I AM HERE. Luke.

I desire tonight to write for a short time on the text: “The Sins of the Parents Are Visited Upon the Children unto the Third and Fourth Generations.”

I know that usually the explanation of the text has been that the material sins, or rather the sins which result in material injury or affliction, are visited upon the children; and to a very great extent this is true. But that explanation is not what was intended by the declaration.

Man is not only a material or physical being, but is more largely a spiritual being, having a soul and spirit which never cease to exist, and which are just as much a part of him while on earth as when he becomes a spirit—that is, after he has left the vestments of flesh and blood.

These real parts of man are of more importance to him and his real existence than is the physical part. And the sins which man commits are not the result of any primary physical action, but of the operations of the powers which form, or have their real seat in, the spiritual part of his being.

The physical part of man is not the originator of sin, but merely manifests its effects; and it almost always manifests itself on and in the physical body, and leaves its scars apparent to the consciousness of men upon such body. Hence, as man is able in his ordinary condition to perceive the effects more plainly on this body, he thinks that the meaning of the text must refer to the sins that affect, and are shown upon, his body. At the same time, he ignores, or is not sensible of the fact, that the greater effect or injury of sin is upon and to the spiritual part of man. As the physical body is affected by the results of these sins being carried into operation, so much more so is the spiritual part of man affected by the fact that these sins had their creation in that spiritual part of man.

It may be asked in what way can the effect of sin upon a man—that is, upon his soul and spirit—have any injurious effect upon the spirit and soul of his child so that the child may suffer from the sin of the parent.

Well, when a child is conceived and gestates and is born, he not only partakes of the physical nature of his parents but also of the qualities and condition of the spirit and soul of the parents. This may seem improbable, but it is a fact that the spirit and soul that enters into the child when it is conceived comes from the great universe of soul and spirit, wholly independent of the parents, and is not in its nature or qualities a part of the parents as is the flesh and blood which build up and produce the physical body of the child. But, while this is true, it is also true that this spirit and soul of the child is susceptible to, and in a way absorbs, the influence of the spirit and soul of the parents—not only at the time of conception but also during the period of gestation, and even for years afterwards, and to such an extent that this influence continues beyond the mere earthly existence of the parents and into the life of the progeny to the third and fourth generations, as the text says.

The spirit part of the child is more susceptible to the influence and evil effects of these sins than is really its physical body. For, as I have said, the spirit part is the originator and breeder of the sins, if I may so express it, while the body is merely the recipient of the exercise of the sins and the object of their manifestation.

The influence of spirit upon spirit is more extensive and certain than mortals can possibly conceive of, and the results of that influence are not so apparent or known to the consciousness of the succeeding children, or to the respective parents. And men do not suppose, and, as a fact, do not understand or become conscious of the fact that such influence is operating upon the spiritual parts of their children. They see and realize that the effects of such sins become manifested in the physical body, and, as their ordinary natural senses cannot perceive the condition of the spirit, they conclude that the text can only mean that these sins are visited upon the material bodies of their children.

But I must tell them that, while great and deplorable injury is inflicted on these material bodies, yet, greater and more lasting and more grievous injury, in the way of manifestations, is inflicted upon the spiritual nature of the children—not only because this nature continues to live but also because men, not realizing that this nature has been injured, make no attempt to find and apply a remedy, as they so often do in the case where these sins manifest themselves in the physical body. And, besides, there are many sins which do great injury to the spiritual nature, and which are never perceptible to the senses of men.

A man is not only the parent of a child’s material body, but, in a secondary way, is also the parent of its spiritual nature. And the condition of the parent’s spiritual nature influences and determines to a large extent the qualities and tendencies of the child’s nature for good or evil—not only while it is a mortal, but frequently after it has ceased to inhabit the veil of flesh.

So, let parents know that they do not live to themselves alone as morals, but that their evil thoughts and deeds have a greater or lesser influence upon the spiritual natures of their children, especially at the time of conception and during gestation. Then, how important that every parent, during these times particularly, and at all times, should have their spiritual natures in that condition of purity and freedom from sin wherefrom their children may be conceived and born in a condition of soul purity (which will not reflect any evil that they can charge their parents with being the creators of).

If men would only realize these facts and live their lives in accordance with the Truths which I here declare, how much sooner would the human race be brought into harmony with God’s Laws and the souls of men be freed from sin and evil!

I know it is often said that it is unjust, and not in accordance with the justice of an impartial God, that the sins and penalties arising from the disobedience of our first parents should be visited upon mankind, who were and are their progeny, as such mankind had no part in that disobedience. But when it is remembered, and it is a fact, that God did not create sin or evil or impose such upon the first parents for their disobedience, but that they themselves created evil and sin, and men have been creating these inharmonies ever since, it will be seen that an impartial God, Who is our only God, is not responsible for either sin or evil and the consequent penalties which they impose. And, as has been written to you before, the abolishing of sin and evil and their penalties is in the power of man and his will.

As these first parents created these evils, as I have explained, and in the manner that I have pointed out to you, their sins, by the influence which they have upon the spiritual nature at the time of conception and birth, become, as it were, a visitation; and that is the spiritual desires and tendencies and inclinations toward that which is evil. And this influence continues with the child for years after its birth, and in accordance with the child and parents being closely associated together in their earth lives. And as each succeeding generation caused the visitation of its sinful influence and tendencies upon the succeeding generation, you can readily see how men, all men, became subject to the sins and evils and penalties which were brought into the world by the first parents.

INSTEAD OF GOD BEING THE CREATOR OF THESE THINGS, OR VISITING THEM UPON THE CHILDREN OF MAN, HE DECLARED THAT THEIR EXISTENCE IS CONTRARY TO THE HARMONY OF HIS CREATION AND MUST BE ERADICATED BEFORE MAN CAN COME INTO THAT HARMONY AND AN AT-ONEMENT WITH HIM. AND AS HE GAVE TO MAN THE GREAT POWER OF FREE WILL WITHOUT ANY RESTRICTION UPON ITS EXERCISE, EXCEPT AS A MAN’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE HARMONY OF THE OPERATIONS OF GOD’S LAWS MIGHT INFLUENCE HIM TO EXERCISE THIS GREAT POWER; AND AS MAN, IN THE WRONG EXERCISE OF THAT POWER, BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE THESE THINGS OF EVIL AND SIN, SO MAN, AS HE PERCEIVES THIS PLAN OF GOD’S HARMONY, MUST EXERCISE THAT WILL IN SUCH A WAY AS TO FREE HIMSELF FROM THESE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT PART OF GOD’S CREATION, AND WHICH ARE OUT OF HARMONY WITH HIS PLANS FOR THE CREATION AND PRESERVATION OF A PERFECT UNIVERSE OF WHICH MAN IS ITS HIGHEST CREATION.

God never changes. His Laws never change. Only man has changed from the perfection of his creation, and man must change again before that perfection will again be his.

Now, from all this, it must not be inferred that man is left to his own efforts to bring about this great restoration, for that is not true, because God’s instrumentalities are continuously at work influencing man to turn again to his first estate and become the perfect man, as he ultimately will become.

I am not referring here to the workings of the Great Divine Love which, when a man possesses It in a sufficient degree, makes him more than the perfect man.

SO, “THE SINS OF THE PARENTS ARE VISITED UPON THE CHILDREN TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATIONS” MEANS: THE TENDENCIES AND INCLINATIONS TOWARD THAT WHICH IS EVIL, NOT BY GOD, BUT BY MAN, HIMSELF, SOLELY AND EXCLUSIVELY.

AND, OH, MAN, COULD YOU SEE THE RESULTS OF THESE SINS UPON THE SPIRITUAL NATURES OF YOUR CHILDREN, AS YOU OFTEN SEE THEM UPON THEIR MATERIAL BODIES, YOU WOULD HESITATE IN YOUR SINNING AND THINK; AND, IN THINKING, YOU WOULD SEE THE WAY BY WHICH THE GREAT BLOT UPON THE HAPPINESS AND SALVATION OF HUMANITY COULD BE REMOVED, AND ITS PROGRESS TO THE PERFECT MAN BE HASTENED AND ASSURED!

Well, I have written enough for tonight, and hope that what I have said may be understood and meditated upon by all who may read it.

I will not detain you longer. With my love and the blessings of one who is now not only the perfect man but also a possessor of the Divine Nature of the Father and an inheritor of immortality, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,

LUKE.