Uncle Zed's illness did not prove fatal, though it was serious enough.
In a few days he was up and about again, slowly, quietly providing for
his simple needs. However, it was plainly evident that he had nearly
come to the end of his earthly pilgrimage.
After the most pressing fall work had been disposed of, Dorian spent as
much of his spare time as possible with the old man, who seemed to like
the company of the younger man better than anyone else in the village;
and Dorian, for his part, took delight in visiting with him, in helping
him with the heaviest of his not heavy chores. Especially, was it
pleasant during the lengthening evening with a small fire and the lamp
newly trimmed. Uncle Zed reclined in his easy chair, while Dorian sat by
the table with books and papers. Their conversations ranged from flower
gardens to dry-farms, and from agnosticism to the highest degrees of the
celestial glory. And how they both reveled in books and their
contents on the occasions when they were alone and unhampered by the
unsympathetic minds of others.
"As you see, Dorian," said Uncle Zed on one such Sunday evening, "my
collection of books is not large, but they are such that I can read and
read again."
"Where is your 'Drummond's Natural Law'?" asked Dorian.
Uncle Zed looked about. "I was reading it this morning. There it is on
the window." Dorian fetched him the volume.
"When I read Drummond's work," continued the old man, "I feel keener
than ever my lack of scientific knowledge. I have always had a desire
to delve into nature's laws through the doors of botany, zoology,
mineralogy, chemistry, and all the other sciences. I have obtained a
smattering only through my reading. I realize that the great ocean of
truth is yet before me who am now an old man and can never hope in this
life to explore much further."
"But how is it, Uncle Zed," enquired Dorian, "that so many scientists
have such little faith?"
"'The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life,' The Spirit has taught
us Dorian, that this world is God's world, and that the laws which
govern here and now are the same eternal laws which have always been in
operation; that we have come to this world of element to get in touch
with earthly forms of matter, and become acquainted with the laws which
govern them. Drummond has attempted to prove that the laws which prevail
in the temporal world about us also hold good in the spiritual world,
and he has made out a very good case, I think; but neither Drummond nor
anybody else not endowed by the gift of the Holy Ghost, can reach the
simple ultimate truth. That's why I have been looking for some young man
in the Church who could and would make it his life's mission and work to
learn the truths of science and harmonize them where necessary with the
revealed truth--in fact, to complete what Henry Drummond has so well
begun." The old man paused, then looking steadily at Dorian, said:
"That's what I expect you to do."
"I? Oh, do you think I could?"
"Yes; it would not be easy, but with your aptness and your trend of
mind, and your ability to study long and hard, you could, with the
assistance of the Spirit of God, accomplish wonders by the time you are
as old as I."
The young man mildly protested, although the vision of what might be
thrilled his being.
"Don't forget what I am telling you, Dorian. Think and pray and dream
about it for a time, and the Lord will open the way. Now then, we are to
discuss some of Drummond's problems, were we not?"
"Yes; I shall be glad to. Are you comfortable? Shall I move your
pillow?"
"I'm resting very easily, thank you. Just hand me the book. Drummond's
chapter on Biogenesis interests me very much. I cannot talk very
scientifically, Dorian, on these things, but I hope to talk
intelligently and from the large viewpoint of the gospel. Here is
a paragraph from my book which I have marked and called 'The Wall
Between.' I'm sure you will remember it. Let us read it again:
"'Let us first place," he read from the book, 'vividly in our
imagination the picture of the two great Kingdoms of Nature, the
inorganic and the organic, as these now stand in the light of the Law
of Biogenesis. What essentially is involved in saying that there is no
Spontaneous Generation of Life? It is meant that the passage from the
mineral world is hermetically sealed on the mineral side. This inorganic
world is staked off from the living world by barriers which have never
yet been crossed from within. No change of substance, no modification of
environment, no chemistry, no electricity, nor any form of energy, nor
any evolution can endow any single atom of the mineral world with the
attribute of life. Only by bending down into this dead world of some
living form can these dead atoms be gifted with the properties of
vitality, without this preliminary contact with life they remain fixed
in the inorganic sphere forever. It is a very mysterious Law which
guards in this way the portals of the living world. And if there is
one thing in Nature more worth pondering for its strangeness it is the
spectacle of this vast helpless world of the dead cut off from the
living by the law of Biogenesis and denied forever the possibility of
resurrection within itself. So very strange a thing, indeed, is this
broad line in Nature, that Science has long sought to obliterate it.
Biogenesis stands in the way of some forms of Evolution with such stern
persistency that the assaults upon this law for number and thoroughness
have been unparalleled. But, as we have seen, it has stood the test.
Nature, to the modern eye, stands broken in two. The physical laws
may explain the inorganic world; the biological laws may account for
inorganic. But of the point where they meet, of that living borderland
between the dead and the living, Science is silent. It is as if God had
placed everything in earth and in heaven in the hands of Nature, but
reserved a point at the genesis of Life for His direct appearing.'
"Drummond goes on to prove by analogy that the same law which makes such
a separation between the higher and the lower in the natural world holds
good in the spiritual realm, and he quotes such passages as this to
substantiate his argument: 'Except a man is born again, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God'. Man must be born from above. 'The passage from
the natural world to the spiritual world is hermetically sealed on the
natural side.' that is, man cannot by any means make his own unaided way
from the lower world to the higher. 'No mental energy, no evolution, no
moral effort, no evolution of character, no progress of civilization'
can alone lift life from the lower to the higher. Further, the lower can
know very little about the higher, for 'the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him;
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned'. All
of which means, I take it, that the higher must reach down to the lower
and lift it up. Advancement in any line of progress is made possible by
some directing power either seen or unseen. A man cannot simply grow
better and better until in his own right he enters the kingdom of God'."
"But, Uncle Zed, are we not taught that we must work out our own
salvation?" asked Dorian. "That is also scriptural."
"Yes; but wait; I shall come to that later. Let us go on with our
reasoning and see how this law which Drummond points out--how it fits
into the larger scheme of things as revealed to us Latter-day Saints.
You remember some time ago in our talk on the law of eternal progress we
established the truth that there always have been intelligences evolving
from lower to higher life, which in the eternity of the past would
inevitably lead to the perfection of Gods. This is plainly taught in
Joseph Smith's statement that God was once a man like us, perhaps on an
earth like this, working out His glorious destiny. He, then, has gone on
before into higher worlds, gaining wisdom, power, and glory. Now, there
is another law of the universe that no advancing man can live to himself
alone. No man can grow by taking selfish thought to the process. He
grows by the exercise of his faculties and powers for the benefit of
others. Dorian, hand me the 'Pearl of Great price'."
Dorian found the book and handed it to the old man, who, finding the
passage he wanted, continued: "Listen to this remarkable statement by
the Lord: 'For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass
the immortality and eternal life of man.' Just think what that means."
"What does it mean?"
"It means, my boy, that the way of progress is the way of unselfish
labor. 'This is my work,' says the Lord, to labor for those who are yet
on the lower rungs of the ladder, to institute laws whereby those below
may climb up higher; (note I used the word climb, not float); to use His
greater experience, knowledge, and power for others; to pass down
to those in lower or primary stages that which they cannot get by
self-effort alone. Let me say this in all reverence, they who attain to
All Things do not greedily and selfishly cling to it, but pass it on
to others. 'As one lamp lights another nor grows less, So kindliness
enkindleth kindliness.' Yes; through great stress and sacrifice, they
may do this, as witnessed in what our Father has done by endowing His
Beloved Son with eternal life, and then giving Him to us. That Son was
the 'Prince of Life.' He was the Resurrection and the Life.' He brought
Life from the higher kingdom to a lower, its natural course through the
ages. That is the only way through which it can come. And herein, to
my humble way of thinking is the great error into which the modern
evolutionist has fallen. He reasons that higher forms evolve from the
initial and unaided movements of the lower. That is as impossible as
that a man can lift himself to the skies by his boot-straps."
Dorian smiled at the illustration.
"Now, my boy, I want to make an application of these divine truths to us
here and now. I'm not going to live here much longer."
"Uncle Zed!"
"Now, wait; it's a good thing that you nor anybody else can prevent me
from passing on. I've wanted to live long enough to get rid of the fear
of death. I have reached that point now, and so I am ready at any time,
thank the Lord."
Uncle Zed was beautiful to look upon in the clear whiteness of his
person and the peaceful condition of his spirit. The young listener
was deeply impressed by what he was hearing. (He never forgot that
particular Sunday afternoon).
"You asked me about working out our own salvation," continued Uncle Zed.
"Let me answer you on that. There are three principles in the law of
progress, all of them important: First, there must be an exercise of the
will by the candidate for progression. He must be willing to advance and
have a desire to act for himself. That is the principle of free agency.
Second, he must be willing to receive help from a higher source; that
is, he must place himself in a condition to receive life and light from
the source of life and light. Third, he must be unselfish, willing,
eager to share all good with others. The lack of any of these will prove
a serious hindrance. We see this everywhere in the world.
"Coming back now to the application I mentioned. If it is God's work
and glory to labor for those below Him, why should not we, His sons
and daughters, follow His example as far as possible in our sphere of
action? If we are ever to become like Him we must follow in His steps
and do the things which He has done. Our work, also must be to help
along the road to salvation those who are lower down, those who are more
ignorant and are weaker than we."
"Which, Uncle Zed, you have been doing all your life."
"Just trying a little, just a little."
"And this will be as it already has been, your glory. I see that
plainly."
"Why shouldn't it be everybody's work and glory! What a beautiful world
this would be if this were the case!"
"Yes, truly."
"And see, Dorian, how this principle ties together the race from the
beginning to the end, comparatively speaking. Yes, in this way will men
and families and races and worlds be linked together in chains of love,
which cannot be broken, worlds without end."
The old man's voice became sweet and low. Then there was silence for a
few minutes. The clock struck ten.
"I must be going," said Dorian. "I am keeping you out of bed."
"You'll come again?"
"Oh, yes."
"Come soon, my boy. I have so much to tell you. I can talk so freely to
you, something I cannot do to all who come here, bless their hearts. But
you, my boy--"
He reached out his hand, and Dorian took it lovingly. There were tears
in the old man's eyes.
"I'll not forget you," said Dorian, "I'll come soon and often."
"Then, good night."
"Good night," the other replied from the door as he stepped out into the
night. The cool breeze swept over meadow and field. The world was open
and big, and the young man's heart expanded to it. What a comfort to
feel that the Power which rules the world and all the affairs of men is
unfailing in its operations! What a joy to realize that he had a loving
Father to whom he could go for aid! And then also, what a tremendous
responsibility was on him because of the knowledge he already had and
because of his God-given agency to act for himself. Surely, he would
need light from on High to help him to choose the right!
Surely, he would.