would be humiliated and scorned by the majority. Have men changed from the days of old? Would modern man accept the Son of God or lock him in an insane asylum? The Savior of the world was born the king of the Jews and all who call themselves Christians should love and cherish the Jews for the gift they gave to the world.

As we study the record of the children of Israel, we see a society that has fragmented into sects. This is, it would seem, the natural pattern for men as individuals of strong ego promote their particular view as the only correct way of worshipping God. The role of the prophets was one of trying to correct these wanderings and return the people to the path God would have them follow. This always brought the anger of those whose egos were bruised at being criticized. The liturgy of the children had evolved through the days of persecution into a system of laws that closely prescribed every act of life. This, of course, bonded them as a people, but left each of the sects very inflexible. Thus, as the people of Israel approached that most important, and central event, the coming of the Messiah, we find them fragmented and unreceptive (not unlike modern men). We also find them in a condition that they must surely have been accustomed to, under the domination of another conqueror, this time the Romans. Additionally, they are no longer whole as a people because most of the tribes had been led off into captivity. Those tribes are called the lost tribes, for no one knew where they had gone. It is likely that they fanned out through the population of the world in a dispersion that predated that of Judah. They, of course, are not lost to God, for he knows his children.

The Romans through a tyrant called Harrod, who called himself the king of the Jews, ruled Israel. In Harrod we find no aspiration to kindness or justice, only greed and lust for power. In the Romans we find only boredom and contempt for the people they had subjugated. Harrod is revealed as a murderous corrupt politician who could be compared not unfairly to Hitler, Stalin or countless other modern tyrants. He did not have a corner on the wickedness market in his time any more than those to whom we might compare him in our time.

Some think that the Jews of that time were the most wicked of all people in the world because they killed the Messiah. That is not true, for they were in terms of belief in God, and in terms of living the law of God among the best the world had to offer. The fact of the matter is that there are any number of countries and religions of today who would react in the same way to one that spoke plainly against the religious institutions of the powerful. The leadership would arrange to arouse the people against him, and then have him conveniently put away. Certainly, of the peoples of that time, it is fair to say that most, if not all, would have killed the savior, for his message was, and is, an affront to all who are "natural men".

It is important that a perspective be maintained in terms of the relative importance of the children of Israel and the teachings of God with respect to the vast majority of mankind. Obviously to the Romans, Greeks, or the Egyptians these people and their religion were of little importance. Needles to say that in terms of the great powers of the Earth, and hence the majority of the people, they hardly caused a ripple. They were indeed, like the yeast in bread, a very small part that will have a very large effect on the whole.

Chapter 5

The Messiah

The prophets foretold the coming birth of the Messiah to the house of David, Abraham, and Adam. The need for a Messiah was not a result of the "fall of Adam and Eve", but rather a part of a plan that was laid by the Father before this Universe began. The roll of Jesus the Christ is, to some, somewhat hard to comprehend, and yet it was one of profound simplicity. His genealogy shows that he was indeed a descendant of David through both his mother and his adoptive father. He offended the establishment in that he did not help them throw off the rule of Rome. The Romans viewed him as a religious nut. He earned the wrath of his own people for condemning the error that had been built into the religious institutions of the children of Israel. He alone could blaze and mark the path back to our Father, and it is now open to all mankind (both living and dead) to simply follow him.

Jesus Christ voluntarily sacrificed himself, but the full measure of that selfless act cannot be understood without understanding the enormity of what he gave for us. To comprehend, we must first understand the need for a messiah. That need was created by the very creation of this Earth, and the sacrifice of the Savior is mirrored in the sacrifice of Adam and Eve. They gave up life in Paradise, in what was the final step of the creation. The selfless act of Adam and Eve was that with full knowledge of the consequences, they elected to become mortal.

The Garden was home to not only the first couple but also to perfect animals and plants of many kinds. When Adam and Eve departed the Garden the rest of its inhabitants had to be removed from the Earth (because they simply could not have survived in this harsh environment). However, the central reason for the removal was simply that its presence would interfere with freedom of choice. The exodus of Adam and Eve resulted in the eventual death of the perfect bodies they possessed, but more importantly, it brought an instantaneous spiritual death, which only Adam, Eve, and Jesus Christ could fully appreciate.

Prior to the expulsion, Adam and Eve enjoyed the ability to communicate with God at any time they so desired. This communication was of a nature that none of us living on the Earth could fully comprehend. It is communication between minds, not the clumsy mechanism of spoken words that we use on the Earth. Obviously this sort of communication does not allow something that we mortal men practice often, and that is deciding for ourselves, in total secrecy, what to do. Obviously, all of our pre-mortal existence was spent in the same communication environment that Adam enjoyed in the Garden. If you can imagine then a peaceful happy existence in which there was no evil, and where a loving father was always just a thought away you might only begin to understand why the severing of that relationship can only be called spiritual death. The sorrow of the two so exiled must have been almost beyond endurance for they remembered heaven lost. The only consolation for them was that what they did was essential to the plan. Additionally, God continued to talk to them on occasion, and so eased their pain. They experienced some of the same suffering that Jesus bore when the bond of communication with the Father was severed at the beginning of his ultimate sacrifice.

All of us are living in a place of spiritual death where we can choose either right or wrong, and can conceal what we are thinking from all but God. The reason for a savior is dictated by the need for man to return from this limited universe. We may then deduce that when physical death occurs for man, his spirit would be trapped in this universe if some provision was not made for return to the realm of the Father. The ultimate reason for this detention can be understood if we again use our imagination. Let us visualize the shock of an average man, who in life has accumulated an average amount of lying, stealing and fornicating, then being thrust into the society of the Father and Family. Where all is known (no lies are possible) and all past selfishness is revealed to all. Such an unrepentant man would find himself extremely uncomfortable, even tormented, in this society, and would consequently wish to hide, or flee hoping to find a place where he would fit in. The need for a messiah then was to provide a method for man to mentally perfect himself so that he could return to the father without shame.

The goal of perfection is seemingly impossible to those who would seek it, for always after achieving some intermediate goal there is a next challenge. However, since we were placed in this place of testing by a loving Father who most certainly wants us all to return to him, a method of achieving perfection had to be available. The meaning of perfection in this case is simple; it is that we return to God in innocence (having progressed to the point of living the laws of the Kingdom). In addition to learning those lessons we will have also learned how to control ourselves in physical bodies. The physical body is also an important part of our experience. The greatest need, however, was providing a path for our return and that way must be available to all.

The method of reaching perfection is available to any man who seeks it. However, that is not to say that we all achieve the same grades in this test, for it is not a pass-fail situation, but rather one of infinite variation in levels of accomplishment. One asks how those who lived before the coming of the Savior or those who have never had opportunity to hear his teachings will then be able to avail themselves of this way to perfection. This question will be addressed later in this chapter for God made provision for equality of opportunity.

With the need established we will next investigate the method of answering the need. When Adam left the Garden he was instructed by our father to make an altar, and there make a sacrifice. The reason for this sacrifice may be understood by considering the position of Adam or indeed any of those prior to the coming of the Messiah. The object was to sacrifice only the very best animal in the herd; the animal that was valued most for its genetic qualities. In this frame of mind, you can begin to understand that God wished to provide an object lesson so that man might understand, and remember the future anguish of the Father when he would allow the sacrifice of our brother Jesus the Christ. We of today might understand even better if we were asked to burn our most prized possession as a sacrifice (there goes the Porsche honey).

It is obvious that the plan of our father then, from the very beginning, included a way for his children to return, and the result was that God himself would suffer the exquisite agony of watching a sinless son suffer indescribable mental pain. Certainly there was physical pain, but it was of little consequence in comparison.

There is symmetry in Gods dealings with mankind. Adam and Eve were the physical children of God, as well as spiritual children. Jesus Christ was also a physical Son of God, as well as a spiritual Son of God. Many make light of the virgin conception of Mary, alluding to the legions of women who have claimed that they could not be with child because they had not been with a man. There can be no doubt that our Father who created this universe could also father a child by a woman who had never known a man. The result was that the Messiah was born with a genetically perfect body that, like Adam's, would not deteriorate for many hundreds of years of Earth life. However, beyond this more was required, and that placed him in a position to reverse the fall of man step by step. The method of reversal required only one thing beyond his parentage, and that was that he live a perfect life. The path he traveled is also the path that we should travel, for he said simply "follow me". Of course, there are some basic differences between Jesus and the average man or woman, but he blazed the trail in such a way that all of us (living and dead) can follow him.

Before going further, we also must consider the roll of men and women and their relationship to each other. The first mention of man in the scriptures talks about two individuals, Adam and Eve. But this unity of man and woman evolved, between the time of Eve and the time of the children of Israel, into a lopsided relationship where women were property. They were cherished property but none the less property. God set the standard with Adam and Eve, and that standard was one of partnership with man assuming the role of bearer of the priesthood of God and woman assuming the role of motherhood, and equal with her husband. In this relationship there was no inequality for they were a unified team, and neither was complete without the other.

We should now review the differences between man and Jesus Christ, so that we may more fully understand the position of mankind. The first and most obvious is that we are descended from Adam and Eve, and also men of the Earth (we do not have perfect bodies). You will remember that indigenous men and women were those who are the result of the evolutionary processes of this world. Those we have named Cro-Magnon, or many others whose bones and artifacts have been discovered that predate the arrival of Adam exemplify them. These men lived lives of total innocence prior to Adam and Eve leaving the Garden.

Secondly, it is very difficult for man to live a perfectly blameless life, and Jesus Christ is the only one to do so by all testimony. The living of a mentally perfect life is probably an impossibility for anyone who does not have a superior ability to communicate with the Father, and such ability in all likelihood can only be achieved by one who has the perfect genetics exemplified by Jesus or Adam and Eve.

The Messiah's role, as stated, was to lead man and woman back to the Father, but because mankind was not perfect there had to be provision for imperfection to become perfection. The lifetime of Jesus on this Earth was thirty years of preparation, and three years of teaching. In those years he progressed through life in much the same manner as any one else, but he always chose to follow the directions of God. The ultimate result was that step-by-step he developed perfect communication with God. He literally became like the father in mentally, and physically. This perfection is the same that we all are expected to attain by following him. His work was to sacrifice his life willingly for our benefit, and more importantly to take upon him the sins of the repentant. The giving of his life was the easy part of the sacrifice. The assumption of the sins of men was very difficult. The price he paid for our sins required our brother who became like God, while mortal, to descend below the level of the most debased of all men, and be subjected to that total mental depravity without any support from his Father.

In a Garden, this one of this Earth, he suffered that which we cannot begin to understand. Suffice it to say that his ability to communicate with the Father was withdrawn, and communication with the vilest of beings opened like a floodgate, because of that withdrawal. Only he could have withstood this torture, and our Father had to watch and do nothing. The suffering of the Father must have been great indeed during the final agony of our brother. Fortunately for us, there is no need that we follow him through that torture. Only those who choose not to accept his gift will experience even partially the depth of his agony. Thus it was done, and the path was opened for the return of the children of God to the place where he lives.

Since we are told to simply follow the Messiah, let us explore and mark the path he followed. First, he suffered spiritual death by being born and receiving a body of flesh and blood, as we all have done. Then from his youth he sought to gain knowledge. He studied in synagogue, and with any who had wisdom. He prayed for guidance from the Father, and received it. Therefore we should also do these things. Unfortunately the first stumbling block for many is they do not believe that, if they pray, they will receive guidance from the Father. The concept of communication with God the Father is viewed by society in general as myth, and if one claims to have such his or her sanity is questioned.

We next find the savior seeking his cousin John the Baptist. When they met at the Jordan River, Jesus requested that John baptize him. John replied with amazement saying that he had need to be baptized of Jesus, and in this he was right. However, Jesus had to travel the same path that all men should follow, and that included baptism. He went to John because John had received the priesthood authority to baptize from God. So there in the river Jordan Jesus was baptized by immersion in water. John used the river because it provided him with a quiet secluded spot to perform a sacred ordinance. It is evident that he could also have baptized in any large pool of water, but on this day he was at the Jordan. Since it is impossible for all men to be baptized in the river Jordan, we must presume that the most important component in baptism is the authority of the one baptizing. The need that John expressed was simply that, without the Messiah baptism was pointless, for it is done in similitude of the removal of sin and rebirth of man into the place where God lives. From this perspective, we see that this existence in which we currently find ourselves is in actuality death, and the ceasing of life on this Earth is really return to true life. This reminds us that this universe is nothing but an insubstantial shadow land for those who dwell in the kingdom of God.

After baptism, the Savior commenced to teach the fraction of the children of Israel that still lived in the Promised Land. His concern was that the truth be taught so that those who followed after could take his teachings to all the people of the world. His message was starkly simple compared to the complexities that comprised the body of Jewish sects. He taught that man should love God and love his fellow man as himself. All the commandments and all ethics are summed up in these words. The need for simplicity is evident, for man it seems has great propensity for confusing that, which is simple, let alone the complex. There is also another reason for this simplicity, and that is that there is great variation in the intelligence of men, and the message had to be understandable to all men. The path that Jesus followed then included love and service to mankind, and to the Father. Therefore we too should be actively engaged in the same way. He taught that man should be baptized with water and the Holy Ghost (the Spirit of God) just as he was. He taught that it is what a man thinks that determines what he will be, not what he eats, or what his environment does to him. There was, of course, much more that he taught that we will not cover, but suffice it to say that man should pursue the teachings of God with at least the same fervor he pursues making a living. This means that we should love all mankind, and more importantly those who are not as smart, socially adroit, of different ethnic groups, or our enemy. We should all be involved in service to all mankind, not thinking of ways to make men our servants. The path that Jesus followed was one of activity, not passivity, and that is the path that we must also follow. We also must strive to teach mankind those things that were given to us by the Messiah, because we love our brothers and sisters throughout the world just as he does.

One of the goals of the messiah was to build an organization to carry his teachings to mankind. Initially he taught only the children of Israel, and that policy continued until he completed his sacrifice. The founding of the church of Jesus Christ occurred with the beginning of the teaching phase of his mission. The organization that was to take his teachings to the world began with the calling of the future leaders of his church. After calling the Apostles to the work there followed the calling of Bishops, Seventies, Elders and others. This was done in preparation for the time when he would no longer be with them, and they would bear the burden of teaching the world. Each of these was asked to serve by Jesus, the Apostles, or other authorities within the Church, who had been given the priesthood authority to help build the kingdom of God on the Earth. It is clear that the Messiah created a church based upon authority, which was given to those chosen to serve. What should be stressed is, that in following the path that Christ blazed, it was not meant that men invent their own churches in the course of being of service to mankind. These are prerogatives that are reserved for our Father.

After the Savior was crucified, and more importantly resurrected, the organization he built began to carry the teachings of God to all men, not just Judah. The Jews were taught first because they represented the last identifiable remnant of the children of Israel in the Promised Land. By this time in the history of man the seed, or genetic inheritance of Adam, was so intermingled with that of the children of the Earth, that it could truly be said that all men were the children of Adam, even if in just a small part. Indeed even among the Jews, who perhaps were genetically the purest group, life spans were near today’s. So it was logical that the teachings of Jesus Christ be carried to the rest of the world, who are also the seed of Adam.

Perhaps it goes without saying, that the world of two thousand years ago was much different from that of today, for then even men living on the same continent might not have any knowledge of others except those in their local group of villages. This isolation was even greater for those living in the Americas, because the barrier between them and the rest of the world was the sea. While teaching Jesus remarked that he had sheep that were not of this fold and they also must be taught. The goal of Jesus was to first teach the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but once that was accomplished, the rest of the World was to hear the teachings of the Messiah. The Jews were the first, but he also proclaimed that the first would be last, and the last would be first. There is an implication in this statement, and that is that after the Gentiles received the teachings of God, there would be another time of teaching in which the Gentiles would be the first to hear and the house of Abraham would be last.

The next step in the path that we must follow is to be reborn. Jesus took this step at some time in his unreported youth when he began to communicate with the Father on a very regular basis. This rebirth is nothing more than the first step in restoration of communication with the father. It begins with the baptism of fire. This event occurs when the Holy Ghost bears testimony of Jesus the Christ, and the Father. The word rebirth means the establishment of regular two-way communication with God. Those who do not achieve this while sojourning on this world will eventually regain the ability to communicate with their Father, but that is below the goal we set for ourselves when we left him to come to this world. Each of us surely thought that he or she would receive the highest grade for this test so why be satisfied with less.

Every one of us will experience the cessation of life in this world, as did Adam, Abraham, and the Messiah. There is discomfort in referring to this event as death, for it is in truth the reversal of the spiritual death that we all suffered when we came to this limited existence. The ultimate test of Christ was not the death of his body, but the agony that occurred when he suffered a second spiritual death in the garden while his followers slept. We are fortunate in that we were allowed to forget the joy and peace we enjoyed prior to coming to this Earth. There have been only three individuals who have had to suffer the full effect of spiritual death without the anesthetic of forgetfulness, Adam, Eve and Jesus the Christ. Adam however did not suffer the terrible unknowable torture that Christ experienced when he descended below all. The cessation of life here is not however, unconditional immediate spiritual rebirth for all. As one might expect, there are rewards for those who excel during this test of life. However, there are many that are so enamored with the vices of this life that they will be retarded greatly in their learning. For these it is both merciful and just that they not be subjected to the presence of God in which they would find only anguish in the knowledge of their many failures. They will be given opportunity to learn to solve the problems of life and to pay the price that justice demands. But, until the price is paid, they will be trapped within this universe unable to communicate with those of the Earth or those in the kingdom of the Father. In this state, they will be deprived of any way to enjoy the vices that they raised to the status of god.

Those who died without receiving the instructions of the Father will be given the chance to add to the knowledge gained in mortality. They will have provided to them all the knowledge and ordinances they need to follow the "straight and narrow path" of our Savior. They will have the same right of choice to follow or not that most enjoy, while in life.

We should not confuse the leaving of this earth with being reborn spiritually. Death is an involuntary step that all must take, and as we have discussed it does not guarantee rebirth. However spiritual rebirth is entirely voluntary. Leaving this life is all-important, but the time is not ours to choose. It is a very great error to seek it prematurely. We, however, do not need to have our lives terminated by crucifixion as the Messiah did. We only need to endure, and strive to do our best while here.

The next step in the path is that of resurrection. This essential gift is given to all mankind just as is death. When man dies his spirit returns to the realm of the Father, or goes to a place called Spirit Prison. The key word is spirit. Before coming to this world we existed as spirit children of the Father, who had come to the point in our learning that required the test of an existence removed from his direct influence. The obtaining of a body is a very important aspect of this life. The reason for this is that our Father's spirit children have difficulty in telling good from evil when they are isolated from him. Life with Father was one of perpetual innocence for those of us who chose to follow his plan. Mostly the knowledge and judgment of our Father (which was omnipresent) guided us. The reason for this life then is clearly learning for ourselves the difference between good and evil. We must seek the good and reject the evil of our own free will. It is evident that a body is required for this lesson to be learned. The fact that Christ was resurrected clearly shows us that it is necessary that we also be reunited with our bodies after death, and this step is of such importance that all who live in the flesh will automatically be resurrected regardless of there actions. It may be safely presumed that the resurrected body will look like our present bodies in most (certainly all-missing parts will be restored) respects. However, since it can not be confined to the four-dimensional universe we live in, it is certain that the matter of the resurrected body will be consistent with the matter of the multi-dimensional world of our Father.

The Spirit Prison, which was discussed in the previous paragraph, is not what the title suggests. It is not like a prison that we might recognize with bars, and wire or is it small and confining so much as it is a self-imposed exile. It is not a dreary ugly place. It is the realm of this universe and more specifically it is primarily this Earth. That is not to say that the spirits that choose to live there cannot travel to other spots in this vast universe, for surly they can, but they would prefer to dwell where their gods were. It is not a happy place for most of the inhabitants, who are constantly tantalized by the evils they worshipped, and adored, but they cannot communicate with or indeed cause any physical action in our ephemeral world. Their stay is self-imposed because they will not, or cannot, see the light that is the Spirit of God. The light incorporates the system of ethics they laughed and sneered at while still upon the Earth, and that attitude they carried with them to the prison they built of carnal thoughts. The inmates are free to leave at any time, and many do as they learn to seek good and pay the price set by the Father's justice. We should recognize that our Father did not send his beloved children here expecting a great number to be estranged from him forever. He provided a way for all to return. The path he had our Brother blaze is narrow but well marked. It is the path we must find, and on it we will find joy and peace, not the prison of a captive mind.

Satan and his followers are spirits having no bodies. They, in their way, live in a kind of innocence in their self made exile, for they do not know the difficulty of choosing good over Evil. The failing of these, our brother and sister spirits was that they would not rely on the knowledge and judgment of the Father. They instead relied on their own somewhat chaotic perceptions, and followed that chaos rather than order. They failed the first test, but perhaps they may yet have other chances. Since they are unable to judge what is right or wrong without the Fathers guidance, some of them are reduced to the position of being against anything that God is for. That their perception is flawed is illustrated by the supposed tempting of Adam and Eve encouraging them to partake of the knowledge of good and evil. In this endeavor they did not fight against Gods plan but encouraged it. This lack of understanding makes it virtually impossible for these spirits to understand anything beyond the goal of bringing spiritual death to Adam and, Eve. Without the knowledge of the Fathers kingdom to guide them they are conducting a battle in which they don't know what to do because of lack of intelligence. Is it any wonder men’s evil is usually chaotic, while good is surrounded by order and peace? We should not discount the fervor of those who would strive against man and God, for while they are disorganized they individually are more than willing to lead men and women astray. The fact is their disorganization leads only to a floundering about with regards to concerted action or even, in all probability, any cooperation amongst themselves.

The question arises as to how a spirit can tempt someone who, by virtue of living on the Earth, cannot see, hear or touch a being of spirit? Surely this is a fairly difficult task for them, especially since this universe was designed to limit any communication. It is clear that in the Garden of Eden that communication was still accomplished by thought, as is illustrated by Eve conversing with the serpent. We note that Eve was not surprised that a serpent could talk, and from this we must presume that all the life forms of the Garden had spirits and could communicate with Adam and Eve prior to the fall. So we see Satan using subterfuge, making Eve believe she was conversing with the serpent, when in truth he had somehow entered the serpent’s body in order to accomplish his goal. This is enlightening, for it is intimated that the serpent was not unwilling to this arrangement. In other words then, an embodied being can allow a spirit to enter its body. This occurred prior to the fall when communication was still possible from one being to another through thought transference.

Our ability to understand or communicate on the level of thought transference is debatable, but we can state that man cannot speak with spirits of animals or men in this world on any reliable basis. We can, however, allow spirits to join us in our bodies and the effect while subtle would increase with constant exposure (practice). For their part, those who would fight against God would, I am sure, be more than happy to accommodate any that would invite them. The record stresses that men cannot see talk or in any way have communication with the world of the Father while in the flesh. This statement leads us to conclude that whenever man talks with God that his spirit transcends the body for a while. This principle probably works also with regard to communication with our misguided spirit brothers and sisters, and may be helped along by the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, which affect our ability to control our actions.

The miracles performed by Christ are seen as extraordinary in terms of the physical laws of this universe. We learn in life that reactions always follow certain actions, and this seems to be cast in stone. However, God, who created this aquarium world, can cause what we would view as extraordinary happenings if he so desires. The fact that his policy is one of hands off, with respect to our testing, does not mean that he could not at any time cause any number of seeming miracles to happen. In the case of Christ we have a report of his walking on water, which violates the law of gravity, which is fundamental in our learning from childhood. Gravity keeps us anchored to the Earth, and no one has learned how to reverse its effect. On further consideration it is obvious that gravity was not canceled in this case, for if it had been Jesus would have been flung from the spinning Earth by centrifugal force. So we must conclude that a force that was just strong enough to resist the pull of the Earth buoyed Christ. As to the nature of this force and its implementation we can only conjecture, other than to say the Father provided it. It is fair to say that if we look at each of the miracles that we would find that the laws of this universe were not broken but that in each case God supplied the necessary energy, and knowledge to accomplish the intended act. God is not in the business of violating laws. Of course, we must consider the case of those who were raised from the dead, for there are irreversible changes that occur as time passes after death. If we consider our own abilities to keep people alive after seeming death then it would be hard to deny that God could do the same. He would know in which cases the body needed to be maintained, and so have made the necessary alterations.

There were times when healing occurred that reversed what we would assume to be irreversible conditions. Here again, we must conclude that the Father operates within the laws he established for this universe, and that we in time will understand that which was done in terms of genetic or other science.

We have traced the path the Savior established, because that knowledge is the most important of all the learning we accumulate on this Earth. Our task is but to follow that simple well-marked path, and return to the Father in glory. In the pursuit of knowledge, many imagine that education, beauty, wit, wealth or social abilities make them superior to those with less of these advantages, but they are wrong. The teachings of the Father and Christ are simple in the extreme, and any man, even those of very limited ability, can understand; love your Father in heaven and your fellow man as yourself. The inability of the proud to follow this commandment will bring them failure, while those who are humble will be elevated, not out of spite for injustice, but because of God's justice. So must we all be baptized by one who has authority, serve our fellow man, be born again spiritually, receive revelation, and follow the teachings of the prophets of God, as did Christ. If we follow this path, then God will reveal to us that, which will strengthen, bring peace, joy, and eternal life in our Fathers Kingdom.

CHAPTER 6

MAN

Man is the ultimate predator and possessor of the Earth; but above all, man is heir to the kingdom of God. To understand the actions of an individual man, or women, is a great mystery. One, which cannot be reduced to equation or even firm estimate, for each, has the ability to hide what they will from the world. It is somewhat easier to predict the actions of mankind in general. One has only to look to past actions of the species; those actions lead us to conclusions with regard to the general response of the mankind to various environmental stimuli. From these conclusions, we can predict the future responses to specific situations with a good degree of accuracy. The truth is that we of today will react in the same ways as men of yesteryear with modifications that reflect the current accepted norms of behavior. The modifications are really just cosmetic changes that sometimes may fool us into thinking that a truly unique problem has been dealt with in an entirely new way. This is highly unlikely, considering the number of men that have lived on this Earth.

The challenge has always been to recognize, seek, and cultivate that which is good in mankind. The Savior gave us a litmus test when he said that we could recognize those who serve him by the fruits of their labor.

Since man is the most important component in the global ecology, we also must understand the interrelationship of man and the rest of life upon the Earth. The animal and plant life, of the Earth are all interrelated, as one might expect, because of the Fathers method of creation. That process was one of evolution with one step following another. The result is that if you perform an analysis of the genetic material of any animal, you will find it to be largely similar to that of other related species. The same can be said for man as compared to the apes, or even to more distantly related animals. In fact the genes of a chimpanzee differ from mans by only one percent, or alternatively, 99% of mankind's genes are shared by chimps. It may surprise many to know that human DNA is the same as 80% of that of a mouse. While man was the goal of creation he could not live on a sterile planet. Therefore, mankind’s creation was totally dependent on an ecosystem consisting of myriad animals and plants. Man likes to consider himself as better than the beasts, but he is also one of the beasts all be it king of beasts. The truth is that all life on the Earth is related, and all life upon the Earth is of great importance to the whole ecosystem. The Father said to Adam that it was his responsibility to tend and care for the Garden of Eden including all its inhabitants, because he was the master thereof. This is also the case for all mankind as the heirs of Adam and Eve with respect to the entire Earth.

Adam and Eve were relative latecomers to the Earth. The reason for this is simply that the Earth was not a fit place for man to live for most of its evolutionary lifetime. When Adam came to the Earth, it was already home to men who we have previously referred to as men of the Earth or indigenous man. These men represented the evolutionary pinnacle of creation in terms of survival of the fittest. Adam's genes were compatible with those of the children of the Earth (to be explained in a later chapter), and interbreeding occurred almost immediately between the two groups, probably beginning with Cain. However, there were far more of the men of the Earth than Adam and his posterity. The mixing of the two lines is universal in our day, with the preponderance of genes coming from the men of the Earth. There are almost certainly isolated groups who have little of Adam's genetic heritage, but that in no way makes them less the children of the Father. Likewise those who claim to be the posterity of Abraham are indistinguishable genetically from those they call gentiles.

There are other intelligent beings living on the Earth. True none are as intelligent as is man, but they do have an ability to learn and to communicate. One has only to think of the cases of Chimpanzees and Apes who have been taught a limited language, based on the sign language of the deaf. These animals, or should we call them brother beings, show an ability to express some abstract concepts as well as their wants. Surely, there are few that have owned a dog or cat that would deny the intelligence and learning ability of their pets. The role of these spirits in the kingdom of the Father has not been mentioned in any of the scriptural records, however they are a critical part of this environment we live in and the Father values them. Did not the perfected animals and plants that acted as companions of Adam and Eve populate the Garden of Eden? They were not expelled from the Garden with Adam and Eve, for they were ill equipped to survive in this ferocious world, but can we doubt that the life forms of this world have a spiritual component? From this perspective then, the killing of animals and plants for killing's sake alone is wrong. Man is the custodian of all life on the Earth, and we should do everything possible to preserve it.

This world’s life can be described simply as self-replicating self-programming biological computers. The instincts that are obvious in all life forms may be compared with the firmware of the modern computer. The codes for instinctive behavior are imprinted on molecular chains, which are called DNA, RNA, or genes. In addition, this material holds all the code necessary to grow an animal or plant from a single cell. Random changes in this code in most instances produces a weaker or even lethal characteristic to those plants or animals that receive the changed gene. Rarely a change will result in an individual organism that has an advantage over other like animal or plant. The foundation of life on the Earth is based on this genetic material, and even on a molecular level it is survival of the fittest. If a change in the genes of an animal is lethal, it certainly will not be passed on to future generations, and likewise, if the animal is weakened and cannot compete effectively, it will not survive long to pass on the weakness. This molecular game of chance is mirrored on the macro level in all complex organisms.

Man represents the reason for this creation, and as such he is the caretaker. He is also the most competitive of all the Earth's life forms. The natural man is an animal who has been programmed to dominate and pass on his genes, while preventing life forms that use the same food resources from proliferating. The drive is not only for food but all the other behaviors that insure the passing on of genetic material. Those behaviors are; a drive to procreate that is literally and factually stupefying in its intensity, a drive to obtain more food than potential competitors creating more strength for procreation competition, a desire to kill potential competitors, and the ability to live in a social group which increases the chance of surviving. We could continue the list indefinitely, but the one thing that is common throughout is that whatever the natural man does he will seek to spread his genes, and there are no rules other than kill or be killed. This code of conduct is somewhat disquieting, but for all our modern refinement it is still the norm for mankind. This system of things is simply the tool used to create this world, and if we take the focus off of man and imagine instead the rest of creation, we will conclude that the actions of the life forms of the Earth are innocent and logical. The reason for drawing you to this focus is simple. All of the molecular programming and the instincts of man are the very things that we must modify if we are to be successful in the test of life. We must love others as ourselves. We must sublimate the urge to procreate so that it fits within the bounds set by our Father. This test is not easy, for every cell of our body’s cries that we do that, which comes naturally.

What Adam brought to this genetic battleground is difficult to establish other than the few things that are recorded in the scriptural record. We know that he brought with him a perfect and immortal body that was reduced to mortality by the same background radiation and mutagenic chemicals of the Earth that drive the process of evolution. We know that his second born son murdered his older brother because of jealousy, and so we must presume that he brought with him some if not all the instincts of the natural man. Most importantly, he changed the world, for he brought the teachings of the Father to all mankind. When the law of the Father is taught to man, his innocence ends and his responsibility increases with his understanding.

Thus, logic forces us to conclude that man is not subject to laws of which he has no knowledge. Surely, even today, there are many men and women that live lives of innocence typical of preadamic man. Innocence is not a simple black or white issue but one of many shades of gray. Preadamic man was governed by the law of survival but also more finely defined laws within his tribe, which would have been consistent with the first law but oriented for group survival. God’s law is based upon an abstract concept, which is knowledge of good and evil (as defined by God). Upon careful consideration, it becomes apparent that our Fathers law also promotes survival of the group by emphasizing selflessness. Knowledge then brings with it responsibility and accountability, but in varying degrees in proportion with the amount of knowledge. Since the purpose of man is to overcome selfishness, as defined by our Father. All while living in a mortal body, which is programmed to be selfish, and in a state in which all communication is severed with the Father. The need for spreading the teachings of God to all mankind becomes obvious. Jesus set the example by teaching the people and emphasized the need by telling his disciples to feed his sheep.

The foregoing sheds new light on the temptation of man by the spirit's who chose not to follow the Father’s plan. It is obvious that the genetic nature of man is totally self-serving, and this is precisely the type of behavior that God would have us overcome. In the contest for souls, it can be said that Satan has the distinct advantage, since the Father would pull man up from his animal instincts while the opposition has only to encourage no change.

The history of man is not constant progress toward a better society, but rather a series of ups and downs with an overall slow movement to the better. Periods of retrogression were during times when governments were typified by malevolent kings, or dictatorships such as the dark ages. Periods of progression were during times when governments were typified by benevolent kings or democracy. The reason for this is simple, and that is that man generally responds positively to freedom. The Father intended that man be free to choose right or wrong, and he, with all the kingdom of heaven, are devoted to man during this life. This work is accomplished in two ways; one is through prophets to whom God reveals his teachings, and the other is direct communication to the spirit of man when he invites the spiritual emissaries of the Father to dwell with him. The two are in reality the same, for if a man communicates with God then he is a prophet for himself. The difference lies only in whether or not he is given the Father’s authority to speak to his brothers and sisters. This process is the same for men who desire evil when they invite the rebellious spirits to dwell with them. In both cases, the communication begins in a very subtle way, and as a man progresses toward his goal his ability to communicate increases. This calls to mind the description of Christ's childhood when it was said he progressed step by step until he reached perfection (total communication with God).

When referring to man, we are really talking about man and woman as one. This is symbolic of the relationship of Adam and Eve and the ideal for all men and women. Our Father in planning, and executing, the Garden of Eden established man and woman as a team. The inference was, and is, that neither was complete without the other. They were inseparable, and Adam certainly knew this when he elected mortality after Eve led the way. It is obvious that the Father intended that Adam and Eve remain as husband and wife while in the Garden, and after the fall. God married them, and that marriage was performed in the garden by the father and continued, in effect, after they were exiled. They were created in the image of God, and can we doubt then that the Father also has a wife, she who was the co-creator of the entire Kingdom and an integral part of all creation. She is one with the Father in the same way that Adam and Eve were one. Woman is not subservient to man, nor is man subservient to woman. In the eyes of God they are equal. More importantly, when we speak of God we are speaking of a Mother and a Father. The relationship of a man and woman should mirror the relationship of our Father and Mother in Heaven, and thus should be one in purpose and action. The focus of the purpose of God (Mother and Father) was to provide a place for his (their) children to learn how to distinguish between right and wrong with freedom to choose either. This should be the goal of any team formed by any marriage.

Suffice it to say that when we speak of God the Father we are referring to both our parents. We must also presume that the Savior either in this life or after it also took a wife. In light of this we must presume that one of the steps that we should take in following Christ and the Father is to take a partner in marriage. Only someone endowed with our Fathers authority should perform such an eternal marriage.

It seems clear that if Jesus was married in life that he had no children. If there had been they would have been sought after by followers who would have been tempted to place a child in the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ. There is no evidence of this happening. If we consult figures in chapter two we are aware that at the age of thirty-three that Christ was 27 years away from the earliest recorded birth of children to any of the patriarchs and he shared their same perfect genetics. It should be remembered that the prophets always referred to Christ as the Lamb of God (not the ram of God).

Our existence prior to Earth is not entirely known to us, except that God tells us that he was our Father. We can only conjecture as to our birth as spirit children of the Father and Mother. There is no way of even making a guess as to how we became spirit children of God, but we may safely conclude that all those who live on the Earth are His. There may be several cycles that we go through as we strive to become adults. This existence is the only cycle that we know much about, and that is well for we need to concentrate on completing this challenge.

Man is the crowning glory of the Earth and the reason for its existence. This also is the case for the entire universe. Certainly, when considered from this perspective, the worth of one man or woman is immeasurably great. It may, or may not, be that there are other Earth’s in this universe, but if there are they comprise a part of our family. They, too, would be undergoing the same test that we are experiencing, and they also must have a Savior. The magnitude of the Father's family and his school system are beyond the ability of mortal man to understand. That state of affairs, of course, ends upon the death of good men and women, when the knowledge that once was ours returns. Mercifully, those who have been less successful are not restored immediately to their previous knowledge, for as we discussed earlier, they would suffer beyond that required by justice to see their failure so plainly. We all must have welcomed the opportunity that this life represented when it was offered to us by the Father, and certainly, we felt that we would succeed. With that thought in mind, we must understand the importance of loving each other and giving as much help to others, as they will accept. The work of God continues after death, just as it continues in mortal life. Each man and woman must eventually follow Christ, and each of us is required to help our brothers and sisters along the way, by so doing we perfect ourselves. This concept is the exact opposite of evolution's genetic programming, which would compel man to think only of self.

Perhaps we may now answer that question of long ago. " What is man that thou art mindful of him?” Men and women are the children of God who are hopefully striving to become like their Father. God, as the Father of us all, watches the progress of each of His and Her children with great concern.

Chapter 7

The Church of Jesus Christ after His Resurrection

When Christ left, after revealing his resurrected body to those who were to be his witnesses to the world, the responsibility for leading his church shifted to the twelve Apostles. They were not asked to shoulder that burden by themselves. The Savior said that the Holy Ghost would provide communication between our Father and man. It is reported that many at that time received the Holy Ghost and burned as if with fire and prophesied. Peter, James, John, the rest of apostles, and many others in the Church of Jesus Christ received the gift of the Holy Ghost. With this gift they could communicate with God. This phenomenon was not restricted to those who were witness to Christ, but is reported amongst convert’s years after the ascension. The leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ was left in the hands of Peter, with James and John as vice presidents or counselors, supported by the rest of the Apostles, but in truth it was led by the Savior with the Holy Ghost acting as the intermediary. This organization was very structured with many positions of responsibility at the base, leading to the pinnacle of greatest responsibility, which was Peter, and thence to Christ. Each within the organization was entitled to receive revelation pertaining to his or her responsibility, as well as the testimony of the divinity of the Savior.

The Presidency should call to mind the Godhead itself, which is composed of three who are the Father, Jesus Christ (the eldest Son and our Brother), and the Holy Ghost (another Son and our Brother who has not yet claimed a Body). This similarity is not accidental, nor is the number of twelve apostles, which reflects the twelve tribes of Israel. The calling to the position of Apostle was not static. We find others were called to fill empty positions as in the case of Paul. It is equally certain that God directed the filling of empty positions as the need arose.

The Church was meant to outlive the initial followers and so the Saints continued to proselyte amongst the Jews. This was to be expected since the work of spreading the teachings of the Father amongst the Jews was only just begun, and the time of the gentiles was to arrive after that of children of Abraham. It is not clear at what point in time that this situation changed, except that the Apostle Paul worked almost exclusively with the Gentiles. The change from appearing to be another Jewish sect to an organization composed primarily of Gentiles was a slow process requiring many years.

The problem we have in studying the ancient church was caused by the very brilliance of the beginning. The teachings of the Savior were of such clarity that only those in the first generation seemed capable of recording the events of the years after his departure. We know that the original followers gradually died as a result of the numerous threats to life in those times. Who their replacements were and the events of their times disappear in a sea of claim and counter claim. This state of affairs was caused by two factors. The first was that those appointed to leadership in the Church probably felt they should not write, because what they had to say would detract from the teachings of Jesus Christ. Secondly the followers were not welcomed by the political establishments of the time, but rather they had to worship, and communicate very carefully so as not to invite retribution from those in power.

There is no doubt that the Church continued during the times of adversity when its members were persecuted. The question is did it survive the times of its popularity? The doubt is currently so widespread that an almost countless number of Christian sects are promulgating as many interpretations of the teachings of Christ. However, for the last to become first "the last will be first and the first last" as the Savior taught, implies that there will be another time when his teachings and his church would be given to the gentiles first and those who claim to be children of Abraham second.

The lives of Church members immediately following the departure of the resurrected Savior was one of total commitment. It was, as well, a way of life. We are told that they had all things in common. This statement is of interest because it gives us one of the few clues to the economic system given the Saints by the Savior. To have all things in common implies that there was no individually owned property. This economic system may be seen as reminiscent of modern socialism or communism, however it wasn't. The difference was that the saints were not compelled to give all they owned to the Church. They were converted to the principle, and did so because they believed that they were responsible for the welfare of all within the group. This difference is all-important to the success of this sort of system. The reason for the collapse of the communist system, and noncompetitive socialistic systems is that those who are compelled rather than converted will always focus on their own self-interests. The members of the system given by God would have enjoyed lives free of jealousy. They also would have felt secure, knowing that all were concerned about the welfare of each citizen within the group. All would have a share equivalent to their need of that which was produced by the efforts of the whole. The success of this group endeavor was keyed to the commitment of each. They each had to give their best effort every day without thought of gaining advantage over others.

The policing of such a society is critical, for it could not survive selfishness in any member, which would tend to spread like a cancer to others. Therefore, any that were motivated by self-interest would of necessity have to be asked to leave. The seriousness of this aspect of the system is seen in the case of the man and wife who said they had given all to the group and in reality had not. It is recorded that God required their lives for that lie. It is not hard to understand or appreciate the merits of this economic system, but it does require men and women of great character. The Savior stated the requirements in the phrase "love your neighbor as yourself". How is it that something stated so simply is so difficult?

The Church of Jesus Christ was dedicated to spreading the teachings of the Savior. The missionary who was most visible and perhaps memorable because of his propensity to write letters was the Apostle Paul. This man who considered the world of the gentile to be his field to harvest is truly remarkable, for it must have taken a great deal of courage to do that work. As mentioned earlier, the rest of the leadership of the Church spent their time primarily with the Jews, and that was more familiar territory for they were converted Jews. The work amongst the Jews, however, led to the spreading of the teachings to the gentiles as new converts undertook missions to take the gospel of Jesus the Christ to them. Paul was the spearhead, but many others who were just as zealous followed him.

The letters of Paul were for the most part instructional. That was to be expected, considering the fact that he stayed in one place only long enough to set up another group of converts. These new converts surely had questions of procedure and doctrine an hour after his departure. Considering the volume of his correspondence in the Bible, we must conclude that if all his writings had been preserved they would make several volumes the size of the Bible. The need for constant instruction came because men of different cultures would typically try to weave long held local beliefs into the fabric of the teachings of Christ.

When the time came that the leadership of the Church became diffuse contention sprang up among the various groups. Each claimed that they had the right to lead. Each felt that all the others were wandering toward apostasy because of the local traditions they had added. The truth was that all had added to a lesser or greater degree. In this climate, the Church was vulnerable to any political power that would popularize it and also force the allegiance of those differing elements within.

Slowly the nations of Christendom marched into darkness. The ability to communicate temporally and spiritually was greatly reduced, and the system of civil governance sank to preadamic levels. During these dark years there were a few masters, and every one else was a slave. Often the local tyrant claimed the right of religious leadership, using the same tactics used to gain civil leadership. These were not good years for the teachings of the Father and his Son, for freedom of choice was not an option that many enjoyed. Very few had any knowledge of the message of God the Father to his children. We gain insight into the importance of the spiritual exile of this earth in the case of the dark ages. The Father, despite his great love for those of his children who lived on the Earth during that period, did not interfere. Can we even imagine how great his sorrow must have been to watch the decline into darkness? Surely it must have been almost as great as his anguish at watching our brother Jesus Christ be sacrificed and knowing that he must not act. How many of us could do the same and not strike down the tormentors of our own innocent child or children.

Surely there is no doubt of the innocence of men and women who have no knowledge of the laws of God. They can be compared to the animal life of the Earth, who live in total innocence because the only law governing them is the Law of survival of the fittest. Therefore, justice requires that man be judged only with respect to his knowledge of the higher law given by the Father of man.

During the dark ages the fiefdoms of Christianity unfortunately became some of the least civilized governments on the Earth. It is common in the affairs of man to see the pendulum of social movement swing from one extreme to another, so there is no surprise in the retreat of mankind from the spiritual greatness of the Church of Jesus Christ to a time of almost complete spiritual death. Social fluctuation between extremes is so common that it might almost be regarded as a rule. We, of course, should learn from our ancestors and constantly practice self-criticism when times are good, so that we might limit the decline that follows the times of pride. The dark ages were not world wide in scope, for there were other societies that continued to progress in terms of knowledge of science and ethics. Knowledge flowed slowly from these other cultures back to the affected countries, because communication was difficult for the illiterate majority, but it resulted in the gradual lifting of the pall of darkness that had engulfed Christianity. Surprisingly, this movement was not led by the Christian institutions but by scientists. Christian leaders often threatened these men of science, making them recant under threat of death, or at best cease to teach the results of their investigations. The result, however, was the birth of a new age in which the truths of science awakened the thirst for knowledge.

The schism between religion and science began with the Renaissance and continues to this day. The rift between the two should never have developed but the blame must wholly be placed upon the leaders of Christendom. They insisted that all truth was and is contained in the writings of men of old. Indeed from a spiritual standpoint all that was necessary for the advancement of man was present, but to presume that the scientific knowledge of man at the time of the newborn Church of Jesus Christ and earlier times was anything more than rudimentary is folly. The proper role of the religious establishments of that time and today is to worry about the spiritual advancement of mankind. This means that they should cease to proclaim that any theory or proof brought forth by science is of necessity wrong if it disagrees with some preconception they hold as truth. They, who should have led the search for truth of any nature, elected to declare war on scientific advances and those that promulgated them.

The importance of non-Christian societies of the world during these times cannot be overlooked. They were very important in many ways, but from the standpoint of the goal of the Father to spread his truth and law to all men they were of little help. The tragedy that was the dark ages certainly caused a significant slowing of God's campaign. It was, of course, within the power of the Father to intervene and reverse the fall into the abyss. However, he did not because the need for freedom of choice is of preeminent importance, and certainly the simple concepts taught by Jesus Christ gave them a chance to choose the right.

The Renaissance was driven by the pursuit of knowledge. Truth was the object of science, and gradually men began to associate truth with science and dogmatism with religion. This resulted in a compartmentalization in the minds of men. On one hand they believed in God but on the other they accepted the truth of science, even though the two were seemingly at odds with each other in almost every respect. Unfortunately, the two camps have never made peace and the feud continues with scientists portraying the believers as gullible and believers portraying scientists as Godless tools of Satan. The result of this split personality led many beleaguered religious leaders, who had been challenged by men of science to prove the existence of God, to proclaim that there would be no more direct communication between the Father and man. This strategy was very convenient for, in either case; no one could demand empirical proof of the existence of God or communication with him. It was always impossible to prove scientifically the existence of God since the only communication possible was on an individual spiritual basis. It is safe to say that there is not any instrument known that can detect the universe of our Father that surrounds us. The reason for this is very simple, as we have discussed earlier. Today the gap between the two camps is still growing wider, leaving those who believe to discount all science, which is untenable, or to live with two separate truths that appear to be irreconcilable. The root of the problem is the misunderstanding by both sides of the creation recorded in the Bible (reference chapter one).

The reason the majority of Christianity came to accept the cessation of communication from the Father, as a principle was that those who led no longer received it. In a typical human myopic reaction they then stated that since, they the most qualified, didn't have discourse with God then certainly no one else could. Men always have a hard time seeing or understanding their own weaknesses. It is convenient to have an excuse, and in this case it was that God had decided that mankind should not receive any more instruction. It seems obvious that we are not so much better than our ancestors, that we are no longer in need of such guidance. Each of us needs to communicate with our Father, but the decision to seek it is strictly up to each individual.

We have followed life on Earth from its beginning to the present. The reason for this creation was the establishment of a testing place for mankind who are the sons and daughters of God the Father. Hopefully from this, we have gained an understanding that allows us to comprehend why man is so important to the Father. Indeed, in the order of importance to God a single man or woman is far more important than the universe, which, after all, is only a tool, made for his children's education.

Chapter 8

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is at first thought a simple concept but with further thought becomes incomprehensible. There is good reason for this lack of understanding and it is the result of the loss of memory that accompanies our leaving home for the journey to this universe. All of us would initially say we understand what a kingdom is, and that is because there have been many Kings who have ruled on the Earth. The word itself is thus misleading, for men in their limited frame of existence can only envision that title within the framework of the knowledge gained from our environment. This is a usual circumstance with many of the words that we use to describe God, which is also a title and word that most, after giving it serious thought, cannot really comprehend. Man, with his quest for knowledge, is amazingly ambivalent when it comes to God. Because, theologians have been so intent on creating an unknowable incomprehensible entity that the fact that God is the Father of each of us is no longer thinkable to many. The fact that he is our Father is incontrovertible, for Christ prayed simply to "Our Father which art in Heaven". If we then speak of a Kingdom of God, then we are all princes and princesses in the family of the King. Further, since he is our Father perhaps the relationship is a great deal more personal than most are comfortable in imagining.

To truly understand requires knowledge of our Father that no man may gain of himself while in the flesh. That knowledge can only come by spiritual means. The word spiritual is also misleading, for it must be viewed within the context of spiritualists, ghosts and other such negative connotations. The truth is that this is a limited universe bounded by the moving instant of now that we call time, in which real communication (the method of communication within our Father's kingdom) is difficult for a few and impossible for the majority. We are hindered in our understanding, because we must look through a window that is variably translucent to those who seek to follow the Messiah with innocent intent and opaque to those who choose otherwise.

The Kingdom of God is spiritual in nature. Therefore, it is real as versus our current state, which is in all respects transitory and ephemeral. Some might question whether such a kingdom could exist here on the Earth because of the imperfection of mankind. However, everyone has the right and ability to live within the Kingdom in this life despite the imperfection that is inherent to mortality. The challenge of this life is to strive to become like our Father, who is the definition of what we should seek to be. There are probably none of us living who have reached that lofty goal. Nevertheless, there are those who truly seek that will receive and live in the Kingdom here on the Earth. That does not mean that they will have easier lives or less trouble with regards to this existence, but they will enjoy the peace that regular communication with our Father brings. In fact, as man progresses and as the state of perfection is approached a point will be reached beyond which man can no longer remain in mortality. The fact that few have been translated attests to the fact that it is somewhat difficult to achieve this in our relatively short life spans.

The purpose of this life is in all respects a journey that is rarely if ever finished during our stay here. This raises questions concerning the goal of this journey and its necessity. These questions have perplexed many theologians. The fact that we are here testifies of the need, for our Father would surely not subject his children to the pain and suffering of this existence otherwise. Jesus Christ said plainly what we are expected to do while here, but the reason for this life is not plainly stated in his teachings. We are left to arrive at that reason by careful study and through communication with our Father. The fact that we were all immature children of the Father prior to this life is evident. Logically then, we should then presume we were unable to progress without coming here and learning to love both our Father and our fellow man without being impelled. Equally important is learning to forgive others. The latter concept is not stressed as heavily as the former, but it is inextricably a part of loving our fellow man. We are, however, strongly advised that we will be judged using the same standard with which we judge others.

Our spiritual youth was one of innocence that resulted from living within the communication net of the Fathers Kingdom. It is unlikely that we were compelled in all things prior to this existence, so we must understand how our choices were influenced. For this information we must rely on those who have been privileged to visit our home and return to tell us of their experience. Most, if not all, report that communication there is by what we here would describe as telecommunication and not the slow process of forming individual words that must be linked to form a thought. Additionally, many report that they experienced the ability to comprehend any subject with only a thought. (These abilities are unfortunately lost upon returning to this universe, but continue to seem elusively near to understanding for the returnee.) The situation for them was somewhat analogous to a lone computer being joined to a network of computers, which brings huge increases in ability. Living in that kind of environment our thoughts would not only be known but we also would be immersed in such complete communication and knowledge that having a secret would be impossible. Obviously living in such an environment would preclude a great deal of practice in making solo decisions between right and wrong. We most certainly were innocent of any knowledge of the difficulty of this life and making the right choices while here. The fact that few achieve the stated goal while in this universe must suggest to us that once the process is started that we must then with new understanding continue to progress after returning home. This progress would be helped along by the empathy we acquired during this trial. Before we came to this existence we must have thought those on Earth had lost their minds as we observed there fumbling progress but upon our return we will only have love and understanding for those who are enduring or have endured the test.

This new ability seems to be inexorably tied to the acquiring of a body. That the body accompanies us after this life is made plain in the resurrection of Christ. We all will follow him and, likewise, be reunited with our bodies. Since the various components of this universe are restricted, our resurrected bodies will be made of the material that comprises the universe of our Father. Considering the principle of forgiving in the light of the temptations of the flesh we can also begin to understand that we as spirit children could not even understand why man would choose wrong let alone the concept of forgiveness of others for doing wrong. Surely, as we contemplated coming to this Earth we must have wondered why mortals had such great difficulty in doing that which was clear to us, just as those who are not tempted by some vice are often unforgiving of those who are so troubled. Thus this life, along with a physical body, are steps that must be taken as we progress toward a loving and forgiving maturity.

From this perspective, it becomes somewhat easier to begin to understand the Kingdom of God. We are indeed the children of God and he is all-important to us. We, on the other hand, are also all important to him. That he loves each of us is obvious, for he has gone to great effort provide the schooling that is necessary for us to grow. How we became spiritual children of the Father is not recorded, but there is no doubt of our parentage. We can, however, say with great certainty that the Kingdom of God is also our kingdom, for in the every sense of the word we are the princes and princesses of the king and the queen. As such, we are an integral part of the whole. The ambiance of the kingdom is love and understanding, but the lessons of this life are crucial and must be mastered. Each of us will receive a reward for our efforts and it will, of course, be awarded on a just basis. We will all be graded on our performance, and since there are a great number of us there probably are an equal number of rewards, each commensurate with performance. When we discuss rewards, it is important to consider the possibility of failure. There is no doubt that it is possible to fail, and this was also possible in our existence prior to this for we are aware of those who followed our brother who is called Satan. It is impossible to know whether those who followed Satan could through change of thought again achieve the possibility of progression we enjoy, but I for one hope that it is possible.

Birth into this world is an irreversible step in the progression of the children of God. Once we have acquired a body we cannot go back, for each of us is promised that we will be reunited with our body at some point after our return to our previous spirit only state. There are clearly two destinations for those leaving this universe, as has been previously mentioned. One is defined as a restricted existence, which we describe as a prison for want of a better word. The other is referred to as paradise, which again is a word that really has as many definitions as there are men and women. This will be discussed further in a following chapter.

The nature of this testing place is that it precludes easy direct communication by most of us children with the Father. As stated previously, he meant that we learn to choose between right and wrong while here. Obviously, there is no right or wrong for the animals and plants of this world, only survival. Therefore, the father had to introduce this new concept to his creation. Prior to the time that Adam left the Garden the men of this Earth were totally innocent. Adam marked the beginning or the planting, for he brought with him the law of the Father and he began the process that would eventually carry the word of God to all mankind.

Adam's lineage tried very hard to preserve the pure genetic strain, but as we have discussed earlier, the genetic heritage of the Adamic line was eventually diluted by the heritage of the Earth. The concept of trying to preserve the line of Adam died very slowly, for it fits well with a tool of evolution. In the battle of survival, an important strategy is the communal group, or tribe, for it allows the survival of the genetic material of the tribe even if individuals give their lives in defense of the whole. The tribal nature of man is still very obvious in every stratum of life, even in intellectually advanced societies. Genetically all men have a small portion of the genes of Adam and Eve and conversely a very large share of the natural man. Because of this, there is a very strong inbred instinct to survive at the expense of all other considerations. When you consider that to progress in the manner that God wishes us to we must intentionally place the Father and our fellow man's interests equal to or before our own. This is diametrically opposite the conditioning of billions of years of evolution. It is a monumental understatement to say that to excel in this our test of life is not easy.

The Kingdom here on the Earth is purely a matter of an individual's growth with respect to the teachings of God. It is at no time a part of this universe in a physical way. Thus, it may be said that the matter of this Earth can only be deemed as a part of the Kingdom because it was dedicated for the use of men. It must be plainly stated that the things of this universe have no permanent place within our Father's Kingdom, for the very elements around us are limited and will one day cease to exist in a universe consuming singularity, or the opposite of a big bang. The things of this Earth cease to be a part of the Kingdom when they are no longer used for the purposes of God.

We can now begin to understand the lifestyle of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ. They lived holding all things in common. They dedicated all that they owned to the Kingdom and the support of all that were members both new and old. They no longer sought the things of the Earth for the purposes of wealth and power. The wealth that came to them was consecrated as a tool to help mankind. This is the way that our Father would have all men live. The closest that man can come to the life we formerly lived with the Father can only be found in living as a united society with all things in common. However, this bliss requires men who are willing to forgo the material of this life. They must give up all for the sake of the whole. Sadly, few are willing and they are so diluted in the sea of those who are dedicated to materialism that this form of living is tried only sporadically and usually for only short periods of time.

The Kingdom of the Father awaits us all. When we leave this life we will return to one of two distinct places, either Paradise or a prison. Those who find themselves in the second of the two places are unable to leave this Universe even though they are no longer housed in a body composed of matter. This imprisonment is self-inflicted, for they have the ability to leave but cannot or will not see the path blazed by Christ.

Most believe that the Kingdom of God will be established here on the Earth. The reason for this view is that it is extremely difficult for mortals to imagine any other state than the current one. Even this universe is not permanent, and so we must understand that when our Father states that the Earth will pass away that he means just that. The new Earth (the place where we will live) is composed of the material of our Father's universe and is a permanent part of his Kingdom. When we are resurrected, we will receive our bodies again, but they will be composed of the matter of our Father's Kingdom, and indeed "not one hair will be lost".

All will be resurrected, but not at the same time. The reason for the time difference in the resurrection is simple. The worst thing that could occur to a mortal man is to have a body that would live forever before he has learned to control himself while living within that body. It is probable that very few of us will be resurrected immediately for, even the best will still have rough edges that must be smoothed before they are able to handle the requirements of resurrected life with God. Therefore, the first resurrection of the just will not occur all at once, but only as we qualify ourselves for that state. The second resurrection of the unjust must occur somewhat later, as they have much further to progress before they could safely transition to an eternal body, and some unfortunately will fall short and be reunited with their body in a state of imperfection.

We might well consider the state of any that receive an eternal body before mastering the lessons of this life a hell. They would be extremely uncomfortable in the presence of those who had moved ahead, and would therefore wander the periphery, or the outer edges of the light. However, they will be happy with their lives of limited glory.

There are some that have committed wrongs of such magnitude against man and God that they may never be able to endure any trace of the light of the Kingdom. These individuals are truly consigned to hell, but again it is a case of them not being able to live with the rest of the Family rather than the rest of the Family driving them out. They would be unique in this situation, for they will be living in their eternal bodies in a vast congregation of spirits that prefer the dark. These spirits will outnumber them by infinite numbers. This will be a realm of chaos with each seeking any selfish gratification available in that place.

The light that is referred to is truly extraordinary. Everyone understands what light is, but once again the light we are so used to is only superficially like the light of our Father's person and Kingdom. This light is seen through the eyes of our spirits. Perhaps it can only be perceived spiritually. The impact of seeing it is incredible and yet without threat. It is immediately apparent that the light is brighter than the sun, but more importantly that it is sensed by every sense of the spiritual body. It is overwhelming because of pure sensory overload, but it is also full of such love that words cannot convey any true understanding. The spirit finds itself engulfed in a fire that does not burn but leaves the man or woman who returns to the body at a loss to describe with the words of this life. This light emanates from a being to which you are drawn with the realization that here is a person you have always known and loved. The only thought is to rush and join him in the love that radiates from his person. In his presence you instantly witness all that you have done and all that you are. There is no room for lies indeed there can be no lies, for all is known. After experiencing this, it is easy to understand why some will be unable to endure the light, and will of their own volition remove themselves to an environment that is a little less revealing of their weakness.

Many refer to the being in the light as Jesus the Christ. But since He is a resurrected being He can only be one place in eternity at a time. The question then is how does he welcome each home when surely many worthy souls die almost simultaneously every moment of every day? The answer is that the Kingdom is composed of many who are worthy, whom are bearers of the Father's priesthood, who represent and speak for our Brother and our Father, and they act as proxies for them. This is not to say that the person who experiences this is misled in the encounter with these relatives. He or she will recognize who they are and know them, but they will speak and act as though they were the Father or Jesus the Christ, for they are a part of his priesthood. Many non-Christians, after such experience, will usually proclaim that their god met them. The reason for this is that the recognition of the person greeting the individual is forgotten on return to mortality. This is a consequence of the need for the returnee not losing his or her freedom of choice, which would be the case if all were remembered. If it were not so, the individual would have absolute knowledge and communication with the Father and could not return.

The method of the forgetting is a natural one that should not mystify us in any way. We must remember that before we came to this place of testing that we had an almost infinite knowledge of all things. This is the natural state for the spirit children of the Father because we all shared the intelligence of the Kingdom. Upon leaving the body, we find that our ability to comprehend seems almost instantly infinite after we are once again in the presence of the light. This does not happen for those who are not worthy, for they are not attracted to the light. This expansion of the intellect then is an integral part of the light, or intelligence of the Kingdom. The reason that those who return universally say there are no words that can describe the experience is that literally there is no way to convey anymore than a rudimentary understanding that on afterthought seems totally inadequate. The retarded mental abilities of the flesh leave us unable to understand or even partially describe the condition there, because to do so requires our undiminished intellect, which is only available to us when, we are outside the body. Therefore, upon return, there is a forgetting of things that we no longer have the mental ability to comprehend. An analogy would be a mentally retarded person who could be given a pill that would allow him to be raised to normal intelligence for ten minutes. Upon the expiration of the time we could imagine his or her challenge of trying to describe to contemporaries what was experienced. Our intellects are severely restricted in comparison to our premortal abilities. It then must follow that this explanation is in itself flawed, for it is impossible to even begin to explain the experience of crossing over and returning. But this explanation hopefully conveys some of the most basic and elementary concepts.

There is no reason that the Kingdom of God could not reign supreme on the Earth, but it is unlikely to occur before the return of our Brother Jesus the Christ. The reason is that the very difficulty of this life makes the attainment of the final goal all but impossible, but the mark of a good test is to differentiate between all the participants. Therefore, with a very large number of men who have lived upon the Earth very few have advanced to the point that they were translated. The rest of us are spread somewhere between failure and perfection, with an almost infinite number of test scores.

There must ultimately be a final grade assigned to the members of this class and we all have heard of a Final Judgment. These words bring with them a lot of emotional baggage for most of us. With some looking upon the event with great fear and others looking forward to seeing others get their "just punishment" while being sure they are much better. Both points of view are wrong, for the grade we receive will fit our efforts. We will be placed in the Kingdom accordingly. Our only regret being, perhaps, that we could have done better. We will be happy with our place because we will be with others who scored about the same, as we and we will be part of our Father's Kingdom. The difficulty is the evaluation of that very small group that is at the very extreme end of the failing grade. Luckily, it is not ours to grade our brothers and sisters, for that must be very difficult. Imagine the grief of our Father when he must judge those of his loved children who failed totally. Will they be a part of the kingdom even peripherally or total outcasts? Certainly we do not know our only requirement is to love and forgive all and work toward becoming like our roll model, our Father who is God.

The Kingdom is therefore composed all who have lived upon the Earth and those who were tested on other Earths prior to this. It is composed of men and women individually. It is not a place of uniformity, but one where each individual brings their own understanding and viewpoint to the whole. All are important to the Father because we all have unique experiences and intelligence to add to the Kingdom. Before we join that realm, we must give up selfishness and pride for selflessness and love. There all things will be held in common and no one will seek to gain advantage over others. Our individual intelligence will be contributed to the whole. Truly the glory of God is intelligence.

Chapter 9

This Universe

As Mankind has contemplated the physical laws of this Universe, there has arisen a method of observation that we commonly refer to as science. The scientific method could be just as easily called the observation method; it is the intent of most that study any of the sciences to observe and explain in a systematic way what was observed. Pure science has no political or religious agenda and no room for unfounded speculation, but there are some scientists who make statements in the guise of science for political or religious reasons. They, like most men and women, have interests to promote outside, and sometimes within, their profession. Not all involved in the study of this universe are such purists that they won't try to sell their opinions to their fellow man as science. A few will trade on their reputations as impartial scientists to promulgate known falsehoods for gain. Therefore, not all that is advertised as science is truly such. The purpose of science and the men and women who devote their lives to it is to find truth wherever it is found. Lies and falsehoods are not a part of this pursuit.

Men of religion, on the other hand, have many agendas to advance and few of them are founded on science for the obvious reason. In most cases, it is fair to say the religious community operates more from a subjective point of view. It can be stated, without reservation, that it is impossible to prove by any duplicable method that God exists. The design of this universe was conceived to preclude this. Proof of the existence of God can be obtained, but only on an individual spiritual basis. This is the opposite of the scientific method where all must be able to observe and reproduce the experiments of others. Just as some scientists use the camouflage of science to further there own interests, some religious men do the same using religion to obscure or mislead for gain, but the true purpose of religion and those who follow the Father is to find truth where ever it may be. Lies and falsehoods are not a part of their pursuit either.

Science and religion should never have been estranged, for the goal of each is the same. Those who ruled the Christian world during the dark ages caused the antagonism between the two. At that time the flower of science was taking root and men with political power discovered the power of science. Government before the Renaissance generally was a combination of despot and clergy working hand in hand to control the serfs. With this in mind, it is easy to understand the reaction of the clergy to anything that differed from their preconceived teachings as a threat to their power base. If this sounds like politics it should, for that is what it was. The powerful clergy therefore accused of sacrilege and persecuted those who were driven to understand the physical Earth and the universe. The reaction of the despots was somewhat less vigorous, for they were able to see advantages in the discoveries of science with regard to new weapons and thus, new ways to force people to their wills.

The marriage of clergy and despots was always one of convenience with neither caring much for the other, but with each appreciating the benefits of controlling people. They both contributed to the effort of keeping the populace in line, one through force and the other with psychological manipulation. Perhaps the current age of science would not exist if it had not been for the fact that the despots of the world saw in it great Potential for power. The conflict was very similar to the game children learn very early, odd man out. While it is rather simple, it is a very effective among adults as well. Witness the despots both modern and ancient who understood the advantages in shifting the focus from their own excesses to some other group who were easy to hate.

This situation has evolved into the current day in which we find the despots and more moderate power seekers using science in much the same way as they used the clergy of old. There is one vital difference, and that is the typical scientist is, by nature, so focused on his research that he is apolitical. This point is not lost on those who seek power, for in the name of science they can ridicule those who believe in God and yet in the bargain don’t have to share their power with the scientists whom they conveniently manipulate with grants of money. Additionally, they can ridicule and manipulate scientists who speak out about the politically expedient fake science that politicians use to manipulate the people. This crime is in most cases, easily carried out because most academics are not adroit politically and are dependent on the money handed out by those in power. Some may disagree with this bleak portrayal of the politicians of today, but the game is still the same. There are always those who seek to gain power over others. Indeed, the need to gain power is at its roots a part of the genetic makeup of every man and woman. If there is any one ploy that is guaranteed to increase the ability of any individual to pass on their genes it is gaining power over others. Power is accumulated in our society by many strategies, but most methods are implemented by large amounts of money. The politicians of today use money collected in the form of taxes to buy the votes of his or her voting district by appealing to the baser instincts of man (i.e. as long as we get the benefit that cares about those who have to pay for it). Perhaps we would all be happier if only those who didn't want power were allowed to represent us.

Thus we see that the clergy brought about their own decline by not recognizing that their goals and those of science were the same. In general, it can be said that the average scientist is, in all probability, a believer in God. Certainly one of the greatest of our age, Albert Einstein, was rather clearly in that camp. This generalization holds true for those of past ages. The problem arose out of inflexibility on the part of theologians. They failed to recognize that they were trying to make the world conform to the understanding and writings of men whose perceptions were based on the accumulated knowledge of the world of the dark ages and earlier. That does not mean that what prophets had to say can be ignored, or in any way dismissed, only that we in reading must factor out the influence of their relative primitive understanding of the universe and end up with the pure spiritual message. By doing so we arrive at the startling truth that science and true Christianity do not disagree in any way. Indeed they must always agree. The Father created Earth and Universe, and those laws must be in harmony with the laws of the kingdom of God. When the two seem to disagree, then we must look at each position and try and discover the error in the science or the error in understanding of the spiritual principle.

There should be no doubt that the miracles performed by the children of the Father, by virtue of his authority, were accomplished without breaking the physical law of this universe. If men of science were able to observe those events as they happened they would be able to explain many with little difficulty. Even today some would still be resistant to our modern understanding because there is much that man does not understand about the universe. In fact it seems that every advancement brings with it more questions than answers. That does not mean the physical laws of the universe are of infinite complexity only that we are still far from understanding the whole. Given time mankind would be able to understand everything in the universe, and hence all the miracles of old.

The relationship of the Father to this universe is not one of magic that is performed at odds with the laws inherent to it, but rather one of working within the framework that he established for this place of space and time. Therefore, it should not come as a great shock to us that all life on Earth evolved from the substance of this universe and that evolution was the tool used by God to perform his creation. Neither is there question, given the materials of this Earth in the last stages of this evolutionary process, that He could create a perfect body for both Adam and Eve. Indeed, we are told He created a Garden wherein only perfect plants and animals existed. It must be obvious to all that the science of genetics and genetic engineering are well known to the Creator.

There was no predation or violence within the garden. For this reason it can be understood that the inhabitants except for Adam and Eve were Ill equipped to survive in this competitive world. Some others might have been able to survive, but they would have had to have the capability to protect themselves. The purpose of Adam and Eve was to act as the catalyst that would propel this creation to the final stage of God's plan. With the introduction of these our ancestors, the population of men who understood the difference between right and wrong as defined by the Father, began to rise from zero.

One thing is certain, and that is if there is a beginning there will also be an end. The end of this Earth's function will be precipitated by the universal forces of the universe which we have been discussing, not by the cataclysmic destruction of man by some super weapon brought about by man, nor some great scourge of the evolutionary process. The end of this harvest season will come because the Father cannot allow man to develop the science of Genetic Engineering to the point that man could live in the flesh forever. If that were to happen, some of his children could be permanently exiled in this existence, and that will not be allowed. We all can see the progress of science and the pace of discovery is increasing exponentially. Before many more years man will have mapped the entire Human genome (the entire genetic code that describes man) and soon will master the techniques required to manipulate genes to increase the life spans of man. We all recognize the future, and some even foresee that the time of the final harvest is near. It is not a harvest prompted solely by the wickedness of man, if so, surely the dark ages would have precipitated the end. It is the time when man is beginning to comprehend the very basis of life in this universe.

The forces of the creation shaped the life styles of men before Adam, and this process is active even today. Witness the new diseases and the insects that develop immunity to man’s best tools to control them. If we could view conditions just before the introduction of Adam and Eve to this Earth we would see small tribes of men who might be viewed as living in a perfect harmony with the rest of the Earth by a modern environmentalist. This however is a myth; the truth is that man, the ultimate predator, was causing great changes in the ecosystem of the Earth. Man of that time was responsible for the extinction of a huge number of species. This ecological pressure applied by man is an integral part of the evolutionary process and the natural consequence will be life forms that can coexist and compete with man. This was not Eden, but in one respect it was because all lived the law that was the basis for creation. This was a place of savage innocence and there was no sin until Adam and Eve brought the new law to the men of the Earth.

If we could see further into the past, we would find groups of increasingly primitive men, and if we looked far enough we would see groups that we might think looked more like apes than men. If we searched for a missing link, we would be disappointed, for man was a part of the whole of creation and there was no clear line of demarcation between man and not man. Indeed, from the standpoint of DNA it is quite apparent that all life on earth is a part of a whole in which all life forms are interdependent and related. If we can cast aside the notion that man is not related to the other forms of life on the Earth, then we would view the actions of other species with new understanding. From this perspective, it is possible to project forward to man from the actions of members of the ape family. Many of the patterns of behavior are genetic in character, and while they are overlaid with many more learned behaviors in man they are still there. If one considers the act of procreation, and does so from a detached point of view, it is easy to see complete abandonment of intellect to a very strong genetic urge that some might call animalistic. We should recognize and accept our kinship with the animals and plants of the Earth, and we are driven by the same genetic drive to survive that they are. In fact, before the advent of Adam, survival in this world was determined solely by competition on the molecular level of DNA.

With Adam a new law was introduced to the Earth, and it required modification of the genetic law of survival. However, the basic structure of the genetic law was left in place, so that, as we look at procreation, it must be practiced within marriage otherwise it is unchanged. The genetic law of survival is transmuted to a law that requires us to think the survival of our fellow man is as important as our own. However, the new law is not static but progressive, and at each stage of becoming selfless we are faced with new opportunities to become even more selfless. Man's ultimate goal should be to love not only our fellow man, but also all life on Earth.

Perhaps to some it is uncomfortable to admit that men are governed in any way by their genes, but we are intricately a part of the Earth and truly a product of the evolutionary creation process. Certainly in man learning and culture modify instinct, but if you consider the overall we are an integral part of this ecosystem. All life is driven to live and procreate and die by little strands of DNA or RNA that are difficult to see even with a microscope. These tiny protein helices are very like computer code in that all the instructions to form man are included within a single fertilized egg, or each of the cells of our bodies. The amount of information contained in each such cell is so great that man has only been able to decipher a very small portion of the whole. Even though we have some ability read the code we are still relegated to simple manipulations of known genes. We still lack the understanding of how to create new code that would be viable and biologically active. The genetic structure of any organism was built layer upon layer by successful mutations over a great many years. That which was not competitive was discarded or inactivated. As a result much of the code in our genes is redundant or inactive. As science tries to understand the puzzle of the whole, they must be able to dissemble and test individual pieces to find out what they do and why. This mapping of the Genome has just begun, and it will take some time to finish. The ability to accomplish this task will also be increasing exponentially with time and, within the foreseeable future, it will be accomplished. When that occurs man, will be able to genetically engineer a perfect human being that could, through occasional genetic patching, live forever.

The process of genetic engineering was used by the Father to create Adam. The genetic code that defined Adam was based on that of preadamic man. The obvious reason for this is that Adam's progeny had to be able to interbreed freely with the men of the Earth. The Father performed what was for him a very simple restructuring of the existing code to create a perfect man and again modifying it slightly created a perfect woman. They were probably born as twins.

The only question is how these two were brought from single cell to adult form? Initially, this may seem to be a difficulty. However, there is in the case of the Birth of Jesus Christ a clue as to how this might have been accomplished. In this case, Mary the mother of Jesus had a child without fertilization by a man. What occurred was that the Father manipulated the genes that were found in an unfertilized egg within Mary to create the perfect genetics required for his Son. The result was the mortal body of our brother, Jesus the Christ, whose mission contemporaries testify of. The same process, using an indigenous woman as surrogate, was used in the birth of the Adam and Eve who were subsequently raised in the Garden of Eden. The Garden itself would have been formed using the same methods to create the perfect plants and animals that provided company and food for them. They were total vegetarians while in the Garden, so the animals were companions to them and the plants provided their fruit for food. Obviously, there is no record of the events surrounding the birth of Adam and Eve and how it was achieved. The symmetry of this explanation with respect to the birth of Christ is apparent. This fits with the rest of creation and the observed subtle methods of God when making changes on the Earth.

This creation was not in any way haphazard, but planned and executed according to the plan. At the appropriate time, Adam and Eve were created and they began their life in the Garden. There they were able to enjoy the presence of the Father constantly, which in truth represented very little change for them from the situation they enjoyed in their spiritual childhood. They did not have to make a choice between right and wrong, for they always new what the Father expected because he or his emissaries were always present. The change from immortality to mortality for Adam and Eve was not accident or an unknowing act, but was prompted by rational decision. There is no doubt that Eve new the consequences of doing the one thing that God had prohibited, and she did not do it out of rebellion, but because she new that this creation would not be complete until both she and Adam voluntarily chose to suffer spiritual death. With spiritual death and the loss of communication with the Father, these two then had to begin to learn on their own how to make decisions for good rather than evil. They no longer had the compass of God's direction to lead them infallibly to the right.

It is important that we understand that the decision on the part of Adam and Eve was one of absolute knowing that they would be banished to an existence of pain, suffering, and worst of all, separation from the Father. Their decision is mirrored by an equal decision on the part of the Savior to give up his life and his body after he had gained perfection and immortality while in the flesh. When he made that decision, he was immortal he would not have suffered death. He knew absolutely that his lot would be suffering beyond understanding by mortal man and, yet he knowingly chose to give all he had gained as a ransom for the return of his brother's and sister's to the Father's Kingdom. These were the selfless acts of true heroes and they are our brothers and sister who gave all for the good of the rest of the family of God. They gave willingly, because they loved the Father and the rest of family.

Much has been made of the original Sin, but perhaps it should be referred to as the first decision. We have no knowledge as to how long Adam and Eve were in the garden, and perhaps it is irrelevant for both Adam and Eve knew what had to be done from the beginning. They communicated constantly with the Father, and understood the consequences of the decision that had to be made. They did have a choice, for God would not force them, their sacrifice had to be made willingly. The same was the case for Jesus Christ he did not have to make the decision to give his life and subject himself to the spiritual suffering of all mankind.

Upon banishment, the Earth's destiny was realized. As for Adam and Eve an awful thing had occurred. They not only could not constantly communicate spiritually, but they found that the decreased mental abilities of their bodies would not allow them to remember, or even comprehend, their previous state with any clarity. Because of their perfect bodies and relative innocence, it was somewhat easier for them to communicate with God and they of course, sought him often. This act of communication we refer to as prayer.

It is unfortunate that man has formalized the concept of communication with the Father. This formalization has caused many to think that it must be done in some exact way to be successful. All that is required is that an individual approaches the Father with respect, love and a willingness to accept the directions given. Many refuse to believe that it is a dialogue and persist in monologues in which they tell the Father what they require. The reason for this communication is to help us learn to make correct decisions and our Father is willing to teach us if we will listen. This is a process that requires a lifetime of learning and more. With Adam and Eve, a new law was brought to the Earth that required more than survival of the fittest. With that change, the primeval innocence of the men of the Earth began to change as the family of Adam introduced them to the new law.

In considering the universe we have focused primarily on the Earth and the species Homo sapiens. The reason for this is that the Universe itself was created for man. Perhaps we can compare it to a large landmass on which a university has been constructed. The logical question then, is with such a large space available would it not be logical to have more than one Earth or university? Judging from the number of men and women who currently inhabit this Earth one might very well conclude that the number of children needing education might well exceed the capacity of thousands of Earth's. In our own galaxy there are certainly many more than a thousand planets that are earth-like in nature, what then of the numberless galaxies in the universe? It is likely that the concept of economy of effort is also a principle that the Father is aware of, and so it is also likely that there are many more earths in the universe.

However, let us now suppose that in the whole Universe there is but one other Earth. Considering the numberless stars in a galaxy and the numberless galaxies in the universe this would be considered improbable but for this argument we will assume it is so. It is certain that this other planet is not in communication with us. Then, if we consider the plan of creation for this Earth, should we not also presume that the same plan would be implemented on the other world? This seems reasonable, for if there is a plan to build something like a car one does not normally change the plan for each new car. Following this line of thought, we are brought to the point that we must assume that Earth, number two, would of necessity have need of an Adam, Eve and a Savior.

It is somewhat tempting at this point to conclude that on this hypothetical other earth that life would be genetically compatible with that on this Earth. This assumption however, is not necessarily warranted because the process of evolution is inherently one of probability, and while the final product might look the same, the fine structure of genetics might be quite dissimilar. However, it would be safe to assume that the form of the men on these other worlds would be like ours, since man was created in the image of God the Father. There is one common factor that would always be evident. That is a strong genetic bias, born of the evolutionary process, to be only concerned with self. The challenge there would be the same as here. Selfishness is a natural product of evolutionary creation, while the concept of selflessness is supplied by the creator in the form of the equivalent of an Adam, Eve, Christ and Prophets.

There is, however, a possibility that the universe was created for just one Earth, and this should be born in mind. The probability may, in our view, be for many earths in a universe. But there may be room for an infinite number of universes within the domain of the Father. The result again would be the same, for in either case there would be many earths. Another possibility is that this is the only earth that has ever been created, but that seems rather improbable. It also would require an assumption of a finite number of children to a parent whose description of self is infinite.

From the point of view of science we can only observe our universe and the matter of which it is composed. This is, of course, the desired result of spiritual isolation. That means that we cannot observe anything outside the Universe, nor even identify any boundaries to the universe. Since the dimensions inhabited by the Father and the rest of our siblings obviously permit some one sided interaction with this universe, we can presume that this place is a dimensional bubble within our Father's Kingdom. Because our bodies are composed of this universe’s matter the extraordinary senses of our spiritual bodies are almost totally blanketed. However, upon temporal death those senses are again operative and we can, if we have not blinded our selves spiritually, again move and communicate in the multiple dimensions of Home.

One of the goals of science is to understand the process of the creation of the universe. Once the fundamental laws at the instant of the beginning of time can be comprehended, then mankind should be able to mathematically compass all the interactions of time energy and matter. In time, we would discover what happened in those first microseconds. With that understanding will come ever more complete knowledge of this place. The act of creation was based upon the knowledge or science of the Father and also his spiritual children, (which includes all of us). We may assume that that knowledge has been used before, and will also be used again after this creation.

Our understanding of the universe has been built by an accumulation of knowledge through time. The method has often been to isolate variables so that understanding of a process such as gravity could be described on a macro basis. Then almost invariably we discover that even such straightforward calculations are not totally correct because of relativistic effects of time matter and energy. The truth is that the laws of this universe are all related and vary dependent on the changes in time, matter and energy. The theories of Albert Einstein are aptly named relativity, for every aspect of this universe is relative to those conditions in surrounding space and time. Thus it may be said that the three dimensions would not exist if there were no matter or energy, and the same can be said of time.

The logical extension would be that if we did not have a body composed of the stuff of this Universe, then there would be no three dimensional or time restrictions for us. This is a very difficult concept for mortal man to comprehend because we spend all our time from birth to temporal death learning the rules of this existence. What can we then anchor our understanding to if time does not exist? What then is the medium through which we progressed to this state? As you can see it is impossible to fully comprehend because our spiritual senses are not operative while we are clothed with the matter of this universe. It is obvious that this understanding was once ours, but the forgetfulness caused by being born with the very primitive mental capacity of mortality has deprived us of even a rudimentary memory of Home.

This universe is a closed system that began as a singularity and will eventually contract into a singularity. Even the elements of this place are not permanent, for as surely as the elements of our bodies were manufactured in the furnaces of the stars they will again fall into other stars and be transmuted again and again until they fall into a black hole.

In light of this knowledge, then we must consider the resurrection. One of the gifts the Father gave to us through the sacrifice of our Brother was that of resurrection. This is not in any way a conditional gift, but is universally given to all mankind. Men have mostly assumed that their resurrected body would be composed of the elements of this universe. There are two reasons for this misunderstanding. The first is that it is very difficult for any one living in this existence to conceive of any other substance than that with which we are clothed. The second is that when our Brother Jesus Christ returned he allowed the apostles to touch him and feel the wounds in his hands. Those present could only assume that since the matter of his body was tangible that it was composed of materials from the Earth. The fact that the resurrected Christ's body was able to traverse material walls and other items of matter only mystified the witnesses for obvious reasons. There should be no doubt that we all will receive a resurrected body. That body will, however, be made of the matter from our Fathers dimensions.

We are told not to treasure the things of this world or seek after them, but to seek the wisdom and knowledge of our Father. As we contemplate the things of this Earth, we all know that they are not permanent, and yet many still persist in chasing those things, which can not accompany them on the journey Home. The Universe and all that is in it has only one value, and that is to provide a place for the children of God to continue their progression. If a man could own and control the entire Universe, what good would it do him if he could not return to the real world from this phantom place?

Chapter 10

The Future

The future and the past have always been the deepest of mysteries to mankind. This is a natural result of our being consigned to living our lives in the ever-fleeting moment called now. Now is a very difficult concept to visualize or even rationalize it is an instant in time that in essence has no time value whatsoever. Now cannot be one microsecond in the past or the future it is a singularity with absolutely no time of duration. The past we know from our often-unreliable memories and the records left by those who have taken the time to record their perceptions of the events of life. Both memory and records are extremely subjective; they reflect the perception of the person recalling and recording. If we could live through the moments of some one else's life, would we interpret all their experiences the same as they (probably not)? Of the past, we know only what others have told us. The future is even more difficult, for we have no knowledge of what the next second will bring, let alone the next day or year. The only predictors we have, for the future, are probabilities that are inversely proportional to their relative position in the future. One other source, which is more reliable, is our Father's revelations, but here again the personal perception of the individual enters into what is recorded. This subjective state was not created on whim, but by plan, as has been stressed in prior chapters, and it is imperative for the progress of those who come to this world. Time as we know it is an artifact of the creation and this condition was completely foreign to us in our existence before mortality. After this brief mortal experience, the dimension we call time will no longer restrain us. What that will be like is beyond our limited mental abilities to comprehend. But that is our future.

The future implies time passing for that is what makes the future the present and then the past. As we contemplate what will be, in terms of human existence, beyond our returning to the Father we are unsure. Even those who have had the opportunity to visit our Father's Kingdom and return cannot find words adequate to describe the multi-dimensional environment they found themselves in. Each of them has tried, and yet each will tell us that they just don't have the mental capacity or words to convey anything other than just a very small part of their feelings and what they saw.

Our Father has plainly stated that he has knowledge of the future and the past. Certainly there are many aspects, with regard to that knowledge, that we cannot hope to comprehend. Again referring to the experience of those who have returned from short visits home, which some refer to as near death experiences, it is obvious from their testimony that the past is recorded in a form that makes retrieval total in every sensory detail.

The Father is aware of the future of this universe. His knowledge is not based on absolute knowing with respect to our individual actions. Since the prime consideration here is freedom of choice, this must be so. We must presume that this knowledge is based on the overall plan, and the performance of a group of unproven individual capabilities placed within known environmental constraints. While the path of the group as a whole is evident, the performance of the individual is unknown (not unlike the Heisenberg uncertainty principle) because of free choice. There are many similar situations in our own environment that may help to visualize this concept. A fireman aiming a stream of water at a fire is certain as to where the stream will go, however, with respect to individual molecules of water, he can not be certain where they will be or even the direction of their travel. Some of the water molecules will indeed be traveling in entirely different directions and speeds than the main stream.

Each living thing on this Earth shares an ultimate and identical future in one respect (death), as each of us is well aware. Because we know that this is the ultimate fate of life does not mean that it is accepted on a personal level. This is an important behavior that is programmed genetically, for if we did not value life and cling tenaciously to it the creation would have come to naught. The imperative to survive is a very important part of the genetic coding that we each carry. Therefore, when we approach mortal death we do so only as a function of our dwindling strength to resist.

What lies beyond the termination of mortal existence is an unknown that frightens many. The fact that the future has been told to us by God the Father is of little solace to most of mankind, for it requires belief in something that is unseen. We are surrounded by the perceived realty of this place and many choose the rewards of now over that which they choose not to know.

Death is in reality a rebirth, and with it comes an eternal future. The process of rebirth is rather dramatic with many startling occurrences happening rather quickly. It is extremely difficult to say that any one aspect of any one experience will of necessity be common to all that experience it, but many are common to almost all that have left the world for a time. We must rely on the testimony of those who have undergone a near death experience to understand this otherwise unknowable happening. The intent then is to integrate the testimony of those who have told their stories with personal experience. The experience of life after life is currently quite highly publicized, but that should not cause us to doubt those who have related what is a life changing personal experience. It is true that most who have such an experience never tell any one for fear of being ridiculed, or because they feel it was to personal to be shared. We are grateful to those who are willing to talk about their experiences.

The process typically begins with the individual finding themselves viewing their body and the medical workers reacting to the emergency (This did not happen to me). This is soon followed by travel through a dark valley or tunnel in which they find themselves drawn toward an indescribably bright light (This did not happen to me). Most have a vague recollection of knowing that the bright light is someone they know. When they finally meet the person in the light, they are overwhelmed by the Love that seems to be radiating from this personage. From this point on the only word that describes the experience is overwhelming. The flood of information knowledge and love is in all ways indescribable. The individual whose faculties have been reawakened views his life in the minutest of detail in what seems but an instant and then is asked by the being of light" what have you learned or done with your life"? These two things seem to happen almost simultaneously. Some also see, feel, hear and with other indescribable senses sense the presence of parents, grandparents and others who are well known to them. Most are told that they may return to mortality, but they know that they can't proceed any further and still exercise that option. Those who choose to return or had no choice but to return are the only witnesses save Jesus the Christ and the Prophets.

There is one other class of experience that is reported by those who tried to end their own life, and by others who seem to have sensed this alternative before they began the trip toward the light. It is a place inhabited by those who desire the things of the Earth so much that they can not seem to sense the light and are constantly trying to return to mortality or going over some unresolved personal problem again and again. The general feel of this place is of unhappiness and darkness. The darkness is not darkness with regard to the light of this world, but a lack of light from Home. This seeming prison is in this universe surrounding and on this Earth. These poor souls wander, moving through and around this mortal existence.

The future then for us is the eventual rebirth into the world of our God. So let us try to understand from the small amount of information available what that future is like. The first thing that strikes all is that communication is carried out in an entirely different manner than we are used to here. It has been described as mental telepathy, but that word lacks the ability to describe the communication that occurs between the members of the Father's family. The understanding is total with regard to thoughts, love, and knowledge. There is no room for deception, all is known. The rate of relearning that which we have forgotten is vast and this is one of the considerations in allowing return to the Earth. In my own case, much of what I learned was removed from my memory prior to my return. How this was done I cannot say, but on return I still had a residual and tantalizing memory of the glory. Some things were not removed, but they are virtually nothing in comparison to that which I felt was no longer available to me. I n some ways it is difficult even to write about the experience for the inadequacy of the words and means of expression are terribly frustrating. How can the feeling, seeing, smelling, hearing and burning in the light that was love, peace and knowledge ever be conveyed to any one who has not experienced it?

The reason for this life, as has been reiterated many times in this book, is simply that it is impossible for the children of the Father to make an uninfluenced decision between good or evil at Home. For us it is mandatory that we learn to make these decisions with full freedom of choice. Clearly the reason for the near absolute isolation of this universe is dictated by the mode of communication in our Father's universe.

For those who have had the experience of visiting and returning, the rush of events and sensory stimulus is so great that it is quite understandable that generally each witness relates some item of information that others didn't notice or have forgotten. This brush with eternity is so minimal that it is no wonder that we have only sketchy details. Beyond the new (old) mode of communication other things have been mentioned that give us further understanding of our future.

Now lets conceder the fate of those who seem to be stuck in the prison of Earthly desires after their physical death. They have around them beings of light who are trying to help them overcome the problems that afflict them and, in due course, they each may overcome the blindness and begin to see and hear those who would help them. Eventually most will come to see and be called and welcomed with love in the light that is the glory of God. They will believe the light that has just become visible was just turned on. All of these, as they gain understanding, will regret their inability to fully take advantage of the opportunity of this life. Because they were not able to learn how to make unaided correct decisions here, they will be retarded in their progress and perhaps never be able to progress beyond limited responsibilities in the Kingdom of God. It is possible that some will never be able to let go of this limited existence, but even they would eventually receive their eternal body and live forever in relative darkness.

The Kingdom of God is a universe, if you will, that includes more dimensions than we have here. How many I cannot be sure beyond the feeling of more dimensions. Others have reported this, but the concept is so difficult to grasp from our limited viewpoint that that is all that can be expressed. Time, as we know it does not exist, but there is a definite progression of events. We have only to consider our existence to know this is true, for we have moved from spirit children who needed to learn the lessons of life to our current state. There is no doubt that after our return we will continue to develop our abilities.

There is one other aspect of the mode of communication in our Father's world that must be explored. This is the gaining of knowledge by simply thinking a question and having the knowledge immediately available. I cannot say, nor could others who have experienced it, whether this knowledge was already a part of the individual's being or whether it was available through others. It seemed to me that it came from outside of my spirit body. If that is the case, then the implication is that knowledge is available to every individual through a communication network composed of all the Kingdoms inhabitants.

Those who we meet after our return to Home are divided into two general groups. The distinguishing factor between the two is that some have bodies and others do not. Those who do not have a body are clearly different when compared with those who have a material body structure. (The being in the light had a body.) While the individual who has died has what seems like a body, it becomes obvious that on comparison with the body of the being in the light that there is a great difference. This knowledge leads to the conclusion that the promised resurrection does not occur until sometime later. Those who had physical bodies were always clothed. The form and colors are elusive other than the feeling of a soft flowing outline. (It is something that is known but for some reason there is not enough memory to draw a picture.)

The feeling of being overwhelmed by the light and love soon leaves as the individual adjusts to the new situation. Indeed, the light and love permeate all the events experienced thereafter but they become the new background or atmosphere. After you become used to this situation the realization of the proximity of other family members who have preceded you dawns. They are there waiting to welcome and instruct you in the transition or with respect to your return to Earth. The feeling of unconditional love is everywhere, and you realize that you are comfortable beyond telling and have very little desire to return. It is interesting that usually those who meet the returning spirit are departed earthly family members. From this, we must assume that the relationships forged in mortality endure into immortality. The only thing that might disrupt this enduring relationship would be the lack of progress here on the Earth. If the differences in levels of achievement are too great, then it would probably be difficult for the retarded individual to be comfortable with loved ones who are more advanced for more than brief intervals. In my case my earthly Father and my four Grand Parents met me. I sensed that Grandfather and Grandmother in each case were united in a way that surpassed marriage, as we know it, but it is again beyond my descriptive abilities to explain. The things they told me concerned the family that remained on the Earth and my responsibility to them, and that I had to return to accomplish those things.

The future then is simply a continuation of our own past and present existence. The things we do here are indelibly recorded on our personalities, and we carry those things with us as we continue to progress. Therefore, the prophets and the Messiah tell us that we must fight to keep our minds free of self-serving thoughts. The damage we do when we are self-serving is to ourselves, while the good we do when we serve others benefits self and many others.

Chapter 11

The Harvest

Throughout recorded history of religion and especially in those writings that have been accepted as scripture the concept of a harvest of the souls of men has been referred to. This comparison is quite apt for indeed the function of the Earth is rather like that of a field that is planted and harvested on a continual basis. This corollary is not difficult to understand. What remains a bit of a mystery is the predicted Second Coming of the Messiah and the consequences of his return. Those who accept the prediction of this event have long sought to identify its timing. Barring those who have predicted dates beyond today, they have all been wrong. That is not to say that someone may not predict the exact day but it will probably be coincidence if it is so. The fact of the matter is that all will be so busy and astonished that the fact that someone predicted the day will be lost in the event.

The function of the Earth will of necessity change at that time. The changes will be great in some ways, but the overall continuance of the ecosystem will remain until "the End of Time". The changes that occur are a natural consequence of the physical presence of Jesus Christ in his glory. The word glory perhaps is not well understood unless you can in some way understand that His glory among many things is a light that seems brighter than the sun. It is doubtful that man can view the glorified Messiah while "in the flesh" without the flesh being destroyed. For this reason, all that have seen him in his Glory have done so while out of the body or in the perfected state of Adam and Eve prior to the fall. The difficulty then is to understand how any of Earth's life forms can abide the Second Coming. We know that in the case of Adam and Eve they were able to see God the Father and live and this is the clue that will allow us to understand. The unique qualities they exhibited were that they had perfect bodies, they were innocent and they could communicate with God. In the case of Christ, He of course was born with a body with the capability of immortality. However, even He had to progress step by step before he could enter the Glory of the Father and still live in the flesh. The important truth is that man can progress to the point of innocence, but the body must be perfected as well to survive in the presence of the glorified Christ or the Father. The third factor is that you must be able to communicate with Glorified beings, and it follows somewhat naturally when the other two conditions are satisfied.

We can, from this basis, now extrapolate to the conditions we might expect at the time of the Second Coming. We are told that the Earth will continue for one thousand years (if we understand what was really meant by this figure) after this event so we must presume that on the whole it will be unchanged. A condition like the Garden of Eden will be established, most probably in the same physical locality that the Garden occupied. Since the Messiah cannot be in two places at one time he will select, glorify and maintain other places upon the Earth where he will meet with and direct the children of the Father. The places of His residence will at once be a source of attraction and repulsion. Those who seek perfection will be drawn toward these enclaves while at the same time be unable to approach beyond their own comfort level. At the time of his coming the more wicked of humanity will die, simply because they will be unable to abide even the smallest degree of His Glory. The animal and plant life of the Earth will be able to abide in this new environment because of their innocence. However, in those places where the Savior resides the plants and animals will be given new perfected bodies identical with those of the Garden of Eden. This ecosystem was and w ill be, quite different from that of the Earth as previously mentioned. There will be no destructive behavior or death. As those who are drawn to the light perfect themselves they also will join the Savior in his domain. As they approach perfection, their bodies will change until they also will have immortal bodies. The Earth as a whole will be largely unchanged at the beginning, but as mankind gradually joins the Messiah, the enclaves of the Father on the Earth will expand. Throughout the millennial reign the children of the Father will be free to choose between right and wrong, for if they choose wrong then they only need distance themselves from the Kingdom on Earth. Finally, eventually all life upon Earth will fall within the growing enclaves and be changed. At that point time will end, for this Earth. That is not to say that the elements of the Earth will be removed from this universe, or that time will cease within this universe. It means only that all living things will be immortal. The universe and the elements will likely remain, because they are not the elements of the Father's Kingdom.

As we have discussed the Harvest, it is clear that the gatherings of power or wealth are not attributes that lead man to Glory. The most important aspect of life is to love all life and be actively involved in helping others. The key to the plan of the Father has always been clear, for in the beginning the first seeds were Adam and Eve, and they came with instructions to multiply and spread the teachings of the Father to all their children. At first they lived a very segregated existence and the teachings of God were given only to the Children of Adam and Eve. This exclusivity had to change as the sons and daughters of Adam began to interbreed with the children of the Earth. The Messiah instituted the plan to first teach the Children of Israel one more time, and then to take the message to the Gentiles. The need was obvious, for by the time of the advent of Jesus Christ the seed of Adam was widespread in human race. The conversion of Gentiles was not a new concept to the Children of Israel, for at various times Gentiles were allowed to convert. However, the attitude of superiority within the House of Israel certainly would not have attracted many.

The Harvest was, and is, used as a simile because it best fits the reality of our situation with regard to the plan of God. The importance of as many as possible helping with the harvest is obvious. Ideally, all men would work toward the perfection of each other, but most do not, and so the call to labor in the field of the Father is of greatest importance. This work must not be done to attain glory or the accolades of men, but simply be given because of the love of all. If we seek great reward from the Father we will not find it, but if we seek to help others because of true caring and love then we will be rewarded. The need for workers springs from the need for all men to receive the teachings of the Father. If a man lives upon the Earth who has not heard, then his or her ability to progress is impeded. The only law they will know is the law of the society in which they live, and while there is challenge in choosing to obey or not, those laws are a poor substitute for the laws of God. Certainly these innocents are not condemned for not living laws they are unaware of, but they also deserve the same opportunities as those who are aware of the teachings of the Father. Modern communication is of great benefit in this work, for even though there is no personal contact, those who desire to know God and become like him will hear and be attracted to the truth. Certainly we are rapidly approaching the time when the Fathers message will be available to all and all will have opportunity to use their freedom to choose in this regard.

We should not assume that this progress would come without suffering and tumult. Surely men who would enslave others will continue to strive to achieve their terrible dreams. However, the course mankind will follow was set long before we came to this temporary home, and in the end the Father will complete the harvest.

Men have always fearfully contemplated the final act of the harvest that we know as physical death. To the Father, as we have discussed earlier, our leaving this Earth is a time of gladness for the return of his children. Even those who have not done as well as they should have will be greeted with love, even though there would be sadness with the lack of their progress. Some of them, in the end, will not recognize the light and must continue to labor in the darkness. For them we should mourn, but for those who have followed the Savior we will rejoice their return. We must not make the mistake of thinking that following the Savior is a vague state of mind; rather it is a purposeful following of the very specific steps, which we discussed, in an earlier chapter. There are many levels of achievement; the Messiah stated that in our Father's universe there are many rewards, "mansions", for his returning children.

We, for our part, tend to think that God is responsible for the misfortunes that befall us here. Those misfortunes range from adversity to death. If we consider the trauma that death brings to families who for instance lose a child, there is a natural tendency to blame the misfortune on someone. Many choose to blame God, for could he not have interfered and preserved the life of the loved one? The difficulty is that we, by nature, are able to understand existence only in terms of what we learn in our short life spans. Certainly our Father is able to cause the course of events here to change but each of us in our life spans would have him interfere many times. It is obvious, then that it is not feasible for those disagreeable things that occur in all our lives to be reversed because of our intense suffering. The goal of this life is not to have us stay here, but rather to live, learn and return in as short a time as possible. In general then, the flow of events here cannot be interfered with lest men loose some amount of freedom of choice. There are times when our Father warns us of impending trouble, or when he reverses death for certainly he has the power to act, but these instances must be limited for the overall success of the plan of God. If this were not so, then all men would have almost daily experience in which God would change the course of events. This would, in turn, mean that man would not be making uninfluenced decisions.

Of course another plan was offered to the Father by one of our brothers, whom we know as Satan, and in his plan nothing bad would happen to anyone and no one would be able to make an incorrect decision. Obviously with that plan, man would not progress, but would gain a body without learning the skills necessary to become an adult in our Father's Kingdom. All of us decided that we had to come here and undergo the trials of this existence so that we could progress. So while we may understand why tragedy occurs, our grief is not lessened if we do not accept the comfort that comes from the Holy Ghost. The learning of this life is to live through the sorrows and joys of a mortal life while we learn to comfort each other in sorrow, and emerge with understanding and love for all the Earth.

The Harvest is not an ending, but rather a beginning of new opportunities for man and all life upon the Earth. While the day must come when the glory of God will encompass and change all life upon the Earth, it is only a transition. We should not look forward to that day with malice in our hearts for those who we consider to be sinners. Our hope must be that all mankind will find the clearly marked path that Jesus the Christ left for each of us and follow it. Indeed the path is narrow in that we must do the things our Savior prescribed for our benefit. While it remains true that there are few that choose to follow while in this life when the choice should be made. While this is the case we take conciliation that eventually almost all will follow our Saviors lead. Because of this it is the obligation of the followers of His word and actions to love and have compassion for our Brothers and Sisters who wander the wide path that leads to varying degrees of failure. Certainly those who follow the path of the Savior will have a greater reward, but all but a few will eventually return to the light and a reward. We all must therefore love God and our fellow man as ourselves, or we will be judged with the same judgment we reserve for others.

Chapter 12

The Circle

There is symmetry in the Father's plan for the furtherance of his children. Before Adam and Eve stepped upon the mortal Earth they lived in glory. They sacrificed glory, immortality and descended into this bleak lonely world for us, and our brother, Jesus the Christ, sacrificed glory, immortality and descended below all so man could return to a multitude of degrees of Glory. So it will be that we return from whence we came just as the universe we live in now must return to its source. The sacrifice of Adam and Eve is mirrored in the sacrifice of the Savior. Each of us must eventually sacrifice our own interests for those of our Father, just as he sacrificed his adored children by letting them come to this bittersweet existence. Each of us must once again regain the ability to communicate and live in the Glory we left when we came to mortality of our own free will.

It is ours to find our way back. Some will follow, from the beginning, the one clearly marked path, but most will wander lost in a wilderness of selfishness before they finally find the path. If anyone would like to find his way, all he or she needs to do is ask the Father with real intent and they will receive instructions. Those who seek only need to listen and the answer will come like a whisper. The only requirement is a willingness to hear, accept and follow the directions given. As with all the teachings of the Father, communication is a simple process that requires no set form or ritual, only a desire to learn. Ultimately we all must reestablish our ability to communicate with our Father and our Family. We also must learn again how to unreservedly love all of our Brothers and Sisters as well as our Father. The teachings of God are unwaveringly simple so that all men and women can understand. Success here is not based on knowledge of the complex arcane constructions of man, but on the simple and direct instruction "follow me".

Copyright 2001