[Sidenote: Philosophy and its methods.]
In its broadest sense, philosophy includes all that man may know of
the universe--of himself and of the things about him. To be worthy of
its name, a system of philosophy must possess certain comprehensive,
fundamental principles, which if clearly understood, make intelligible
to the human mind any or all of the phenomena in the universe. The
simpler these foundation principles are, the greater is the system as
a philosophy. In the words of Spencer, "Philosophy is knowledge of the
highest degree of generality," or "completely unified knowledge."[A]
[Footnote A: First Principles, pp. 133 and 136.]
It is to be observed, that the great laws of nature are inferred only
from a number of lesser laws that have been gathered by man. A
generalization which is not built upon numerous confirmatory
observations, is at best an uncertain guess, which can be accepted
only when demonstrated to be correct by numerous isolated experiences.
The rational philosopher proceeds from the many to the few; he groups
and groups again, until the wide, fundamental laws have been attained.
In olden days, and at times today, this method was not pursued. A
philosopher, so called, would assume that a certain statement or idea
were true. Upon this idea an elaborate, speculative, philosophical
superstructure was reared. If by chance, and the chance usually came,
the fundamental notion were shown to be false, the whole system fell
with a crash into the domain of untruth.
It is the glory of modern science that by its methods, innumerable
facts, correct so far as present instruments and man's senses will
allow, have been gathered; and, that present day philosophy is built
upon these certain facts. The errors, if any exist, of this philosophy
lie not in the foundation stones, but in the inferences that have been
drawn from them. Modern philosophy rests upon the truths of the
universe, and not upon the wild speculations of men.
[Sidenote: The fundamental conceptions of scientific philosophy.]
The philosophy of science, which is the basis of all rational
philosophy, rests upon the doctrine of the indestructibility of
matter. Matter cannot be destroyed, and it is unthinkable that it ever
was created. True, matter may appear in various forms: the tangible
coal may escape through the chimneys as an intangible gas; water may
vanish into vapor; gold may unite with acids to form compounds
entirely unlike gold. However, the weight of the coal in the gases
passing through the chimney is the same as the weight of the coal fed
into the stove; the water vapor in the air weighs precisely as much as
the water that was in the vessel; the gold in the compound weighs the
same as the metallic gold used; in every case matter has been changed
into another form, but has not been destroyed.
Along with this fundamental principle, science holds the doctrine of
the indestructibility of energy. Matter of itself is dead and useless;
it is only when it is in motion or in the possession of energy that it
can take part in the processes of nature. Matter without energy is not
known to man; however inert it may be, it possesses some energy. The
ultimate particles of all things,--rock and plant, and beast and
man--are in motion; that is, they possess energy. The immediate source
of energy for this earth is the sun, though the ultimate source of
universal energy is not known.
Energy may appear in various forms, as light, heat, electricity,
magnetism, gravitation and mechanical motion; and each of these forms
of energy may be changed into any of the others. In every change,
however, there is no loss, but simply a change of condition. That
which men call energy, the vivifying principle of matter, is
indestructible. It has never had a beginning, and shall never have an
end.
To the mind of man, however, a motion independent of something in
motion, is inconceivable. An ocean wave without water is nonsense. It
is equally difficult to conceive of energy which is immaterial,
passing from the sun to the earth, through empty space. There must be
something between the earth and the sun, which carries the energy.
Such reflections have led the thinkers to the belief that all space is
filled with a subtle medium, now called the ether, through which
energy passes in the form of waves. Today, few doctrines of science
are so well established as that of the universal ether. The ether is a
refined kind of matter which fills all space, and permeates all
things. It is in the table on which I write; in and through the ink;
between the ultimate particles of the glass of the ink bottle. This
earth, and all heavenly bodies, are simply suspended in the
all-and-ever-present ocean of ether. By the agency of the ether,
energy is carried from the sun to the earth, and may be carried
anywhere in space. Light, heat, electricity, magnetism and gravitation
are all various manifestations of ether motion. Many scientists
believe that this world--ether is the original matter from which the
various elements have been made.
On these three doctrines, the indestructibility of matter, the
indestructibility of energy, and the existence of the universal ether,
rest primarily the explanations of the phenomena of nature. Hand in
hand they stand, an almost perfect example of the greatness of the
human mind.
[Sidenote: "Mormonism" and science have the same fundamental laws.]
The religion founded by Joseph Smith rests upon the same or similar
laws. To the very beginner in "Mormon" theology, it is a familiar fact
that Joseph Smith taught that matter is eternal, and has not been nor
can be created. Matter is coexistent with God. God, himself, is
material, in the sense that His body is composed of a refined kind of
matter. In the fundamental laws that underlie all nature, there is
perfect harmony between science and "Mormonism". Few religions can say
as much. In most systems of theology, it is assumed that the ruling
power, God, can create matter. In "Mormon" theology he can only
organize it.
It is not quite so well understood that the doctrine of the
indestructibility of energy lies also at the foundation of "Mormon"
theology, and was taught by Joseph Smith. It was clearly comprehended
by the Prophet and his associates that intelligence is the vivifying
force of all creation--animate or inanimate--that rock and tree and
beast and man, have ascending degrees of intelligence. The
intelligence spoken of by the Prophet corresponds fully with the
energy of science.
That the Prophet did not use the word current among scientific men at
that time does not destroy the validity of this claim. Different words
have no quarrel when they mean the same.
The Prophet also taught that this intelligence fills all space, and
that it may appear in various forms, such as heat, light, and
electricity, and that it is eternal, and can neither be created nor
destroyed. These are the very qualities assigned to energy by
scientific workers. This doctrine and its coincidence with the
doctrine of science appears marvelous, when it is recalled that the
Prophet laid down these teachings in 1831, more than ten years before
they were discovered by scientists, and a generation before they were
generally accepted by the scientific world.
The Prophet did not stop with the enunciation of these two fundamental
doctrines. He declared that a refined medium, called the Holy Spirit,
fills all space, whereby intelligence is conveyed from place to place.
In the terms of Joseph Smith, the forces of nature, such as heat,
light and electricity, are simply various manifestations of the
intelligence of the Holy Spirit; in the terms of science, of the
energy of the universal ether. The parallelism is complete. The Holy
Spirit, in "Mormon" theology, corresponds with the ether of science.
This doctrine, too, was enunciated many years before the corresponding
doctrines were established among men of science.
[Sidenote: Cause and effect.]
The Prophet also taught the unchanging relation of cause and effect,
which brings the whole universe under a reign of law, and overthrows
the mysticisms of old. This doctrine was emphasized at a time when the
world was just beginning to insist upon it. He further taught clearly
the manner in which nature's laws may be discovered by man.
[Sidenote: Astronomy.]
The Prophet further taught that all the heavenly bodies are in motion;
that the solar system is but a small part of a greater and grander
whole, controlled by the same laws, and that some of these other
worlds are inhabited. These doctrines, which now form the foundation
of the new astronomy, was discovered and accepted by the world of
science after the days of Joseph Smith.
[Sidenote: Geology.]
He also held clear and modern views regarding time limits in geology,
or the prehistoric ages of the world, at a time when students were not
agreed on the subject.
[Sidenote: The individual.]
Moreover, the "Mormon" prophet declared that the living beings found
on earth were organized from the commonly occurring elements and
forces of nature in such a manner that through them the force of
intelligence might exert itself in the greatest degree. Hence the
individual is only an organized intelligence. This, too, is in perfect
harmony with the results of the latest scholarship.
[Sidenote: The laws for the individual.]
On the basis of the fundamental laws, above defined, what does science
require of its devotees? How does it affect the actions of the
individual? As in theology, the scientific worker must have faith in
the principles that have been discovered. It is not possible in one
lifetime for a man to repeat all the work of preceding workers, to
demonstrate the accuracy of their results. Much must be taken on
trust; though at any time, should it be necessary, the earlier work
may be repeated. Besides requiring faith in the principles discovered
and enunciated by others, science demands that its every worker shall
believe in things that lie far beyond the reach of man's senses.
In theology, at least in the system established by Joseph Smith, a
similar faith is required of the individual. God and angels have been
seen by very few individuals. These realities must be accepted by
faith. In the words of the Prophet Joseph, "Faith is the assurance
which men have of the existence of things which they have not seen,
and the principle of action in all intelligent beings." With respect
to the first principle of science and theology, "Mormonism" is in
entire accord with the best philosophy. The individual, whether
scientist or theologian, must base his work on faith.
The scientist who has acquired faith in a law of nature will no longer
transgress that law. He will obey it. If he establishes the faith that
a wire connected in a certain way with the electric dynamo carries a
current sufficiently strong to destroy life, he will not wantonly
seize that wire in his hands. Before this faith came to him, he
probably came near losing his life, by the careless handling of the
charged wire. To conform to the laws of nature is scientific
repentance. Faith in science or religion is a high form of
intelligence and is opposed to ignorance. Repentance is the use of
this intelligence for the benefit of man.
In "Mormonism" the second principle of action for the individual is
repentance. If faith in God has been attained and his laws have been
made clear, the believer will no longer violate those laws; he will
obey them. That is repentance. Not by a jot or tittle does this kind
of repentance differ from the repentance taught by science. True,
science does not _speak_ of repentance, but it _thinks_ it. In the
matter of the great principle of repentance, governing the action of
workers in science or theology, "Mormonism" is eminently sane and
philosophical. Faith does not compel men to repent; but it is a
necessary precedent. The man who does not repent in science or
theology, after he has acquired faith, renders himself liable to
injury and retards his own progress.
In the system of theology taught by Joseph Smith, baptism is the third
great principle to be obeyed by the individual; that is, unless
baptism follows faith and repentance it is impossible to enter the
kingdom of God. In science there is a counterpart of baptism which is
the third principle of scientific progress.
A man who has attained faith in electricity resolves to refrain from
violating any of the laws of electricity. If he desires to produce a
current of electricity, he winds a wire around a piece of iron, and
revolves the coil in the field of a magnet, and the current is
produced. If the wire has not been wound in a certain definite manner,
and has not been placed in the proper relation to the magnet, no
current can be produced. The scientist may rail and object that it is
all nonsense to insist that the work be done just so to produce the
current. Nature is inexorable. The man to enter the kingdom of the
electric current must yield obedience to the order of nature; he must
receive a scientific baptism.
The baptism taught by the theology of Joseph Smith is nothing more
than obedience to law. Just why it is necessary to be buried in the
water to enter the Church, perhaps no man fully knows. Nor does any
one know just _why_ the wire must be wound, just so, to produce the
current of electricity. Of one thing every thinker may be certain,
that the essential principle of baptism is as necessary in science as
in theology. In this matter also, then, Joseph the Prophet is
eminently philosophical.
The fourth principle in "Mormon" theology teaches that after baptism,
the gift of the Holy Ghost is conferred which enlightens the mind,
clears the intelligence, and brings man nearer the presence of God. So
also in science, to the man who obeys the law of nature, come greater
power and intelligence, to him who winds the wire right, the electric
current comes, with all its latent powers. Thus is the Holy Ghost
conferred in science; and thus, also, in a more subtle and greater
degree is it conferred in the Church. The dogma of Joseph Smith and
the teachings of science harmonize perfectly in the examination of the
fourth fundamental principle of the philosophy governing the
individual.
[Sidenote: Evolution.]
It is becoming fairly well demonstrated that the ceaseless changes and
transformations in nature cause a greater and greater complexity in
nature. This, in other words, means that the earth and all on it are
developing and progressing. According to Darwin and his followers, man
and animals advance. Only those who progress, persist; those who
retrograde, die. Creation as a whole grows and develops, and must of
necessity do so. By this law, the purpose of the earth and the
universe is explained to be endless growth. The law of evolution is
the great cementing law of science. Even so, in the philosophy of
Joseph Smith, the doctrine is taught that all things advance; that man
shall continue to advance, in intelligence, and all pertaining to it,
until he shall become as God is now. Meanwhile, our God will also
increase in his fulness, and ever be a God to us. Through this
doctrine, all the principles of the Gospel are made coherent. All the
requirements of man have in view his eternal growth. Man's presence
here on earth is simply that he may better learn to understand the
nature of gross matter, and thus to develop and progress more
completely.
It is remarkable that Joseph Smith taught the law of evolution as an
eternal truth, twenty or more years before Darwin published his views.
[Sidenote: God.]
Above the law of laws is the force of forces--or the central force of
the universe. Science has little to say of God. It is content to
accept the laws of nature as they are found. Yet, at times, in some
branches of science, a knowledge of the beginning of things is
desired. Usually science answers, "I do not know;" but it nevertheless
affirms that there must be a central force, unknown and unnamed, to
which the manifestations of all other forces may be referred. Science,
which is essentially orderly, is chaotic when the question of the
beginning of things is raised. The "Mormon" Prophet left no such
weakness in his philosophy. He, too, realized the necessity of a
controlling universal force. This he named God. God is an organized,
material being, filled with the form of energy known as intelligence.
"The glory of God is intelligence." All other forces of nature may be
converted into intelligence; and from intelligence all other forces
may be obtained; God is the center of these forces, and their
directing power. Because of this centralization, nature is orderly.
Natural laws are not, as supposed by some philosophers, accidental
relations of phenomena, observed and recorded by man. The force of
intelligence controls all phenomena; there is mind behind the
operations of nature. God, himself a part of nature, is not the
creator of nature, but the organizer and director of it. What a
beautifully reasonable climax that is to the wonderful philosophy of
Joseph the Prophet!
The intelligence of God is organized; therein lies his individuality
and life. Man is organized intelligence; therein lies his life.
Through obedience to law, intelligence grows; by the violation of law,
which is sin, it decays. It is the degree of organized intelligence
that ultimately distinguishes one man from other men; men from beasts,
beasts from plants, and plants from rocks. Since intelligence, as
defined by Joseph Smith, corresponds with the main form of energy of
the universe, the doctrine of God, and all other beings, and of life,
finds expression in terms of energy. That is exactly what science
demands.
[Sidenote: Theology and science agree.]
Is it any wonder that workers in science, who have been taught the
doctrine of an immaterial God who is able to create something from
nothing, and to transcend all laws of nature, depart from the faith of
their childhood? Truth is truth forever. Scientific truth cannot be
theological lie. To the sane mind, theology and philosophy must
harmonize. They have the common ground of truth on which to meet.
Thus, on every hand, from the highest to the lowest, from the force of
forces and the law of laws to the fundamental laws governing the
operations of the universe, and the actions of the individual, the
philosophy of the "Mormon" Prophet is consistently referred back to
matter, energy and law. In its completeness, it transcends the
philosophy of science. Wherever the doctrines of "Mormonism" and
science meet, they agree. No discord has yet been found between them.
Science is daily confirming the truth of the universe--embracing
philosophy of the unlearned founder of "Mormonism."
Back of the revelations of the greatness of the Prophet's knowledge
that come to all who enter upon such a discussion, stands the eminent
fact that "Mormon" philosophy is plain, simple, and easily understood.
There is no need and no room for mysteries in the teachings of Joseph
the Prophet. Similarly, the philosophy of men, based upon nature, is
essentially simple, and easily understood. Only untruth needs to hide
itself in mysteries.
One hundred years have passed since Joseph, honored and chosen of God,
entered the school of life. Face to face with God, Joseph learned the
Gospel, planned before the foundations of the world were laid, and he
taught it to a careless world. It is not Joseph Smith's philosophy;
but God's code of fundamental laws, which the world is laboriously
deciphering in the beautifully written pages of nature. Is it any
wonder that the philosophy is perfect?
Of simple brilliancy must have been the mind of the Prophet which was
able to discover in the forgotten corners of thought the priceless
gems of controlling, universal truth.