The world and earth are not synonymous terms. The world is the human family.—This earth was organized or formed out of other planets which were broken up and remodeled and made into the one on which we live.
The elements are eternal. That which has a beginning will surely have an end; take a ring, it is without beginning or end—cut it for a beginning place and at the same time you have an ending place.
A key: Every principle proceeding from God is eternal and any principle which is not eternal is of the devil. The sun has no beginning or end; the rays which proceed from himself have no bounds, consequently are eternal.
So it is with God. If the soul of man had a beginning it will surely have an end. In the translation 'without form and void' it should read, empty and desolate. The word created should be formed, or organized.'"
OBSERVATION ON THE SECTARIAN GOD.—"That which is without body, parts and passions is nothing. There is no other God in heaven but that God who has flesh and bones. John, 5. 26, As the Father hath life in himself, even so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. God the Father took life unto himself precisely as Jesus did.
"The first step in the salvation of man is the laws of eternal and self-existent principles. Spirits are eternal. At the first organization in heaven we were all present, and saw the Savior chosen and appointed and the plan of salvation made, and we sanctioned it.
We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists is having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man, and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine, showing that he would prefer a swine's body to having none.
All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. This earth will be rolled back into the presence of God, and crowned with celestial glory."
THREE INDEPENDENT PRINCIPLES.—May 16, 1841. "There are three independent principles; the Spirit of God, the spirit of man, and the spirit of the devil. All men have power to resist the devil.
"They who have tabernacles, have power over those who have not. The doctrine of eternal judgment; Acts 2. 41. Peter preached, Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, &c.; but in Acts 3. 19 he says, Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of redemption shall come, and he shall send Jesus, &c.