Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton
Source Note
General conference of the church, Minutes, and JS, Discourses, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, 6–8 Apr. 1844; handwriting of ; dockets in handwriting of Robert L. Campbell and Jonathan Grimshaw; thirty-eight pages; General Church Minutes, CHL.
The word create came from the word Barau dont mean so— it means to organize— same as a man would use to build a ship— hence we infer that God had materials to organize from— chaos— chaotic matter— element had an existence from the time he had. The pure pure principles of element are principles that never can be destroyed— they may be organized and reorganized— but not destroyed.
It is as[so]ciated with the subject in question the resurrection of the dead Another subject— the soul— the mind of man— they say God created it in the beginning. The idea lessens man in my estimation. Dont believe the doctrine— know better— God told us so. Make a man appear a fool before he gets through if he dont believe it.
We say that God was self existent— who told you so? its correct enough but how did it get into your heads— who told you that man did not exist upon the same principle (— refer to the bible) dont say so in the old Hebrew— God made man out of the earth and put into him his spirit and then it became a living body. The mind of man— the intelligent part is coequal with God himself I know that my testimony is true. hence when I talk to these mourners what have they lost— they are only separated from their bodies for a short season. but their spirit exists coequal with God and they now exist in a place where they converse together as much as we do on the earth. Is it logic to say that as spirit is immortal and yet have a beginning because if a spirit have a beginning it will have an end— good logic— illustrated by his ring. All the fools learned & wise men that comes and tells that man has a beginning proves that he must have an end. and if that doctrine is true then the Doctrine of annihilation is true. But if I am right then I might be bold to say that God never did have power to create the spirit of man at all. He could not create himself— Intelligence exists— upon a self existent principle— is a spirit from age to age & no creation about it— all the spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement— That God himself— find himself in the midst of spirit and glory— because he was greater [p. 16 [28]]