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Testimonies for the Church Volume 1
being given to the world.
One day I listened to a conversation between my mother and a
sister, in reference to a discourse which they had recently heard, to the
effect that the soul had not natural immortality. Some of the minister’s
proof texts were repeated. Among them I remember these impressed
me very forcibly: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “The living know
that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.” “Which in His
times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King
of kings, and Lord of Lords; who only hath immortality.” “To them
who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor
and immortality, eternal life.” “Why,” said my mother, after quoting
the foregoing passage, “should they seek for what they already have?”
I listened to these new ideas with an intense and painful interest.
When alone with my mother, I inquired if she really believed that the
soul was not immortal. Her reply was that she feared we had been in
error on that subject as well as upon some others.
“But, mother,” said I, “do you really believe that the soul sleeps in
the grave until the resurrection? Do you think that the Christian, when
he dies, does not go immediately to heaven, nor the sinner to hell?”
She answered: “The Bible gives us no proof that there is an eter-
nally burning hell. If there is such a place, it should be mentioned in
the Sacred Book.”
“Why, mother!” cried I, in astonishment, “this is strange talk for
you! If you believe this strange theory, do not let any one know of it;
for I fear that sinners would gather security from this belief, and never
desire to seek the Lord.”
“If this is sound Bible truth,” she replied, “instead of preventing
the salvation of sinners, it will be the means of winning them to Christ.
If the love of God will not induce the rebel to yield, the terrors of an
eternal hell will not drive him to repentance. Besides, it does not seem
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a proper way to win souls to Jesus, by appealing to one of the lowest
attributes of the mind, abject fear. The love of Jesus attracts; it will
subdue the hardest heart.”
It was some months after this conversation before I heard anything
further concerning this doctrine; but during this time my mind had
been much exercised upon the subject. When I heard it preached, I
believed it to be the truth. From the time that light in regard to the sleep
of the dead dawned upon my mind, the mystery that had enshrouded