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March 27th, 1921
Received By James Padgett
Washington D.C.
Let me write a few lines tonight, as I have not written you for
a long time, and desire to tell you of the scene that was depicted
to you tonight by the words and music at the church.
I was present at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus and saw all
that took place and the wonderful display of the forces of nature
that were presented to you tonight in the drama of the crucifixion.
Well, as you may not know, many of the scenes that were so forcibly
presented to your imagination never had any reality in fact and
the drama was the production of the oriental mind which was so often
used to depict things that had their origin only in such eastern
imaginations.
When Jesus was crucified there was no great concourse of people;
because he was considered as a common malefactor, paying the penalties
that followed the violation of the law that he was charged with
violating. Of course there were soldiers and a large number of the
members of the Jewish Sanhedrim and a few followers present, but
there was no unusual crowd to witness the execution. He was not
the only one crucified at the time and the other two were considered
just as the Jews considered him - violator of their laws and one
to be punished by hanging on the cross. The words that he is supposed
to have uttered at the time of his extremis were not uttered by
him and no words that he may have spoken could have been heard by
any of his followers, for they were kept away from the immediate
scene of his execution, and it was only after he had been pronounced
dead and found ready to be removed from the cross, that his followers
were permitted to approach his body and remove it from the tree.
The others, who were engaged in the execution did not hear any words
of his, and as I have said, his followers could not hear and thus
be able to report any supposed saying of his. So far as known, he
died as bravely - that is without fear or doubt as to the future
as did any other who has suffered the same fate.
The words that he is supposed to have uttered, were not so uttered,
and he did not call upon the Father for His help, or to cause the
bitter cup to pass from him, and all reports of what he said or
did at that time are not true, but merely the imaginings of those
who wrote of him in later times. There was no sudden breaking up
of nature or things material, and the accounts of the graves opening,
and the bodies arising therefrom and being seen and talked with
in the city are purely fiction, and have no foundation in fact.
I know that Christians of today will not be ready to receive these
statements as true, because of the long years of belief in these
things that have obtained during the centuries. Why men should want
to believe in these representations of things that never happened
it is hard to understand, for in themselves that have no significance
except that mere endeavor to make as dramatic and impressive on
humanity the wonderful circumstances that they allege surrounded
the death of Jesus. If they will only think, they must realize that
the death of Jesus, accompanied by all the startling environments
described in the Bible did not afford one iota of help in way of
saving a human soul or teaching that soul the true way to the Father's
Kingdom. His life is what had the effect and not his death; and
the sooner men learn that Truth the sooner will they learn the fact
that no death of Jesus could save them from themselves, or show
them the way to the Celestial Kingdom.
I know that men will not want to believe what I have written, and
continue in their belief that all these tragic circumstances surrounded
the death of Jesus. And I suppose that this belief will continue
with them for a long time to come. But what I have said is true,
and no man can by any possible workings of God's laws find any hope
or assurance of immortality in these things.You may ask me how I
know that Jesus uttered no words at the time of his death, and I
can answer by saying that he told me so himself.
He has not been present tonight at any of the churches where his
death on the cross is celebrated, and will not be until after the
time of the great worship and adoration of him by the churches has
gone by. This worship is all very distasteful to him and are such
that he does not desire to witness, and hence, he remains in his
home in the high Celestial Spheres. He desires men to worship only
the One True Father that he worships, and thus receive the true
benediction of the Father.
Well, I see that you are tired and I will not write more. With
my love, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Samuel
A postscript to this message indicates that the
Easter service mentioned above was in the year 1921, and Easter
for that year was March 27th. Of course he may have attended a service
on Good Friday.
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