THE WILL OF MAN.
The doctrine of the eternal nature of man is most characteristic of
the Gospel. It is a doctrine which gives great satisfaction to all who
have accepted the Gospel.
**The Primeval Condition.** All that is really clear to the
understanding is that man has existed "from the beginning," and that,
from the beginning, he has possessed distinct individuality impossible
of confusion with any other individuality among the hosts of
intelligent beings. Through endless ages, man has risen by slow
degrees to his present state. Possibly, with respect to the coming
day, man understands as little as did the spiritual beings with
respect to present day conditions.
**The Intelligence of Man.** To speculate upon the condition of man
when conscious life was just dawning is most interesting, but so
little is known about that far-off day that such speculation is
profitless. Nevertheless, of some things pertaining to the beginning
we are fairly certain. The being which later became man, even in the
first day possessed intelligence. That is, he was able to become aware
of the external universe, to learn, and by adding knowledge to
knowledge, to learn more. Then, as now, the universe was filled with
matter acted upon by many forces, and an intelligent being in the
midst of the interaction of forces and matter, must have become aware,
measurably, of what was going on. From the beginning, the ego of man
has been a conscious being, saying to itself, "This is I; that is not
I. This life is apart from the life of all the rest of the universe."
**The Will of Man.** In addition to his power to learn and his
consciousness of his own existence, the spiritual personality
possessed, from "the beginning," the distinguishing characteristic of
every intelligent, conscious, thinking being--an independent and
individual will. No one attribute so clearly distinguishes man as does
the intelligent will or the will to act intelligently. It was by the
exercise of their wills that the spirits in the beginning gathered
information rapidly or slowly, acquired experiences freely or
laboriously. Through the exercise of their wills they grew, or
remained passive, or perhaps even retrograded, for with living things
motion in any direction is possible.
Naturally, the original spirit, possessing, with all other attributes
of intelligence, the power of will, exercised that will upon the
contents of the universe. The exercise of the will upon the matter and
energy within reach, enabled the intelligent beings, little by little,
to acquire power. By the use of his will upon the contents of the
universe, man must have become what he now is.
**Value of the Will.** The above doctrine involves the idea of
self-effort. It is only when the will is exercised in a certain
direction that the support of other forces may be invited so that
progress in that direction may be accelerated. From the beginning, the
deliberate use of the will has moved personal beings onward; and in
this latest day of our existence, it is the will that moves men into
greater lives. Undoubtedly, the will of man will determine the
completion of the structure built through all ages into a perfected
man.
The Gospel, resting upon eternal, indestructible principles, maintains
the living supremacy of the will of man. The culture, training and use
of the will, for good or for evil, determine primarily the direction
of an individual life.