SPIRITUAL PROGRESSION

February 11th, 1917

I am here, John:

    I come tonight to tell you that your condition of soul is very much better than it has been for some time.  You are more in Unison with the Father's Divine Love than you have been for some time, you realize that this Divine Love is working in your soul and making you happy.

    I have been with you a great deal today as you copied the messages.  Saw that you enjoyed the Truths that they contained.  The message describing the progress of the soul is one that contains the Truth of how the soul finds the True Way to the Divine Love of the Father and to progress to the Celestial Spheres.  It is a very clear and convincing portrayal of the necessary course, that every soul must pursue, which comes into the spirit world devoid of the Divine Love.  There is no other way in which that soul can find its true development.  The message is one that will appeal to the honest seeker after Salvation and the Happiness, which only a Perfect At-Onement with the Father can give.

    I also see that you have been thinking a great deal about your future on earth, in carrying forward the work that you have been selected to do.  I am glad that the great work is becoming to you a matter of such importance and seriousness.  For important it is.  Not only to the world, but to you.  This you will realize, when you consider what was told you a few nights ago, that there is no one else in all the world, at this time, who is fitted to do the work which you are now doing.  Which you must continue to do during the whole time of your stay on earth.

    As you progress in this work, as these Truths come to you, your soul becomes more filled with this Divine Love, you will, to a greater and greater degree, realize and understand the wonderful importance of the work.  You should now bend all your energies to developing your soul and its perceptions, and to carrying forward the work.

    We understand, as well as you, the disadvantages under which you are now laboring.  The necessity for getting into that position, with the harmonious surroundings, that will enable you to give your whole time to the work.  We are endeavoring to bring about these necessary conditions.  Will succeed in our efforts.  You must have Faith.  For Faith will help you very much to work in conjunction with us.  So cause the consummation of our desires and plans much more rapidly.  To us, the accomplishing of this work, is infinitely of more importance than to you.  Because we realize, as you cannot, what a failure to have these Truths made known to humans, would mean to them, in the way of depriving them of opportunities that are so requisite to their future salvation, both on earth and in the spirit world.

    So I say, let not yourself become discouraged.  Believe and you will find that our promises will be fulfilled.  The work will go on.  The Truths be made known to humanity.

    I am with you a great deal, trying to develop your spiritual nature.  By this I mean your soul.  For as this develops, the better able you will be to receive our Truths and properly transmit them to the waiting world, so that humans may readily see and understand the Truths of God.  The only way to His Kingdom of Love and Immortality. Doubts as to the teachings of the churches are now penetrating and permeating the minds of many.  Very many of those who are nominally Christians.  The perception of God is almost blunted.  They attend worship, only because of a kind of feeling of duty and impression that it is right for them to do so.  They know nothing of the Divine Love of the Father's Nature and of the Plan for their Salvation.  Their prayers and worship are only those which come from the lips, or a kind of blind intellectual belief. Their soul longings do not enter into their prayers.  As a consequence, their petitions for God's Love and Mercy go no higher than their heads, as has been said.  This condition of humans is very injurious to their future welfare, cannot possibly lead them to the Father.  So long as it exists, humans can never become in an At-Onement with Him. Only the inflowing of this Divine Love can reconcile humans with God in the Higher and desirable sense.  Of course they may become in Harmony with Him, by a purification of their natural love.  But that is the Harmony only, that existed between Him and the First Parents before their fall.  Is not the Harmony which Jesus taught.  Which was the object of his mission to teach.  When he said "I and my Father are one", he did not refer to the at-onement between the mere image and the substance, but to the At-Onement which gives to the souls of humans the very Substance of Father.

    I should like to write more tonight, but you are tired.   Should not further be drawn on, as it will make you feel bad physically.

    So I will say goodnight and stop.  Your brother in Christ, John

April 13th, 1915. 

I am here, Prof. Salyards.

    Well, I am here as I agreed and will endeavor to write you my thoughts on the subject: "What may spirits know about the Laws of the spirit world after they have been in that world for a short time." 

    As you know, I have been here for a comparatively short time.  While my studies have been to a considerable extent in the study of these Laws, yet, I find that I have limited knowledge of the same.  Much of my information has been gathered from other spirits who have lived here a great many years, who have devoted their study and investigation to these Laws. 

    Well, I want first to say that no spirit, by the mere fact of having shortly before made their advent to this world, has received any much greater knowledge than they had when on earth.  My knowledge of Spiritual Laws when on earth was not very extensive.  I found, when I came into the spirit world, that I did not know much more than I did before I came.  Such is the experience of every spirit.  But, as I continued to investigate these matters, I discovered that my capacity for learning was greatly increased.  That my mind was more plastic and received this knowledge more easily than when I was a mortal.  This is largely due to the fact that the brain, I mean the mortal brain, is, when compared to what you might call the spirit brain (in the spirit body), a thing of much inferior quality and not so capable of learning the cause and effect of phenomena. 

    I am now undergoing a course of study that will, I have no doubt, give me wonderful information of these Laws.  So that ultimately I may become what you mortals might call a learned man. 

    The first and to me, the most important Law that I have learned is, that humans continue to live in the spirit world without their earthly body.  This Great Law, while to you and to many others is well known and is an established fact, yet, to me, was not known.  As I had never had any experience in Spiritualism and had never given any study to the subject.  When I arrived in the spirit world, I learned that this Law is one of God's Truths.  That it is fixed and will never change.  For all will survive the change of so-called death.  The next Great Law that I learned is, that no human can, of their own power, make their condition, or position in the spirit world, just what and where they would have it be. This is another fixed Truth.  One, which many spirits even do not fully comprehend.  For they think, or so express themselves, that all they have to do is to exercise a little will power and they can move from certain conditions.  This is not true, for the Law controlling this matter, never has any exceptions in its operations. 

    Human, or spirit, can in a way, determine what their destiny may be.  But, when once fixed by this great power of will, which God has conferred on humans, they cannot by the exercise of that will, change that fixed condition until the Laws of Compensation have been satisfied.  Even then, the change is not brought about by the exercise of their will. But by the operation of the Laws releasing them from memories and recollections which hold them to the conditions that their life has placed them in.  So when humans think, that they, by the exercise of their own will, can release themselves from a condition, which they have made for themselves, they are mistaken. 

    Many spirits here have this idea.  Believe that if they only chose to exercise their vaunted will power, they could relieve themselves of their darkened condition and get into happier conditions.  But strange, they never try this.  The reason therefore is apparent.  They could not if they tried. Will not try because they cannot.  Yet they think that when they get ready, they will only have to exercise this will and the change will follow.  No, this Law is as fixed as any Law of this Great Universe of God. 

    Of course, while human, or spirit, cannot by the exercise of their will change their condition, yet, in order to secure that change, the will has to be exercised.  Because the help which comes from without and which is absolutely necessary to human, which causes the change, will not come unless human exercises the will in the way of desiring and asking for it.  So let not human think that they are their own savior.   Because they are not.  If the help did not come from without, they would never be saved from the condition which they find themself in when they enter the spirit world.  You hear in your spirit circles and read in the publications about Spiritualism, that progression is a Law of the Spirit World.  Well that is True.  It does not mean that a spirit, by the mere fact of being in the spirit world necessarily progresses, either mentally, or spiritually, for this is not true.  Many spirits who have been here for years are in no better condition than when they first became spirits. 

    All progression depends upon the help that comes from outside the mind, or soul, of human (or spirit).  Of course when this help comes, humans have to cooperate.  Without this help there would be nothing with which to cooperate. No progress could possibly be made.  Many of the Spiritualists make this great mistake, when they speak, or write on this subject.  But let them know, that if a human depends upon their own powers exclusively, they will never progress.  This Law does not apply only to the soul's progress, of which you have heard us speak so often, but to the progress of the mere mind.  Also to what might be called the purely moral qualities.  My observation and my information from the other spirits that I have mentioned, confirms the Truth of what I have said:  Humans, of themselves, cannot elevate themselves either mentally, or morally.  The sooner they learn that fact, the better for them.  

    Another Law of the spirit world is; that when a spirit once commences to progress, that progress increases in geometrical progression, as we used to say when teaching on earth.  Just as soon as the light breaks into a humans soul, or mind, they commence to see that there is a way for them to reach higher things, make greater expansion of either their mind, or soul, they will find that their desire to progress will increase, as that progression continues.  With that desire, will come help in such abundance, that it will be limited only by the desire of the spirit.  Their will, then becomes a great force in their success in progressing. Working in conjunction with the help that calls it into operation.  It becomes a wonderful thing of power and irresistible force. 

    This progression may be illustrated by the history of the snowball, which started rolling from the top of a hill.  As it continues its descent, not only does its velocity increase, but it continually enlarges its form and body by the outside snow attaching itself to the ball.  So with the mind, or soul of a spirit, as it ascends, it not only becomes more rapid in its flight, but it meets this outside help that I speak of, which help attaches itself to the spirit, as it were, becomes a part of it. 

    So you see that the great problem is to make the start.  This Principle will apply to mortals, as well as to spirits.   Because, if the start be made on earth, the mere fact of becoming a spirit will not halt, or in any way interfere with, the progress of the soul of that spirit.  Of course, this means that a correct start be made.  If the start be a false one, or based on things other than the Truth, instead of progress continuing when the human becomes a spirit, there may have to be a retracing of the way, a new start made, in order to get on the right road. 

    This applies to the progress of the mind, as well as to the progress of the soul.  The mind of a mortal learns many things, which seem to that mind to be the truth, which, in its opinion, must lead to progress and greater knowledge.  But when the earth life gives place to the spirit life, that mind may find that its basis of knowledge were all wrong.  That to continue in the way that it had been moving would lead to increased error.  Consequently, a new start must be made.  Frequently, the retracing of that mind over the course that it had followed, the elimination of errors that it had embraced, is more difficult.  Takes a longer time to accomplish, than the learning of the Truth does after the mind makes its correct start.  So sometimes the mind of great learning is more harmful and retards more the progress of that human, in the ways and acquirements of Truth, than does the mind that is, as you might say, a blank.  That is, without preconceived ideas of what the Truth is, on a particular subject. 

    This unfortunate experience exists to a greater extent in matters pertaining to religion, than to any other matters. Because the ideas and convictions which are taught and possessed, of these religious matters, affect innumerably more mortals, than do ideas and convictions in reference to any other matters.  A spirit who is filled with these erroneous beliefs, that may have been taught them from their mortal childhood, fostered and fed upon by them until they become a spirit, is, of all the inhabitants of this world, the most difficult to teach and convince of the Truths pertaining to religious matters.  It is much easier to teach the agnostic, or even the infidel, of these Truths, than the hide-bound believer in the dogmas and creeds of the church. 

    So, I say, let the minds of mortals be opened to the teachings of the Truth.  Even if they are convinced that what they believe is the truth.  Yet, let not that belief stand in the way of them being able to see the Truth, when it actually is presented to them. 

    Another Law is; that not all who know that life in the spirit world is continuous, are certain that continuous life means Immortality.  I mean by this, that the mere fact of living as a spirit, does not of itself prove that such spirit is Immortal.  This is a subject that spirits discuss as much as do mortals.  It is just as much a question of uncertainty, as is the immortality of the soul, as taught among mortals now and for all ages past. 

    While humans know that the death of the body does not mean the death of the spirit.  That such spirit (the correct term is really, soul), which is the real human, continues to live with all its qualities of a spiritual nature.  Yet there has never been any proof presented to humans that that spirit (soul) will live for all eternity, or, in other words, that it is Immortal. 

    I say this, because I have read the histories and beliefs of most of the civilized and some not called civilized, nations of the world.  I was not able to find in all my readings that it was ever demonstrated that human is immortal.  Of course, many pagan and sacred writers taught this, but their statements were all based on belief and nothing more.  So, I say, Immortality has never to mortals become demonstrated as a fact.  In the spirit world, the spirits of, not only the lower spheres, but those of the higher intellectual, or moral spheres, are still debating the question among themselves.  I am informed that there are some who lived on earth many centuries ago, who have become exceedingly wise and learned in the Knowledge of the Laws of the Universe, have become so free from the sins and errors of their earth life, that they may be called Perfect Humans, yet they do not know that they are Immortal.  Many of them think that they are just such humans, or spirits, as were they who were represented by Adam and Eve.  They know not that they are any less liable to death than were the ones just mentioned.  Hence, Immortality is a thing which may, or may not, exist for spirits as well as for mortals.  I know that many of your Spiritualist friends on earth claim that the mere fact that Spiritualism has demonstrated the continuity of life, establishes the fact of Immortality.  A few moments consideration will show you the falsity of this reasoning. 

    Change is the Law Eternal.  Both on earth and in the spirit world.  Nothing exists the same for any length of time.  In the succession of these changes, how can it be said that in the future, far, or near, changes may not come, by which the existence of the spirit (correct term is soul), the ego of human, may be ended.  That ego (soul) take some other form, or enter into some other condition, so that it will not be the same (soul) ego and not the same spirit which is now living as a demonstration of the continuity of life? 

    So, many spirits, as well as mortals, do not know what is necessary to obtain, to have the certain Knowledge of Immortality.  Many other spirits know that there is an Immortality for spirits who choose to seek that Immortality, in the way that God in His Great Wisdom and Providence has provided.  I will not discuss this phase of Immortality now, but will at some later time. 

    There is another Law, which enables spirits to become, by the mere operation of their natural affections and loves, pure and free from the consequences and evils of their mortal lives.  Again become Perfect, like the First Parents before the fall. 

    This does not mean that the Law of Compensation does not operate to the fullest, that it does not demand the last farthing.  Because such is the exactness in the operation of this Law, that no spirit is released from its penalties, until they have satisfied the Law.  As you believe and as many other mortals believe, a humans punishment for the sins committed by them on earth, are inflicted by their conscience and memories.  There is no special punishment inflicted by God on any particular human.  But the Law of punishment operates alike on every human.  If the facts that brings that punishment into operation are the same, that punishment will be the same, no matter whether the object of its infliction be the same, or different persons.  So you see, it cannot be escaped, on any ground of special dispensation, so long as the facts, which call for its operation exist and the conscience and memories of the spirit realize these facts. 

    When a spirit first enters the spirit life, it does not necessarily feel the scourging of these memories.  This is the reason why you will so often hear the spirit, who has so recently left their mortal life, assure their friends ,or sorrowing relatives, at the public seances, that they are very happy and wouldn't be again in the earth life and similar assurances.  But after a little while, memory commences to work, as the soul is awakened.  Then never ceases until the penalties are paid.  I don't mean that the spirit is necessarily continuously in a condition of torment, but substantially that.  Relief does not come until these memories cease their awful lashings.  Some spirits live here a great number of years before they receive this relief.  While others more quickly obtain it. 

    The greatest cause, which operates to relieve these spirits of these memories, is love.  I now mean the natural love.  This love embraces many qualities, such as remorse and sorrow.  The desire to make amends for injuries done, etc.  Until a spirit's love is awakened, none of these feelings come to them.  They cannot possibly feel remorse, or regret, or the desire to atone, until love, no matter how slight, comes into their heart.  They may not realize just what the cause of these feelings may be, but it is love just the same. 

    Well, as these various feelings operate and they act in accordance with them.  A memory here and there will leave them, never to return.  As these memories in turn leave them, their sufferings become less.  After awhile, when they have all left them, they become free from the Law.  It, as to them, becomes extinct.  It must not be understood that this is a work of quick operation.  For it may be years, long, weary years of suffering, before they become thus free and once more a spirit without sin, or these memories. This is the way the great Law of Compensation is satisfied. It cannot be avoided, but all its demands must be met, until sin and error are eradicated and the soul returned to a pure state.  This gradual release from these penalties, does not mean that a spirit is progressing in their journey to the higher and brighter spheres.  Because even without this torture and torment, they may still remain stationary as to the development of their higher nature, mental and moral.  When they have been relieved of these sufferings, they are then in a condition, to start towards the progression that I have spoken of. 

    As you are tired, I will continue the balance of my discourse when I write again. 

With all my love I am, your true friend and professor,

Joseph H. Salyards.

May 3rd, 1915

I am here, Professor Salyards.

    Yes, and I am very much pleased that you have, that you are in such good condition to write tonight.  Well, I desire to continue my discourse on the Laws of the Spirit World, as known to many spirits.

    The next Law is:  That no matter how much knowledge of material things and of purely physical Laws a human may have acquired on earth, their knowledge, is not sufficient to fit them for the higher things of the spirit life.

    Many humans think that because they have this great knowledge of the material universe, they need not attempt to learn the Laws which control the operations of spirit life. Or, the Laws which determine the position and development of that part of human commonly known as the soul.  This is a very great mistake.  All human beings, sooner or later, will realize the necessity of learning these more important Laws of the Soul Development, of the spiritual part of human.  I never, while on earth, attempted to investigate these Laws.  Consequently, when I came into the spirit world, I was as a new born babe, in my understanding of these Laws.  So will all humans be, who have neglected the investigation and study of these Laws, as I did.

     I would, therefore, advise every human to give their best endeavor to the study of these Laws.  Especially that part of them, which deals more particularly with the soul's development and progress towards the Greatest Happiness. These Laws are set forth and declared to a very large extent in the New Testament, in some parts of the Old, are many suggestions, as to what a human should do to save their soul from death.  By this I mean, the death that comes with neglecting to exercise all the qualities of the soul, that a human is capable of exercising, when in the mortal life.  A human may let their faculties of mind die by neglecting to feed them the proper mental food and so with the soul.  Of course, the soul never dies, as far as known, in the sense of absolute destruction and disintegration.  It can get into such a state of inertia, or lethargy, that so far as it is a part of the activities of human, it may as well be dead.

    I don't mean to say that the mere neglect to exercise these soul faculties will cause a humans soul to remain dead forever, for that is not so.  Sooner or later, either in the mortal life, or in the spirit life, this soul will have an awakening.  That awakening may be delayed for many years.  Even centuries.  In its highest sense, it may never have an awakening.  So let humans know the importance of studying and applying these Spiritual Laws to their own selves while mortals.  When they come to be spirits, they will find what a great advantage to their progression and happiness, such study and application have proved to be.

    There is another Law of the spirit world that is of vital importance to those in the mortal life.  One which they can learn and that is:  That no human can, of themself, save themself from the penalties of the Law of Compensation.  I have written about this before, but it is of such vast importance and affects all human beings to such an extent, that I feel justified in saying something more on the subject.

    This Law of Compensation, is as fixed as any of God's Laws.  Cannot be avoided, under any condition, or circumstances.  Except one, and that is the Redemption of a humans soul by the Divine Love of the Father entering into it.  Making it At-One with His Own.  Like His, in all the Qualities that partake of the Divine Essence.

    I know that many humans do not believe that there can be any forgiveness of sin.  Because they say it is impossible to make clean, in a moment, the soul of a human that has been steeped in everything vile and sinful, while living the life of a mortal.  Well, this I believe to be true.  I do not think any of our Greatest Teachers of these Highest Truths attempt to declare the doctrine of instantaneous cleansing of a vile and sinful soul.  At least, that is not the doctrine taught by the Greatest of All Teachers, the man of Nazareth, whom I sometimes see and converse with.  He, I believe, knows more of the Laws governing the Salvation of Humans, than any other, or all other teachers combined.

    His teaching here is:  That while a soul is not instantaneously cleansed by receiving a portion of the Divine Love, as we have heretofore explained it to you, yet the inflowing of such Divine Love into the soul of a human starts them into the way of right thinking.  Causes them to realize that their soul is open to the influence of this Divine Love.  So mortals, as well as spirits, may receive this awakening of Divine Grace, to a very large extent, as soon as they realize that this Divine Love is the only thing that will remove the penalties of this Law of Compensation.

    I do not believe that immediately after the sinner feels this Divine Love coming into their soul, they become a saint and at once gets rid of their evil nature.  For that can hardly be.  Such an instantaneous cleansing would scarcely serve the purpose for which the work of this Redemptive Divine Love is intended.  Some persons seem to be able to receive more of this Divine Love in a short time than do others. Consequently, their complete Redemption is more quickly accomplished.  But to me, and I have experienced the inflowing of this Divine Love and its effect upon my sinful nature and upon my recollections of the deeds of my earth life, which call into operation this Law of Compensation, there does not seem to be any probability of an instantaneous cleansing of the soul, so that a human suddenly becomes fitted to live in the Celestial Heavens, where the Father's Divine Love, in all its purity and completeness, exists.

    I know it is taught by many preachers and it is also the dogma of some churches, that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin.  That, in the twinkling of an eye.  You must not believe this, for it is not True.  The blood of Jesus was spilled many centuries ago.  Is now become a part of other elements of the natural world and cannot save anyone.  I go further and say, as Jesus has taught me, that his blood never had any efficacy in saving anyone.  He never taught that his blood could do any such thing.  Or, that the shedding of his blood, was in any sense, the means of saving a soul.  He is not now teaching any such doctrine.  Is disappointed that those who lead the masses of humankind should teach any such doctrine.  Because it takes their attention away from the One and Vital Principle which is necessary to their salvation.  That is; The New Birth.  Which means, merely the flowing into a humans soul and becoming a part of it, of the Divine Love of the Father.  It does not come to a human because the blood of Jesus was a sacrifice, to appease the wrath and requirements of the Father, or because of any vicarious suffering of Jesus.

    To return to this Law of Compensation.  No human, by their own exertions, can save themself from the operations of this Law.  They, so long as they have this idea of depending on theirs own powers, will have to pay the penalties.  Of course, as they pay these penalties, they progress nearer and nearer to a time and condition when the Law will cease to operate upon them.  They will become comparatively happy.  Such payment may require long years of suffering and unhappiness.

    So, I say, let human know, that for every act and deed, and for not doing what he should have done, he will have to answer the Law.  I do not mean by this repetition, to cause humans to think that I delight in showing them that they will have to suffer and live in darkness for a time uncertain.  For I do not take any pleasure in calling their attention to this great Law and the certainty of its operations.  Rather I do this to help humans to avoid these sufferings and unhappiness, by seeking the Divine Love of the Father while on earth.  Because, from my observations, I believe that it can be found more easily while in the flesh, than after a human becomes a spirit.

    Another Law of the spirit world is:  That every human being of one sex has, on earth, or in the spirit world, one of the opposite sex, who is their soulmate.  The importance of this provision of the Father for the happiness of humans and spirits, has never been fully understood by those who have not with certainty, met and recognized their soulmates.

    I know that on earth humans have claimed that certain of the opposite sex were their affinities.  With such claims as an excuse, have done much wrong and sin.

    But the soulmate is not an affinity which may be suggested by the passions, or desires.  But is one provided by the Grace and Love of the Father, to live with the other soulmate through all eternity.  Before they took on the form of flesh, they were united.  When, in accordance with God's Plan, they separated and became mortals, they became no less soulmates.  Although, they may not recollect their former unity, or relationship while living the mortal life.  But as certain as God Lives, these two soulmates, at some time, after they become spirits, will learn their true relationship to each other.  Will, if nothing insurmountable intervenes, come together again in true union and happiness.

    The mere fact that a certain man and a certain woman are husband and wife on earth, does not mean that they will live together as husband and wife through all eternity. If they are soulmates, they may, but if they are not, they will certainly separate after they enter the spirit world.  That true relationship cannot be hidden here.  No mere form of relationship of husband and wife will suffice to keep the persons together.

    The Great Truth of soulmates, is one which needs further elucidation.  One which I will try hereafter to explain more fully.  For now it is sufficient to say that every man born of woman has his soulmate, either on earth, or in the spirit world, and vice versa.

    Well, I have written a great deal tonight and you are tired and so am I.  So I will continue at another time, the rest of my discourse.  With all my love and best wishes for your happiness and success,

I am, your old professor and friend, Salyards.