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Let me write a few lines to-night, as I have not written you for a long time, and desire to tell you of the scene that was depicted to you to-night by the words and music at the church.
I was present at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus and saw all that took place and the wonderful display of the forces of nature that were presented to you to-night in the drama of the crucifixion.
Well, as you may not know, many of the scenes that were so forcibly presented to your imagination never had any reality in fact and the drama was the production of the oriental mind which was so often used to depict things that had their origin only in such eastern imaginations.
When Jesus was crucified there was no great concourse of people; because he was considered as a common malefactor, paying the penalties that followed the violation of the law that he was charged with violating. Of course there were soldiers and a large number of the members of the Jewish Sanhedrim and a few followers present, but there was no unusual crowd to witness the execution. He was not the only one crucified at the time and the other two were considered just as the Jews considered him--violator of their laws and one to be punished by hanging on the cross. The words that he is supposed to have uttered at the time of his extremis were not uttered by him and no words that he may have spoken could have been heard by any of his followers, for they were kept away from the immediate scene of his execution, and it was only after he had been pronounced dead and found ready to be removed from the cross, that his followers were permitted to approach his body and remove it from the tree. The others, who were engaged in the execution did not hear any words of his, and as I have said, his followers could not hear and thus be able to report any supposed saying of his. So far as known, he died as bravely--that is without fear or doubt as to the future as did any other who has suffered the same fate.
The words that he is supposed to have uttered, were not so uttered, and he did not call upon the Father for His help, or to cause the bitter cup to pass from him, and all reports of what he said or did at that time are not true, but merely the imaginings of those who wrote of him in later times.
There was no sudden breaking up of nature or things material, and the accounts of the graves opening, and the bodies arising therefrom and being seen and talked with in the city are purely fiction, and have no foundation in fact.
I know that Christians of today will not be ready to receive these statements as true, because of the long years of belief in these things that have obtained during the centuries. Why men should want to believe in these representations of things that never happened it is hard to understand, for in themselves that have no significence except that mere endeavor to make as dramatic and impressive on humanity the wonderful circumstances that they allege surrounded the death of Jesus. IF THEY WILL ONLY THINK, THEY MUST REALIZE THAT THE DEATH OF JESUS, ACCOMPANIED BY ALL THE STARTLING ENVIRONMENTS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE DID NOT AFFORD ONE IOTA OF HELP IN WAY OF SAVING A HUMAN SOUL OR TEACHING THAT SOUL THE TRUE WAY TO THE FATHER'S KINGDOM. HIS LIFE IS WHAT HAD THE EFFECT AND NOT HIS DEATH; AND THE SOONER MEN LEARN THAT TRUTH THE SOONER WILL THEY LEARN THE FACT THAT NO DEATH OF JESUS COULD SAVE THEM FROM THEMSELVES, OR SHOW THEM THE WAY TO THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM.
I know that men will not want to believe what I have written, and continue in their belief that all these tragic circumstances surrounded the death of Jesus. And I suppose that this belief will continue with them for a long time to come. But what I have said is true, and no man can by any possible workings of God's laws find any hope or assurance of immortality in these things.
You may ask me how I know that Jesus uttered no words at the time of his death, and I can answer by saying that he told me so himself.
He has not been present to-night at any of the churches where his death on the cross is celebrated, and will not be until after the time of the great worship and adoration of him by the churches has gone by. This worship is all very distasteful to him and are such that he does not desire to witness, and hence, he remains in his home in the high Celestial Spheres. HE DESIRES MEN TO WORSHIP ONLY THE ONE TRUE FATHER THAT HE WORSHIPS, AND THUS RECEIVE THE TRUE BENEDICTION OF THE FATHER.
Well, I see that you are tired and I will not write more.
With my love, I will say good-night.
Your brother in Christ,
SAMUEL.Vol. II, p. 175
