I AM HERE. Samuel B. Southard

I am here—the spirit of one who, when on earth, was a believer in the divinity of Jesus and in his being one of the three parts of the “Godhead”, co-equal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit.

I died in this belief and, as a consequence, when I came to the spirit world, I was disappointed and also surprised to find that Jesus is not God, but a spirit made like the rest of the inhabitants of that world, though infinitely more beautiful and possessed of a very much larger degree of the Divine Nature of the Father.

I did not believe that this was true until a long time after I entered the spirit world, for my old beliefs clung to me. And while I did not find myself in heaven, singing psalms and playing on harps, as the Bible taught, yet, I was not very unhappy and was not in much darkness, and I settled down to the belief that the state in which I found myself was the one that I should probably remain in until the great day of judgment and the general resurrection of those who had died.

But, after a while, I met spirits who said they were from a higher sphere. They told me that there is no such thing as a fixed state in the spiritual world, and that the day of judgement is every day that I existed as a spirit; and that, if I chose to do so, I could progress out of my condition into higher spheres where I would find more happiness and light.

Of course, I did not readily belief this, for my old beliefs stayed with me, and I continued in my condition of hesitancy for a long time until at last I had the good fortune to come face to face with the Master. And then I knew that my beliefs were wrong and erroneous. I had no conception of such a beautiful and bright and loving spirit.

He told me that he was not God, and that he was only a son of the Father; and that I was a son, also, and could obtain the Divine Love, just as he had obtained It, if I would only pray to the Father and have the necessary faith.

Since then, I have been praying. And my old beliefs about Jesus being God, and the great day of judgment and the resurrection of the dead at the last day, have left me. And I am now a free spirit possessing the Love of the Father to a considerable extent.

I am not so exalted and bright, and have not the soul development that your band has, but I am progressing and know that the Divine Love of the Father is what we all, spirits and mortals, need to make us one with the Father and partakers of His Divine Nature and of immortality.

I am a stranger to you, and you must excuse my intruding. But I so desired to write as I have that, when I saw the way open, I could not resist the temptation to write.

I am S.B.Southard. I lived in the city of New York and died many years ago.

I am in the Fifth Sphere and am progressing.

So, thanking you, I will say good night and God bless you.

Your brother in Christ,

S. B. SOUTHARD.