I.

"They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit,

and shall be shut up in prison, and after many days shall they be

visited."--_Isaiah 24:22._

The Lord God created all things "spiritually before they were naturally

upon the earth." He created "every plant of the field before it was in

the earth, every herb of the field before it grew." Before this

"natural" creation "there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in

the water, neither in the air;... but spiritually were they created and

made according" to the word of God. In this second or "natural" creation

all things were clothed upon by earthly element, or in other words, the

spiritual was materialized so that it became discernible to the natural

senses. The spiritual and the natural are, therefore, but different

states of the same forms of life. In the natural world there are men,

women, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, and vegetation in

boundless and varied forms. These exist before the natural is added upon

them; they exist after the natural is laid down by the death of the

body.

In like manner we find in the spirit world men, women, beasts of the

field, fowls of the air, and vegetation in boundless and varied forms.

These things are as natural there as they are in earth-life. They

appeal to spirit nature the same as the "natural" prototype appeals to

the mortal senses; and this is why we may speak of our earth-known

friends who are in the spirit world and of their surroundings in the

manner of mortality.

And what a big world it is! Here are nations, tribes, races, and

families much larger than in earth-life, and just as varied in all that

made them different in mortality. Here, as in all of God's creations,

like assemble, dislike keep apart; "for intelligence cleaveth unto

intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue

loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on

mercy, and claimeth her own." The righteous in Paradise have no desire

to mingle with the wicked in the regions of darkness; therefore they go

there only as they may be called to perform some duty.

To the industrious there can be no true pleasure or rest in idleness;

therefore, Paradise furnishes employment to all its inhabitants. A world

of knowledge is open to them into which they may extend their

researches. Thus they may continue in the ever-widening field of

learning, finding enough to occupy their time and talents.

An arrival in the spirit world brings with him just what he is when he

leaves mortality. The separation of the spiritual part of the soul from

the earthly body does not essentially change that spirit. A person takes

with him the sum total of the character he has formed up to that time.

Mortal death does not make a person better or worse; it simply adds to

him one more experience which, no doubt, has a teachable influence on

him. At death, no person is perfect, even though he is a Saint, and

passes into the Paradise of God. There he must continue the process of

eliminating the weaknesses which he did not wholly overcome in

earth-life. Death will not destroy the tendency to tell untruths, or

change the ungovernable temper to one which is under perfect control.

Such transformations are not of instant attainment, but are the result

of long, patient endeavor.

As there are gradations of righteousness and intelligences in the spirit

world, there must be a vast field of usefulness for preaching the

gospel, training the ignorant, and helping the weak. As in the world of

mortality, this work is carried on by those who have accepted the gospel

and who have conformed their lives to its principles; so in the spirit

world, the righteous find pleasant and profitable employment in working

for the salvation of souls.

And as they work they must needs talk of the glories of the great plan

of salvation, made perfect through the atonement of the Lord Jesus. That

which they look forward to most keenly, that about which they talk and

sing most fervently is the time when they also shall follow their Savior

through the door of the resurrection which He has opened for them,--when

their souls shall be perfectly redeemed, and they shall be clothed upon

with a body of the heavenly order, a tabernacle incorruptible and

immortal with which to go on into the celestial world.

Though the future is most glorious to these people, the past is also

bright. The hopes of the future are well grounded on the facts of the

past. An ever-present theme is that of Christ's first visit to the

spirit world, when, having died on the cross, He brought life and light

and immortality to the world of spirits, entering even into the prison

house where the disobedient had lain for a long time, and preached the

gospel to them.

And among these who gloried both in the past and in the future were

Rupert and Henrik. Often they conversed on themes near to their hearts:

"It must have been a place of darkness, of sad despairing hearts, that

prison house, before Christ's visit to it," said Rupert. "There, as in a

pit, dwelt those who in earth-life had rejected the truth, and who,

sinking low in the vices of the world, permitted themselves to be led

captive by the power of the evil one. Noah in his day preached to them,

but they laughed him to scorn and continued in their evil ways. Others

of the prophets in their generations had warned them, but without avail;

so here were found Satan's harvest from the fruitful fields of the

earth."

"I can well imagine that long, long, night of darkness," added Henrik.

"No ray of hope pierced the gloom of their abode. The prison walls

loomed around and above them, shutting out any glimpse of heaven. These

had rejected the truth, which alone can make men free. They themselves

had shut out the light when it would have shone in upon their vision.

They had chosen the evil, and the evil was claiming its own. Outside the

prison were their fellows who had chosen to do the right, basking in the

light of a clear conscience, enjoying the approval of the Lord. These

faithful ones were going on to eternal perfection. How long would it

take the prisoners, if they ever were released, to overtake those ahead?

Between these was a great gulf fixed, which, in the ordinary order of

things, could never be lessened or bridged."

"But at last the time of mercy and deliverance came. I remember how the

events of the time have been described to me. Just before the coming of

the Lord, a peculiar, indescribable tremor ran through this spirit world

as if one pulse beat through the universe and that pulse had been

disturbed. The spirits in prison looked in awe at one another, many

crouching in terror, fearful that the day of judgment had come. The vast

multitude of the ignorant wondered what the 'peculiar feeling' could

mean. The righteous, who had been looking wistfully for some

manifestation of the coming of the Lord, whispered to each other, 'The

Lord is dying for the sins of the world!'

"Yes; the prophets of every dispensation had labored faithfully to

prepare the world of spirits among whom they lived for the coming of the

Lord and Savior. There were Adam, Noah, Abraham, with those who followed

them; there were Lehi, Nephi, Mosiah, and the others of their race;

there were the prophets who had lived among the lost Ten tribes; these

had all been valiant in earth-life, and were faithful yet in the spirit

world. The burden of their message in mortality had been the coming of

Christ the Redeemer, and now they still looked forward with the eye of

faith to Him who should die for the sins of the world, and who should

deliver them from the bondage of the grave. They understood that the

body of flesh which had been given them in mortality was necessary for

their full salvation. Christ would bring to pass the resurrection, so

that bodies would be restored to them, not corruptible as before, but

perfected, immortal and glorious, a fit tabernacle for the immortal

spirit with which to go on into the eternal mansions of the Father."

"But oh, that time, brother, when the Son of God was dying on the cross!

While the earth was shrouded in darkness, and the bulk of it trembled in

sympathy with the death throes of its Maker, the spirit world also

received the imprint of the terrible event on Calvary as for a moment

the whole spiritual creation lay in tense expectancy. The usual

occupations were suspended. Speech became low and constrained. Songs

ended abruptly, and laughter ceased. There were no audible sobs, neither

sighing. Bird and beast were stilled, as if the end had come, and

nothing more mattered. Then, in a little while, the tenseness relaxed,

and everything went on as before, though much subdued. The righteous in

the Paradise of God quietly gathered themselves together in their usual

places of worship. They clasped each other's hands, and looked with

trembling gladness into each other's faces. There was no fear here: they

were ready."

"And then His actual coming! That which had been fore-ordained from

before the foundation of the world was about to be fulfilled; that which

had been the theme of the prophets from the beginning was at the door;

that which the seers of all times and nations had beheld in vision was

now to be realized; that about which poets had sung; that for which

every pure heart had yearned; that for which the ages had waited, was

now here! A feeling of sweet peace filled the righteous, which expressed

itself in songs of praise and gladness. Thus they watched and waited."

"Then Jesus stood in their midst, and they beheld the glorious presence

of their Lord. Then there came to their hearts a small, sweet,

penetrating voice, testifying that this was Jesus Christ the Son of God

who had glorified the name of the Father; who was the life and the light

of the world; who had drunk of the bitter cup which the Father had given

him; and had glorified the Father in taking upon Himself the sins of the

world, in which He had suffered the will of the Father in all things

from the beginning. The multitude fell down at his feet and worshiped."

"I have been told that as Jesus entered the prison of the condemned in

the spirit world, a murmur of greeting welcomed Him. It was timid and

faint at first, but it increased in volume and force until it became a

shout.

"'Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting

doors.'"

"'Hail, hail, to the Lord.'"

"'And the King of Glory shall come in.'"

"'Who is the King of Glory?'"

"'The Lord, strong and mighty.'"

"'The Lord, will not cast off forever; but though He cause grief, yet

will He have compassion, according to the multitude of His mercies.'"

"'I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth.'"

"'Come and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn and He will

heal; He hath smitten and He will bind us up.'"

"'I will heal their back slidings, I will love them freely; for mine

anger is turned away.'"

"'Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity. He retaineth not

His anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy.'"

"'Say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, show

yourselves. I am He that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive

forevermore, anew: and I have the keys of hell and death.'"

"And thus the gates were lifted, and the King of Glory entered. And what

a radiance shone in the gloom! The shades of darkness fled, the chains

of error dropped asunder, the overburdened heart found glad relief, for

the Lord brought the tidings of great joy to the spirits in prison,

offering them pardon and peace in exchange for their broken hearts."

"Then they sang:

'"Hark, ten thousand thousand voices

Sing a song of Jubilee!

A world, once captive, now rejoices,

Freed from long captivity.

Hail, Emanuel! Great Deliverer!

Hail, our Savior, praise to thee!

Now the theme, in pealing thunders,

Through the universe is rung;

Now in gentle tones, the wonders

Of redeeming grace is sung."'

"For three days, as counted by earth-time, the Redeemer ministered in

this spirit world, preaching the gospel, giving instructions, and making

plain the way of His servants to follow. Joy and gladness filled many

hearts. Then, when the time had fully come, the great Captain of

Salvation led the way against the enemy of men's souls. He laid low the

Monster that had for ages kept grim watch at the Gates of Death. He

broke through the grave to the regions of life and light and

immortality. The Hope of Ages thus went forth conquering; and those who

followed Him through the resurrection from the dead sang:

"'Death is swallowed up in victory! O, death, where is thy sting? O

grave, where is thy victory?'"