Reality is not fundamentally material but mental, or the substance of consciousness; thus everything is ultimately a thought, and every thought is somehow real. And since even the distinction between anything and my thinking of it is also mental, not bodily, the process of knowing is practically identical with whatever is known. The universal consciousness is independent of any mind knowing it and human consciousness, therefore, is a separate reality moving from one thought to another with the existing totality. This doctrine of universal consciousness—reality existing apart from any single mind is the greatest possible identity or measure of that which is actual or true—beyond our culture or environment. It is God, and everything unseen that generates from God—as opposed to the physical World in which we live. Eternal reality, includes all that comes from and is defined by God, and is the supreme invisible ramification of everything spiritual, psychological and emotional. There is only one true Reality; it is the One, beyond all possible description because it is the most fundamental through conceivable (like consciousness itself). The One already contains the whole Universe, absolutely unified, within itself, leaving its oneness uninfected with plurality. Consequently, all other things, considered by themselves as if independent of the One, cannot be truly real but only more or less apparently real or less real. #RandolphHarris 1 of 13

The eternal One seemingly declines into increasing plurality until it reaches our daily consciousness, the endless succession of only vaguely meaningful experiences, and, conversely, to explain how our ordinary consciousness can increasingly succeed in grasping the ultimate meaning of everything. The inconsistency is this: although the One is the only Reality, it is described as apparent decline into plurality with highly detailed attention, thereby turning the focus away from the One to the neatly arranged successive states of lesser realities (increasing appearances), which are then carefully analyzed as if independent entities. This therefore is a doctrine of emanation according to which the single Reality radiates from itself innumerable lesser yet independent realities. The doctrine stems from the objective—idealistic approach which, although it treats the substance of the Universe as consciousness, regards the Universe as existing apart from any knowing mind. All things are in all proper manner. Accordingly, every reality or consciousness is mirrored in and therefore appropriately colored by every other consciousness. For example, the One is known by the human mind but in a human manner, whereas the human appearance exists within the One Reality in its one real nature. #RandolphHarris 2 of 13

The One becomes treated as disintegrating gradually, flowing into its many appearances, and the Universe becomes a single organization of consciousness, an eternal movement of thought from higher to lower and back again. We have an organically interacting Universe of consciousness. The One reality and the many appearances of daily consciousness are chosen by two standards: first, deduction from ontological principles and second, the voice of Platonic tradition. The Church comes across as a good cause, which is in danger of collapsing for a lack of support in its efforts to act as the gateway to eternal reality. The kingdom of God is challenged by popular culture and the establishment of norms of these days. We are called to be the vanguard of the Kingdom of God—an eternal realm and rule that is breaking into this World with a different view of what it is to be human, and what it is to be eternal. The depth and validity of our identity is demonstrated by our commitment to God. We cannot let Western society become an increasingly unchurched culture. In the south people get dressed on go to church on their day of worship and it is one of the main social gatherings of the town. A correct understanding of our Heavenly heritage is essential to exaltation. #RandolphHarris 3 of 13

We are not simple people who believe in happiness; nor weaklings who crumple to the ground in distress at the first reverse; nor skeptics observing the bloody effort of marching humanity from the lofty heights of a mocking, sterile wit. Believing in the fight, though we entertain no illusions about it, we are armed against every disappointment.  Every reality has its own power, meaning primarily the authority to imply or cause that which is derived from it (for example, the eternal concept of Identity, implying all particular cases of identity in the World, has the power to indicate or produce them), and meaning also the power to be implied by, or the Effect of, that from which it is itself derived and, metaphorically, the power to return to this cause (for example, any two identical terms have the power to be identical, and by expressing identity, they point or return to the eternal Identity as their source). “We believe in God, the Eternal Father,” reports Articles of Faith 1.1. We understand that God the Father is the Supreme President of the Universe, the Power that gave us spiritual being, and the Author of the plan that gives us hope and potential. He is our Heavenly Father, and we lived in the Lord’s presence as part of his family in the premortal life. There we learned lesson and prepared for mortality. We came from our Heavenly Father, and our goal is to return to him. #RandolphHarris 4 of 13

Our most fundamental doctrine includes the knowledge that we are children of a living God. That is why one of the Lord’s most sacred names is Father—Heavenly Father. In reality this doctrine is among the most extraordinary knowledge we can obtain. It is foundational to comprehending the glorious plan of salvation and to nurturing faith. Further, it provides continual motivation for us to make and keep our indispensable eternal covenants. Between every reality and the one(s) derived from it there is a third, connecting reality called the activity of the first, or the process by which the first implies the second, and this activity has its own power. For example, the eternal Identity uses its power to make all particular cases of identity possible, and this possibility, in turn, has the power to make them actual. It is called the cause’s activity. The complete series becomes the first reality, or cause; its power to imply the second; it activity, the process of implication, or the possibility of the second; the power of this process actually to result in the second; the second reality, or effect; and, less important, the power of the second reality to be the effect on the first. Here on Earth, we identify ourselves in many different ways, including our place of birth, our nationality, and our language. Some even identify themselves by their occupation or their hobby. These Earthly identities are not wrong unless they supersede or interfere with our eternal identity—that of being a son or a daughter of God. #RandolphHarris 5 of 13

In answering the problem of how something can be something else—that is, how it can possess a characteristic or quality outside itself—every characteristic first exists in a perfect form, a reality prior to and the cause of all the many imperfect instances or examples of that characteristic, and each of these individual, imperfect characteristics is in turn prior to and the cause of whatever thing happens to possess it. For example, the Perfect Unity produces the class of all the imperfect unities possessed by things, although the unity possessed by, say, a person is regarded as being his of her direct cause. Only imperfect characteristics are possessed by things; the original perfect form is not possessed by anything and is called the unpossessed. Since the One is the cause of all everything else, it should have the supremacy to imply all its effects; but if the One were a reality having a power, it would acquire a particular description, whereas it must be absolutely universal and beyond all descriptions. The One’s reality is distinct from the One itself and, its power. These concepts are respectively called definiteness and infinity. Among all doctrines, beliefs, and principles revealed to the Lord’s children, the truths are related to God’s being and nature should stand as the preeminent focus. We acknowledge God’s existence and true nature in order to join with ancient believers and prophets in true worship. #RandolphHarris 6 of 13

As the First Cause, the One has its own activity, the process by which it implies everything else and within which the rest of the Universe is already potentially contained. And the power of this activity. The One’s first effect is the vast class of the oneness or unities. The purpose of all that the Father has revealed, commanded, and initiated for the inhabitants of Earth is to help us come to know the Lord, emulate the Lord, and become like the Lord so we can return to God’s holy presence. Eternal life is to know the Father and the Savior. Here the One is considered the unpossessed, perfect form of unity, the most fundamental characteristic conceivable (like the possibility of being conscious), which must therefore be possessed by everything in the Universe, so that all possessed, imperfect instances of unity are collectively the One’s first effect. Each unity, in turn, is a cause having its own power, activity, and the power of this activity; the unity’s own effect is that individual thing which possessed it. Hence, the Universe, or the class of all things possessing the characteristic of unity, including the World’s appearances, is the One’s final effect. Central to knowing the Father is understanding the revealed pattern of family. The family is the most important unity in time and in eternity, and is ordained by God. #RandolphHarris 7 of 13

Living in loving family relationships not only brings us great happiness, but is also helps us learn correct principles and prepares us for eternal life. In addition, family relationships help us know, love, and understand the Father. This is why we have always emphasized the importance of marriage and family both in the Church and in society. God’s plan provides a way for family relationships to extend beyond the grave. We can return to the presence of God, eternally united with our families. There are five levels of reality. There is a realm of Ideas; each Idea is the one eternal, perfect from all examples of any one kind, but each Idea coexists with all the many other Ideas in one realm, a logical bridge between the absolute One and the infinitely varied, fleeting appearances of daily consciousness. Between these Ideas and the appearances, there is a bridging concept—a World Soul, or energy moving through the World, copying the Ideas in the material of appearances, thus transforming an unchanging, perfect Idea into its many changing, imperfect examples. With clarity and quiet, look upon the World and say: All that I see hear, taste, smell, and touch are the creations of my mind. #RandolphHarris 8 of 13

The five levels of reality in the Universe are highly integrated with one another because they are parts of a single cause-and-effect system. They are called: Being, the cause; Power, the power of this cause; Mind, the activity of the cause, in which all the effects are potentially contained and part of which is identified with the realm of Ideas; Soul and/or Nature, the power of this activity, one function of which is identified with the World Soul; and Becoming, or the World of appearances, which are the effects. The great variety of fleeting appearances descend into a series of increasingly weaker, more dependent but therefore simpler and eternal concepts (such as quantity, negation, and so on), which mirror in reverse the ascending series of stronger, clearer, and thus also simpler, eternal realities. The absolutely lowest concept of reality is matter, which is merely the power of everything to be caused by the One. Our Heavenly Father has chosen not to reveal many details of our premortal life we had when we lived with him to us. Perhaps this is because we can learn many things simply by observing the pattern for righteous families he established on the Earth. Carefully observing and conscientiously living in accordance with righteous family patterns on Earth is at the core of our quest to know the Father. #RandolphHarris 9 of 13

Because of these two hierarchies, the premortal World and the material World, ascending and descending, the World picture becomes diamond shaped: the highest eternal causes and the lowest yet also eternal effects are few in number, whereas the greatest variety occurs in the World of appearances. Thus, there is a previously unsuspected close relationship between the so-called highest and lowest realities. Heavenly Father and family are inseparably connected. Sometimes I stop in think, is Earth really all that bad, and how much better could Heaven be? Maybe it is all a state of mind. After all, my grandfather once said this is Heaven. Although somethings bother me, I actually like it. For instance, the ability to buy a car and drive it, and the dream of owning a physical mansion with the steeply pitched roof, with so many halls and rooms that it seems like walking through a maze. Metaphysical language constantly alternates with a religious, theological vocabulary. When we understand the many dimensions of this connection, we can begin to comprehend more completely how personal and individual are Heavenly Father’s love for and relationship to each of us. The basis of this correlation between philosophy and theology is that the One is God or the Godhead. Understanding how he feels about us gives us the power to love the Lord more purely and fully. #RandolphHarris 10 of 13

 Thus, all the eternal unities produced by the One become gods, and all other eternal realities, which must possess these characteristics of unity, become equated with particular divine beings of the Greek pantheon, their relationships being described in terms borrowed from Greek mythology, including the Orphic Pythagorean tradition, or even the myths in Plato’s dialogues. In using religious language, our intentions are basically sincere. It has been the rule rather than the exception for idealists to identify the ultimate Reality with God, the object of worshipful and spirit-exalting attitudes. I said to the almond tree: “Speak to me of God,” and the almond tree blossomed. Personally feeling the reality, love, and power of that relationship is the source of the deepest and sweetest emotions and desires that can come to a man or women in mortality. These deep emotions of love can motivate us and give us power in times of difficulty and trail to draw closer to our Father. Every human being and everything on Earth is a begotten spirit or atom of our Heavenly Father. Begotten is an adjectival form of the verb beget and means brought into being. Beget is the expression used in the scriptures to describe the process of giving life. #RandolphHarris 11 of 13

For some, religious performing involves daily devotions to the Sun and Moon and celebrating not only the Greek but also the Egyptian and other Near Eastern religious holidays. And divine beings are simply names associated with the existing concepts of their metaphysics and are described by means of these concepts. Ethics are founded upon the statement that the One is also the Good—that is, the final goal of life’s efforts. This means not only that we should consciously strive to reach the One but also that essentially we are always seeking it, even if subconsciously and, thus, randomly. For everything that is the effect of some cause is said automatically to return to that cause. Consequently, for some philosophers, ethics is almost nothing but their metaphysics in reverse—a retracing from the lowest human level to the highest Reality of the stages through which the highest originally declined into that lowest. Thus, we are urged to renounce the appearances of the body, meaning unnecessary physical desires, social relationships, and political interest—indeed, all the misleading appearances of the senses, imaginations, and mere opinions. Conversely, we are urged to concentrate on rational knowledge, which prepares the individual mind for intuitive knowing, or the ability to grasp such eternal Ideal realities as Mind, Power, Being. #RandolphHarris 12 of 13

However, how can human consciousness rise from particular realities, which are still objects of knowledge separate from the knower, to the One Reality itself, which is an all-inclusive unity? Between this unity and human consciousness the most direct links are the many unities, since each consciousness has its own unity; and that internal method by which each consciousness perceives its own unity or divinity called faith. We use the traditional term, but define it as a higher kind of intuition for which certain persons have an innate predisposition and which in others can be stimulated, but are not actually taught. Perceiving its own unity, consciousness can mystically jump, in a fit of divine madness, into the unity of all things (the One), making contact with it, then approaching it, then uniting with it—the absolutely final goal of all life’s previous efforts. Without the great Plan of Eternal God, humanity would unavoidably perish. “The Spirit of revelation must be in each and every individual, to know the plan of salvation and keep in the path that leads us to the presence of God,” reports Journal of Discourses 9.279. So vital is this framework that is one strays or strays outside it, one risks provinciality and misery. In fact, most human misery represents ignorance of or noncompliance with the plan. A cessation of such mortal suffering will not come without compliance to it. Hence, the Lord, who has freely shared this vital knowledge with us, has urged us to teach the fundamentals of this plan freely. #RandolphHarris 13 of 13