The Latter Day Saints or Mormons teach that the spirits or souls of men are eternal and came from Heaven; that our souls or spirits, "pre-existed" in union with God, "Before clothed upon with flesh and bone;" that "in other words, God is the Father of our spirits in the same sense that our earthly fathers are fathers of our bodies of flesh and bone." Page 3 in Mormon tract on "Plan of Salvation," by Elder John Morgan.

Again after quoting, "The spirit shall return unto God who gave it," the same tract says: "To enable us to return to Him we must have once enjoyed His associations, which must have been in a pre-existent state before we became clothed upon with this body of flesh and bone." Page 3. This is eternal children claim without disguise.

Like the Mormons the advocates of the "eternal children" theory, hold that our "Body was made from dust--and our soul came directly from God ;" that "The body comes from the dust, and the spirit from God." Verily this seems to be the "eternal children" theory in new dress, and much the same as the Mormon claim of "preexistence."

Beloved brethren, oh, be not misled into this blighting and most dangerous error, and so become guilty of this slanderous report that we believe in "eternal children" that the elect are as old as Christ or that our souls are "emanations from God."

We are not taught in the Bible that our spirit or "soul came directly from God;" that "the body comes from the dust, and the spirit "comes from God." We do not find in the Bible that our spirit comes from God, but that God gave it. We are taught in the Bible that God gave man's body with food and raiment and all things to enjoy; but this does not say that these things came from Heaven. The Bible also teaches that God gave man's spirit or soul, but this does not say that our "soul came directly from God" any more than our body. On the contrary, the Bible teaches that our soul is "made" but never dies.

The Mormon or eternal children delusion being not sustained by the Scriptures of truth its advocates seek for proof by the wrong use or play of words. Those under this delusion quote, "The spirit shall return unto God who gave it," and ignore the fact that the word "return" often means to turn from; to make report to a superior, etc. Now whatever is meant, the word return in the above quotation must not be construed to mean that our spirits were once in Heaven or came directly from God. Of course when God made the soul it was in His immediate presence, for He fills immensity. So we may safely say, that man's spirit shall turn from its connection with the body, and in God's immediate presence it shall make report or give account to Him, as its Maker and Judge.

I have been greatly astonished and grieved to see an intimation of the eternal children delusion claiming the pre-existence of the soul or spirit, as in the above quotation, that "the body comes from the dust, and the spirit comes from God." Refuting this heathen philosophy that the soul is uncreated or eternal and came from Heaven, the Bible most clearly teaches that God made or created man--soul, body and spirit. Gen. i, 26, 27.

Again we read, "The Lord stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth and formeth the spirit of man within him." Zec. xii. 1. and "Thus sayeth the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit should fail before me and the soul which I have made." Isa. lvii. 15, 16.

Beloved brethren, beware lest any man spoil you through this eternal children philosophy of heathen origin. For God is the only eternal being, and Jesus Christ is His only eternal son.

God loved and chose the predestinated ones long before their smallest natural or spiritual existence, "when as yet there was none of them." And now in fulfillment of the eternal purpose or covenant Jesus has come and made special atonement for all the elect, changes and adopts or unites us to Himself by the renewing work of the Holy Ghost in our hearts, and by the same all-powerful Spirit He shall finally change and raise our body from the grave, thus completely conforming us to His own glorious image.

So Christ or the Holy Spirit is not the new or inner man as claimed by some eternal children advocates, for the new man is created. Col. iii. 10. Again the Holy Spirit is not the inner man, but we are "Strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man." Eph. iii. 16. Moreover, the soul or spirit of man as we have seen is not eternal, but is created or given by the Lord. Let us rejoice in the comforting: truth that God made the soul as well as the body; and when born of God or by the renewing work of the Holy Ghost, Christ or His Spirit then "dwells in" and enables the heart or soul to war against the fleshly lusts or "old man." I Pet. ii. 11.

Then, soul, body and spirit, We are Created by the Lord and saved by His grace, through. the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we are saved, not for any fancied superior origin Or obedience, but as unworthy creatures of God we are saved, soul spirit and body, by His sovereign and unmerited grace.

Praise the Lord.
Sparta, Tex.         M.D. DENMAN.