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March 12th, 1919
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.
Let me write a line. I am not going to write a long message but
one that is very short. You are now in condition to receive our
messages, and I wish to write for a while on the importance of knowing
the way to the Celestial Kingdom which has been written you before,
but I wish to add to what you have received. You have been told
that the only way to obtain that Kingdom is by the Divine Love coming
into your soul and changing it into a thing Divine, which partakes
of the very Essence of the Father Himself. Well, this is a correct
explanation of the operation of this Love on the soul, but in order
to get this Love there must be earnest supplication on the part
of the seeker, and a mere mental desire for the inflowing of the
Love will not suffice.
This is a matter that pertains to the soul alone and the mind is
not involved except, as you might say, to start the soul's longings
and prayer. When you think that you are longing for this Love and
have a mere mental desire for its inflowing, the Love will not come,
because it never responds to the mere mind and must always be sought
for by the soul's longings. Many men have the intellectual desire
for the Love of God, and upon that desire rest, and believe that
they have the Love and that there is nothing further for them to
do; but they will find themselves mistaken, and that instead of
possessing this Love they have awakened only the natural love, and
in a way, started it towards its goal of the purified soul, like
the first parents before the fall, and will not experience the transformation
that comes with the possession of the Divine Love.
It is no easy matter to have these longings possess the soul, and
men should not remain satisfied with these mere mental desires for
they will not be benefitted by such desires, except as I may say,
in the way of having their natural love purified. The longings of
the soul comes only from a realization that this Love is waiting
to be bestowed, and that the soul must become active and earnest
in its endeavor to have this Love come into it, and then the transformation
takes place.
From this you will see how utterly impossible it is for the devotee
of the church to experience this Love or to have the longings of
the soul which are not aroused by the observance of the church's
sacraments, and the duties which it imposes upon them. They may
be ever so zealous in their attendance upon the church services
and in complying strictly with its requirements as to doing those
things which it prescribes. It is with them all a mental process
but the soul is not affected. They may think that their desires
are from the soul, and that a response will come, but in this they
are mistaken and the soul lies dead. Only when the soul's longings
are started into activity are prayers of the worshiper answered.
So you will see that a man may be apparently devout and full of
zeal for his church and the teachings of his creed, and yet will
not be benefitted so far as the progress of the soul is concerned.
Let not your desires be only of the intellect, but try to bring
into activity the longings of the soul, and do not rest satisfied
until a response shall come, and it will certainly come, and you
will know that the Love is present working its transforming power
upon the soul. This is all I desire to say tonight. I am pleased
that you are now in condition to receive our messages and hope that
your excellent condition will continue. With my love, I will say,
good night.
Your own loving grandmother
Ann Rollins
This message is a composite of two, being published
in Volume I on page 343 and Volume III on page 113. For more details
see this page.
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