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January 4th, 1917
Received by:James Padgett
Washington D.C.
I am here, Luke.
I will write a few lines tonight on a subject that I desire to
make known to you and others, for I know it will be of interest
to all who may read it.
The subject is the truth of the statement that no man can possibly
reach the condition of perfection unless his mental beliefs become
in accord with the truth.
This perfection, you will understand, is the perfection that man
possessed before his fall - that is, the perfection of his creation.
It has been asserted by many that the beliefs of a man do not count
for much in determining his condition of soul and mind, and that
only his acts and deeds and the qualities of his heart determine
that condition; but this assertion I declare to be untrue, unless
these acts and deeds and qualities of heart are the results of beliefs
being in accord with the truth.
Belief is the mainspring of man's acts and the
result of his thoughts; and thoughts are things that cause the realities
of man's consciousness, and as he thinketh in his heart so is he.
"Thinketh in his heart" means or comprehends the idea
that the thoughts of his mind, which is the only part of man that
has the powers or faculties for thinking, are suggested by, or flow
from, the desires and appetites of the emotional part of man.
No thought originates itself, although it may seem to be a spontaneous
creation, but is the result of some spiritual or physical perception
- that is, of the perception of the spiritual dualities or of the
sensuous organs of man's physical constitution.
And belief is the result of thought and that agency which causes
man's acts or want of acts, and hence, the only guide or way shown
to man in the progress of the development of his soul in its natural
love, or of the mind to the state of perfection that I speak of.
Now, belief does not create truth or change truth, for it is absolute
and unchangeable; and truth does not create belief unless that truth
is comprehended by the thoughts from which emanate the belief. So,
it is apparent that unless the belief, if erroneous, changes so
that it becomes in accord with the truth, man, the possessor of
the belief, can never get into a state of perfection, which can
only exist when a man is in a complete condition of harmony with
the truth.
Belief being the effect of the operations of the mind, unless these
operations are in harmony with the truth, the belief cannot possibly
cause the development of the man who is possessed of and controlled
by that belief, into the perfect man, because every cause has an
effect, and that effect must be, necessarily, only such as is the
natural and inevitable result of that cause.
Out of untruth it is impossible for truth to emanate, and from
the imperfect the perfect can never be constructed; and so it is
impossible to develop a perfect love and mind out of an imperfect
belief. The law that declares the effect of its operations to bring
this result is invariable, and only by the observation of its requirements
can the imperfect ever become the perfect.
So, therefore, I assert that no man can ever become the perfect
man unless his beliefs become in harmony with the truth. As a matter
of fact, irrespective of reason, established by my knowledge resulting
from observation and experience in the spirit as well as in the
mortal world, I declare the same to be a truth.
Then how important to man it is to seek for and obtain those beliefs
that are in harmony with the truth in order to become as he was
originally, the perfect man. This true belief may be found and acquired
even by the mortal, and no man will be excused from the penalty
of the great law of compensation by his plea that he did not think
it very material what his beliefs were if he tried to do right in
the world towards his fellow man. But here, you will see that in
addition to the fact that this great law accepts no excuse is the
fact that man's acts and deeds proceed from his beliefs, whenever
such are strong enough to control him; and when the beliefs are
unformed, and man acts from emotion or impulse or desire only, without
the constraint of any belief, the result upon his progress to the
perfect man is substantially the same, because this law, in order
to escape the penalty for its violation, demands that beliefs, formed
or unformed, or acts and deeds resulting from emotion or impulse,
which are really beliefs without definite form, shall be in harmony
with the truth.
The infidel who says he doesn't believe, the agnostic who says
he doesn't know, the orthodox who believes, but whose belief is
erroneous, and the free thinker who believes only what reason teaches
him as he proclaims, if such beliefs are not in accord with the
truth all come under the same penalty - that is, the impossibility
of becoming the perfect man while such erroneous beliefs or want
of true beliefs exist.
So I say, belief is a vital thing in the progress of a man towards
perfection, and men should cease to declare and rest on the assurance
of such declaration that it makes no difference what a man believes
if he does what he may consider to be right and just.
Why, I, who know, tell you that the earth planes of the spirit
world are crowded with the spirits of men who are in darkness and
stagnation in their progress towards the perfect man solely from
the causes that I have above written, and some men have been in
that condition for many long years, and will not find progress except
as such erroneous beliefs leave them and beliefs in accord with
the truth take the place of the former.
But for man and spirits there is this consolation: that at some
time, how long in the future I or no other spirit know, these erroneous
beliefs will all be eradicated and man will again come into his
original perfection. But the waiting may be long and distressing,
and wearisome to many.
I have written enough, and in closing will say to all men: know
and realize that the belief of a man is a vital and determining
element in his progress to the perfect man.
I am pleased to write you tonight, and will soon come again. Keep
your faith and courage and you will realize the promises.
Good night and God bless you.
Your brother in Christ,
Luke
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