I AM HERE. Leytergus. (Ancient spirit)

I was a native of Arabia and lived before the time of Abraham, the Jewish patriarch.

I come to you tonight to tell you that, before the Jewish Testament was written, I had written a book containing a description of the creation and fall of man. The Book of Genesis was copied after my writings, which were founded on traditions older than were the descriptions of Genesis.

These descriptions of the creation of the world were not the works of men inspired by the angels or by any other instrumentalities of God, but were the results of the imaginations of the minds of men who lived long before I lived, and who left only tradition of their writings or teachings. I say all this to show you that the world has existed for many thousands of years longer than the account of its creation in the Jewish Scriptures would lead you to think.

I don’t know when it was created, and I have not found any spirit in the spiritual world who does know. Of course, no spirit would know of his own knowledge because, in the natural order of things, man must have been created subsequent to the creation of those things which were necessary for his sustenance and comfort. I have never seen any angels who were not at one time mortals. Hence, I could not learn from them when the world was created, and I have never seen any angels or spirits to whom God has made this revelation. So, I say, the creation of the world, or rather any account of it, is all a matter of speculation and tradition.

(Mr. Padgett asked a question.)

Yes, I have been informed as to the fall of man.

My information is as follows: When man was created, he was made twofold—that is, there was a male and a female being which God intended to make a perfect one without the loss of any individuality on the part of either. Their names were not Adam and Eve, but Aman and Amon, which meant the male Am and the female Am—“Am” meaning “the exalted creation of God.”

These beings were made perfect, physically and spiritually. But these souls were not possessed of all the Qualities of the Great Creator Soul. In those particulars, they were inferior to the Great Creator. But, as regards this soul part of their creation, they were made in the image of their Creator. The physical or spiritual part of their creation was not in the image of their Creator, for He has no physical or spiritual body. Only their soul part was made in the image of their Creator, and not of the Substance. But this image was given a potentiality of obtaining or receiving the Substance of the Soul Qualities of their Creator—this, provided that they pursue that course, in their existence or living, which would cause their souls to receive this Soul Substance in accordance with certain operations of the laws which their Creator had prescribed. And only in obedience to these laws, or their operations, could this Substance of the Creator Soul be obtained.^[1]

Well, these creatures were not equal to the test, or, rather, requirements. And, after living awhile, they became possessed of the idea that they did not need to comply with these prescribed laws, but could obtain this Substance of their own will and power by doing that which they had been forbidden by these laws to do. And, so, in their efforts to obtain this Substance, or Divine Love, they disobeyed these laws; and, as a consequence, these potentialities of obtaining the Substance of the Creator Soul were taken from them. They then became beings still possessed of the spiritual and physical forms, and continued as souls, but not possessed of these great potentialities. And this was the fall of man.

(Mr. Padgett asked about the significance of the “apple” in the “Book of Genesis.”)

The story of the apple is a myth. No apple or anything else that was in-tended to be eaten formed any part of the fall. It was wholly the fall of the soul’s potentialities.

THE DISOBEDIENCE WAS THE GREAT, UNLAWFUL DESIRE ON THE PART OF THESE TWO TO OBTAIN THIS SOUL SUBSTANCE BEFORE THEY WERE FITTED, OR IN CONDITION, TO RECEIVE IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPERATIONS OF THE LAWS PRESCRIBED; AND, AS A CONSEQUENCE, THEY BECAME DISOBEDIENT. AND BEING POSSESSED OF WILLS WHICH WERE NOT IN ANY WAY BOUND OR LIMITED BY THEIR CREATOR, THEY EXERCISED THESE WILLS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR DESIRES. AND, FROM THIS DISOBEDIENCE, THE WILLS OF MEN AND WOMEN HAVE CONTINUED TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR DESIRES, AND IN VIOLATION OF THE GREAT LAWS OF TRUTH WHICH WERE MADE FOR THE TWO CREATURES AT THE TIME OF THEIR CREATION, AND WHICH ARE THE SAME, UNCHANGEABLE LAWS OF THIS TIME.

THE SOUL SUBSTANCE THAT THESE TWO FORFEITED WAS THE DIVINE LOVE OF THEIR CREATOR, WHICH, HAD THEY, BY THEIR OBEDIENCE, BECOME POSSESSED OF, WOULD HAVE MADE THEM A PART OF HIS DIVINITY—AND, THENCE, LIKE HIM NOT ONLY IN IMAGE BUT ALSO IN SUBSTANCE AND REALITY.

THE POTENTIALITY THAT WAS TAKEN FROM THEM WAS THE PRIVILEGE THEY HAD TO OBTAIN THIS SOUL SUBSTANCE, OR DIVINE LOVE, BY COMPLYING WITH THE OBEDIENCE WHICH THESE LAWS PRESCRIBED. SO, YOU SEE, THE STORY OF GENESIS IS MERELY SYMBOLICAL.

I have nothing further to say tonight.

(Mr. Padgett asked where this spirit resided.)

I live in a sphere which is part of the Celestial Heavens. Through the Mercy of God and His Gift, declared by Jesus, I have received this potentiality and, through it, the Soul Substance which our first parents forfeited.

The name which I have given you was mine when on earth. It is Arabic and nothing else. You must know that many of the names of my time were incorporated and used in the nomenclature of other nations and races in succeeding centuries.

So, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,

LEYTERGUS.